PCs FROM EUROPE- BEST OF (HEATHLAND)

THE FIRST ON THE BLUE

Inquisitive minds always ask me one thing, “of all the courses and countries you have visited, which one was your favorite?” I don’t think that I’ve ever given a definitive answer. The locations I’ve encountered are so vastly different, it would be akin to comparing apples to oranges. But the more I pondered the question, the more I was sure that I didn’t have just one favorite, I had many. Hence the “Postcards from Europe…Best of” series was created.

Best Heathland Course – The Berkshire Golf Club, Blue Course

Golf courses in the British Isles fall into one of three categories, parkland (inland with lots of mature trees), heathland (inland with long, wispy grasses and heather), and links (seaside). The heathland style course has always suited my eye as the contours provide visual interest and the wispy grasses that sway along in the breeze remind me of a Van Gogh painting. In general, the heathland courses feel calming and soothing like a nice cup of tea. But I can assure you these courses still have plenty of bite to their credit.

The Berkshire Golf Club’s Blue Course made a lasting impression on me from day one. As subsequent years abroad led to subsequent trips to the club (it was often the site of Pre-Qualifying for the Ricoh Women’s British Open), my fervor for the 1930’s Herbert Fowler design has only increased. Originally the property was used as hunting grounds for the Queen but converted to a golf club with the rise of the sport during that era.

It is unusual for the opening hole to be as the British would say, a “short hole.” The reference means it is a par-3; playing 217 yards in length I would describe it as anything but. It is a harrowing task to stand on the tee box at lunch time, steps away from the bricked, outdoor patio full of patrons and take the day’s first swing with one’s 5-wood. There is a bailout short and left, but any shot which misses the putting surface to the right caroms off the bank into a bunker or worse, the low-lying, purple flower heather bushes that are plentiful on the property.

THE TENTH

The next few holes offer some reprieve after the day’s first bogey. A short downhill par-4 greets the player on the 2nd and a reachable par-5 follows on the 3rd. The ebb-and-flow of punishment and scoring opportunities suits the game of golf. It is my opinion that a championship course need not be blisteringly difficult for the span of 18-holes. Giving the player the opportunity to make a few birdies over the course of her round is as necessary as the holes which place par at a premium.

THE TWELFTH GREEN

The trio of holes just past the turn rank as some of my favorites on the course. The drive on par-5 11th favors a slight fade that curves along the tree line. But the trees sit back far enough from the generous fairway that one feels the urges to really give a go and perhaps reach the green in two. Standing on the par-4 12th, the tee box set back in a small patch of pines, the sloping left-to-right fairway is framed by tall grasses and purple flowers. A slight breeze puts all into motion. It is so peaceful here that it is hard to imagine the sprawling metropolis of London is less than 20-minutes away. Anyone fancy a cup of tea?

THE SIXTEENTH