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St.Ricky

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Safely back home in East London after a great 2 weeks in Scotland.

4 rounds played whilst visiting my parents in Paisley. Will play Fereneze, Ralston and Cochrane Castle golf courses again. Also played Barshaw, for nostalgic reasons but would rather pay Ralstons prices to play a decently maintained course.

Whilst visiting the inlaws in Starthpeffer, managed 2 rounds at Strathpeffer GC. A decent course with some nice holes but a run of 4 par 3's in a row shortens the course a wee bit but at £20 a round for visitors, well worth the money.

Finished off with a round at the Glen Golf Course in North  Berwick. 7am tee off on Friday was as calm as calm could be. Gorgeous links course which was worth dragging a set of clubs on holiday for. Will definitely play there again.

I think I am all golfed out now :o. The Burstead Golf Club in Billericay (Essex) tomorrow with my mates.

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Played The Burstead Golf Course in Billericay on Tuesday. Courses down here have taken a battering because of the continued heatwave but the course was still in good nick.

Me & my mates play a few courses down here, if any golfers on here are down this way & looking for a course to play (east London/Essex), these courses are private but all welcoming

Stapleford Abbotts GC (Abbotts Course}

Brentwood GC

The Burstead GC (Billericay)

Toot Hill GC (Ongar)

Stockbrook Manor GC (Billericay)

Epping GC

Top Meadow (Upminster)

West Essex GC (Chingford)

Romford GC

public courses decent to play

Hainault Forest GC (best to book a tee time)

Hobbs Cross GC (nr Epping) by the M25/M11 junction) turn up and play. 9 hole course & 9 hole par 3 course. (I take my son her as he can hit most greens on the par 3 in 1 or 2 strokes)

 

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1 hour ago, Graeme Aitken said:

Played The Burstead Golf Course in Billericay on Tuesday. Courses down here have taken a battering because of the continued heatwave but the course was still in good nick.

Me & my mates play a few courses down here, if any golfers on here are down this way & looking for a course to play (east London/Essex), these courses are private but all welcoming

Stapleford Abbotts GC (Abbotts Course}

Brentwood GC

The Burstead GC (Billericay)

Toot Hill GC (Ongar)

Stockbrook Manor GC (Billericay)

Epping GC

Top Meadow (Upminster)

West Essex GC (Chingford)

Romford GC

public courses decent to play

Hainault Forest GC (best to book a tee time)

Hobbs Cross GC (nr Epping) by the M25/M11 junction) turn up and play. 9 hole course & 9 hole par 3 course. (I take my son her as he can hit most greens on the par 3 in 1 or 2 strokes)

 

I used to play Brentwood fairly regularly and played football for the club next door to the course. Stapleford Abbots will be a decent enough track now that it will have matured.

Are there still two courses at Hainult?? Another decent municipal to play down that way is Trent Park near Enfield, some really good holes

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46 minutes ago, WeeBud said:

I used to play Brentwood fairly regularly and played football for the club next door to the course. Stapleford Abbots will be a decent enough track now that it will have matured.

Are there still two courses at Hainult?? Another decent municipal to play down that way is Trent Park near Enfield, some really good holes

A lot of investment has gone into Brentwood since it got bought over a couple of years ago and changed name from Weald Park. It is turning out to be  a really good course.

At Stapleford Abbotts, the Abbotts has matured well and is now a cracking course.  The Priors has not yet recovered from the work done when they dumped millions of tonnes of excavations from Crossrail on it. Mounds and hills all over it now, the 11th, 12th & 13th all shielded from the M25 by high banking.

Stapleford Abbotts does NHS & Emergency Services discount at £10 per round

Hainault still has the Top & Lower courses. They now book tee times and it has had some investment too. Gone are the days, you turned up and queued and ended up going round in 6 hours.

I'll fire over to Enfield sometime and give Trent Park a go. Always good to play new courses.

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58 minutes ago, WeeBud said:

I used to play Brentwood fairly regularly and played football for the club next door to the course. Stapleford Abbots will be a decent enough track now that it will have matured.

Are there still two courses at Hainult?? Another decent municipal to play down that way is Trent Park near Enfield, some really good holes

Just thinking, the Brentwood Course you played, was that at King Georges Park in Brentwood? If so, that's Hartswood GC. Quite a few football pitches on the approach to the clubhouse through the park

Brentwood GC was Weald Park GC, down Coxtie Green Road (off the Ongar Road at Pilgrims Hatch).

