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Graham Adams (England) 07/05/04

Such was the impression this course made on me I sat down prior to composing this report and tried to remember the courses I have played. In the few years since I sliced my first ball off the tee at the local Municipal I reckon I've played something like two-dozen. Not many, I grant you, but as each new course presents me with different problems to overcome and teaches me more about this game of ours, so it also gives an appreciation of how "complete" the design of a particular course is and, in writing my reports, I can compare the latest to previous tracks. Market Drayton can be instantly placed high up within my personal top 5.

In concert with most of my fellow Society members, much of the after match discussion following our recent visit here was about what a fabulous course this is. Every hole has something to make you think. There are many tight fairways (with lots of out-of-bounds) cutting through the hills and trees of this parkland course, both right-to-left and left-to-right doglegs, uphill par 4's and downhill par 3's. Even water, although it will only come into play if you are wayward off the 3rd tee. It is also a course that obviously drains well: the previous week had seen days of heavy rain, and yet evidence of this was limited to the tricky greens, still slow from receiving such a deluge.

Despite a grey start to the day, and a forecast for more rain, we were treated, in the end, to a lovely spring day, with warm sunshine for the afternoon 18.

After the gentle rise from the tee on the 1st hole, the course first shows what elevation there is to be coped with on the 2nd, "Salisbury Hill" (334yds, par 4, S.I.5). Off the tee the fairway falls away gently, only for it to rise steeply in the landing area. This is where the fairway also starts its dogleg to the right. Too far left off the tee with your 1st shot and the elevated green can be blocked out by the large tree, 60yds short of the green, in the middle of the fairway.

At the top of this hill, and to the back of the green, is the 3rd tee. Another left-to-right dogleg, here the green falls away from the fairway, giving more pause for consideration on club selection. This, however, is little compared to the dilemmas you will face when selecting your clubs for 3 of the 4 the par 3's!

First of these is the 4th, "Pell Wall" (164yds, S.I. 17). With the well-bunkered green well below the teeing ground, it is easy to under-club here (as proved in the nearest-the-pin competition, where the winner was in excess of 20 feet short!) The next par 3, the 7th, is called "Drop", and this says it all! At 127yds, S.I 18, it is the easiest hole on the course, yet the two-tiered green cannot be seen from perhaps the most elevated tee I have ever played from. Your aiming point is at one of the Silver Birches at the back of the green. The 12th gives alternate problems. "Wrekin View" is 206yds and S.I.14: 4-iron off the slightly elevated tee? 3-iron? More....?

The closing hole on the front-9 is also of interest: "The Ravine" (528yds, Par 5, S.I.7) has a split fairway to begin, from the left for Ladies and the right for men. Best line is to the left of the marker post visible off the tee as this allows your 2nd shot to carry the ravine and not be blocked out by the trees in the elbow of yet another right-to-left dogleg. Your only aiming point to the green here is a large yellow disc high in a tree overlooking the green.

The 10th tee nestles to the left of the 1st fairway, but allows a wide view to enable safe play from players on the 1st, with the fairway extending at right angles to the first. This is "Gadd's Gem" (528yds, par 5, S.I. 7) and is a gentle right-to-left dogleg with OOB on the right - great for us slicers! Another elevated green, this cannot be seen until approximately 150yds away.

Hole 14 is "The Bungalow" (326yds, par 4, S.I. 10). Our three ball wondered what the notice board by the side of the tee was about, but after arriving on yet another elevated green we discovered that there is a bungalow for rent situated there. At £625 per week (sleeps 6, includes golf) this represents good value!

A par 3 and three relatively straightforward par 4's end the round on what was for me an extremely enjoyable, if strenuous course.

Would I return to play the course? Definitely, and without hesitation.

Report supplied by Graham Adams on behalf of the Barton under Needwood Golf Society.

Date of Visit: April 2004

Andrew Hollinshead () 30/03/99

Although not long, this course is a real challenge, with very good use of the wooded landscape, with tight fairways and small greens. It really does make you think