My top 5 golf courses..
- Golf On Camera
- Apr 23, 2018
- 6 min read
I have been lucky enough to play in various countries in my career. I have restricted myself to 1 course per country as I name my top 5 best golf courses.
5.
Moatlands/Kent National - England
Moatlands, or Kent National as it was renamed in 2005, was my first ever golf club i joined as a member. Off the back tees, it stretched to a 7400 yard monster. From the yellow tees it still stretched the average player, measuring 6800 yards.
There were many reasons I loved playing this course, it was a mix of attacking and defensive holes. During my 5 year membership at Moatlands/Kent National, this course tought me vital lessons in course management. I learned how to plan my rounds, attacking and defending on the right holes. For example, The 8th, 9th & 10th consisted of the
top 2 hardest holes on the course and a long par 5. Through this 3 hole stretch, you would have to hang on to the score you have, avoiding any scorecard wreckers. The 11th, 12th & 13th would be your green light holes. A reachable Par 5 and two par 4's under 400yds would give you the chance to pick up some shots. This was a feature of the golf course and what made it so great. In 2009, Kent National was sold off in 2 parts and closed as a golf club. It was truly a Kent gem and a course that never got the recognition it deserved!
4.
Golf d'Hardelot (Les Pins) - France
Golf in France for players in the south east of England, couldn't be anymore accessible. A mere 35 minutes in the euro tunnel can see you arrive on French soil. Golf d'Hardelot (Les Pins) was one of my favourite courses during an epic 3 day trip. My favourite part of Les Pins is the way the course is designed through the trees. Although it gives you some reasonably wide fairways to hit, just off them is very punishing. During the course design and build, you can tell that bunker placing and sculpting was key. The most eye catching holes on the course are the Par 3's. Set into the trees with well placed bunkering, makes the 7th the pick of the bunch (pictured). My favourite hole on the course has to be the 15th, a short par 4 with a split fairway. The trees in the middle of the fairway are a unique feature, making you answer questions from the tee shot. You can clearly see how Les Pins is 23rd on Europe's top 100 course list.
3.
Southern Dunes - U.S.A (Florida)
In February 2009 I was lucky enough to organise a Florida trip for my 21st birthday. One of the courses I arranged for us to play was Southern Dunes G.C. Measuring a duffed wedge over 7200 yards off the back tees, southern dunes is not your typical holiday course. The biggest feature at Southern Dunes are the incredible amount of bunkers, 182 to be exact!
Although I played Southern Dunes in February, the greens were running at 12 on the stimp meter and truer than any greens I have ever putted on. We were told that a few days after our day at Southern Dunes they had a major competition, where they would double cut and iron the greens, in order to get them up to 14 on the stimp meter. The golf course is eye catching with its definitions, the way fairways are sculptured and framed by the bunkers, makes this one of the prettiest courses I've played. Southern Dunes is an experience to play, as much as it is enjoyable. You will play this golf course with a smile on your face, whilst getting lost in the quality in the design.
2.
Las Colinas - Spain
Las Colinas is one of the newest courses to break into my top 5. During the early Summer of 2016, I had to go to Spain with my dad. During the days we wasn't busy, we wanted to base ourselves at a golf course. Las Colinas seemed to fit that description with its gated community. Booking up 4 rounds at one venue was risky, What if we didn't like the golf course? It turns out that Las Colinas is the best golf course I have played in Spain!
Due to the numerous tee boxes, we decided to have a round off of the whites as a sighter. During the next 3 days we played from the yellow, White and Black tee boxes. The versatility with tee boxes meant that we never played the same holes the same way every day. The difference between tee boxes was evident from the first hole. From the yellow tee I could hit a long iron and wedge in to the hole, where the white and black tees turned this into a driver and a mid iron. Although this is an up and coming golf club, the golf course design has given them a great foundation as a European attraction for holiday makers. I enjoyed the test from the black tees as much as I did the comfort from the yellow tees. Every hole has something different about it, challenging all different parts of your game. I cannot recall exactly my scores for 72 holes, I believe I shot between 146 (+2) to 148 (+4). This is a course that is maintained to the highest quality, making the experience of playing one of my favourites in Europe. I will return one day knowing that I will enjoy every hole of my round.
1.
St Andrews Castle Course - Scotland
Scotland is the home of golf and famous for its golf courses, but some are more breathtaking than others. If players ever go to St Andrews, they only ever want to play one course, The Old Course. True, you can walk the steps of many famous players and stand in places of historical moments.
But what if there was a golf course that in my opinion is the most spectacular I have played in the UK? I traveled to Scotland with a group of the Moatlands members, destination - St Andrews. Some how we amanged to pick a 3 day spell in Scotland where the weather was bright and sunny in November. For people that don't know how rare that is, its rarer than you have 3 birdies in a row during a round!
We signed up for the 'St Andrews Card' which allows you 3 days unlimited golf on all St Andrews course (Except the Old Course) for £180. through days 1 & 2 we stayed local, playing the Eden, New, Jubilee & Strathtyrum. The final day, myself, Danny and my dad decided to do some practise in the morning before head a bit out of town to The Castle Course. Nothing prepared me for what I was about to play. Without going through every remarkable view I got see that day, the final 2 holes just epitomized the venue.
The 184 yard 17th is up there with one of the best par 3's I have ever played. Like most par 3's, this hole demanded accuracy and distance control. The difference with this particular par 3 is the cliff between you and the hole that doesn't stop until the sea crashes against the rocks at the bottom. Never have I played a par 3 more open to the elements than this. A personal highlight was making a birdie 2 on the hole, something I will remember for the rest of my life.
Moving onto the 555 yard 18th hole, sweeping right around the cliff edge. Truly one of the best finishing holes I have played, you could make anything from an eagle to a 10 on this hole. The sheer intimidation of the cliff edge from the tee shot, encourages you to bail out left. Whilst the cliff remains up the right hand side of this hole all the way to the green, you are under constant pressure to execute shots. I made a par on this hole which felt like a triumph in itself as I had survived.
The Castle Course is truly one of the Best British courses. Although the green fee is £120 in the summer, between November and March you can play for £60. I feel this is a course everyone needs to play, as my words will never do it justice
It is a detriment to the quality of these courses, as I list just a few courses I have played -
Championsgate (Home of the Leadbetter Academy) - Florida
The London Club (European Tour Venue) - Kent, England
Gleneagles PGA Centinery (Ryder Cup Venue) - Scotland
Celtic Manor 2010 Course (Ryder Cup Venue) - Wales
Club De Golf Bonmont (European Tour Venue) - Spain
Remedy Oaks - Bournemouth, England
Thank you for taking time out of your day to read about my top 5 golf courses. As you can see, I have played in various countries around the world. I hope to play a lot more as my Blog grows, I will leave you with a few unusual courses at the top of my list -
Greywolf Golf Course - Picture Courtesy of Calgarysun.com
GOC
Comments