Addington Palace is my favourite in that area, never been a fan of Selsdon
Addington palace is a lovely golf course but i must say the addington is better got some great holes on it , i totally recommend this course to anyone.
I have to agree being a member, but the severe lack of rain has left our fairways rock hard and very difficult to hold now. A month ago the course was in unbelievably great condition.
Got my grandads memorial day there in october really looking forward to it always loved the course , with the weather we have had lately most courses are in the same condition , im at eltham warren and it is exactly the same makes chosen the right club a .lottery.
Many memories of queuing in the dark at the Lullingstone 9-hole course on a Sunday morning in the winter. You couldn't see who was actually in the queue it was so dark. Things you do when you are younger, eh?!
Played the 9 hole Academy course at Pedham three times in the last couple of weeks. RedPanda will know why I was delighted with a 12 over 39 first time out, second round I carded a 6 over 33, which left me disappointed with a 9 over 36 on my final round. Playing the 9 hole Valley course at Lullingstone this weekend. Should prove more of a challenge than Pedham as has 6 par 4s and most holes slope one way or the other.
Good work! That 9 hole isn't the easiest, I had some nightmares on the 7th and 8th as a kid. I like it though, especially the earlier woodland holes.
jamescafc said: » show previous quotes problem is not just with the development but also because some kind of weed killer got into the watering system in around April time and killed areas of grass on most greens. To date, these greens have not been repaired to an acceptable standard.
Thanks CF, I'd missed that post. Maybe this 'infection' was the reason for the change, but in my view, changing the green seed was and is the primary reason for the course's decline. The finish on the greens used to be short, sharp and tightly knitted together. It was also a lighter shade of green in colour and was incredibly robust, fast and true. At some point this seed was definitely changed and all greens now feel like the chain courses of 'Pentland golf' or 'Mytime golf'. Not that those greens are poor, but Beckenhams greens used to be head and shoulders above those courses.
I actually worked in the club shop at BPP for the summers of 97' & 98' when it was under David Lloyd's and I've got a few good stories from those days - I even sold a green fee to Richard Rufus here once.
Played there last week, course is overall in very good nick considering the lack of rain, greens were a bit bobbly but I played there twilight so put it down to being late in the day. They have done lots of work to the bunkers, new sand in most of them. I would recommend it, always enjoy it there and I think twilight starts at 2pm(ring and check) so its £15. Bargain
I used to play Beckenham loads as a teenager in the early 90’s, often skipping from the top of the 18th fairway onto the 1st tee and off again. Happy days.
Also played my best ever round here in a lightening storm. I’d got to the 16th tee and was still on par for the round. However, the dark cloudy storm that had started on the 11th hole, was now dropping lighting rods all around me and my step-brother on the 16th tee. By the time we got to the 16th green, a crimson faced step father was rushing towards us – and to a chorus of cheers & jeers from the old swindle boys up on the terrace, he physically dragged us away from the green, and me away from the only sniff I’ve ever had of a perfect round. On the other hand, I am still here to tell the tale.
Re. the queue’s on the 1st tee - 4balls would often leave just one man in the queue while the rest of them sat up on the terrace boozing. A queue that looked like 20 odd people could infact be closer to a 100 and was an absolute nightmare.
For the amount of traffic that went through that course though, the greens were unbelievably good. When the council started leasing BPP to private companies in the later 90’s they seemed to change the grass seeding, and like my stomach, it has never been as tight since.
If you’re looking to play BPP nowadays, I’d recommend booking your tee-time through their own website which offers discounts for specific tee times. £10 for a 2pm tee at the weekend is pretty good going, but you gets what you pay for.
Brilliant memories Moby. I was also a teenager in those days and vividly remember the old boys coming down en masse just when you thought the queue wasn't too bad! Quite how we used to 'hop on' for free most of the time I've no idea.
Playing westerham tomorrow. Does noades still own it? I need to know so I can plan my bowel movements.
Played it twice in the last couple of weeks, really nice course, quite unforgiving if you aren't straight off the tee and yes, noades still owns it im afraid
funnily enough ...i had noticed the greens had changed ..(the 3rd green was unusable for about 2 years back in the day) but it didnt spoil my enjoyment too much ...
