[Paul_Turner]

Thanks to Laun Middleton for detailing the latest at Addington:

"Some work had been started last year to clear out
gorse etc from the heather. I've attached a photo of
the 7th taken in June, just before the work started on
that hole. Comparing this with your photo is
interesting. Similar work was done on many areas of
heather. Also, all of the bunkers have received a
face-lift and green compaction addressed - the sort of
work that's normal at most clubs but represents major
policy change at Addington.

When I saw the course in January, encroaching trees
had been cleared from holes on the front nine. Since
then, similar work has been done on the back nine.
Furthermore there has been some thinning (several
hundred trees have already gone, apparently) and this
continues. When I played, my playing partner described
the scene to the left of the 10th tee as "carnage" -
the 12th fairway was clearly visible and fires were
burning and machinery wailing. From the 1st tee it is
now possible to see the bunkers surrounding the 11th
green. Once leaves come back onto the trees it will be
easier to tell but the thinning seems pretty severe in
places.

Beyond the current, an agronomist has been appointed
to "...advise on a five year programme of course
improvement that will reinstate The Addington to its
rightful place amongst leading golf courses..."."

Wow, that must be some "thinning" if you can now see the 11th from the 1st and the 12th from the 10th!  

It's great news; imagine the course with big views out over London and to the south too (as long as we can't see down-town Croydon   )  

Hopefully Addington will get the recognition it deserves.

Here are the photos that Laun mentions (June vs Aug '01)

[Ran Morrissett]

Great news - I'm glad they're spending some coin on the course. Send the crew on to Sunningdale Old and let's re-capture more of its original openness, eh?

Paul, there have been lots of posts on the excellence of many of the holes at The Addington - conversely, the thing that impressed me as much was its lack of indifferent holes. Which do you consider its least distinguished holes? 1 and 14 and that's it?! Maybe the long and hard but perhaps uninspiring 18th too?

In my book, Addington's finest is as good as Sunningdale Old's finest but the bottom half of its holes far and away exceed the character of those at the Old course. With improved playing conditions, like grass  , isn't The Addington a viable candidate for finest inland course in the UK?

Cheers,

[Paul Daley]

Ran: A good many people believe it is; along with Woodhall Spa.

England is streets ahead of Ireland, Scotland and Wales - for housing the finest inland courses.

[Laun (Guest)]

Ran,

The 14th is a really good hole. The green (one of the best on the course) falls away with a sharp drop into trees behind, together with the bunker eating into the front right. It is best approached from the left side of the fairway which itself tilts from left to right.  Just left of the fairway is the same ravine that comes into play so much on the 9th, 10th, 12th and 13th. Consider also that this is the shortest par 4 on the course (about 360yds) and it comes just after 12 and 13, the longest and most difficult par 4 and par 3.

The 1st is clearly the worst hole on the course. After that, possibly the 18th or 5th, in my opinion, although the 18th has an interesting approach and the bunkers on the 5th conspire to make it a difficult target with a long club.

[Pauk Turner]

Ran

I agree with Laun on the 14th, even if it is a bit plain after the incredible 12th/13th. The approach is appealing with a fine green: anything short and cut, kicks right into the bunker.  And doesn't the left hand portion of the green tilt the other way, to complicate matters?

I think the 14th would benefit from tree clearing behind the green and to the left, to open up the view across London and across that ravine.  Also, encouraging the heather growth down the left would trap many players into playing safe down the right.

The 18th is also redeemed by its fine green complex.  Good bunkers!

I agree Sunningdale's weaker links are certainly less good than Addington's, but on the other side of the coin, Sunningdale has a sense of expansiveness that Addington doesn't.  And maybe one (or two) more, brilliant holes.

[kilfara]

The 14th also has an interesting drive - the fairway tilts from left to right, but there's a line of pretty deep heather down the left. You either need to draw the ball a bit and shape your shot into the contour, or you'll wind up having to flirt with the heather. Paul, your memory about the green is also correct - it's a very good hole, I think.

No. 18 is probably my least favorite hole on the course - yeah, the green complex is nice, but it takes ages to get there across the most uninspiring land on the property.

I don't have the same problems with no. 1 as a lot of others do. It's actually quite a nice uphill par 3; the only "problem" with it is its position at the start of the course. Admit it: if it was tucked away somewhere halfway through the front nine, you wouldn't have a problem with it, would you?

