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Sean_A

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EDGBASTON GC: Its Not Cricket (2014-15 Winter Tour) New
« on: June 06, 2009, 06:33:05 AM »
Not a mile down the road from the famed Edgbaston Cricket Ground and less than two miles from the city centre, in what was once a genteel neighborhood of Birmingham, is a refuge from urban sprawl - Edgbaston GC.  After fledging starts at two previous locations, the course in place today is a 1936 Colt design with its routing fully intact.  There are of course, as is the case with many classic courses, alterations to the tree and bunkering schemes.  The tree plantings are almost without exception disastrous.  The altered bunkering scheme is a bit hit and miss.  Its obvious that later centre-line bunkers were added and some of Colt's bold bunkering was split into twos and threes, but other than aesthetics, the scheme generally works well.  Despite the abundance of trees I am impressed with the design.  The course uses the surprisingly hilly land to great effect and without exception the green sites are cunning in that they reward good positional play.  In 2009/10 the club took the monumental step of relaying all the greens to improve drainage.  It has taken some time, but the expense is now paying dividends as the greens are showing a marked improvement and highlight the full measure of Colt's creativity.  Its a shame the club has yet to realize that the removal of trees would also help with drainage....

The first sight of the course from the terrace of the magnificent Edgbaston Hall is both invigorating and alarming.  The sweeping panorama is marred by trees which greatly effect the strategy of both #s 1 and 9.  If one looks closely, a red disc on a lovely tree can be spotted.  It is used to signal those on #10 if it is ok to tee off by communicating one's intention to play 9 or 18.  Red means don't tee off!


The second is a curious hole as reaching the dogleg requires a 260ish yard drive.  Anything short is blocked out by trees on the left even though a bunker guarding the left of the green (which is not set to receive a shot from the left) is well placed for this purpose.  One will also notice the rather awkward centre-line bunker which I suspect is not original.


The view on the 3rd tee is exasperating to say the least.  Rows of trees squeeze this shortish par 3 like a vice.  Regardless, the brilliance of Colt's handiwork is quite evident in person.  Thankfully, with a few major exceptions, from the 4th the trees don't crowd out many of Colt's superb design concepts.  Below is a look at the approach to the long two-shot 4th.  The large specimen trees are used very well in defining the dogleg to the left.


A look at the plateau where the green is located shows off lovely low rolling terrain and the bloody awful cut pattern.


#5 is a cracking par 3 in which the strategy is fully evident.  The club broke up a what once one large bunker into three.


From this angle we can see how the green drops off on the far side creating a very narrow target.


The purple patch continues on the 6th.  The famed Edgbaston Cricket Ground can just be seen beyond the trees.


Playing into a sharp wind, carrying these bunkers on this banger par 4 can be quite a test. Even if one can't reach the green, clearing the bunkers offers the advantage of a view of the green for the third. 


The green is incredibly small for such a demanding par 4.


The 7th is a short drop shot hole with Birmingham University's Old Joe in the background.  Based on the St Mark's Campanile, this clock tower was built to commemorate Joesph Chamberlain (father of Neville) as the first Chancellor of the university. The right bunker was recently removed and I believe the pond on the lower left is new.


The following is another fine long par 4 with centre-line bunkers creating blindness.  Once again, I think two bunkers have been created where Colt originally called for one bold bunker. Only the longest of hitters will contemplate carrying the cross bunkers.  Most will face a long and blind second to a small green.  Along with serious tree issues, Edgabston suffers from poor fairway lines.  Its obvious there should be a fairway alley up the left leaving the rabbit a way around the sand, but with a poor angle of approach.


The green is a brilliant piece of trickery.  Colt shaped the surface to look saddle-like or gathering, but the the lay of the land leaning heavily right is the dominant feature.  Its very difficult to get oneself to putt opposite to the information the eye is delivering.


