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Thomas Dai

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Re: The Timeless MINCHINHAMPTON OLD COURSE
« Reply #75 on: May 17, 2019, 04:12:52 PM »
Three intrepid GCA posters and I ventured to Minch' Old recently. Three of us were on re-plays, although one not for several years, plus we had along one who had traveled 3,000 miles from across the ocean to the west.

Course conditions on the day were somewhat unusual, they normally are in some way or another at Minch ' Old, but more of that as the photos and text progress.

As an aside, from discussions the Club were most appreciative of Ran's visit last year, his Courses by Country review and the inclusion of the course within the 147 Custodians listing. If such helps unique clubs like this survive then all the better.

Here's the par-5 1st green from the left side. Spring flowers galore spread over the humps and hollows. You'll see more of this as you scroll through the photos.


Ground conditions for our visit were firm. The greens were very firm and fast, trickily so on approach shots, the ball making a delightful "thump" sound on first landing .... and then running on and on and on! Forget about spin, it was friction that was ultimately stopping approach shots and putts! There was a lot of rough present, and it was thick rough too. Hosel grabbing hack out style. Covered in flowers as well. With no cutting of the rough and no cattle on the common until a couple of weeks ago there's been no way to limit grass growth.

Here's the par-4 6th green as seen from just short of the green




As you will see from the photos there wasn't a lot of definition between the fairways and the roughs during our visit.

This is because the course is on Common land, which is shared usage land (farmers, golfers, picknickers, walkers etc etc), and the authority that manages the land insist that the cattle that graze the property have priority during the Springtime when the grass is at its most suitable for bovines. The cattle usually return to the Common in early May and the Common authorities apparently insisted this year that no grass at all (apart form the putting surfaces) be cut for two weeks before the cattle return and two weeks afterwards, ie a four week period.
Now the rough at Minch' Old is never cut, but the fairways usually are, but during the period mentioned above, the fairways haven't been. Hence the fairways have become longer and shaggier than usual, although not unplayably so. And this was the conditions we found during our game.
Unusual? Yes! But hell it only cost £12 each for 18-holes on a unique course on a wonderful weather day in a splendid setting.

Here is the long par-4 11th hole from the tee. Flowers, flowers and more flowers with cattle grazing in the far distance.



Now here's a thought, given the space available could the course be re-organised very slightly so it could be playable as a reversible routing? Answers on a postcard please!

Below looking from the rear of the 18th green. Again flowers, flowers, flowers everywhere.


Well that's an update on Minch' Old.

Unique. Spacious. Tranquil. Serene. Golf as it probably was 100+ yrs ago. Maddening and frustrating at times too. But a course that seems to have a special aura all of its own. A Marmite course no doubt, but put aside your golfing ego and vanity for a few hours and go and play it, or somewhere akin to it, and you may well find yourself falling in love with the kind of golf it represents. You never know, you might even learn something about the game too.

atb
« Last Edit: May 18, 2019, 10:24:36 AM by Thomas Dai »

Jon Wiggett

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Re: The Timeless MINCHINHAMPTON OLD COURSE
« Reply #76 on: May 18, 2019, 01:06:10 AM »

Thomas,


Sounds like you had a good time. None of your photos are visible though or at least not to me.

Thomas Dai

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Timeless MINCHINHAMPTON OLD COURSE
« Reply #77 on: May 18, 2019, 04:09:19 AM »
Thanks John. I'm far from good at posting photos but thought I'd got it right this time as
when I posted them last night they appeared. Um? Thinking cap on time.
atb

Thomas Dai

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Re: The Timeless MINCHINHAMPTON OLD COURSE
« Reply #78 on: May 18, 2019, 06:17:11 AM »
Following expert advice the missing photos have now appeared! See above.
Atb

Michael Whitaker

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Re: The Timeless MINCHINHAMPTON OLD COURSE
« Reply #79 on: May 18, 2019, 06:34:54 AM »
Almost. A few are still missing the "width" instruction.
"Solving the paradox of proportionality is the heart of golf architecture."  - Tom Doak (11/20/05)

Thomas Dai

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Re: The Timeless MINCHINHAMPTON OLD COURSE
« Reply #80 on: May 18, 2019, 11:35:14 AM »
Okay now, I think! Fingers crossed!
:)

Atb

Jon Wiggett

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Re: The Timeless MINCHINHAMPTON OLD COURSE
« Reply #81 on: May 19, 2019, 02:00:43 AM »
Love the look of the course on the photos that are visible Thomas. Photos 3,4&5 still blanks though. ;D