I haven't played Hartswood in 20+ years but my mates have recently and really like it.

Romford GC is a lovely course. I was told they are right up themselves and the £70 a round puts many off. I played there for the 1st time recently and loved it. Playing there on 21st.

Edited by Graeme Aitken
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On ‎8‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 3:21 PM, Graeme Aitken said:

Just thinking, the Brentwood Course you played, was that at King Georges Park in Brentwood? If so, that's Hartswood GC. Quite a few football pitches on the approach to the clubhouse through the park

Brentwood GC was Weald Park GC, down Coxtie Green Road (off the Ongar Road at Pilgrims Hatch).

I haven't played Hartswood in 20+ years but my mates have recently and really like it.

Romford GC is a lovely course. I was told they are right up themselves and the £70 a round puts many off. I played there for the 1st time recently and loved it. Playing there on 21st.

Morning Graeme

Just picking up your question there just now. The course I used to pay in Brentwood was Bentley Golf Club on the Ongar road, right beside the somewhat lavish Chinese Restaurant if it's still there!!

There were loads of great wee courses down in that neck of the woods!!

 

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Morning Graeme
Just picking up your question there just now. The course I used to pay in Brentwood was Bentley Golf Club on the Ongar road, right beside the somewhat lavish Chinese Restaurant if it's still there!!
There were loads of great wee courses down in that neck of the woods!!
 
Never played Bentley. I think Joy Fook is still there. Got a mate in Kelvedon Hatch but never pay attention down that stretch of the Ongar Road.
If you are ever down this way again & fancy a round. Give me a shout
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On 8/6/2018 at 10:31 AM, Graeme Aitken said:

Safely back home in East London after a great 2 weeks in Scotland.

4 rounds played whilst visiting my parents in Paisley. Will play Fereneze, Ralston and Cochrane Castle golf courses again. Also played Barshaw, for nostalgic reasons but would rather pay Ralstons prices to play a decently maintained course.

Whilst visiting the inlaws in Strathpeffer, managed 2 rounds at Strathpeffer GC. A decent course with some nice holes but a run of 4 par 3's in a row shortens the course a wee bit but at £20 a round for visitors, well worth the money.

Finished off with a round at the Glen Golf Course in North  Berwick. 7am tee off on Friday was as calm as calm could be. Gorgeous links course which was worth dragging a set of clubs on holiday for. Will definitely play there again.

I think I am all golfed out now :o. The Burstead Golf Club in Billericay (Essex) tomorrow with my mates.

Did you need much Oxygen...........

A tad hilly but good fun....I was a member there for a couple of years. Played one Friday night and after 8 holes had used 27 strokes....looking at my best ever score potentially .....

Then came the midgies..:fire had to walk off at the ninth...   bitten to death  heartbroken.

 

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On ‎8‎/‎13‎/‎2018 at 2:25 PM, thomsons dropped it said:

Did you need much Oxygen...........

A tad hilly but good fun....I was a member there for a couple of years. Played one Friday night and after 8 holes had used 27 strokes....looking at my best ever score potentially .....

Then came the midgies..:fire had to walk off at the ninth...   bitten to death  heartbroken.

 

don't mind the walk down the 1st or the 18th but the rest of it, yes, oxygen helps. I play when the midgies are asleep.

Playing Crondon Park in Stock (Essex) tomorrow, never played there. The 18th is meant to be a monster of a hole.

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58 minutes ago, Graeme Aitken said:

don't mind the walk down the 1st or the 18th but the rest of it, yes, oxygen helps. I play when the midgies are asleep.

Playing Crondon Park in Stock (Essex) tomorrow, never played there. The 18th is meant to be a monster of a hole.

When your game is like mine..... every hole is a potential monster! 

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I consider myself very fortunate when it comes to golf courses I've played.