The view form the 9th tee should showcase Edgbaston Hall, a magnificent Georgian building.  On a few occasions Colt's intended views of the hall are efforts nixed by thoughtless tree plantings.  After the original hall was burned down near the end of the Civil War, Sir Richard Gough started the rebuild in 1717.  Sir Richard's son, Sir Henry, inherited the estate and commissioned Capability Brown to design the park on which Colt's course now plays over.  The hall is the clubhouse, but it remains the property of the Gough-Calthorpe family with a family member acting as President of the club.   

William Withering, famous for discovering the medicinal properties in digitalis and also a member of the somewhat controversial provisional Lunar Society, lived at Edgbaston Hall for a spell. 


From just beyond the right fairway bunkers which Colt envisioned serving as a centre-line hazard to between the 1st and 9th fairway, one can see the view of the fantastically sited 9th green and hall.  There is an obvious two tier effect to the green which was added sometime in the 1990s.


Golf radiates from the house, is there a better way to set up a course?  Behind the green.


Edgbaston has several holes with blind drives over crests.  The 10th is one of these holes.  More importantly, the approach is spectacular over a valley to yet another well sited green. Notice the trademark Colt knobs in the rear of this photo of the 10th green. 


There are several short two-shotters balanced against a great collection of long 4s.  The 11th is drivable, but it is probably wise to lay back as holding this small, undulating green is virtually impossible with a driver.


The following two holes drop to a low section of the course near Edgbaston Pool.  #12 is a sweeping legger to the left with a blind centre-line bunker at the bottom of the hill.  This bunker was not placed by Colt, but it is a good addition to keep flat bellies thinking  Unfortunately, the workmanship on the bunker reduces its effectiveness.  The background trees are a bit of an eyesore breaking up the vista toward the 13th fairway.


The par 4 13th is another hard dogleg left over or around the pool, its the player's choice.  Interestingly, a curling stream which can't be seen from the tee bisects the fairway.  I suspect this was added after Colt's time to improve drainage. Just beyond the course boundary is student accommodation. The 14th is a lovely par 3 which has recently seen a load of vegetation removed.  The view from the tee is very deceptive as the putting surface is far smaller than the bunker scheme suggests.  The hole is slowly revealed the closer the golfer comes to the green.  It is a great pity there are only three short holes because all are very good...leaving the golfer wanting more.   






Unfortunately, because of tree crowding, Edgabston's finish doesn't match the quality of the long run of holes between 4 and 14.  15 and 16 (with the 16th being reachable off the tee) are short par 4s heading up then back down the hill the hall sits atop.  Notice how the trees behind #15 block out the view of the hall.  It is imperative and terribly difficult to keep the ball below the hole.


I wonder if the 16th wouldn't be better off as a long par 3?  At well under 300 yards playing downhill many can reach the green.  Though it must be said, the green is tricky and misses to the left require deft recovery skills.  Short of the green is a swale which is a technique Colt used on a few of the green surrounds. 

The finishing two holes are wonderful.  #17, the only three-shotter on this par 69 layout, is tough because the best angle of approach up the left is guarded by trees and severely sloping terrain.  The green is in a natural defensive position atop a plateau.


The final hole comes back on the 17th.  I think Colt originally designed 17 & 18 to essentially share one very wide fairway.  Indeed, the plans reveal that Colt intended the 18th to be a dogleg right as the hill would dictate this.  However, the hill could also facilitate a well thought out approach to bounce around the front left bunker which, like many others, has been drastically reduced in size.   Also notice how trees once again block the view of the hall to the right of the 15th green in the distance.


Edgbaston is a gem shrouded in foliage. If the club would take on an extensive tree removal program thereby opening some playing corridors, views of the course, hall and specimen trees, the majesty of this Capability Brown designed park course could be fully re-captured.  Edgbaston is a mere 5800 yards from the daily tees.  However, the overall yardage is very deceptive as Edgbaston is a rugged course featuring many long, difficult par 4s balanced by several short par 4s which are deceptively tricky and featuring an exceptional set of short holes.  Colt's magnificent design shines through in the greens (one of the best sets I have seen from Colt) and make Edgbaston a special design.  1* 2016

Ciao
« Last Edit: December 11, 2020, 07:09:59 PM by Sean_A »
New plays planned for 2025: Machrihanish Dunes, Dunaverty and Carradale

Jason McNamara

Re: EDGBASTON: Its Not Cricket
« Reply #1 on: June 06, 2009, 01:29:14 PM »
Great stuff as always, Sean.  Looks like a few of those bunkers (11, 13, & 14) are designed to look greenside without actually being so.  Or are the pics playing tricks on me?

