England Golf Experience Part 1

OK, so there aren't many options for a mystery blogger in a house with only two people in it...so for those of you who guessed, Mister Y is none other than........the golf expert, Mr. Jason Kirksey himself. So without further adieu, I give you our resident golfer. Enjoy!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you very much. No need for applause..

Thanks to Cristen being up for just about anything, I have had the privilege of playing 4 golf courses in England over my past 4 months of being here. Each of these courses were weekend trips away except for one which was surprisingly close and extremely enjoyable. So, without further rambling, here goes..

The first weekend trip consisted of two courses, one on Saturday and the other on Sunday. We struck out by train to the southeastern coast of England to play two courses that have a ton of history. Believe it or not, our stop was a city called Sandwich just outside the port city of Dover. The first course on this tour was Prince’s Golf Club. It was built in 1906 and then later redone after it was badly damaged in World War II. The course is now a 27 hole course and provides its challenges. It is most widely known for its hosting of the Open Championship in 1932 where the American Gene Sarazen won the tournament. As a sidenote for all the golf historians, Sarazen was the first player to debut a ‘sand iron’ which began a whole new era for golf.

In case the 4 foot tall rough wasn’t enough, since the course is on the water it also adds anywhere from 30-50 mph winds just in case you were up for a challenge that day.

Teeing off on number 1 at Prince’s..

Me on the tee at Prince's, water behind..

Amazingly enough, I found my ball in that! I didn't bother trying to hit it out.

The second stop on this trip was to the Royal Cinque Ports golf club. This course is located just a stone’s throw from Sandwich in a city called Deal. The course was founded in 1892 and has held the Open Championship in 1909 and 1920 and still holds Amateur qualifying events today. As this course also sits right along the water, it has been removed from any more prestigious tournament rotations due to the course being covered in water due to high tides at random times throughout the year.

As we pulled up, I was a little leary of the course as the clubhouse and practice area looked run down. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the course and the people inside who made this experience one to never forget. As we started off on 1, I noticed that the winds were picking up a little. Little did I know what I was getting myself into as we hit number 2 and went along the Sandwich Bay for an enjoyable yet challenging layout. Each hole provided its challenges and according to the attendant at the halfway house, the course can play into the wind for the entire 18 holes if you play at the right time (winds change with the tide). My favorite quote of the day was ‘it is not windy until the flags are hitting the green.’ Thankfully, we played the first 12 or so into a 30-35 mph wind and then had that wind at our back for a much more enjoyable finish. This included a 350 yard drive onto the green on a par 4. The wind didn't help any, I promise.

Right where I wanted to be, in the bunker.

Just a slight breeze.

Teeing off on number 9 right by the Sandwich Bay.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of the England Golf Experience where I unveil the two best courses I have played so far.