Golf Club Atlas
GolfClubAtlas.com => Golf Course Architecture => Topic started by: Sean_A on April 12, 2023, 12:48:57 PM
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The Winter Tour stopped at Southport & Ainsdale GC, a course which I confess is not well known to me. My last visit must have been close to 30 years ago and I recall not leaving with a favourable impression. The tree infested property was not something I associate with links. While many trees still remain and some should be removed, the course is a completely different animal these days. In addition to tree removal, some bunkers have been removed and the gorse in the middle of the 14th is gone. I am not certain, but it might have been McKenzie & Ebert that created a new 2nd green some 60 yards beyond the old location and a new 16th green near the boundary fence. M Westonborg added his two cents with a radically altered 18th. Trees were removed and new dunes left and right were formed to block the sight lines to the driving range and boundary. The forward dune was also reduced to reveal the fairway bunker. I think the material for the dunes came from the course where we now see sand scrapes.
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The Mersey Rail line binds the links of the Lancashire coastline, Southport and Liverpool. After departing Hillside southbound, Hillside GC is upon us almost immediately with Birkdale on the near horizon. S&A soon shoots into view on the left. After a few minutes Formby appears on the right. Finally, West Lancs snuggles up to the rails. The entire trip is less than 20 minutes and what a journey it is.
Having hosted the 1933 & 1937 Ryder Cups it is surprising that Southport & Ainsdale GC isn’t a better-known club. GB&I won the ’33 Cup under the captaincy of the stout JH Taylor. It would be the last time the side would hoist the trophy until 1957, the only post war win until 1985. The 1933 team was all-English apart from a lone Scot, one Allan Dailey. Mr Dailey must not of impressed the selectors as he didn’t play a match. Interestingly, there wasn’t an Irishman selected until 1953 when Harry Bradshaw was invited to play. That team also included John Panton who will be forever famous as the namesake for the delicious beverage made of angostura bitters, ginger beer and lime cordial. A variation of this drink is known as a Gunner south of Hadrian’s Wall. The club is rightly proud of its Ryder Cup heritage and this is born out in the Ryder Cup Room.
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The Haig teeing off at the 1933 Ryder Cup.
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Henry Cotton on the 1st 1937 Ryder Cup
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The culture of hosting important events doesn’t end with the Ryder Cup. S&A has hosted two Amateur Championships in 1985 and 2005. This year it will host the Amateur for the third time. The 1979 Ladies British Championship and several Penfold, Piccadilly and Dunlop tournaments have also been held at S&A. Jack Nicklaus played in his first overseas professional tournament at the 1962 Piccadilly. The £2000 first place prize was the largest for a British event up to that date.
Southport & Ainsdale was originally founded in 1907 with a course designed by George Lowe. Due to a new road splitting the links, James Braid devised a new course in 1924 with six new holes and some changes to the other twelve holes. An unusual layout, a smaller loop of holes 2-6 are encased in the middle of a more-or -less large loop of 1 and 7-18. The easy walking course covers a range of styles which include blind shots, shots through gaps, back to front and plateau greens. S&A feels old fashioned and bit like a heathland-links hybrid…I like it!
While a bit unconventional, the attractive opener is a par 3 of high quality. M Westonborg removed three bunkers around the green while on site for the 18th.
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We thankfully played the daily tees on this cold, but bright winter morning. I was able to reach the 550ish yard 2nd hole in three shots!
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A look at the green from 17 tee. It looks of the modern ilk.
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Our host suggested we play the back tee for the brutal 3rd. That is Hillside over the tracks.
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The clever plateau green that runs away from play. One of S&A's best holes.
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We now turn to head back toward the opening green. Another lovely two-shotter; the 4th is a bit more forceful with the bunkers.
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More to follow.
Ciao
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Sean,
We played S&A one lovely evening during our stay at Formby (post-BUDA X) in September 2012. It looked like they had just built the new 2nd green quite recently as you could still see the old green just short and to the left. The club hadn't printed an updated Strokesaver, so the course guide we received had the updated hole guide for the 2nd pasted over the old version.
They also did the same with the 16th hole guide. It appears that the last 150 yards of the 16th hole was re-aligned; the green was moved further back but also a little closer to the course boundary. Bunkers were put in on either side and pinched the fairway around 50 yards short of the green.
I found the course very enjoyable. There are some very strong holes, especially the par fours. I think I was most impressed by the stretch from the 3rd to the 8th. I also liked the 11th, 12th and 14th. I believe there was some sort of a ridge on the 14th which I quite liked; I hope it's still there. The quality does fizzle out over the last few holes. I remember the Gumbleys bunker, but as it was getting dark, the last three holes are a bit of a blur to me, so maybe I'm being a little harsh regarding the finish.
