Queenwood - Review

As per Davies request, I've finally got around to the impossibly lazy task of cut and pasting this here,

So where to begin then:

For those that don't know where this is, its situated in Ottershaw in Surrey the entrance right opposite to Foxhills GC.

Design by David McLay-Kidd, whose other offerings include Bandon Dunes, TP San Francisco and a personal favourite of SR's the Castle Course at St Andrews.

The entrance is a posh yet fortress style gate that only allows the rich and famous through unless you get lucky.

Upon arrival beware of parking your wagon amongst the bentleys, ferraris and even the lesser spotter Bugatti Veyron!!! I parked next to it just to have a nose at it!

Upon arrival your clubs are taken and cleaned by the golf services department as are your shoes. I thought my client was doing me a favour in getting me a caddy to carry for me to save my knee, little did I know a caddy was compulsory. You can choose a Cat A, B or C caddy, the difference is their levels of experience of the course and price is £150, £90 or £60 according to your choice!

So once you decide to tee off the first port of call is the grass driving range where your clubs are ready and waiting along with your caddy who is armed with a pin sheet, and unbelievably tour like detailed yardage chart giving every imaginable yardage. Caddies are dressed exactly as they are at Augusta, white overalls, green hats and white shoes. Next up is to hit shots with the brand new Pro V1 range balls all cleaned. Various targets to hit to. Then there's a stint on the putting green that we were told was running at 13 on the stimp.

Off to the first tee, where upon getting there we were asked which tee's would you like to play today, so we went with the Gold tees which are the very back one. We were then given as many free tees, pencils and pitch mark repairers we wanted, enough to arm a small nation, but were told the caddy must carry them to prevent us from worrying about doing so!!!!

The course measures 6831yards, is heathland in design, but alas I could get no pictures! I was not allowed to apparently it adds to the mystique of the place! But to get an idea of what the bunkering and rough heather around them is like check out images of Bandon Dunes!

There are 5 par5s, 5 Par3s and 8 Par4s. No 2 holes are the same in anyway whatsoever and have their own unique identities and can be played in a variety of ways by all, no matter what your standard of play. So in that respect a good design.

Dependant on which tee plus pin locations every hole can play upto 100 -150 yards longer. Also add in every single sprinkler on the course has yardages to the front and centre of the green printed on them they really have left no stone unturned in preparation and standard of this course, the condition is 10 out of 10 and its not unusual to be putting from upto and one excess of 100 feet if you hit the wrong part of the hugely undulating putting surfaces as the ball can roll forever on the greens that were today we were told 13 on the stimp to match the putting green.

The opening hole is the 1st of the Par5s, also has its own putting green adjacent to it in case you have to wait or fancy a last minute putt! Right from this opening hole you get the feel for the course, it looks wide open but is lined the whole way with bunkers and offers so many options for everyone. I went with the driver and hit it well and thanks to the precise nature of the yardage books and markers. The caddy informed me I'd hit my drive 283yards and had exactly 254yards to the flag, with 200 to carry the stream. Naturally giving it the ego and fact it was slightly down hill I asked for the 3wood and gave it everything pitched it pin hit and there it stopped after one bounce, incredibly receptive greens, which I then proceeded to 3putt as reading them with the pace was a nightmare but a nice on to have!

The 2nd a fabulous par 4 dog leg left again went driver, needed a 5 iron to get there, to give you an idea of the size of the green my caddy informed me the pin today is 49yards on from front and 6 from the right! So that meant I needed almost 4 clubs difference based on where the pin was! I missed the green left and had the mother of all shots across the greased lightening surface all downhill! Barely kept the ball on the putting surface!

Onto the 3rd, was told not to hit the driver as the flag was only 7yards on and its uphill to the green and any wedged approach would spin off the front and come upto 90yards back down the slope to my feet!!!! I swear to god the fairways were so tight and true they are better than the greens at most places you will play.

The round continued this way all the way around, every shot does require thought and good selection and above all 100% commitment. One shot that stands out is the approach to the 16th not a long hole but a tight drive and daunting 2nd for the faint hearted, over a lake to a green that slopes dramatically back to front toward the water. After hitting a 3wood from the tee at the caddies recommendation I was left with just a full wedge, but advised to hit a full 8iron? Now this had to question but when he mentioned the slope and how it acts like a back stop, I said I'd meet him half way and hit the 9iron! Hit is flush pitched around 15yards beyond the flag then just as I thought it stopped and he'd called it wrong, the ball began due to the speed of the surface and slope to come back toward the hole, then past the hole stopping just a yard shy of the water and a got 20feet short of the pin!! Seems he was right I should of hit the 8iron!

