Posts tagged swinley forest
Swinley Forest Golf Club – Seriously Exclusive!
Oct 25th
A serious contender for the most exclusive course in the UK is Swinley Forest, located in the heart of Surrey–Berkshire Heathland, along with the famous Wentworth and Sunningdale golf courses. Not only is it probably one of the hardest courses in the UK to get on, it is also one of the purest examples of classic inland golf in all of Europe. The club is unashamedly exclusive, has always held a liberal attitude towards female members and has been run in the manner of a benevolent dictatorship. The fact that there are no compulsory handicaps, members are able to choose what they play off, this says a lot about the laid back attitude of the members in general. Perhaps controversial in terms of club management Swinley Forest has certainly made a name for itself in its unorthodox approach to the game. More >
England’s Signature Golf Courses – Heathland Gems
Aug 3rd
When golf began to expand in Europe, leaving the shores of Scotland behind, inland courses started to crop up away from the vaunted ‘links lands’. A number of golf courses were first built on impervious clay soils with very poor results which lead the likes of Willie Park, Jr., Harry Colt, Herbert Fowler and J.F. Abercromby to begin searching for suitable well drained soils on which to build their golfing creations.
What they settled on was the ‘heathlands’ which are fast draining, sandy soils often spanning areas with gently rolling terrain. Like the classic links courses such as the St Andrews Old Course, Royal St Georges and Ballybunion, heathland boast firm, sandy turf that is simply perfect for golf. More >
Behind the gates – Private Members Golf Clubs in the UK
Feb 13th
We’ve all been there; you arrive at that exclusive nightclub dressed in our finest clobber only to be told those fateful words “your name’s not down, you ain’t getting in”. Although golf doesn’t quite carry the same fearful tone of an 8ft tall bouncer there are certain places that whoever you are and whatever you play off you simply can’t have a knock round. We here at UK Golf Guide are thankful for our reviewers who have opened the doors and let us average Joe’s know what these courses are like. So whether it is a super secretive Swinley Forest or a lavish Loch Lomond we’ve put together a brief selection of reviews from golfers lucky enough to play a round on these private courses. More >
Top 10 Golf Courses – Harry S. Colt
Sep 27th
Henry Shapland “Harry” Colt remains one of the most influential golf course designers the world has ever seen. Colt had a hand in the creation of over 300 golf courses, 115 of which were solo projects. Whether working solo or collaborating with other great architects like Alistair Mackenzie Colt’s creations were always spectacular and have proved to be able to stand the test of time. While many of Colt’s most notable creations can be found in the Home Counties he has also had an influence on some of the most famous seaside courses in the UK including several courses in the Open Championship rota. Here are ten of his best. More >