Playing the English Top 100

[milesgiles]

On 3/20/2022 at 9:31 PM, Chanceman said:

Any comments on these courses: Kings Lynn, Wrag Barn, Rolls of Monmouth, High Post or Came Down. Are they anywhere near top 100 status? 

 

Nope, heard good things about KL and Rolls looks very nice driving past.. 

 

however, a course needs a bit of an X factor to get into the top 100 I’d suggest. Not enough to be a decent layout in tiptop condition with a nice clubhouse. 

[El Gringo]

The Rolls is a decent course, but a terrible walk. Unlike JCB, I don't think the Rolls is good enough to stand the walk. 

[Frank_Kasule]

St George's Hill was fantastic, brought back a lot of memories for me of my junior golf days playing similar Surrey courses. 

A really beautiful course in fantastic condition. My favourite hole on the red 9 was definitely the first, such an inviting hole which sets you up well for what's to come. 

I preffered the blue 9 to the red and was charmed by the less famous Green 9. 

One thing I really liked was that every par 3 was just stunning. My favourite was actually the shortest, the 11th which required a 110 yard wedge into the wind with the pin tucked tightly behind the left bunker. 

It is a pricey round but one of those that you have to play if you are a real golf nut. Everything about the experience is just pure class, the starter in particular really got us off to a great start and met us after 9 for a nice chat. 

We got caught by the rain and hail numerous times with downpours followed by clear blue skies! 

I was knackered after 18 but we went on to the green 9 and I was really glad that we did. It is a bit shorter with one or two bland holes but some of them are stunning and a joy to play. To be honest all of them are great except the par 5 4th felt a bit like a filler to get you to the 5th. I particularly enjoyed the stretch from 5 to 9 which left me with a big smile to finish the day despite finishing in a massive downpour on the 9th green and the walk back to the clubhouse. Thankfully a long hot shower in the changing room got the heat back in. 

All in all a memorable day and one off the bucket list. 

[Ty_Webb]

Wow! - you really got hit with all four seasons in one go didn't you? Some great pictures there. Honestly can't believe that they were all taken on the same day.

 

Which hole is the first picture? I know SGH fairly well (at least the two main 9s), but I don't recognize that one at all. 

[Frank_Kasule]

1 hour ago, Ty_Webb said:

Wow! - you really got hit with all four seasons in one go didn't you? Some great pictures there. Honestly can't believe that they were all taken on the same day.

 

Which hole is the first picture? I know SGH fairly well (at least the two main 9s), but I don't recognize that one at all. 

It's the 16th or the 7th on the Blue 9.

Look at this pair of pictures from the 14th, on the tee we had hail and considered walking in. Waited 10 minutes and continued only to be met with the most beautiful weather at the green! Craziest change in weather I've ever experienced. 

[Lobby]

On 3/12/2022 at 3:28 AM, Frank_Kasule said:

On the Top 100 golf courses website you can record and review all the courses you've played. This got me thinking about how cool it would be to complete the English top 100. I decided upon the English top 100 because I live here and its a hell of a lot more possible than the world top 100. Would like to do the GB&I top 100 but not so easy to get away for multiple golf holidays. 

I imagine it will take many years but it's a fun quest and a fairly unique thing to do in golf as opposed to other sports. 

The only issue is that there is some variance between different lists at the bottom end of which golf courses make the list. The Top 100 list is a bit outdated as it is from 2019 whilst the Golf Monthly and NCG top 100s are from 2022. Anyway will see what I play and will probably play more than just one lists top 100.

These are the ones I've already played on the Top 100 Golf Courses list;

Royal St George's (1)
Sunningdale New (4) 

Swinley Forest (5)

Woodhall Spa (7)
West Sussex (11)
Berkshire Red (22)
Woking (27)
Berkshire Blue (36)
Royal Ashdown Forest (39)

Beau Desert (55)

The Addington (58)
Royal Wimbledon (82)

 

In addition to this I've played Luffenham Heath which is 96th on the NCG100. Hopefully it'll be in the next edition of the Top 100 Golf Courses list. 

 

Scheduled for this year already is the 27 holes at St George's Hill and a round at Ganton. 

Now that I've decided to try and do this ideally I would like to play more courses each year. So was hoping to try get on at Fulford and Alwoodley and possibly one more at least to get started this year. 

 

So I was wondering if anyone else has taken on a similar quest? 

Do you have any advice or anything you wish you had known from the beginning etc? All advice, thoughts and comments welcome. 

I’ve always viewed these Top 100 lists with skepticism. Too much politics / marketing in deciding the rankings

 

But I’m curious how you rank those you’ve played against the official ranking. 
 

I’ve always found that many unheralded courses are better than the official top courses

[Frank_Kasule]

4 hours ago, Lobby said:

I’ve always viewed these Top 100 lists with skepticism. Too much politics / marketing in deciding the rankings

 

But I’m curious how you rank those you’ve played against the official ranking. 
 