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Yes, 14 has a weird ridge in the fairway....like a mini cops.
12 green seemed newish to me. I wonder if that green was moved right and back behind the heather.
Ciao
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Sean,
Yes, I think you're right about the 12th. It was originally named "Warren" (see Frank Pennink's Choice of Courses book from 1976) but is now named "New Warren". I think there is a plaque by the tee giving some info on its history plus a mention of Braid.
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Sean,
Yes, I think you're right about the 12th. It was originally named "Warren" (see Frank Pennink's Choice of Courses book from 1976) but is now named "New Warren". I think there is a plaque by the tee giving some info on its history plus a mention of Braid.
Yes. The tees and area in front of them are currently being worked on. I recall seeing something about the hole playing over an old rabbit warren.
S&A has great texture. They have done a good job of melding all the textures without sacrificing much playability. It's a very pretty course despite the train tracks and houses.
S&A Tour Continued
The 5th is somewhat similar to the 4th, but less dramatic.
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The right side of the green is partially blocked from view by a hillock (seen far right in the photo below).
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One of S&A's old school holes, the dogleg right 6th plays through a gap online with a blind far side of the fairway bunker. I guess big hitters can take it over the trees.
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Except for the green running front to back, the approach is straightforward. Below is a look toward the tee from the 7th tee. Considering the club has been going through the trouble of creating wide grass paths, I have to question the wisdom of this path so near the green.
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I admit to being bewildered by the odd 7th. Its a relatively short par 5 and in hindsight isn't difficult if one gets a drive away. The dogleg left beyond the bunkers is sharp and there are no visuals to gain insight if one can't hit a long drive.
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This is what I was looking at for the second shot.
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In truth, any sort of lofted shot toward the marker post that has decent carry will do. There is plenty of space as the fairway opens up and becomes flat. I like it when corners of properties are well used. In this case, the green runs toward the boundary so there is every chance an overly aggressive long approach could find OoB.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52799675631_da6545924c_b.jpg) (https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52799675631_da6545924c_b.jpg)
More to follow.
Ciao
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Looks lovely Sean! Was very tough to leave this out of my 4 days around Liverpool. Would not mind a trip back in the future that included S&A.
Curious as to your personal preferences on the courses in the region - there is no shortage of good golf!
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I played S&A last year and absolutely loved it, thanks for posting. I agree that given it's history and pedigree it should be more well known. Not to get ahead of your tour, but #16 is one of the greatest holes in the world.
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Looks lovely Sean! Was very tough to leave this out of my 4 days around Liverpool. Would not mind a trip back in the future that included S&A.
Curious as to your personal preferences on the courses in the region - there is no shortage of good golf!
My preferences run toward Formby, Formby Ladies and Wallasey. But I haven't decided on S&A yet and I am going to see West Lancs again in a week.
S&A Tour Cont
One of the holes which gives S&A a large dose of character is the short volcano 8th. It’s hard to ignore while walking the 7th.
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Playing between what looks like a cut in the dunes, the 9th is highly entertaining.
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The hole is essentially flat if played well. The texture of S&A goes a long way to making up for the lack of external views.
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Another short hole; #10. Similar to Hoylake, many greens have slight rises to the fronts which add an element of interest when trying to determine the bounce in shot.
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More to follow.
Ciao
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S&A Tour Cont
The holes in the area of 11-15 are generally more subtle than the remainder of the course. Individually the holes are fine, but it is a shame they come as a bunch. The club has taken steps to rectify the matter by building a few new greens and altering the bunker scheme. The 11th is a tough hole well over 400 yards, but the green isn't anything special.
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Squeezed between a trio of back and forth holes, I get the impression the 12th (New Warrern) has been radically altered. The tee area was undergoing work. A plaque on the tee.
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The angled green.
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The short 13th green runs away from play with gorse lurking to the rear.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52799914954_fff3582127_b.jpg) (https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52799914954_fff3582127_b.jpg)
More to follow.
Ciao
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Thanks for the tour. There looks to be a nice variety of contour both on the direct line and off-line.
And a cool name for a club/course.
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Thanks for the tour. There looks to be a nice variety of contour both on the direct line and off-line.
And a cool name for a club/course.
Yes, for an essentially quite flat site, S&A does alright in the contour department.
Southport & Ainsdale Tour Cont
The 14th runs in the same direction as the 13th. An attractive driving hole, the goal is simply to stay safe unless one thinks there is a chance of reaching the green...and that would be few golfers.
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An odd berm cuts in from the left. Regardless, this is a straightforward hole.
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15 continues the theme of playing along the boundary to the right; this stretch runs from 13 through 18. Unlike most of the course, this shortish two-shotter feels more hemmed in by trees. The raised green set at an angle was pushed back near the boundary fence in recent years. It doesn't take much of an error to find fence trouble.
