| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 2003 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2011-04-29 |
0 bytes |
71 |
6539 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
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REAL |
LINKS |
.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
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| COURSE NOTES |
Hayling Island is one of the few links courses on the south coast of England other than those in Kent. The Club dates back to 1883, but during World War II much of the course was requisitioned for anti-aircraft defence (Portsmouth naval dockyard is nearby). However, with much effort, the course re-opened in 1947, and has stood the test of time by changing little since. Many championships have been held here and when the wind blows, the links are a true test, with many holes in different directions, oceans of gorse and whins, and some deep rivetted bunkers to punish errant shots. The lake in the centre of the course is a nature reserve. A brand new clubhouse was completed in 2002.
Outstanding matters:-
- Panorama
- Detailed work on 3D buildings (mainly clubhouse)
- Pin numbers and placements
John Brooks |
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CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Real, links course |
Location
Hampshire |
Conditions
M*/M* or slower is advisable. Gusty or Windy would be good too. |
Concept 6/10
A very typical English links, Hayling Island is barren, low-lying and heavily reliant on the local rough for hazards rather than bunkering, of which there is very little. Despite something of a rushed inception, it has that crucial British countryside feel nailed perfectly, with a sense of loneliness perhaps only matched by Woodbridge. The hole routing, following a traditional out-and-back approach, almost seems a matter of not intruding onto the coastal gorse too much, resulting in something that feels perhaps a little insipid. |
Appearance 4/10
I hope there's more to add to the Beta's rather average appearance. With very little variety in the planting, clones in the gorse become almost inevitable, and the beach and sea look completely mismatched to the course. Lumpy elevations in parts round off a course with very little to feast your eyes upon. |
Playability 6/10
Playing these small, hometown courses is always a source of great interest, and Hayling Island doesn't disappoint - the designer having gone to great effort with previews and aiming markers to share the course and make it accessible. But there's also a fair bit of monotony, insufficient ambient sound for a busy seaside location, and some steel gorse bushes to contend with. The green complexes, with their absence of bunkers or humps, are perhaps not the most thrilling either. |
Challenge 3/10
Like so many courses of this type, you can go ahead and beat up Hayling Island, and you shouldn't be surprised when particularly the front nine is so quick to yield good opportunities. Perhaps the main threat comes from some uneven greens and the potential for getting lost in the gorse, but there's little here that shouldn't induce a good Links golfer to score very well indeed. |
Technical 4/10
Barely ready for a Beta. In my opinion, there are a lot of visual problems here which need tidying up. I've always been a fan of John's renditions, but his insistence on only using a handful of pins and some immoderate green slopes is more than a trifle wearing |
| Overall |
Links golf as you would expect to find in a dozen British seaside clubs. The designer's challenge is to make it rise above the merely ordinary. |
23/50 |
Please remember that Clipnote reviews are the opinion of one person and do not constitute an 'Official' Links Corner review of the course. |
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