potterpotty

After all the rain we have had, i like everyone have struggled to find somewhere to play where i can use my electric trolley and the course is somewhat playable without restrictions.

step up Banstead Downs! the sandy base on the fairways makes this place the best around in surrey. a gently undulating downland course, in fine condition, fairways slightly patchy but understandable given the storms we had recently, greens were perfect. not overly long but the tree lined faiways, gentle doglegs and strategic bunkering, along with the tricky to read greens give this place enough challenge to keep you interested all the way around. the par 3's are particulary strong, especially the lovely 17th 145 yards, surrounded by bunkers at the front, making you think you need to er on the long side, but with a green that slopes severly from back to front and right to left, a 3 or four putt is not uncommon here!
the downsides? well you have to cross a busy duel carriageway to reach the other half of the course and there are no pedestrian crossing lights, or tunnels to help you. not the fault of the course i'm sure. and because of Coronavirus lockdown the clubhouse facilities were not open, although it would have been nice to have somewhere to wash my hands.

Haverfordwest golf course is a parkland setup, fairways criss cross each other like a crossword puzzle.
the back nine is a lot harder, and a lot longer than the front nine, both are equally undulating, with uphill,
downhill and side hill holes club selection is vital.the greens are quite small but if you do find them you
should never have more than a two putt.
the par 4 5th was my favourite hole, you walk down the hill 100 yards then hit over the 4th with out of bounds
all down the left to a green off a steep down slope with a very stratigicly placed tree right in the way.
Practice facilities are limited, putting green,a (too small to be useful) chipping green. two nets and a small
downhill range where you need to use your own balls and can't hit any longer than 150 yards.
the 19th hole restaurant has recently been opened to the public and it is worth a visit i had a very nice full
english breakfast and lunch was a cheeseburger served in a brioche bun and the burger was one of the best i have
ever had, all meat is locally sourced and delicious!
the person in the pro shop was not the usual pro as he was off giving lessons, but i found him helpful and
knowledgeable, we had a nice conversation about where i had played and the other courses in the area. the membership
is on the olderside, so play can be slow, but they were very welcoming and i joined a group 1/2 way round they were
nothing but nice. if your in the area this is a must play!
course 4.5/5
practice facillities 2/5
staff 4/5
food 5/5
overall 4/5

Tenby Links is a marvelous course and a true test of links golf, the fairways
were so undulating it was more like a mogul field from a ski slope, than a fairway and despite
recent heavy rains were springy and dry (for the most part)if your drive was unlucky enough to
find the wrong side of the fairway and roll into a hollow, you will find that a lot of your
approaches will be blind to small greens.
the opening holes are very tough, with the worst being the 405 yard par 4 4th, where the drive
is over a crest and the approach is blind to a green that is significantly below the level of the
fairway, making club selection very tough.
the views over Tenby and the west of Carmarthen bay are spectacular and i'm sure if the wind blows
you can lose a lot of balls here!
the staff are friendly and the guy in the pro-shop knows his stuff. there is a three hole short game
area and a range to warm up before your round but the range is short and set on a hill, the range balls
are cheap.
unfortunately i have to mark the course down for the AWFUL greens! a local member told me how they
have struggled with disease since the floods of a couple of years ago and they had just been spiked
and seeded. the greens are so patchy, bumpy and covered in seeds, you just can't put on them.
course 3/5
practice facilities 3/5
staff 4/5
food 3/5
overall 3/5