Selsdon is a nice course - but pretty tough. There are some bastard difficult holes - the second in particular is a challenge with an elevated green completely closed off by trees at the back. There's a nice downhill par four on the back nine that's drivable - I've eagled it once
Playing westerham tomorrow. Does noades still own it? I need to know so I can plan my bowel movements.
Played it twice in the last couple of weeks, really nice course, quite unforgiving if you aren't straight off the tee and yes, noades still owns it im afraid
Noades and his family were in the bar last Sunday watching the final round of The Open up at The Addington. They had Mark Bright with them. Noades' son used to be off 6, but he's switched to left handed and is now off 17, but into the semi final of our club championships.
I would say more on this and Ron's wife's handicap, but this is not a Members' Only discussion!
jamescafc said: » show previous quotes problem is not just with the development but also because some kind of weed killer got into the watering system in around April time and killed areas of grass on most greens. To date, these greens have not been repaired to an acceptable standard.
Thanks CF, I'd missed that post. Maybe this 'infection' was the reason for the change, but in my view, changing the green seed was and is the primary reason for the course's decline. The finish on the greens used to be short, sharp and tightly knitted together. It was also a lighter shade of green in colour and was incredibly robust, fast and true. At some point this seed was definitely changed and all greens now feel like the chain courses of 'Pentland golf' or 'Mytime golf'. Not that those greens are poor, but Beckenhams greens used to be head and shoulders above those courses.
I actually worked in the club shop at BPP for the summers of 97' & 98' when it was under David Lloyd's and I've got a few good stories from those days - I even sold a green fee to Richard Rufus here once.
Thanks Moby. A lot of the problems can be traced back to when My Time took over IMHO. Probably why most of us play elsewhere nowadays.
Work this out. I've been playing absolute shite all year - admittedly not helped by having to train for the Paris cycle ride I did in July - but, after shooting 92 at Hampton Court last week, I went out and hit a 77 at The Oaks today - beating my best ever round by 2. Playing off 18, that made it a nett 58 . Somehow I think my handicap might need a revision downwards... Although I'll probably shoot 90 next time.
Yep, you should be cut by about 4 or 5 strokes, even if you do hit a 90 next time. I believe that if you play a course other than your "home" course you'll be going some to play even 2 or 3 shots over par. I defy any proper 18 handicapper to just turn up at any golf course and shoot 90 (assuming a par of 72 par ). Not many single figure handicappers would be able to hit nett par.
Work this out. I've been playing absolute shite all year - admittedly not helped by having to train for the Paris cycle ride I did in July - but, after shooting 92 at Hampton Court last week, I went out and hit a 77 at The Oaks today - beating my best ever round by 2. Playing off 18, that made it a nett 58 . Somehow I think my handicap might need a revision downwards... Although I'll probably shoot 90 next time.
I've worked it out. You play on your own (like you probably do most things) and your scoring is creative to say the least.
Yep, you should be cut by about 4 or 5 strokes, even if you do hit a 90 next time. I believe that if you play a course other than your "home" course you'll be going some to play even 2 or 3 shots over par. I defy any proper 18 handicapper to just turn up at any golf course and shoot 90 (assuming a par of 72 par ). Not many single figure handicappers would be able to hit nett par.
I haven't got a 'home' course, I'm a nomad. Play about six or seven courses semi regularly. The handicap I have is self certified through an online tracker thingy - taking the scores of every round I've played in the past two years into account. The thing I don't get with handicapping is how slowly it changes. Obviously with that round I haven't overnight turned into a seven handicapper, but I'm not sure what my handicap 'should' be after a round like that. It's an aberration, but clearly I should be off something like 12, if only I could play even half as well as that every week.
I'd agree with Golf Addick - it's a 4 or 5 shot cut. A course you play regularly does make a big difference - my society handicap (properly calculated) is 12 but it's all on the same course (that I play twice a week) playing with people I'm familiar with so I'm not as tense when I play. My official French handicap is 17 (calculated on the same basis) but that's largely based on playing courses that I'm new to and being drawn with players that I don't know as well.
Was off 16 a couple of years ago and shot a 76 at woodlands. Got cut to a 12 and think I've only scored 36 points twice since and often below 30. but my handicap has only got back up to 14.2 I use golf shake.
