Pleased to report on a wonderful little mini tour I experienced last week in the county of Buckinghamshire, only 45 minutes from home in Surrey.
The trip began with a midday meet at Burnham Beeches Golf Club, a long established parkland course designed by J.H. Taylor, with a pint of excellent Guinness to calm the excitement and anticipation of what was to come.
Sitting beneath the Clubhouse clocktower looking out to the well wooded terrain with the sun shining was a moment to be grateful for the break in the atrocious weather of late.
We as a group are all very enthusiastic golfers, but there are give away signs that we were all more suited to our main sport which is rugby. However, we appreciate a good golf course, and Burnham Beeches certainly proved to be that. Most holes are defined by mature woodland and strategically placed bunkers, many gently doglegging, requiring well positioned drives. The condition of the course is first class, and whilst there are many elevation changes adding to the challenge, it is a hugely enjoyable walk.
We all had our favourite holes, often relating to how well they hade been played, but the Par 4 8th, Par 3 10th and the challenging Par 4 14th, were particularly memorable for me. The 18th is also an excellent finishing hole.
Following this thoroughly enjoyable round of golf, we headed to the Bull Hotel in Gerrards Cross to check in, which was done swiftly. We abandoned the cars and headed to the village of Beaconsfield by taxi. Following a refreshment at the Royal Saracen pub, we walked over to the Riwaz Restaurant run by TV chef Atul Kochhar. Simply outstanding Indian food!!
A further refreshment may have been taken before heading back and getting some sleep in for our next round at the Denham Golf Club.
It had been many years since I played Denham, and my memories had faded somewhat, although I did have a clear recollection of a number of holes, not least the Par 3 12th, which has Harry Colt’s stamp all over it.
The weather was threatening, but we managed to avoid needing an umbrella apart from a little burst of rain on the 1st green, so we were able to fully appreciate this fine parkland course.
Richard Penley Martin, the Club Secretary, alerted me to the fact that a complete bunkering programme had occurred in the previous three years, and I can confirm that this has been a huge success, not just from a playing point of view, but also aesthetically. The consistency and quality of the sand really stood out too.
The variety of holes at Denham is excellent, and every hole presents a thought provoking challenge. The condition of the course is superb, and the Club is an impressive one with a 16th century farmhouse style Clubhouse, and it’s own train station that can whisk you into London in 20 minutes or so.
So, in little more than 24 hours, we experienced two excellent golf courses, a first class restaurant, an ideally situated hotel and a vibrant old English pub. And for the quality of the golf we experienced, very good value in terms of green fees.
