Burhill Golf Club

I played here on a tri-club match (Redbourn, Aldwickbury & Burhill) and there is very little I can add to the comments of the two preceding reviews.

My membership allows a free round every year, so my VFM score is a little out! But it is a stunning course (old) and was in spectacular condition, even if they had been scarifying the fairways that morning.

If you can find a friend who is a member, go play, you will not be disappointed.

Burhill GC is a 36 hole members club in Hersham, Walton on Thames, Surrey.

The two courses are known as the Old and the New. I/we played the Old Course.

The Old Course was designed by Willie Park and opened in 1907.

Burhill is only a few minutes away from several notable, and not so notable courses, eg St George's Hill, Woking, Worplesdon, West Hill, West Byfleet, Hersham, Pyrford, Twisted Stone, Hoebridge, etc.

Burhill is one of a dozen or so Surrey courses that I aspire to play but never thought I'd get the chance to play on cost grounds! Thanks to fellow TSGer Brigitte Lockwood I got the opportunity to play here! Visitor green fees are £120 or £75 twilight!

The Old Course meanders through scenic parkland. It is a moderately gentle walk with only moderate changes in elevation!

The course was in immaculate condition though a few of the fairways had not fully recovered from winter conditions! Nitpicking?

The course is 6,481/6,182 yards respectively from the white/yellow tees, and 5,724 yards from the red tees! The pars from each of the tees are 70 and 73. The SSSs however are 72, 70 and 74 respectively, ie it is deemed more difficult than par!

The Old Course comprises 4 par 3s,12 par 4s and 2 par 5s!

*****

The par 3s include a long, medium, short and very short holes! A +8 outcome for the four holes was a bit of a mess!

*****

The par 4s....

Four of the par 4s are well in excess of 420 yards of the yellow tees!


*****

The 2 par 5s are gentle left to right doglegs but each involve approach shots over ditches and uphill shots to well bunkered greens!

*****

My driving on the par 4s / par 5s was my usual good with the exception of one drive finding a bunker on the 11th.

*****

The greens are large, undulating, fast and in wonderful condition! Whilst overall my putting stats were OK with a couple of exceptions, I needed to be 4 or 5 putts fewer! On the par 3 6th my tee shot found the green but I putted off the green to double bogey the hole! An avoidable error!

Bunkers are many, deep and difficult to get out of and no distance gained in the getting out! I was in 6 bunkers and took 2 or 3 shots to get out of 3 of them!

There is a lovely halfway house on the course!

The course has a high quality ambience; with a high difficulty factor which can lead to a disastrous scoreline! However a player of my handicap level should not have scored at +33 over par! (3 pars, 6 bogeys, 5 double bogeys, a triple bogey and 3 quadruple bogeys).

About +20 on a course not played before was my expectation!

Was I intimidated? Did I take on too many risky shots? Was it just a bad day at the office? A lot of scope for improvement next time, if there is a next time!

By comparison with the few top courses I've been lucky enough to play, eg Hindhead, Liphook, Stoneham, Blackmoor, St Mellion Nicklaus, Piltdown, Tenby, Hayling, Dooks etc, Burhill Old I feel lacks that wow factor but it is nevertheless a very very good course, which I thoroughly recommend!

I've heard comments indicating that the Old Course is a better golfing challenge than the New Course! Whilst obviously hoping to play the Old course again, to take advantage of my new found local knowledge, I now feel the need to play the New course soon in order to make a comparison of experience!

The clubhouse is a massive, imposing building of Georgian origin! Some of it seems maze like!

*****

Catering and Customer Service
While I had never played the course before I have often called into the club for breakfast in the Captain's Bar because of its good quality and value, especially by comparison with nearby Silvermere! However on the day of our visit we were directed to the main bar to order our drinks and lunch but we were then redirected to the Captain's Bar to get our lunch served to us! I'd never encountered this level of confusion / inconvenience before at Burhill. I thought that this was disrespectful to us as customers!