And you'd place it where relative to its local competition?  After Little Aston, Whittington Heath, Blackwell,.... and BD, of course.  In with Harborne, Copt Heath, Sandwell Park and Enville, or is inclusion amongst that crowd pending chainsaw application?

When are you publishing your West Midlands golf guide, anyway?   :)

Jamie Barber

Re: EDGBASTON: Its Not Cricket
« Reply #2 on: June 06, 2009, 05:20:16 PM »
Any idea of the rationale behind dividing a single large bunker into multiple smaller ones?

Paul_Turner

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: EDGBASTON: Its Not Cricket
« Reply #3 on: June 06, 2009, 09:13:57 PM »
Sean

I played this screaming fast and the greens are very tricky then. It doesn't look like they changed the contouring with the resurfacing which is nice...the new bunker work is a complete dog's dinner though.

It's really small piece of land, i think only 80 acres and they squeezed everything out of it.  I couldn't imagine a more tranquil setting so close to an ugly city.

You mention an important point.  Most of us know that the heathland course have suffered badly from over-planting or lack of management but it's true of the classic British Parkland too.  There's something really appealing about those pics of old courses set in what were either formal grounds or deer parks.  Big open views broken up by a few grand trees.

The Edgbaston plans were the highlight of the recent book on Colt...it's really rare to still have these. 
can't get to heaven with a three chord song

Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: EDGBASTON: Its Not Cricket New
« Reply #4 on: June 07, 2009, 02:27:07 AM »
Great stuff as always, Sean.  Looks like a few of those bunkers (11, 13, & 14) are designed to look greenside without actually being so.  Or are the pics playing tricks on me?

And you'd place it where relative to its local competition?  After Little Aston, Whittington Heath, Blackwell,.... and BD, of course.  In with Harborne, Copt Heath, Sandwell Park and Enville, or is inclusion amongst that crowd pending chainsaw application?

When are you publishing your West Midlands golf guide, anyway?   :)

Jason

Those bunkers are probably slightly set back from how Colt designed (probably to allow for mowing) them, but they still quite tight to greens.

I think all of the courses you mention are in the same general class except Beau, which I think stands head and shoulders above the rest and probably Blackwell and Enville aren't quite with the others, but to be fair, Blackwell could be much better with tree removal.  All that said, I believe the design of Edgbaston is better than the others (again with the exception of Beau), its just that trees have literally taken away loads of Colt's intentions.  It is a dog gone shame because Edgbaston really is a classy design and should be mentioned as one of the top parkland courses in the UK.  For instance, I think its bones are better than Little Aston's.  I have a lot of time for Edgbaston.     

Jamie

I think a great many bunkers have been broken up.  Archies pushed this sort of thing in the 80s & 90s.  I think the theory is that smaller bunkers are more manageable from maintenance PoV and from a golfer's PoV.

Paul

I was shocked to see so many holes compromised by trees.  It is so blatantly obvious what Colt's intentions were for the design concepts just by looking at the lay of the land and how the greens are angled with protective bunkering.  If you ever get back to Edgbaston, the pro has the detailed green and overhead plans (used for the book you mention) for the course in his back room.  I spent an hour looking at these two magnificent booklets and all my suspicions were confirmed.  I really don't know if the club knows how good their course should be!  There are so many great green sites that have just enough room to to slide grounders by the bunkering if one gets the right position in the fairway.  If they brought the course back as the parkland it was designed to be it would be a magnificent.

As for the greens, I don't think the club intended to change of the shaping when they were re-laid.  According to the pro, he thinks they are about as accurately re-laid to the originals as is reasonably possible.  I know it cost a fortune to do this work and the club should be commended for it.  They are one of the very few clubs I know who has done this sort of work, hopefully it will be repaid with good greens in winter.   

