Romsey GC is a woodland style course in Romsey, on the outskirts of Southampton, Hampshire!
It is a members club to 7ugh the club does not own the land on which it is located! I believe that their lease is running out and a significant rent increase could make the club financially unviable! (tbc)
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The club was founded in about 1900! The club moved to the present site in 1924, initially as a 9 holer laid out by George Kirby, the Stoneham GC professional!
It was extended to 18 holes in 1974!
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The course is a par 69! It is 5,718 and 5,389 yards respectively from the white and yellow tees, and 5,214 off the ladies red tees! The ladies is a par 70!
The SSSs are 68, 67 and 71 respectively!
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The course comprises 4 par 3s, 13 par 4s and only 1 par 5!
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The greens are generally very large, firm, undulating multi-level, were quick downhill but inconsistently paced!
Also many of the pin placements were cruelly sited for most difficulty!
My outturn putting stats was 35 putts, ie 3 singles, 13 doubles and 2 triple putts! Unexceptional, but not disastrous, a reflection of the general size and shape of the greens plus the pin placements!
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The Par 3s
The 3rd, 5th, and 7th are shot holes!
#3: a short 137 yards semi blind uphill tee shot! OOB along the right hand side of the hole!
#5: a 172 yards uphill tee shot to a raised green protected by a tall tree short right of the green, and with a deep drop down off the left side of the green! Bogey is good!
#7: a long 185 yards uphill tee shot to a similar approach set up as the 5th, only longer! However, this is a deeper multi-level green! My tee shot ran up through the back of the green! A downhill chip and 2 putts was a good bogey!
#10: a very short 102 yards downhill shot to a green rising up from front to back! Unfortunately my tee shot went long to the back of the green leaving a fast tricky putt! One club too much chosen for the tee shot! A poorly played hole!
My outturn stats for the 4 par 3s was +4, ie +1 too many, as I have shots on 3 of the holes! Unfortunately a 3 putts bogey on the index 18 10th accounts for the extra shot!
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The Par 4s
The Round opens with a 263 yards downhill par 4, reachable by longer hitters! I almost reached the front left bunker!
Without a course planner it is difficult to recall precise details of other par 4s except that they were difficult lines and approaches!
My outturn stats for the 13 par 4s was +17, ie 2 pars, 7 bogeys, 3 double bogeys, and 1 quadruple bogey!
My performance on the par 4s section of the round was +7 shots too many after allowing for my 10 shots! A disastrous +4 on the 6th hole was a big disappointment after a bright opening on the first 5 holes! My occasional high left lost ball off the tee cost 2 shots but I was still in the hole in 3 but compounded the mistake with 3 duffed uphill approach shots up to the green!
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The Par 5s
The 18th hole is the only par 5! It is index 8, a steep uphill meandering hole up to a high level green!
It was reachable in regulation but an underhit approach left me below the green! My outturn score was a bogey, a good nett par!
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Weekday visitors green fees are £32, £20 twilight, £21 members guest rate, and £21 with a County Card!
I entered their annual Seniors Open Stableford competition! The £35 entry fee included coffee and bacon roll, 18 holes, a two course meal and prizes! (I won a dozen Callaway Chrome Soft balls for finishing 5th in handicap Division 1!)
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There is a wonderful new half way-hut adjacent to the 11th tee!
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There is a good sized pro-shop! Unfortunately no course planner booklet!
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The competition was wonderfully hosted by the members and staff!
Assessment: while happy at playing a very challenging course, the extent of the uphill and downhill sloping holes, make this a difficult walking course! I'm unlikely to enter next year's competition as I'd need a medical certificate exemption to use a buggy!
Date Friday, 13, September 2019