I think, in all honesty, I should be off something like 12 - but I regularly play so poorly that its embarrassing to call myself a 12 handicap against people I don't play with all the time. Nothing like rocking up to a society day with only a few players you know, getting chucked into a fourball against three people playing off 24, telling them you're off 12 then proceeding to hit a 94...
I use golfshake too - its pretty nifty for something that doesn't cost a penny!
I think, in all honesty, I should be off something like 12 - but I regularly play so poorly that its embarrassing to call myself a 12 handicap against people I don't play with all the time. Nothing like rocking up to a society day with only a few players you know, getting chucked into a fourball against three people playing off 24, telling them you're off 12 then proceeding to hit a 94...
I use golfshake too - its pretty nifty for something that doesn't cost a penny!
better than rocking up saying you play off 20 and then go on to hit an 80. As our French golfer just posted, you are not going to hit the same score on a new course than one that you play twice a week. Handicaps are generally based on playing the same course fairly regularly, so after a number of rounds you should get used to where not to put the ball, the humps & hollows of the greens etc and therefore if you paly a strange course there will be at least a few holes where you are caught short sided or having a 20 foot put over a hogs back...
It does depend on where you play. At The Addington I'm off 14 yet the last five rounds I've played on different courses (three off the whites and two off the yellows), have yielded between 35 and 43 points each time, so maybe I just need to leave my club as it's too feckin hard!
Is the Addington the one up Gravel Hill with a fountain in the middle of the course - if so I played it about 10 years ago in a pairs competition and lost handsomely !!
Yep, you should be cut by about 4 or 5 strokes, even if you do hit a 90 next time. I believe that if you play a course other than your "home" course you'll be going some to play even 2 or 3 shots over par. I defy any proper 18 handicapper to just turn up at any golf course and shoot 90 (assuming a par of 72 par ). Not many single figure handicappers would be able to hit nett par.
Golf is a funny game though. I played Tudor Park for the first time 2 months ago, had a stinking hangover, a dicky belly and shot around 96 from memory (I play off 25)....the next day I played somewhere I have played regularly, felt a lot better but had a mare and shot something like 108!
Comments
Thanks CF, I'd missed that post. Maybe this 'infection' was the reason for the change, but in my view, changing the green seed was and is the primary reason for the course's decline. The finish on the greens used to be short, sharp and tightly knitted together. It was also a lighter shade of green in colour and was incredibly robust, fast and true.
At some point this seed was definitely changed and all greens now feel like the chain courses of 'Pentland golf' or 'Mytime golf'. Not that those greens are poor, but Beckenhams greens used to be head and shoulders above those courses.
I actually worked in the club shop at BPP for the summers of 97' & 98' when it was under David Lloyd's and I've got a few good stories from those days - I even sold a green fee to Richard Rufus here once.
I would say more on this and Ron's wife's handicap, but this is not a Members' Only discussion!
Thanks CF, I'd missed that post. Maybe this 'infection' was the reason for the change, but in my view, changing the green seed was and is the primary reason for the course's decline. The finish on the greens used to be short, sharp and tightly knitted together. It was also a lighter shade of green in colour and was incredibly robust, fast and true.
At some point this seed was definitely changed and all greens now feel like the chain courses of 'Pentland golf' or 'Mytime golf'. Not that those greens are poor, but Beckenhams greens used to be head and shoulders above those courses.
I actually worked in the club shop at BPP for the summers of 97' & 98' when it was under David Lloyd's and I've got a few good stories from those days - I even sold a green fee to Richard Rufus here once.
Thanks Moby. A lot of the problems can be traced back to when My Time took over IMHO. Probably why most of us play elsewhere nowadays.
Got cut to a 12 and think I've only scored 36 points twice since and often below 30. but my handicap has only got back up to 14.2
I use golf shake.
I use golfshake too - its pretty nifty for something that doesn't cost a penny!
better than rocking up saying you play off 20 and then go on to hit an 80. As our French golfer just posted, you are not going to hit the same score on a new course than one that you play twice a week. Handicaps are generally based on playing the same course fairly regularly, so after a number of rounds you should get used to where not to put the ball, the humps & hollows of the greens etc and therefore if you paly a strange course there will be at least a few holes where you are caught short sided or having a 20 foot put over a hogs back...