Ciao
« Last Edit: October 09, 2018, 04:57:47 AM by Sean_A »
New plays planned for 2025: Machrihanish Dunes, Dunaverty and Carradale

James Boon

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: EDGBASTON: Its Not Cricket
« Reply #5 on: June 07, 2009, 03:49:58 AM »
Sean,

Many thanks for another great photo tour. For some reason I have often overlooked Edgbaston, but this thread lead me to look back at the article in the recent Colt book, which has some good old plans of Colt's. I shall definatly make the trip when I can. I'll be down the road watching the Ashes in a months time or so, but not sure I'll get the chance then...

Have you ever thought about taking a long iron out of your bag and replacing it with a chainsaw?  ;D

Cheers,

James
2023 Highlights: Hollinwell, Brora, Parkstone, Cavendish, Hallamshire, Sandmoor, Moortown, Elie, Crail, St Andrews (Himalayas & Eden), Chantilly, M, Hardelot Les Pins

"It celebrates the unadulterated pleasure of being in a dialogue with nature while knocking a ball round on foot." Richard Pennell

Ben Stephens

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: EDGBASTON: Its Not Cricket
« Reply #6 on: June 07, 2009, 05:26:05 PM »
Sean,

Thanks for the photo tour which has made me delve into my new Colt Book where there are a couple of original plans for Edgbaston (Hall) Golf Club. The three bunkers in line on the right hand side of the 5th green was planned to be one large long bunker.

Here is Colt's plan for the 3rd green which I have scanned from the book.




Here is my 3D pencil birds eye view sketch interpretation of Colts 3rd green surrounds. I like grassy hollows they are quite an effective low cost low maintenance form of hazard.




Sean - was there a dip in front of the green cos it is not visible in your photo. We will have to arrange a trip to another course in Midlands area soon with James as well - Whittington Heath, Moseley, Harbourne, etc.

Cheers

Ben

Sean_A

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Re: EDGBASTON: Its Not Cricket
« Reply #7 on: June 07, 2009, 06:12:28 PM »
Sean,

Thanks for the photo tour which has made me delve into my new Colt Book where there are a couple of original plans for Edgbaston (Hall) Golf Club. The three bunkers in line on the right hand side of the 5th green was planned to be one large long bunker.

Here is Colt's plan for the 3rd green which I have scanned from the book.




Here is my 3D pencil birds eye view sketch interpretation of Colts 3rd green surrounds. I like grassy hollows they are quite an effective low cost low maintenance form of hazard.




Sean - was there a dip in front of the green cos it is not visible in your photo. We will have to arrange a trip to another course in Midlands area soon with James as well - Whittington Heath, Moseley, Harbourne, etc.

Cheers

Ben

Ben

That is an interesting sketch and you are right, the plans call for a dip short of the 3rd green and this dead ground still exists.  The concept works well because the green gradually runs to the back and toward the right making the deceived player who left it short a tricky recovery that isn't so obvious. 

I would like to go back to Harborne before winter sets in.  I would also welcome going back to Whittington, but given their rough its best to wait until Septemberish.

Ciao
New plays planned for 2025: Machrihanish Dunes, Dunaverty and Carradale

Ben Stephens

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Re: EDGBASTON: Its Not Cricket
« Reply #8 on: June 07, 2009, 06:44:15 PM »
Sean,

Harbourne would be good - how about Copt Heath nr Solihull - designed by Harry Vardon and enhanced by Colt? We will have to arrange a date and time - James has Mondays off.

Cheers

Ben

Paul_Turner

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Re: EDGBASTON: Its Not Cricket
« Reply #9 on: June 07, 2009, 08:23:44 PM »
Ben

Moseley often gets forgotten and it's pretty good too.  In fact I think it might even beat Edgbaston when it comes down to center and cross bunkers (unless Howard Swann has removed them all!).  Very tough start as I recall and lots of starting points arround the clubhouse even with a tight piece of land.
can't get to heaven with a three chord song

James Bennett

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Re: EDGBASTON: Its Not Cricket
« Reply #10 on: June 08, 2009, 12:18:10 AM »


This purple patch continues on the 6th. 


