We may not have courses in the top 25 but we do have some lovely links courses which are magical to play.. . . and our three of four majors, plus the "fifth major" (completed this weekend).
And England can have its no-golf-courses-in-the-world's-top-25 and two-major-champions-out-of-the-last-78-majors (fyi Fiji has more majors . . . FIJI!!). :)
Ha ha ha you are so right about Chambers; what an absolute embarrassment. The USGA fucked up Shinnecock more than once too. In fact they fucked up just about every US Open venue at least once. The R & A is much better. They don’t care if the Open winning score is -24 or +24 — you play the course Mother Nature provides. I LOVE the Open. I do also love the Masters — I went in 04 when Mickelson won. Wonderful place.We may not have courses in the top 25 but we do have some lovely links courses which are magical to play.
I'd like to congratulate your PGA for picking Chambers Bay, very possibly the worst ever course to hold a major, it was a disgrace.
Would love to play Pebble Beach but I doubt there's a golf bag big enough to hold the number of balls I'd need, I guess you have played there, not too far from San Fran?
Sounds fantastic, I've only played in the States once, that was the International on International Drive, my mate went to look to see if he could retrieve his ball from the pond on the first (just coming light) when I saw a sign "beware of the gators".Ha ha ha you are so right about Chambers; what an absolute embarrassment. The USGA fucked up Shinnecock more than once too. In fact they fucked up just about every US Open venue at least once. The R & A is much better. They don’t care if the Open winning score is -24 or +24 — you play the course Mother Nature provides. I LOVE the Open. I do also love the Masters — I went in 04 when Mickelson won. Wonderful place.
I’m just giving Sweeper grief — if I could only play golf in either the US or England it would be a tough call because I love links golf so much. And some lovely parkland/heather courses too.
I’ve played Royal St George’s and Birkdale and a few others in England, a couple in Ireland and a number in northeast Scotland (Dornoch being my favourite). But still missing so many — and I’ve never played in NI nor Wales.
I’ve played Pebble maybe 5 times. It’s just so expensive and crowded, and it’s 3+ hours away so it’s not a regular place I’d ever go. It’s wonderful — tiny tiny greens with impossible to read breaks. The course itself isn’t that hard if the wind is down and you play the proper tees. The inland holes are underrated. It’s really about putting and where you leave your approach shots.
That’s a great story!!!Sounds fantastic, I've only played in the States once, that was the International on International Drive, my mate went to look to see if he could retrieve his ball from the pond on the first (just coming light) when I saw a sign "beware of the gators".
If you are ever in Manchester once this shit is over, there's some really top courses that are value for money compared to the states, Mere, Ringway, Bramhall and Stockport are my favourites, not in the St George's class but accessible and fair.
I played a course called El Prat near Barcelona in October 2001, there was 8 of us and we when got to the course the staff were in a bit of a flap. I was sorting out handicap certificates with the pro when about 5/6 US security agents came through the doors followed by Bill Clinton in an Hawaiian shirt. I stuck my hand out and said "please to meet you Mr President (he wasn't by then but i believe that's the protocol"), he shook my hand and said "no problem".
Bill (first name terms) was in Barca representing the US at a security conference after the 9/11 atrocities. He had booked one course for him and his entourage, it was closed to all others, he took all the buggies as well, he must have had over 50 staff with him, he duck hooked his tee shot OOB on the first, piss funny watching him reload and celebrating when he smoked a long un down the middle. That was a memorable trip and that day was surreal.
Reddish Vale had the toughest 18th hole around Greater Manchester, it's all uphill, it's punishing. If you like McKenzie Courses theses one in Buxton (about 30 miles out of Manchester) call Cavendish, it's a fabulous course, they're very proud of their designer. It's not to difficult but so interesting.That’s a great story!!!
I’ve tried to come out once a year for the last 15 years or so. My son and I were headed out for a barnstorming tour of football grounds in April 2020 when stupid COVID scuttled our trip. He doesn’t play though. But on my annual pilgrimages I try to bring my clubs if I’m coming during the non-winter. The one I’d really like to play is Reddish Vale in Stockport. My course out here is a MacKenzie design so I like to play his other tracks.
BTW, if you're in the Manchester area you are more than welcome to come and have a game with my lot, usually about 12 of us on Sunday's or 4-8 midweek, usually afternoons. They're a good set of lads but unfortunately there's more rags than blues!!That’s a great story!!!
I’ve tried to come out once a year for the last 15 years or so. My son and I were headed out for a barnstorming tour of football grounds in April 2020 when stupid COVID scuttled our trip. He doesn’t play though. But on my annual pilgrimages I try to bring my clubs if I’m coming during the non-winter. The one I’d really like to play is Reddish Vale in Stockport. My course out here is a MacKenzie design so I like to play his other tracks.
I love how everyone plays fast in the UK. No silly 4-6 hour rounds. I play fast too and I love walking. We’ve been lucky here as golf was only shut down for about 2.5 months but has been open since May. No touching flagsticks, no bunker rates, masks everywhere but on the course but golf has helped save my sanity during shutdown.
That is a wonderful offer -- thank you. As a few other regular posters here know, I do actually take up offers like this so beware!BTW, if you're in the Manchester area you are more than welcome to come and have a game with my lot, usually about 12 of us on Sunday's or 4-8 midweek, usually afternoons. They're a good set of lads but unfortunately there's more rags than blues!!
Ha ha ha you are so right about Chambers; what an absolute embarrassment. The USGA fucked up Shinnecock more than once too. In fact they fucked up just about every US Open venue at least once. The R & A is much better. They don’t care if the Open winning score is -24 or +24 — you play the course Mother Nature provides. I LOVE the Open. I do also love the Masters — I went in 04 when Mickelson won. Wonderful place.
I’m just giving Sweeper grief — if I could only play golf in either the US or England it would be a tough call because I love links golf so much. And some lovely parkland/heather courses too.
I’ve played Royal St George’s and Birkdale and a few others in England, a couple in Ireland and a number in northeast Scotland (Dornoch being my favourite). But still missing so many — and I’ve never played in NI nor Wales.
I’ve played Pebble maybe 5 times. It’s just so expensive and crowded, and it’s 3+ hours away so it’s not a regular place I’d ever go. It’s wonderful — tiny tiny greens with impossible to read breaks. The course itself isn’t that hard if the wind is down and you play the proper tees. The inland holes are underrated. It’s really about putting and where you leave your approach shots.
Lol, you are so welcome, I met @blue b4 the moon serendipitously last year, I'm sure he would bring his party along, :-).That is a wonderful offer -- thank you. As a few other regular posters here know, I do actually take up offers like this so beware!
And as I often give advice and squire others around my city when they visit -- especially blues, being as it's such a destination -- you are welcome if you find yourself out here to join me at any number of courses. I have friends at most of them. You want a REAL test? Olympic Lake Course. It's so hard it isn't really much fun.
Out here people confuse rags with blues ("Now . . . you like . . . errr . . . Manchester United. Right?" FFS) so you won't have any issues.
We must sort something out this summer once we're back in the swing of it and muscles that haven't been used for ages stop aching.Lol, you are so welcome, I met @blue b4 the moon serendipitously last year, I'm sure he would bring his party along, :-).
I like my Rag mate's but shall we say "not keen on their entitled club" putting it politely! Also bar one my real best friends are all Blues.