I’ve always found that many unheralded courses are better than the official top courses

I by no means am an expert but generally I've found that the top 50 of all lists generally feature in the top 100 of all of them. 

The discrepancies in terms of making each list come further down. But imo if it's made any of the lists then you know its going to be a course worth playing which is good enough for me. 

Of all the 'top 100' courses I've played I haven't felt like they haven't belonged in a list but at the same time I'm not always so certain that they belong in the place they have been given. However, I am not necessarily looking to make my own ranking, I am just looking to play all of the best courses in England and enjoy the journey that this quest takes me on! 

I have not played so many courses in England but of all the ones that are not in a Top 100 list, I enjoyed Church Stretton the most. 

[fredstar]

What does a round at Wentworth cost these days if one can get on?

Edited June 7, 2022 by fredstar

[Chanceman]

20 hours ago, fredstar said:

What does a round at Wentwoth cost these days if one can get on?

Price is not a factor for me - I would never want to play Wentworth anyway. Looks deadly dull to my eyes. Give me Sunningdale, Swinley or the Berkshires any day if the week.

[fredstar]

44 minutes ago, Chanceman said:

Price is not a factor for me - I would never want to play Wentworth anyway. Looks deadly dull to my eyes. Give me Sunningdale, Swinley or the Berkshires any day if the week.

 

It was just a question of how much it was out of curiosity but thanks for your opinion and judgement.

[El Gringo]

2 hours ago, Chanceman said:

Price is not a factor for me - I would never want to play Wentworth anyway. Looks deadly dull to my eyes. Give me Sunningdale, Swinley or the Berkshires any day if the week.

Really? You book tee times without paying attention to the greenfee? There are a ton of cost prohibitive courses I would like to see again. Every year the list of "not paying that greenfee" grows. 

[AntLockyer]

My list is rather short, and considering I get courtesy at some that are missing I should probably get out more

5  - Swinley Forest
7  - Woodhall Spa (Hotchkin)
8  - St George's Hill (Red & Blue)
12 - Royal Cinque Ports
29 - Hankley Common
33 - West Hill
45 - Prince's (Shore & Dunes)
54 - New Zealand
58 - The Addington
67 - Littlestone (Championship)
80 - Camberley Heath
86 - Crowborough Beacon
99 - Prince’s (Himalayas)
 

[Frank_Kasule]

On 6/6/2022 at 9:26 AM, fredstar said:

What does a round at Wentworth cost these days if one can get on?

This was the only info I found short of contacting the club. 

[Chanceman]

5 hours ago, El Gringo said:

Really? You book tee times without paying attention to the greenfee? There are a ton of cost prohibitive courses I would like to see again. Every year the list of "not paying that greenfee" grows. 

No you misunderstand. Wentworth just does not appeal to me no matter the price- high or low. I had the opportunity to play a very good private club in the US at an absurdly high green fee and politely declined. I just think you have to decide where courses sit on your desire to play list and assess the cost accordingly. 

[El Gringo]

17 hours ago, Chanceman said:

No you misunderstand. Wentworth just does not appeal to me no matter the price- high or low. I had the opportunity to play a very good private club in the US at an absurdly high green fee and politely declined. I just think you have to decide where courses sit on your desire to play list and assess the cost accordingly. 

 

Ok, sorry for the misunderstanding. Although, I would happily give Wentworth East or West another go if it was reasonably priced. While I am fairly picky about my choices, many courses with reputations still hold a certain appeal. For instance, I didn't think JCB would do much for me, but I played it anyway. I was pleasantly surprised. Its a high quality design with some very interesting greens. The big drawback is the poor walk. But if you accept the odd game using a cart it's well worth a visit. For me it's one of the best modern courses I have played in GB&I. 

[Chanceman]

2 hours ago, El Gringo said:

 

Ok, sorry for the misunderstanding. Although, I would happily give Wentworth East or West another go if it was reasonably priced. While I am fairly picky about my choices, many courses with reputations still hold a certain appeal. For instance, I didn't think JCB would do much for me, but I played it anyway. I was pleasantly surprised. Its a high quality design with some very interesting greens. The big drawback is the poor walk. But if you accept the odd game using a cart it's well worth a visit. For me it's one of the best modern courses I have played in GB&I. 

I can’t see myself playing “worth a visit” type courses on a crammed 2/3 week golf trip to the UK. You have to be selective and stick to it unless there are unusual circumstances.

[El Gringo]

2 hours ago, Chanceman said:

I can’t see myself playing “worth a visit” type courses on a crammed 2/3 week golf trip to the UK. You have to be selective and stick to it unless there are unusual circumstances.

Thats fair enough. When I travel abroad and play golf I target the courses which interest me most. Of course, access and cost can quickly induce me to amend the ideal plan 😎. 