 

Sean

lovely post.  This one is bizarre.  Looks like Cousin IT's Family reunion (Addams Family).  Someone must like those pruned whatever's.

James B
Bob; its impossible to explain some of the clutter that gets recalled from the attic between my ears. .  (SL Solow)

Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: EDGBASTON: Its Not Cricket New
« Reply #11 on: June 08, 2009, 01:57:51 AM »
Sean,

Harbourne would be good - how about Copt Heath nr Solihull - designed by Harry Vardon and enhanced by Colt? We will have to arrange a date and time - James has Mondays off.

Cheers

Ben

Ben

I am not terribly keen on Copt Heath, but if they do a winter deal I would go back. 

Mondays are tough for me, but just about doable sometimes. 

Paul

Moseley isn't bad at all, sort of in the class of Handsworth - very pleasant especially given the tight property. 

Where did you get 80 acres for Edgbaston from?  I know it isn't a large plot, but it only feels clausterphobic at times because of the trees, not because of lack of space.  The course is one of those par 69 jobbies with only one par 5 - maybe slightly beyond 6000 yards from the backs.  In the book it does seem like Colt and the club were looking for ways to add yards or at least keep options open for the future. 

From reading the book it seems as though Colt didn't know the land very well before making his final on site plans.  Do you get the sense that Colt didn't originally survey the land and perhaps was going off someone else's plans of the property for the routing?   

James

Yes, the Cousin It bushes are strange, but not really uncommon on parkland courses over here. 

Ciao
« Last Edit: December 18, 2022, 04:25:37 AM by Sean_A »
New plays planned for 2025: Machrihanish Dunes, Dunaverty and Carradale

Paul_Turner

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Re: EDGBASTON: Its Not Cricket
« Reply #12 on: June 08, 2009, 08:21:07 AM »
Sean

it does read like that.  That Colt hadn't visited before his initial routing plan...probably just a stick plan.  Then he revised it over the subsequent visits and drew those nice detailed plans.  If it did happen that way.  Usually he would visit and then send out a letter describing the course with a plan.

It does sound like he was trying to maximise the length, including a tee way back on the 13th which would have needed a footbridge across the lake.

I used

http://acme.com/planimeter/   to estimate acreage....it depend on how far you go back into the perimeter tree line..80 acres was an underestimate but it's definitely less than 90.
can't get to heaven with a three chord song

Sean_A

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Re: EDGBASTON: Its Not Cricket
« Reply #13 on: June 08, 2009, 08:39:08 AM »
Sean

it does read like that.  That Colt hadn't visited before his initial routing plan...probably just a stick plan.  Then he revised it over the subsequent visits and drew those nice detailed plans.  If it did happen that way.  Usually he would visit and then send out a letter describing the course with a plan.

It does sound like he was trying to maximise the length, including a tee way back on the 13th which would have needed a footbridge across the lake.

I used

http://acme.com/planimeter/   to estimate acreage....it depend on how far you go back into the perimeter tree line..80 acres was an underestimate but it's definitely less than 90.

Paul

That is a good point, its difficult to determine how much land on the borders is taken up with trees. 

Are those plan books from the hand of Colt? 

Is there anyway someone else could have done the original routing for Edgbaston?  Perhaps Morrison?  I wonder about these courses designed in the late 20s to 30s because Colt was not a young man then.  I also wonder about Simpson perhaps doing more work on Fowler's courses later in his career because of Fowler's age.

Ciao
New plays planned for 2025: Machrihanish Dunes, Dunaverty and Carradale

Paul_Turner

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: EDGBASTON: Its Not Cricket
« Reply #14 on: June 08, 2009, 08:49:23 AM »
Sean

No I doubt it...Colt was still very active in late 1920s and 1930s, he wasn't all that old.... in his 60s and he lived into his 80s (Fowler was a fair bit older).  He did stop traveling to Continental europe around 1930 the latest trip we have found by him was down to Spain in 1930 to work on Madrid and Pedrena.    Edgbaston isn't far from East Hendred!

