Gerrards Cross GC is a parkland / woodland style course in Chalfont Park, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire!
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It is a members club! Now the home club of fellow TSGer Anna Guss! My thanks Anna for the opportunity to play here! Hope this works out very well for you!
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The course was founded in 1922, in the grounds of an ancient estate!
It was officially opened in the spring of 1922, with a 36 hole exhibition match between 1920 Open Champion George Duncan and six times Open Champion Harry Vardon!
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The clubhouse has a very nice ambience, welcoming, spacious, plenty of seating, SKY TV, large dining areas, etc!
I had a pregame lunch which was very nice! Good service etc!
There is a good view out from the lounge to the practice putting green and beyond to the 1st hole fairway! A positive outlook!
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The course is a par 69 off the white and yellow mens tees and is a par 72 off the ladies red tees!
The SSSs are 71, 70 and 73, ie tougher than the par of the course!
The course comprises 4 par 3s, 13 par 4s and only 1 par 5! An unusual combination!
The yardages are 6,243, 5,965 and 5,594 respectively!
I played the yellow tees!
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The greens are generally large, undulating, multi-tiered, and difficult to read in terms of line and pace! Some were fastish, even uphill, whilst many were the opposite!
They were generally well guarded by pot bunkers!
Only 2 greens, ie the 4th and 18th, have no greenside bunkers!
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The par 3s are a challenging mix!
The 5th in particular, 176 yards, index 8, is a testing steep uphill tee shot carry over bunkers to a multi-tiered green! Against the wind Driver wasn't enough club! Bogey is good!
#8: a semi-long 177 yards, index 16, flattish tee shot to a multi tiered green, flanked right and left by bunkers and by a pond wider right!
#13: a moderate 144 yards, index 17, carry over a ravine to a high level green fronted right and left by bunkers!
#16: a moderate 157 yards, index 15, carry over a ravine to a raised green, fronted by 3 pot bunkers, right, left and centre! Also a severe drop off back left! I thought this a tougher hole than the index 1 15th hole preceeding! Bogey is good despite it not being a shot hole!
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The 'apparent' imbalance of par 4s was not really a problematic factor! Quite the contrary, the wide variety of uphill, downhill, left and right sloping doglegs, blind and semi blind layups and approaches, dispelled any thoughts of sameness etc!
Longer hitters off the tee will find clearer lines to the greens provided that they hit straight!
Only 2 holes are significantly above 400 yards (off the yellows), ie the 4th and 18th! However both are significantly downhill and potentially reachable in regulation!
#1: The Round opens with a 353 yard hole, index 10, tee shot to a sweeping uphill fairway followed by an uphill approach to a tiered green, bunkers front right and left! Par is great, bogey is OK!
#2: 437 yards, index 6, a long downhill hole, fairway bunker left edge, finding the fairway gives the best chance of reaching the green! Bogey is very good!
#3: 343 yards, index 14, an uphill tee shot to a raised fairway, followed by a long uphill approach over 2 front bunkers to 2 tiered green! Plays longer than the yardage suggests! Not a shot hole but bogey is OK!
#4:
#6:
#9: 389 yards, index 12, a tee shot to a narrowing fairway, bunker left, trees right! Longer hitters should comfortably clear the bunker! An approach to a good size green with a bunker front right! Bogey is OK
#10:
#11: 355 yards, index 3, a tee shot to a narrowing landing area, with a drop away, a moderate dogleg to the right approach to a raised green, surrounded by bunkers short and to the flanks! Bogey is good!
#12: 361 yards, index 7, a dogleg right to left, pot bunkers on right, approach over a dip to a raised green, bunker front left! Bogey is good!
#14: 386 yards, index 13, a sweeping left to right dogleg, a probable blind approach down to a low green, front right bunker! Bogey is OK / good!
#15: 399 yards, index 1, a moderately straight high level tee shot through a narrow channel to a right to left sloping fairway, bunkers on right, approach to a raised green with bunkers right and left! Avoid pushing tee shot out to the right! The index 1 assessment didn't feel right! Bogey is good!
#17: 335 yards, index 5, a short straight hole, bunker right, a partially diagonal approach to a 3 tier green, bunkers front right and left! Bogey is very good!
#18: 421 yards, index 9, a sweeping downhill drive to a right to left dogleg fairway, trees tight along the left and wide right! There is a 10 yard wide stream / ditch running across in front of the green, and a copse short right of the stream! A probable risk / reward approach to a 2 tier bunkerless green, which one shouldn't take unless very confident of making the carry!
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The only par 5 is the 513 yards 7th, index 4! This is a right to left dogleg! The tee shot length determines the chance of reaching the green in regulation! A genuine bogey hole! Bogey is good!
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My round! My score was 34pts, ie +15, or +2 over handicap! Pretty good playing a course for the first time! I nevertheless thought that I could have been 2 to 3 shots better but!
My outturn putting stats was 37 putts, which included 3 triples! This was about +5 more than my target every time I play!
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Weekday summer visitors green fees are £60, (£45 winter)! Members guests only on weekends!
The County Card rate is £40!
However thanks to Anna, our member's weekend guest rate was only £30! Excellent vfm!
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Overall this is a very enjoyable and challenging course to play!
All of Anna's guests, ie Alastair, Jonty and myself, were of the view that we would very much like to play it again, and can recommend it to our fellow TSGer's!
My only reservation, one which we probably all share about our clubs, is how playable is it going to be if winter is wetter than we'ed like!
Date Wednesday, 09, October 2019