Finegan - All courses great and small: a golfers pilgrimage to England and Wales

All Courses Great and Small

Also by James W. Finegan

Blasted Heaths and Blessed Greens: A Golfers Pilgrimage to the Courses of Scotland

Emerald Fairways and Foam-Flecked Seas: A Golfers Pilgrimage to the Courses of Ireland

A Centennial Tribute to Golf in Philadelphia: The Champions and the Championships, The Clubs and the Courses

Pine Valley Golf Club: A Unique Haven of the Game

SIMON & SCHUSTER
Rockefeller Center
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com

Copyright 2003 by Aberdovey, Inc.

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

SIMON & SCHUSTER and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales: 1-800-456-6798 or business@simonandschuster.com

Designed by Bonni Leon-Berman

Maps by Amy Hill

Manufactured in the United States of America

2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Finegan, James W.

All courses great and small : a golfers pilgrimage to England and Wales/James Finegan.

p. cm.

1. Golf coursesEnglandGuidebooks. 2. Golf CoursesWalesGuidebooks. 3. EnglandGuidebooks. 4. WalesGuidebooks. I. Title.

GV984.F54 2003

796.35206842dc21 2002044795

ISBN 13: 978-0-7432-2388-1
ISBN 0-7432-2388-8
eISBN 13: 978-1-4391-0425-5

For Jim, John, and Megwin,whose affection for the game is, mercifully, a little less obsessive than their fathers

ONE: In the Dunelands of Northern England
Berwick-upon-Tweed (Goswick) G.C. Seaton Carew G.C. Seascale G.C. Silloth-on-Solway G.C.

TWO: Yorkshire: Alister Mackenzie, Front and Center
Alwoodley G.C. Moortown G.C. Sand Moor G.C. Moor Allerton G.C. Ganton G.C.

THREE: Robin Hood, a Ryder Cup, and Inland Glory
Lindrick.G.C. Notts G.C. (Hollinwell) Woodhall Spa G.C.

FOUR: Links, Clifftop, Heathland, Parkland: An East Anglian Smorgasbord
Hunstanton G.C. Royal West Norfolk G.C. (Brancaster) Sheringham G.C. Royal Cromer G.C. Thetford G.C. Royal Worlington and New Market G.C. Gog Magog G.C.

FIVE: Old and NewNorth and West of London
Huntercombe G.C. Stoke Park Club (Stoke Poges) Moor Park Buckinghamshire G.C. Oxfordshire G.C.

SIX: Harry Colt in Berkshire and Surrey
Sunningdale G.C. Berkshire G.C. Wentworth Club Swinley Forest G.C. Queenwood G.C.

SEVEN: Ten More London CoursesThree of Them Great
Walton Heath G.C. Woking G.C. West Hill G.C. Worplesdon G.C. Coombe Hill G.C. Hindhead G.C. Royal Blackheath G.C. The Addington St. Georges Hill G.C.

EIGHT: Kent and Englands Greatest Course
Chart Hills G.C. Littlestone G.C. Royal Cinque Ports G.C. (Deal) Princes G.C. Royal St. Georges G.C. (Sandwich)

NINE: The Channel Islands
La Moye G.C. Royal Jersey G.C. Royal Guernsey G.C. (LAncresse)

TEN: Is Rye the Toughest Course in England?
Royal Ashdown Forest G.C. West Sussex G.C. (Pulborough) East Sussex National G.C. Rye G.C.

ELEVEN: Hampshire: An Unknown Links and a Well-Known Hotel
Hayling G.C. Barton-on-Sea G.C. Brokenhurst Manor G.C.

TWELVE: Cornwall, Starring the One and Only St. Enodoc Links
Trevose G. & C.C. West Cornwall G.C. Bude and North Cornwall G.C. St. Enodoc G.C.

THIRTEEN: Turning Back the Clock at Westward Ho!
Saunton G.C. Royal North Devon G.C. (Westward Ho!) Ilfracombe G.C. Burnham & Berrow G.C.

FOURTEEN: Three Courses at The Belfry, Plus Six Youve Never Heard of
The Belfry Little Aston G.C. Beau Desert G.C. Stapleford Park G.C. Woburn G. & C.C.

FIFTEEN: Lancashire: Three Royals, Five Uncommon Commoners
Royal Lytham & St. Annes G.C. Royal Birkdale G.C. Royal Liverpool G.C. (Hoylake) Wallasey G.C. West Lancashire G.C. Formby G.C. Hillside G.C. Southport & Ainsdale G.C.

SIXTEEN: North Wales: Seven at the Sea
North Wales G.C. Conwy G.C. Holyhead G.C. Nefyn & District G.C. Pwllheli G.C. Royal St. Davids G.C. (Harlech) Aberdovey G.C.

SEVENTEEN: South Wales: One of the Worlds Great Golf Destinations
Celtic Manor St. Pierre Hotel G. & C.C. Royal Porthcawl G.C. Pyle & Kenfig G.C. Southerndown G.C. Ashburnham G.C. Tenby G.C. Pennard G.C.

IT IS SEVEN YEARS since the publication of my books on Scotland and Ireland, in 1996. During that period I have from time to time considered writing a book on the courses of England and Wales. It would personally be quite satisfying to be able to point to a trilogy that covers the entire golfing world of Britain and Ireland. On the other hand, I had to admit that Americans have yet to demonstrate much enthusiasm for golf in England or Walesnor, in truth, have they been encouraged to. Oh, they are aware of a trio of links courses where the Open Championship is played (Royal Birkdale, Royal Lytham & St. Annes, and Royal St. Georges), as well as a trio of inland courses (Sunningdale, Wentworth, and The Belfrys Brabazon eighteen) where important competitions also pop up with some regularity. But having acknowledged this half-dozen, they might be at a loss to name three or four more. And that is regrettable. For the six just mentioned constitute only the proverbial tip of the iceberg.

Perhaps a few figures are in order. If you take the number of outstanding courses in Scotland (shrines plus the other worthies), some fifty-five to sixty, and add to it the number of outstanding courses in Ireland, about fifty, why, lo and behold, that total, 105 to 110, is very like the total of outstanding courses in England (ninety) and Wales (fifteen).

A few more figures serve to explain why this circumstance should not be surprising. Scotland has 5.2 million people and 550 golf courses. Ireland has 3.5 million people and 400 courses. But England and Wales, with 50 million people (47 million in England), have more than 2,000 courses (1,900 in England). Is it any wonder, then, that there should be nearly a hundred outstanding venues in England alone? Indeed, the law of averages would see to it.