The finishing hole another par 5 winds its way back upto the clubhouse is heavily bunkered so premium on accuracy, managed to find the fairway so thought why not have a crack at the green, a good strike then small gust of wind later I was in the deep front bunker so far below the green I couldn't even see the clubhouse. Thought sod it went with where I thought the flag was and blasted it out! Turns out I was miles off and had a 40footer for birdie as I'd landed the wrong side of a slope and ball just rolled away! Saving grace was when the caddy told me last time he caddied there for Mr Lineker he air mailed the green and had to pay for a repair to clubhouse window! 2 putts later I signed for a +1 73 nett 74 and I was happy with that score and how I'd played.

With Queenwood there is no par 5 that is not risk reward and offers the chance of eagle putt for the brave if your long enough or birdie putt for the smart play, yet they could easily yield 7 or 8's for the fool hardy. The par 3's offer realistic birdies all round equally can ruin your card for being to bold! The par 4's were my favourites and complete the course, the SI 1 is nowhere near the longest, but is really tight and needs good thought out play. The approaches offer options of flyinging it in or running one in but you need be accurate. Last year they dug up and renewed every green as they were not happy now having played them I'd say if they were good before they're now exceptional.

This is one of those course you simply could not get bored of playing as there are so many ways to play each hole, from different tees, to different club options and varied pins. You get the feeling of being the only people on the course simply because you never see a hole on the course except for the one your playing. Imo the designer has made this a must play if you get the chance and a real gem. I'd go as far as saying the condition is above and beyond the likes of wentworth (that pains me as I'm such a fan of the west course), there are other fabulous courses of this ilk such as sunningdale, walton heath etc and I've played them all, I'd go as far to say Queenwood is better, which is a bold statement I doubt I'd have made if I'd played this a few years ago as it would not have been matured enough, but with time and the level of upkeep this will continue to grow and is easy to see why they boast such members as Els, Scott, Howell, Clarke, McGinley etc.

There's one huge problem though! The fact its so closed shop means majority will never get through the gates to see it and for it to take a proper place amongst elite courses as such, yet its probably the most elite out there for that reason! They really have gone all out to make this the ANGC of the uk and imo they have succeeded, I loved playing it and if I get chance I'd play again but it really is a little to snobby.

So to summarise, it has it all, should you play it if ever lucky enough? Yes it has options for everyone, will you love the facilities? Yes they are second to none. Will you enjoy the clubhouse? No way to snobby I wasn't allowed in with short sleeves due to my tattoos! Is it worth the $300k joining fee no way no golf course is worth that.

Mav did you hear one of the pundits at last weeks Masters mentioning that 'he's another Queenwood member, along with Lee Westwood and others playing here this weekend'. (Think it was a Scandinavian player) So it looks like these boys get some time to themselves to play bounce games and private practice rounds. Wouldn't be surprised if team chubster have corporate membership so that they can play a little pre season comp for the chubb cup Rory obviously spat his dummy out because the chubster gave him a handicap for being too slim

Hi Doc:

No I didn't hear that! What coverage was it on though as I was out in the states until monday so my coverage consisted of US host broadcasters and some SkyGo when I got bored of the septics.

I know Soren Kjeldson is a member there as the guy I had caddying said Kjeldson always has a class c caddy to help develop them. From what could make out there was a veritable who is who of players, and to be fair if they want to be left alone to practice they'll sure as hell get that treatment there, as for the Chub Cup wonder if they have obligatory pie and pint before during and after!

ok, so who believes this review now?

raycastleunited wrote:ok, so who believes this review now?

So whats the score Ray, is the thinking that maybe Mav doesn't exist?

Mav doesn't exist
The only surprising thing about this review is that 'Mav' wasn't handed one of the Bugatti's after shagging the owners wife who was the most beautiful woman in Surrey and a member at the course, after she was suitably impressed by seeing him walk on water over the lake on the 16th....

Doc wrote:

raycastleunited wrote:ok, so who believes this review now?

So whats the score Ray, is the thinking that maybe Mav doesn't exist?

Yes Doc, as MPB states, it has been established that Maverick was a work of fiction.