I'm pretty sure that after 1930 Morrison took over in Europe and did a load of work in Germany, some in Sweden, some in France and Holland (Hague with Alison)  but Colt did the work (with Murray as his main man from Franks Harris) in GB&I, most notably Portrush (1933).  Murray probably deserves a lot of credit too...getting the ideas and plans into the ground.  He worked a lot on Portrush. 
« Last Edit: June 08, 2009, 08:51:48 AM by Paul_Turner »
can't get to heaven with a three chord song

Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: EDGBASTON: Its Not Cricket
« Reply #15 on: June 09, 2009, 02:10:48 AM »
Sean

No I doubt it...Colt was still very active in late 1920s and 1930s, he wasn't all that old.... in his 60s and he lived into his 80s (Fowler was a fair bit older).  He did stop traveling to Continental europe around 1930 the latest trip we have found by him was down to Spain in 1930 to work on Madrid and Pedrena.    Edgbaston isn't far from East Hendred!

I'm pretty sure that after 1930 Morrison took over in Europe and did a load of work in Germany, some in Sweden, some in France and Holland (Hague with Alison)  but Colt did the work (with Murray as his main man from Franks Harris) in GB&I, most notably Portrush (1933).  Murray probably deserves a lot of credit too...getting the ideas and plans into the ground.  He worked a lot on Portrush. 

Paul

Do you reckon those Edgbaston plans are in Colt's hand?

Ciao
New plays planned for 2025: Machrihanish Dunes, Dunaverty and Carradale

Paul_Turner

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: EDGBASTON: Its Not Cricket
« Reply #16 on: June 09, 2009, 11:12:42 AM »
Sean

It's in the Colt style...the free-form greens i.e. not drawn with a circle or oval but rather with an extension of the fairway (Alison didn't draw like this, not sure about Morrison).  He did this on the PVGC, Hamilton and Toronto plans.  The annotation is spot on too  S.B T.H.

But the firm did employ a professional draftsman called 'Dacre" so it could well be his hand for Edgbaston. 

You can see that sometime later,Colt has drawn in a faint bunker on the 14th green and initialed it "add B HSC".

Edgbaston must have been a welcome project in the UK...the bottom had fallen out of the market and they were getting hardly any work in the UK at that time (1936)

« Last Edit: June 09, 2009, 11:26:34 AM by Paul_Turner »
can't get to heaven with a three chord song

Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: EDGBASTON: Its Not Cricket New
« Reply #17 on: June 09, 2009, 01:23:14 PM »
Sean

It's in the Colt style...the free-form greens i.e. not drawn with a circle or oval but rather with an extension of the fairway (Alison didn't draw like this, not sure about Morrison).  He did this on the PVGC, Hamilton and Toronto plans.  The annotation is spot on too  S.B T.H.

But the firm did employ a professional draftsman called 'Dacre" so it could well be his hand for Edgbaston. 

You can see that sometime later,Colt has drawn in a faint bunker on the 14th green and initialed it "add B HSC".

Edgbaston must have been a welcome project in the UK...the bottom had fallen out of the market and they were getting hardly any work in the UK at that time (1936)



Paul

Yes, I noticed that faint writing in the pro shop.  Much of the plans have notations.  I didn't think the HSC matched the SB.  It almost looks as if Colt signed off on the addition. 

As an aside, I think the title for the Edgbaston section is funny - "Not A Single Blind Hole". 

Ciao
« Last Edit: December 18, 2022, 04:28:19 AM by Sean_A »
New plays planned for 2025: Machrihanish Dunes, Dunaverty and Carradale

Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0

Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: EDGBASTON GC: Its Not Cricket
« Reply #19 on: June 08, 2013, 06:15:06 AM »
Wow!  Everytime I go back to Edgbaston it makes a bigger impression in me.  I no longer think of this course as a minor Colt!  See the updated pix.