Thomas Dai

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Timeless MINCHINHAMPTON OLD COURSE
« Reply #82 on: May 19, 2019, 04:27:29 AM »
The ‘missing ones’ are I think duplicates Jon. Even with a great deal of much appreciated help from a fellow GCA poster and fellow recent Minch’ Old player I ended up having to pretty much rebuild the whole thread.
Glad you like the look of the course. It really is a bit special, not that I’m biased!!
Long may it, and other courses of its type everywhere, continue to exist. Fancy-free pure golf.
Atb

Tony_Muldoon

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Re: The Timeless MINCHINHAMPTON OLD COURSE
« Reply #83 on: May 19, 2019, 12:15:03 PM »
Thanks for posting and great to catch up with you again.


Somehow a magical place was even more magical presented like that.   Easily ot overlook how many very fine holes it has, so hopefully it won't be such a  long gap until my next visit.
Let's make GCA grate again!

Thomas Dai

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Timeless MINCHINHAMPTON OLD COURSE
« Reply #84 on: July 19, 2021, 02:03:23 PM »
Make of the production and the presenters and their comments what you will but these and the additional parts filmed and to follow should give a nice insight into the wonders of golf at Minchinhampton Old -

Holes 1-3 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLfWR25EK2o
Holes 4-6 [size=78%]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HNhH39nvViQ[/size]
Holes 7-9 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-R-2Z6IOAx8
Holes 10-12 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BSBkrKKqt3o
Holes 13-15 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hHlBVDtgdcU
Holes 16-18 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FDvmUjIatpA



Enjoy.

Atb
« Last Edit: July 24, 2021, 02:30:38 PM by Thomas Dai »

Thomas Dai

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Re: The Timeless MINCHINHAMPTON OLD COURSE
« Reply #85 on: August 12, 2021, 03:41:28 AM »
Some recent photos. :)
atb





Tim Gallant

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Re: The Timeless MINCHINHAMPTON OLD COURSE
« Reply #86 on: August 12, 2021, 06:41:51 AM »
Some recent photos. :)
atb







Lovely photos Thomas - and what a lovely course. There's a house just off the (13th?!) that I sent a photo of to Ran. I think he should buy it and turn it into GCAHQ  ;D

Thomas Dai

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Timeless MINCHINHAMPTON OLD COURSE
« Reply #87 on: August 15, 2021, 03:05:38 AM »
Some recent photos. :)
atb
Lovely photos Thomas - and what a lovely course. There's a house just off the (13th?!) that I sent a photo of to Ran. I think he should buy it and turn it into GCAHQ  ;D
The Lady who does handstands was certainly very taken with the area during her and Rans visit. :)
atb

Thomas Dai

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Timeless MINCHINHAMPTON OLD COURSE
« Reply #88 on: September 18, 2021, 03:42:04 AM »
Here are some course routing maps going back to the earliest days of golf on Minch' Common. The source is the Clubs history book.
Further routing changes have taken place since the 3rd map (as posted below) to move some complete holes, some tees and some greens away from the public roads that cross the common.
There was once another course nearby. It comprised 9-holes on Rodborough Common and was located near The Bear pub/hotel just a couple of miles further north on Minch'-Stroud road - for more info see - https://www.golfsmissinglinks.co.uk/index.php/england/central-west/gloucestershire/729-glos-stroud-golf-club-rodborough-common-glos
atb









Thomas Dai

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Re: The Timeless MINCHINHAMPTON OLD COURSE
« Reply #89 on: December 03, 2021, 12:00:17 PM »
Enthusiasts of Minch' Old and Cleeve Hill might like to know that the two Clubs are holding a joint 2-day/2-course pairs open competition on Wed 28th and Thurs 29th Sept next year, ie 2021.
Entry details are on the Minch' website - https://members.minchinhamptongolfclub.co.uk/competition.php?compid=11429
atb

Sean_A

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Re: The Timeless MINCHINHAMPTON OLD COURSE
« Reply #90 on: January 18, 2022, 09:18:20 AM »
Here are some course routing maps going back to the earliest days of golf on Minch' Common. The source is the Clubs history book.
Further routing changes have taken place since the 3rd map (as posted below) to move some complete holes, some tees and some greens away from the public roads that cross the common.
There was once another course nearby. It comprised 9-holes on Rodborough Common and was located near The Bear pub/hotel just a couple of miles further north on Minch'-Stroud road - for more info see - https://www.golfsmissinglinks.co.uk/index.php/england/central-west/gloucestershire/729-glos-stroud-golf-club-rodborough-common-glos
atb










Cheers WW!