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More to follow.
Ciao
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My favorite series of threads on this site. Thanks Sean!
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My favorite series of threads on this site. Thanks Sean!
Cheers Jason.
S&A Tour Cont
We now come to Gumbleys. In the days when the house was at the Birkdale end of the links this was the 7th. No matter, I don't believe the character of the holes has changed much over the decades. The distance to the bunker is deceptive due to its size. I can imagine into a decent wind players of my calibre would struggle to get over the sand ridge.
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A photo from atop the behemoth. This is another green which looks altered.
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The 17th starts from on high, a rather good and tough long 4.
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Another legger left takes us home. There is a sliver of fairway to the right which I didn't find enticing. On the other hand, driving blindly over the dune to the narrow fairway is no bargain. Still, this is a good hole.
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That ends the tour of throughly charming S&A. I admit to be taken completely by surprise which is why I like to revisit courses after some time. With as many as ten memorable holes it is stupefying as to why Southport & Ainsdale is often seen as an added attraction to Birkdale, Lytham & Hoylake. I don't have another 30 years to wait for the next visit. 1* 2023
With the arrival of consistent double digit temperatures S&A could well be the final stop on the Winter Tour. We shall see.
Previous stops on the 2022-23 Winter Tour
Wallasey
https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,52925.0.html (https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,52925.0.html)
Hillside
https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,35092.0.html (https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,35092.0.html)
Whittington Heath
https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,35648.0.html (https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,35648.0.html)
North Berwick
https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,59363.0.html (https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,59363.0.html)
Kings Norton
https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,71728.0.html (https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,71728.0.html)
Minch Old
https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,48765.msg1100536.html#msg1100536 (https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,48765.msg1100536.html#msg1100536)
Welcombe Hotel - no photo tour
Painswick
https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,51629.msg1181534.html#msg1181534 (https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,51629.msg1181534.html#msg1181534)
Cleeve Hill
https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,49796.0.html (https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,49796.0.html)
Planned Tour Stops? ???
Ciao
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Very impressive. Would seem to appear somewhere I might like rather a lot. Thank you Sean.
Atb
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Interesting that you mentioned the old clubhouse which looks rather nice at 348/350 Liverpool Rd.
317 A5267 - Google Maps (https://www.google.com/maps/@53.6156839,-3.0169515,3a,75y,287.36h,88.67t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sW_HoKVKx8JrUwGbSSzHAVg!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DW_HoKVKx8JrUwGbSSzHAVg%26cb_client%3Dsearch.revgeo_and_fetch.gps%26w%3D96%26h%3D64%26yaw%3D284.35522%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192)
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Interesting that you mentioned the old clubhouse which looks rather nice at 348/350 Liverpool Rd.
317 A5267 - Google Maps (https://www.google.com/maps/@53.6156839,-3.0169515,3a,75y,287.36h,88.67t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sW_HoKVKx8JrUwGbSSzHAVg!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DW_HoKVKx8JrUwGbSSzHAVg%26cb_client%3Dsearch.revgeo_and_fetch.gps%26w%3D96%26h%3D64%26yaw%3D284.35522%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192)
Shirley it’s the building next door at 352\354? Double entrance/exit driveway, parking,etc???
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Cosnoy6byL3VtAe4A?g_st=ic (https://maps.app.goo.gl/Cosnoy6byL3VtAe4A?g_st=ic)
;D
F.
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Very impressive. Would seem to appear somewhere I might like rather a lot. Thank you Sean.
Atb
WW
I think you would enjoy S&A. It's a low key place.
Ciao
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100% agreement. S&A is absolutely worth a day out. It was also the home club of the late Dr David Marsh, the Cambridge blue, English champion and Southport GP who hit the shot that won the Walker Cup for GB&I in 1971 at St Andrews - a 3 iron to the heart of the 17th green. Also (almost certainly) the last GP ever to chair a top-flight football club (Everton)..
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I played S&A pre-Buda around ten years ago. The club does seem to have focused some effort on texture -especially with fescue rough. Generally, my memory is of greens that weren't as interesting as other courses I saw on the trip (Formby, Silloth, Seascale, Bull Bay, Windermere).
Thanks for giving me a nudge to get back there.
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I played S&A pre-Buda around ten years ago. The club does seem to have focused some effort on texture -especially with fescue rough. Generally, my memory is of greens that weren't as interesting as other courses I saw on the trip (Formby, Silloth, Seascale, Bull Bay, Windermere).
Thanks for giving me a nudge to get back there.
The greens are ok, nothing special...par for the course for tons of links. That said, several greens run away from play so it's easy to get caught thinking nothing is happening. I like that the funk hasn't been removed with the new work.
Ciao