In 1997, me and a group of friends started an annual trip (from Jersey) with the idea being that each year we would go away for a long weekend and play one of the courses that had hosted the Open as well as some of the better qualifier courses in the area.. We opened a bank account and all stuck £50 a month into it to cover most of the cost. Often these ideas start off with great intentions and peter out after maybe a few years. To our credit we saw it through and 13 years later we completed the set at Portrush (I know there's 14 courses, but the year we played Troon, we played Prestwick as well). I played my best golf at Birkdale (shot 5 under net), but despite playing like an absolute see you next Tuesday, Carnoustie (the very first one we played) remains my absolute favorite. What a brilliant course. And Poz, in 1997 it was only 50 quid! :P

Some fantastic qualifier courses too like, Western Gailes, Glasgow Gailes, North Berwick, Gullane, Hillside, West Lancs, Southport & Ainsdale etc.

In the Paisley area my favourite courses are Kilmacolm, Paisley (great views), Elderslie and I've got a soft spot for Lochwinnoch as I used to play there when I was a kid. Used to hump my clubs from Foxbar down to Paisley Cross and get the bus down to Lochwinnoch to play there. Used to do a few memorable treks for a wee kid. Clubs over shoulder, bus from Foxbar down to the toon centre. Train to Glasgow central, walk up to Bath Street, bus out to Hogganfield Loch to play Lethamhill. Similar one but from GC took the low level train out to Dalmuir. Happy days indeed.

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On ‎8‎/‎14‎/‎2018 at 6:53 PM, TPAFKA Jersey 2 said:

I consider myself very fortunate when it comes to golf courses I've played.

In 1997, me and a group of friends started an annual trip (from Jersey) with the idea being that each year we would go away for a long weekend and play one of the courses that had hosted the Open as well as some of the better qualifier courses in the area.. We opened a bank account and all stuck £50 a month into it to cover most of the cost. Often these ideas start off with great intentions and peter out after maybe a few years. To our credit we saw it through and 13 years later we completed the set at Portrush (I know there's 14 courses, but the year we played Troon, we played Prestwick as well). I played my best golf at Birkdale (shot 5 under net), but despite playing like an absolute see you next Tuesday, Carnoustie (the very first one we played) remains my absolute favorite. What a brilliant course. And Poz, in 1997 it was only 50 quid! :P

Some fantastic qualifier courses too like, Western Gailes, Glasgow Gailes, North Berwick, Gullane, Hillside, West Lancs, Southport & Ainsdale etc.

In the Paisley area my favourite courses are Kilmacolm, Paisley (great views), Elderslie and I've got a soft spot for Lochwinnoch as I used to play there when I was a kid. Used to hump my clubs from Foxbar down to Paisley Cross and get the bus down to Lochwinnoch to play there. Used to do a few memorable treks for a wee kid. Clubs over shoulder, bus from Foxbar down to the toon centre. Train to Glasgow central, walk up to Bath Street, bus out to Hogganfield Loch to play Lethamhill. Similar one but from GC took the low level train out to Dalmuir. Happy days indeed.

Next time I am up, will take a wee trek out and give Lochwinnoch  a go.

Played Crondon Park (Stock, Essex)  last Wednesday, playing off the back tees, it comes up just short of 7000 yards and has a closing hole measuring 646 yards. A pure monster of a hole.

Popping over Chingford way this morning to play West Essex GC, which I hear is pretty decent.

One day, i'll get that painting done :D

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On 8/14/2018 at 6:53 PM, TPAFKA Jersey 2 said:

I consider myself very fortunate when it comes to golf courses I've played.

In 1997, me and a group of friends started an annual trip (from Jersey) with the idea being that each year we would go away for a long weekend and play one of the courses that had hosted the Open as well as some of the better qualifier courses in the area.. We opened a bank account and all stuck £50 a month into it to cover most of the cost. Often these ideas start off with great intentions and peter out after maybe a few years. To our credit we saw it through and 13 years later we completed the set at Portrush (I know there's 14 courses, but the year we played Troon, we played Prestwick as well). I played my best golf at Birkdale (shot 5 under net), but despite playing like an absolute see you next Tuesday, Carnoustie (the very first one we played) remains my absolute favorite. What a brilliant course. And Poz, in 1997 it was only 50 quid! :P

Some fantastic qualifier courses too like, Western Gailes, Glasgow Gailes, North Berwick, Gullane, Hillside, West Lancs, Southport & Ainsdale etc.