Paul Daley - Woodhall Spa, for my money, is significantly overrated. The bunkers are great, but course itself is really flat and has far too many ordinary holes for my liking. I'm sure I can come up with 10 inland courses in Britain I'd rather play (in no particular order):

Ganton
Sunningdale Old
Sunningdale New
Walton Heath Old
Walton Heath New
The Addington
Loch Lomond
Swinley Forest
Woking
West Sussex

That's just off the top of my head. (Granted, I haven't seen the last two on this list.)

Of course, you'll note that 9 of the 10 in this list are in England, which validates your original thesis in the first place.

Cheers,
Darren

[Lynn Shackelford]

I just played The Addington two days ago.  Latest update on trees is good.  The smell of burning wood continues.  Members claim that the tree removal is still ongoing.  According to one member, the woman who had the club in a trust has been put in a nursing home and the club discovered 1,000,000 pounds in a bank account.  They have all new maintenance equipment.  The work on improving the quality of the turf will begin soon I assume.  A couple of thoughts:
how about that deep bunker right front of the 6th green?  Deepest bunker I can recall.  Deeper than the one on the 16th at the PGA Stadium course.

12 and 13 may be the most exciting holes around.  I played them well which may have added to my appreciation.

I too found 14 disappointing, but maybe it is a good break after 12 and 13.  I noticed the group in front had lost a ball on the left and hit my tee shot to the right.  Not a good idea.

17 is a wonderful par 3.

16 I thought was a bit weird.  One needs to hit a tee shot over the trees to set up going for the green in two.

I thought 9 and 10 were most enjoyable and like the wide open areas.  Should have hit 3 wood on 9.

Former member Henry Longhurst and P. G. Wodehouse, enought said!

[Jim Reilly]

I was hoping this wouldn't get out, because once the course is put back in good nic, it's going to be even harder to get a round there.

Ran, the Addington is way better than Woodhall - much more strategic, requiring a greater variety of shots, with more charm and quirk.  Just do a comparison of the 1 shotters.  It really is a mismatch.

14 is a good hole (and a darn hard one at that).  Laun's dislike of the 5th I've never understood.  I think it's because it requires a draw and he plays his ball left to right (and hits it too far!)).  I would say the 18th is the least inspiring to me, but with the match on line, you usually have enough other considerations to keep you intersested.

How good is the Addington?  Just about every hole gives you that nervous excitement of anticipation that only great holes give you; then, as you leave one hole (and are a bit sad its over), you get the feeling all over again about the next.  

The Addington, in good nic, could give St. George's Hill a run for its money (yes, Noel, I like it better than Swinley.

[Paul Turner]

Jim

I thought the par 3s were a real strength at Woodhall; all of them excellent, and each probably better than all but the 13th at Addington.

[NAF]

jimbo, you've only played swinley once..go see it with the heather in bloom...i too love the addington..from 5-17 it can match up with any on the heath hole by hole..

[Jim Reilly]

Paul,  I think you've been staring at your screen too long.  Granted, the 5th at WS is a great penal 1 shotter with some interesting movement in its green (especially the front left pin position – short side it there and you're toast).  The par 3 on the back that is nested in a little dell was also quite sporty, but the only other 1 shotter I can remember was a rather plain 165 yard affair without out much to recommend it.  If there is a fourth 1 shotter, I can remember it.  

The Addington's par 3s are not only individually superb, but as a set, they compliment each other wonderfully.  From memory, I believe they vary in length from the shortest to the longest as follows:                  11th      135
                  7th      150
                  1st      165 (uphill)
                  3rd      210 (plays around 240 due to elevation change)
                  13th      225

How's that for variety.  I would put the 13th at the Addington against the 5th at Woodhall, which I don't think you would argue.  As for the rest, I think any of them, with the exception of the first, could challenge any of the one shotters at Woodhall.

I also don't think the first at the Addington is such a bad hole.  Especially since there are 5 one shotters, you don't feel like you wasted one right off the bat.

Noel,

The second is a neat hole and I don't know of any other in which the ground game is such an integral part of the hole.  

[Paul_Turner]

Jim

I certainly have been staring at this screen too long!  But I've got a good memory when it comes to golf holes; you obviously need a refresher course as far as The Spa is concerned  



Here's the par 3 you were searching for, the 8th, a super hole to a natural plateau: there's severe and deep bunker on the right side of the green.


The great 12th which was picked as for a World 18 video which T Doak produced (I believe).  (Although the bunker looks like it has been "tarted up" a bit).



And an aerial of the turn holes, showing the beauty of the course and its great variety of bunker size and placement.

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