 

I will be going to Michigan/Chicago and wanted to make sure I hit two must plays for me, The Loop and Culver Academies. My travel mates are not interested in Culver Academies. I will probably have to go early to see the course. 

Edited June 8, 2022 by El Gringo

[Chanceman]

5 hours ago, El Gringo said:

Thats fair enough. When I travel abroad and play golf I target the courses which interest me most. Of course, access and cost can quickly induce me to amend the ideal plan 😎. 

 

I will be going to Michigan/Chicago and wanted to make sure I hit two must plays for me, The Loop and Culver Academies. My travel mates are not interested in Culver Academies. I will probably have to go early to see the course. 

Those are two very interesting courses in the US. Maybe Mike Keizer will let you play his Dunes 9 holer in the same region. And Kankakee Elks is also supposed to be cool. Enjoy.

[El Gringo]

On 3/20/2022 at 9:31 PM, Chanceman said:

Any comments on these courses: Kings Lynn, Wrag Barn, Rolls of Monmouth, High Post or Came Down. Are they anywhere near top 100 status? 

Came Down is a course which interests me due to the Colt design connection. The Rolls is alright, tough walk. If you are in the High Post area check out Leckford Old, a superb Colt 9 holer. 

[Chanceman]

Thanks for the Leckford idea. One to add to the list of possibles for a future trip. I love good 9 holers. Played Mulranny in Ireland recently which is a gem.

[El Gringo]

On 7/7/2022 at 1:39 AM, Chanceman said:

Thanks for the Leckford idea. One to add to the list of possibles for a future trip. I love good 9 holers. Played Mulranny in Ireland recently which is a gem.

I too like 9 holers. They are great to play on travel days. The best England 9 holers I have come across are

 

Leckford Old

Sacred 9

Reigate Heath 

Alnmouth Village 

 

Warkworth has a small handful of excellent holes...honesty box course

 

Some 18 hole clubs have figured out that offering 9 hole rates can be useful:

 

Front 9 at Broadway is very good

 

Back 9 at Seahouses also earns high marks, the ma and pa club is also a bit of a local hangout...good vibe

Edited September 20, 2022 by El Gringo

[Chanceman]

I have finally got together a group to come to England for a mostly top 100 trip in September next year. It’s not optimal because of visitor restrictions here and there, course maintenance, travel issues etc but this is the plan so far. Arrive in London then:

 

Old Fold Manor, Hollinwell, Seacroft, Ganton, Alwoodley, Cavendish, Delamere Forest, Beau Desert, Llanymynech, Kington, Rolls of Monmouth, Painswick, St Enodoc, Perranporth, Isle of Purbeck, Pulborough, Worplesdon, the Addington, St George’s Hill, Reigate.

 

Not considered Sunningdale, Walton Heath and Swinley as played already. I think only 3 or 4 are not top 100 and I have picked them out of interest as much as anything. I guess the main choices were Little Aston or Beau Desert. Burnham and Berrow or St Enodoc. Woodhall Spa or Seacroft. Welshpool or Llanymynech. Cleeve Hill or Painswick. Purbeck or Stoneham. You have to choose and  variety is needed over a 3 week trip.
Appreciate comments on any “bad” choices or obvious “misses”. 

[El Gringo]

If its either or, choose Welshpool. I would make Church Stretton the 2nd choice if Welshpool doesn't work. 

[Frank_Kasule]

Some great courses there. Personally I would take Woodhall Spa over Seacroft, WS is really a fantastic course. 

Would second Church Stretton, was a magical experience for me. 

Edit- Also Beau Desert over Little Aston is right for me. 

Edited September 20, 2022 by Frank_Kasule

[Ty_Webb]

Reigate? Reigate Heath? The 9-hole one?

[Chanceman]

Yes that’s right Reigate Heath 9 holes is ideal for the last day before boarding an aircraft. Can play twice if time permits.

Woodhall Spa might yet happen but they were demanding a large non-refundable deposit for an awkward tee time. No way this far out.

Church Stretton has always interested me. Might reconsider. 

[El Gringo]

On 9/20/2022 at 12:54 PM, Ty_Webb said:

Reigate? Reigate Heath? The 9-hole one?

Chanceman, I have heard the Old Ford greens were a bit ropey this summer. You may want to call the club and see what's up. 

[Chanceman]

3 hours ago, El Gringo said:

Chanceman, I have heard the Old Ford greens were a bit ropey this summer. You may want to call the club and see what's up. 

Sorry, do you mean Old Fold (Manor)? That's our day 1 jet lag fighter.

[olly123]

Having played both many times, I would certainly choose to play Cleeve Hill over Painswick. I would also play S.Enodoc over B&B. 

[El Gringo]

On 9/22/2022 at 4:14 AM, Chanceman said:

Sorry, do you mean Old Fold (Manor)? That's our day 1 jet lag fighter.

Yep. Give the club a call.