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New Age Golf At Stock Brook
By: Dominic Donaldson
New golf courses. Are they any good? By new I'm thinking of anything created within the last 15 or 20 years. I'm a traditionalist and in my mind you can't call a place a proper golf course unless it's been around for a good few decades. Ever since course design has been as bland as a glass of water. However a friend of mine disagreed and said he could prove it and so we headed off to Essex - epicentre of new style golf and Stock Brook village where our journey would begin.
This village has little to recommend it at first sight. It's the kind of place you'd only ever drive through if you lived there or were hopelessly lost. However, I was told this was the perfect starting point for my small tour.
That it most certainly is. For when it comes to golf Stock Brook lies at the hub of a rich vein of new style clubs opened up in the 90s.
The first stop on our round lies just on the village outskirts. There has been gold at Stock Brook Manor since 1995 putting it right in my newbie category.
It is in some ways everything I dislike. For a start the game I love only forms a tiny part of the portfolio. The manor makes more money from weddings, corporate events, Christmas parties and the like so you expect the course to be somewhat uninspiring.
The course does have some credentials. It was designed by Martin Gillet who also worked on the South Course at Wentworth so there is a glimmer of hope at the very least. The main attraction is the main championship course, but you can play this alongside a par three nine hole course.
I have been told to look out for par 3 fourth which I'm told is the signature hole and the 340 yard third which offers the tantalising opportunity of a birdie. All in all though the course holds few real demons for an experienced golfer. However with a nice setting and an enjoyable round of gold Stock Brook gets a qualified thumbs up. We finish the round unscathed and ready for another challenge.
Nearby we find Burstead golf club. This has been in existence since - get this - 1992. It's actually old enough to drive although it does exhibit a few adolescent quirks. The greens are lightening fast and it's quite difficult to judge putts, but perhaps it's just the trauma of playing back to back rounds that leaves me a little jaded.
It's worth noting a couple of other venues around here. Crondon Park near the village of Stock offers some quite sumptuous scenery. For me playing golf can sometimes be as much about enjoying nature as the sport itself and this is the perfect setting. Even now on a fairly glum January day you can imagine how nice it'll look in full summer.
For novice golfers meanwhile the par three at Noak Hill offers a good place to warm up. It's not too demanding and while a little beneath most experienced golfers it is popular with the pay and play brigade.
At the end I'm undecided. For anyone looking for serious golf Stock Brook, Crondon Park and Burstead Park all have something to offer. However, the question mark over new age golf course remains. It would be nice to encounter a real brute of a course, but then again in reality I suppose that might be counterproductive. In reality these courses make their bread and butter from the average player who only wants a relaxing and fun experience. And if that's you, then new age golf courses are the perfect answer.
About the author
Dom Donaldson is a golfing expert.
Find out more about Golf Stock Brook at Golf Stock Brook and the services offered from Stock Brook Manor. |
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