In the Paisley area my favourite courses are Kilmacolm, Paisley (great views), Elderslie and I've got a soft spot for Lochwinnoch as I used to play there when I was a kid. Used to hump my clubs from Foxbar down to Paisley Cross and get the bus down to Lochwinnoch to play there. Used to do a few memorable treks for a wee kid. Clubs over shoulder, bus from Foxbar down to the toon centre. Train to Glasgow central, walk up to Bath Street, bus out to Hogganfield Loch to play Lethamhill. Similar one but from GC took the low level train out to Dalmuir. Happy days indeed.

Was a member at Ranfurly Castle in Bridge of Weir and at Gleneagles. Played Paisley,  Old Ranfurly,  Kilmacolm,  Lochwinnoch,  Erskine, , Barshaw, Elderslie, and Dalmuir locally. 

Glasgow Golf Club Killermont, Haggs, Pollock,  Whitecraigs in Glasgow.  Royal Troon, Barrassie, Western Gailes and Glasgow Failed and both West Kilbride and Largs. 

Was a founder member at Gleddoch.  Favourite Scottish Courses..... Rosemount and MacRahanish. 

Played some great courses in Fife, Elie,  Balconies Links,  Lyndon Links,  Leven,  Aberdour, Dunfermline (4), Dunnikeir. 

Great times

 

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9 hours ago, St.Ricky said:

Was a member at Ranfurly Castle in Bridge of Weir and at Gleneagles. Played Paisley,  Old Ranfurly,  Kilmacolm,  Lochwinnoch,  Erskine, , Barshaw, Elderslie, and Dalmuir locally. 

Glasgow Golf Club Killermont, Haggs, Pollock,  Whitecraigs in Glasgow.  Royal Troon, Barrassie, Western Gailes and Glasgow Failed and both West Kilbride and Largs. 

Was a founder member at Gleddoch.  Favourite Scottish Courses..... Rosemount and MacRahanish. 

Played some great courses in Fife, Elie,  Balconies Links,  Lyndon Links,  Leven,  Aberdour, Dunfermline (4), Dunnikeir. 

Great times

 

Never played Ranfurly Castle, but agree Old Ranfurly is nice too. Wasn’t much of a fan of Erskine. Thought it was a wee bit boring.

Also agree on West Kilbride, Largs and Kilmarnock Barassie. All nice courses. When I was a kid, one of my favourites was Millport. Played there many, many times while on holiday and actually played it again relatively recently. Very nostalgic. Although the fact that it is a hilly bugger of a course was more noticeable as an adult than it was as a kid. Other nice Ayrshire courses include Irvine Bogside, Kintyre Course at Turnberry and even on the municipal front, Belleisle in Ayr and Darley in Troon are both good.

Totally agree on the Rosemount Course at Blairgowrie (beautiful) and Machrihanish Old is one of the best courses I’ve ever played.  If you get the chance (and haven’t already done so) you should get over to Islay and play the Machrie. It’s superb.

However, the best non open venue course in Scotland I’ve played has to be Royal Dornoch. If it wasn’t situated where it is, it would have hosted many Opens, but in a way that makes it even more special.

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I haven’t played many of Scotland’s famous courses. Played the Old Course once (as told in my ‘1984’) story. The only other ‘notable’ courses I’ve played have been Turnberry, Kingsbarns, Gleneagles. I’ve played a lot of ‘normal’ courses around Renfrewshire, and now North Lanarkshire where we moved to twelve years ago. My favourite golfing experience was last year, when I played the Padre Course at Camelback in Scottsdale, Arizona. After years of playing those courses carved out of the desert on Tiger Woods PGA on the PS4, one of my bucket list things was to play one of those courses in real life. It didn’t disappoint. Just like you see on the telly....fairways like some of our greens for condition, beautifully manicured. Picture perfect, looked like they trimmed the edges of the bunkers with scissors. Green fairways weaving through red desert with water hazards, cactus, red mountains forming the backdrop. Hope to do it again one day, perhaps one of the Las Vegas courses.

Edited by pozbaird
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3 hours ago, pozbaird said:

I haven’t played many of Scotland’s famous courses. Played the Old Course once (as told in my ‘1984’) story. The only other ‘notable’ courses I’ve played have been Turnberry, Kingsbarns, Gleneagles. I’ve played a lot of ‘normal’ courses around Renfrewshire, and now North Lanarkshire where we moved to twelve years ago. My favourite golfing experience was last year, when I played the Padre Course at Camelback in Scottsdale, Arizona. After years of playing those courses carved out of the desert on Tiger Woods PGA on the PS4, one of my bucket list things was to play one of those courses in real life. It didn’t disappoint. Just like you see on the telly....fairways like some of our greens for condition, beautifully manicured. Picture perfect, looked like they trimmed the edges of the bunkers with scissors. Green fairways weaving through red desert with water hazards, cactus, red mountains forming the backdrop. Hope to do it again one day, perhaps one of the Las Vegas courses.