All

Please see significantly updated tour. The Winter Tour is slowly making progress!  The weather has been shocking until recently  :-[

https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,48765.msg1101368.html#msg1101368

Previous Stops on the Tour

Seaton Carew New
https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,70404.msg1693517.html#msg1693517

Cleeve Hill
https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,49796.0.html

Scheduled Stops for the Tour

Hunstanton
Brancaster
Muirfield
Goswick
Renaissance
North Berwick

Ciao
« Last Edit: January 18, 2022, 09:20:41 AM by Sean_A »
New plays planned for 2025: Machrihanish Dunes, Dunaverty and Carradale

Tony_Muldoon

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Re: The Timeless MINCHINHAMPTON OLD COURSE
« Reply #91 on: January 18, 2022, 04:46:21 PM »
As usual, Sean gets it just right. I like the way he is able to see greatness in lesser courses. I'm happy that he enjoyed Welshpool, some posts ago - even if he went without me. I would like him to make a foray to North Wales and to Holywell in particular. It's not a great course and there are one or two also rans, but there is a terrific stretch of moorland golf of the highest quality for a minimum green fee. I think he'd appreciate the sheep roaming the course.


Holywell? Anyone else played there?


Timely bump of thread ;)
Let's make GCA grate again!

Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Timeless MINCHINHAMPTON OLD COURSE
« Reply #92 on: January 18, 2022, 05:47:33 PM »
As usual, Sean gets it just right. I like the way he is able to see greatness in lesser courses. I'm happy that he enjoyed Welshpool, some posts ago - even if he went without me. I would like him to make a foray to North Wales and to Holywell in particular. It's not a great course and there are one or two also rans, but there is a terrific stretch of moorland golf of the highest quality for a minimum green fee. I think he'd appreciate the sheep roaming the course.


Holywell? Anyone else played there?


Timely bump of thread ;)

Spangles

Are you planning to play Holywell?

Ciao
« Last Edit: January 18, 2022, 07:23:17 PM by Sean_A »
New plays planned for 2025: Machrihanish Dunes, Dunaverty and Carradale

Tony_Muldoon

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Re: The Timeless MINCHINHAMPTON OLD COURSE: 2021-22 Winter Tour
« Reply #93 on: January 18, 2022, 06:47:02 PM »
Hope to, but not before March or April.  Will let you know.


Anyone else interested please IM me. 




I am planning a  return to Minchinhampton ;) .
Let's make GCA grate again!

Thomas Dai

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Timeless MINCHINHAMPTON OLD COURSE: 2021-22 Winter Tour
« Reply #94 on: January 19, 2022, 03:59:36 AM »
Hope to, but not before March or April.  Will let you know.
Anyone else interested please IM me. 
I am planning a  return to Minchinhampton ;) .
Holywell sounds interesting. Another course named 'Holywell', the 2nd course at St Enodoc is worth playing as well.
Let me know when your return to Minch' Old is on the cards Tony.
Nice updated photos Sean. Shame I wasn't able to join you. Brrrrrr.....
atb

Thomas Dai

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Timeless MINCHINHAMPTON OLD COURSE: 2021-22 Winter Tour
« Reply #95 on: May 05, 2022, 04:59:35 AM »
This Minch Old piece is so beautifully written it deserves to be shared - https://richardpennell.substack.com/p/simply-wonderful?s=r
Well done RP. :)

Atb

Mike Hendren

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Re: The Timeless MINCHINHAMPTON OLD COURSE: 2021-22 Winter Tour
« Reply #96 on: May 05, 2022, 10:37:14 AM »
TD, thanks for the link - beautifully written. Wife and I hope to check out of the complexity of life by village hopping in the Cotswolds next spring.  Goes around Minch Old, Cleve Hill, Painswick and a run up to Sean’s Kington should enhance the therapy.


All the best, Mike.
« Last Edit: May 05, 2022, 10:50:48 AM by Mike Hendren »
Two Corinthians walk into a bar ....

Thomas Dai

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Re: The Timeless MINCHINHAMPTON OLD COURSE: 2022-23 Winter Tour
« Reply #97 on: October 21, 2024, 02:43:51 PM »

atb

It's Number 119 of the 147 Custodians ........

"Hard to believe a bunkerless, common ground course could have so many standout holes but after playing the 1st, 2nd, 8th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 15th, 16th, and 17th (i.e. half the holes!), you wonder what the current fascination with artificial, man-made hazards (aka bunkers) is all about. Old Minch is a field of dreams for many (including non-golfers) and congratulations to the Club for following Edmund Burke's words, 'We Reform, in order that we may Conserve.'"