Above said, the lunch was good! A bonus factor for the afternoon players is that hot food was available to order up to 8pm if required postmatch!

While this is one of the most affluent golf clubs in one of the most affluent areas of Surrey, the club officials and club members, as experienced on this and previous visits, have always been welcoming and there is no sense that you are not welcome, unlike other clubs one could mention!

I played the old course as a guest of onegolfclub.co.uk, a beautifully laid out course fairly tight with bunkers everywhere! The greens were very tricky and in excellent condition and the majority two tiered. The wind really affected the course and I'd need to return to get the club selection right.

The clubhouse and practise facilities are wonderful, I'm looking forward to returning very soon.

Burhill Golf Club is set in 400 acres of tranquil Surrey parkland/woodland with a stunning Georgian Mansion Clubhouse (1726) with lots of history (Dick Turpin, George V, Barnes Wallis).

There are 2 courses, "The Old Course" designed by Willie Park in 1907 and "The New Course" ,a Simon Gidman design (2001) that takes the local river Mole into its features.

Today 7.03.2013, I had a lucky invite to join a mixed group from Silvermere (my present club). How could I refuse ? It proved a great opportunity for an excellent score, a Team win & 2 personal nearest the Pin on Par 3s.

We played "The Old Course", a great challenge for all levels, even though as you start you think it going to be fairly open and flattish, but it changes, & it gets more & more interesting. The fairways are very wel maintained and drain well. The paths leading to the next holes are of a "grey matter", a little bit like slate. NO mud anywhere.Easy wayfinding. The greens are very tricky indeed (apparently the trickiest ones in Surrey) with hidden slopes & ondulations, very sleek, very fast. Today 1 or 2 had standing water so we had to re-position the ball. The bunkers are numerous, deep, with rough edges to add to the challenge but with lovely soft sand.

From the 6th hole, the scenery changes, getting a little hilly, some heathland with heather & goarse. even deeper bunkers, tiered greens. Then we have donwhill, some tighter fairways, some sloping. & tight dog legs and always beautiful mature trees around.

The 5th & 9th involve playing over the road that lead to the elegant Clubhouse, but all well signposted.

The scenery even on a drizzly, grey winter is beautiful. It is vast & tranquil. Some beautiful properties scattered on the edge of the course and amongst them: King George V house & Dick Turpin cottage.

No water elements apart from 2 ditches across some fairways. All the water features are on the new course.

Favourite holes (my trademark):

6th, Par 3: tte shot over heathland/thick goarse, tiered green heavily guarded by 6 bunkers. Very attractive hole.

7th, Par 4, dog leg left, heather/goarse on either side of the teeing area, tight approach to the green.

11th Par 4, the most picturesque hole, elevated tee, guiding post & sloping fairway.

12th, Par 2, particulary interesting green, sort of sunken as it is set in a hollow which can affect judging the distance to the pin.

Must mention the LOO by the 8th, not often that one can stop in comfort.

Grandeur & charm in the Clubhouse, a warm welcome, several bars/lounges, a large dining area overlooking "The New Course" & its water features. A big terrace on the South/West side. Large selection of food at very reasonable prices. Excellent coffee.

Ladies changing rooms: truly moderm & smart & inviting with all the best fittings, very spacious too.

Excellent Pro shop, very welcoming/friendly, lots of smart clothing (caters for Ladies as well!!), excellent stock of golf clubs, bags, trolleys etc...

A neat private road leading to the huge, well laid out car park. Easy access from M25 J10, the A3 & Heathrow.

Did not visit the practice facilites but they are present and very good I have been told.

A lovely place for a golf day, I would like to play "The New Course" in the Summer and spend a few hours on the terrace enjoying the views, the grandeur & tranqility of the place.

Although not far from my home, the Membership is out of my reach, so will only play there on special occasions but it well worth it.



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