Sounds superb. The only golf I’ve ever played in the States has been in Florida (including playing the course where Caddyshack was filmed which was a bit of a novelty as well as being a nice course), but I’ve always fancied the desert courses. Maybe one day.

Never played Kingsbarns, but anyone I know who’s played there has said it is magnificent.

A few months back while I was up there, I took a wee drive into the (relatively) new Castle Stuart course just outside Inverness. Just had a look around but what I saw looked good. Well worth a wee trip and line it up with Nairn just along he coast (another great course).

Another hidden gem in (roughly) that area, is Boat of Garten near Aviemore. If you haven’t tried it you should. One of those great courses where the holes are all hidden from each other so you never know what’s coming up next. Really friendly little club too.

Inverness Golf Club is nice too. It gets off to a bit of a boring parklandy start (first 3 or 4 holes), but gets really good after that.

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4 hours ago, TPAFKA Jersey 2 said:

Never played Ranfurly Castle, but agree Old Ranfurly is nice too. Wasn’t much of a fan of Erskine. Thought it was a wee bit boring.

Also agree on West Kilbride, Largs and Kilmarnock Barassie. All nice courses. When I was a kid, one of my favourites was Millport. Played there many, many times while on holiday and actually played it again relatively recently. Very nostalgic. Although the fact that it is a hilly bugger of a course was more noticeable as an adult than it was as a kid. Other nice Ayrshire courses include Irvine Bogside, Kintyre Course at Turnberry and even on the municipal front, Belleisle in Ayr and Darley in Troon are both good.

Totally agree on the Rosemount Course at Blairgowrie (beautiful) and Machrihanish Old is one of the best courses I’ve ever played.  If you get the chance (and haven’t already done so) you should get over to Islay and play the Machrie. It’s superb.

However, the best non open venue course in Scotland I’ve played has to be Royal Dornoch. If it wasn’t situated where it is, it would have hosted many Opens, but in a way that makes it even more special.

Played Machrie on Islay. Truly unique. Prestwick might be similar in some ways but on a different scale.

My overall favourite for my current standard of golf is Balcomie Links at Crail. Short, well kept, interesting holes and great views plus a welcoming clubhouse.

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24 minutes ago, St.Ricky said:

Played Machrie on Islay. Truly unique. Prestwick might be similar in some ways but on a different scale.

My overall favourite for my current standard of golf is Balcomie Links at Crail. Short, well kept, interesting holes and great views plus a welcoming clubhouse.

Yup, very definite comparisons can be drawn between The Machrie and Prestwick, 

Fife is probably the part of Scotland I’m most light on playing. Off the top of my head I think I’ve only played St. Andrews Old, Jubilee and Prince’s. Amazing really when I think about it. Don’t know why I haven’t played more.

Heard great things about the Balcomie Links and also Elie is supposed to be great.

Couple of courses I’d Ike to play up Aberdeen way are the Balgownie Links at Royal Aberdeen and Cruden Bay. Heard they’re both good. Played them??

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On 8/23/2018 at 1:59 PM, TPAFKA Jersey 2 said:

Yup, very definite comparisons can be drawn between The Machrie and Prestwick, 

Fife is probably the part of Scotland I’m most light on playing. Off the top of my head I think I’ve only played St. Andrews Old, Jubilee and Prince’s. Amazing really when I think about it. Don’t know why I haven’t played more.

Heard great things about the Balcomie Links and also Elie is supposed to be great.

Couple of courses I’d Ike to play up Aberdeen way are the Balgownie Links at Royal Aberdeen and Cruden Bay. Heard they’re both good. Played them??

In Fife,  Have played Elie, Balcomie Links, Lundin Links, Leven,  Aberdour, Kirkcaldy,  Pittreavie,  Dunfermline,  Canmore, The Glenrothes Court and Tulliallan and others. 

Haven't played Royal Abderdeen or Cruden Bay but heard good things about them. 

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