Ciao
New plays planned for 2025: Machrihanish Dunes, Dunaverty and Carradale

Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: EDGBASTON GC: Its Not Cricket - 2014-15 Winter Tour New
« Reply #20 on: March 27, 2015, 07:55:00 PM »
The more I get to know Edgbaston the more astounded I am this course isn't top 100 GB&I.  The clubs seems to be taking strides to clear out some trees as evidenced on 7, 14 and various other spots.  There is a long way to go yet...and the club needs to work on grassing lines and bunker aesthetic, but in the overall scheme of things these details couldn't possibly blind the th eye of a keen architecure observer.   Don't take my word for it...get down to Edgbaston...and pay attention.  See updated tour above.

Previous stops on the 2014-15 Winter Tour.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,38973.0.html  Little Aston 

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,32146.0.html  Formby 

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,60714.0.html  Formby Ladies 

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,60660.0.html  Stinchcombe Hill   

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,32228.0.html  Huntercombe

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,33988.0.html  Notts 

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,48115.0.html  Moseley 
 
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,47211.0.html  Worplesdon 

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,60107.0.html  Walton Heath New 

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,59831.0.html  Cumberwell Park Orange 

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,30926.0.html  Kington 

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,49796.0.html  Cleeve Cloud 

Future Scheduled Stops: Canterbury and Sandwich

Ciao
« Last Edit: December 18, 2022, 04:31:59 AM by Sean_A »
New plays planned for 2025: Machrihanish Dunes, Dunaverty and Carradale

Thomas Dai

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: EDGBASTON GC: Its Not Cricket (2014-15 Winter Tour)
« Reply #21 on: August 28, 2015, 04:58:45 PM »
I had the opportunity recently to play Edgbaston and impressed I was too. No extra photos as the ones posted above suffice. Spendid tricky, thought provoking green complexes, but then again it's a Harry Colt course so that's what you normally expect/get. A few too many trees, but not massively so, although some near to tees need a good cropping as branches overhang teeshot lines, problematically so in a few some places. Conditioning was not quite to the level I'd expected although the greens were very true and pretty quick.


I played the course in a competition so the tees were right at the back and in addition little run was available on the ball as the last week or so has been pretty damp in these parts. Indeed the fairways were so lush and spongey that you couldn't play groundball around the greens even if you'd wanted to.


It might be only 6,100 yds par-69 on the card but the par-3's are very fine, tough too in the 3-4 club wind I played in, and there are several pretty difficult long par-4's, especially on the front-9. The back-9 would generally appear to be the easier half to score on with most of the par-4's being shorter on the card and only 1 par-3 plus the sole par-5 on the course.


Would I play it again? Yes I would, but being Birmingham the usual green fee is a relatively high one so that would effect the decision. In a competition though, that's another matter, and it is a Colt afterall, so there's plenty of classy architectural features to view and experience and ponder. Indeed numerous Colt green complex plans, like the ones posted above, are displayed on the walls inside the very well appointed clubhouse.


In summary, although not long on the card Edgbaston is a most interesting course to play. If you like to study course architecture, as I presume we all herein do, it's well worth playing.


Atb
« Last Edit: August 28, 2015, 05:23:37 PM by Thomas Dai »

Peter Pallotta

Re: EDGBASTON GC: Its Not Cricket (2014-15 Winter Tour)
« Reply #22 on: August 29, 2015, 09:08:02 AM »
No matter how many times I remember I still tend to forget what a wonderful collection of tours Sean has put together.  Thank you, Sean.


And no matter what our esteemed colleagues Tom D and Sean A (with their respective scales) would rate them, I still say that Sherwood Forest and Temple should be rated higher


Peter

Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: EDGBASTON GC: Its Not Cricket (2014-15 Winter Tour) New
« Reply #23 on: September 01, 2015, 08:09:54 PM »
Pietro

You are welcome. 

ATB

Yes, I think Edge is one of the best sets of greens I have seen from Colt...they can be quite tricky. 

Ciao
« Last Edit: October 09, 2018, 05:03:51 AM by Sean_A »
New plays planned for 2025: Machrihanish Dunes, Dunaverty and Carradale