Scorchio

On Sunday it was off to Camberley Heath to play in a Golf Monthly Forum mini-meet. Golf Monthly is the number one magazine in the UK and hosts the best interactive golfing forum anywhere on the internet and the members frequently host events around the UK to meet up and play. I started one two years ago (held at Royal Ascot) primarily for those in the South and the Midlands to play in as a lot events were being hosted in the North or in Scotland. For a lot of the forum members these were prohibitive in terms of cost and travel.

This year the big "Southern" meeting was booked for Blackmoor in Hampshire on Monday 27th but as a large contingent were travelling down over the weekend, two mini-meets were arranged at Bearwood Lakes and Camberley Heath by forum members who played at these clubs. The forecast was for scorching temperatures and for once they weren't wrong. it was the hottest day by far this year and to be honest was probably too hot for golfing comfortably. Still with a favourable green fee rate negotiated and the chance to play a fantastic course I was prepared to suffer for my golf.

I had met our host Anthony Lawrence before and knew one or two of the others. Introductions were made over a pre-round drink and the pairings sorted. Established in 1913 Camberley Heath Golf Club was designed by the legendary H. S. (Harry Shapland) Colt. His legacy is an outstanding heathland course, where natural contours have been used to enhance the "strategic golf experience".

We were off the whites which meant a stern 6215 yard test in blistering heat. There is no gentle introduction to your round with the first being a 406 yard par four dogleg to the right but with an out of bounds down the left. Teeing off from high above the fairway it is a spectacular opening. I pulled my opening drive and flirted with the out of bounds and although I hit a good recovery a duffed approach left me starting with a double bogey and a dropped point.

The guys I was with were brilliant fun we were very similar handicaps. None of us had played the course before and so it was a case of the blind leading the blind even with the help of a course planner. We all played some good shots and all came to grief at various points. My personal highlight was making a par at the monstrously long par 4 fifth hole measuring all of 495 yards. I corked my drive and followed it with a great 5 wood which ran through the back but a decent chip and a solid eight foot putt were enough to secure the most pleasing of pars.

By the time we had reached the well stocked halfway hut situated by the 10th green the heat had taken its toll on all of us. Despite keeping fluid levels topped with copious amounts of water we still needed a sit down in the shade and a rest. It was a close run thing score wise although I had my nose in front by the odd point.

I was getting tired and my swing was getting loose. I hooked my tee shot on the par five 13th left into an unplayable lie. I took a penalty drop and fired my recovery over the crest of a hill not really sure what was on the other side. What lay there was a downslope full of heather, a signature of the course (and home to adders) but my ball escaped and was in the light rough. My approach came up short and I hit a weak chip but I rolled a great long putt in for a six. I was well chuffed thinking I'd rescued two points only for my celebrations to be cut short by the others pointing out I didn't get a shot there. They even smiled as they broke the news.

Still I managed to get my own back, inadvertent as it was (honest). The 16th at Camberley is a short par 4 of just 302 yards but what you can't see from the tee is a pond that sits some fifty yards short of the green. I'd already opted to hit three wood and lay up to optimum pitching distance but two of the group went at the green with driver. One hooked his drive but played a provisional which he flushed. One guy went for it but didn't catch it. I had a course guide in my back pocket but had been too tired to get it out and look which would have pointed out the hazard immediately. The provisional ball was swimming with fishes but he had found the first ball and the guy who had also gone for it was now teetering a yard or so short of the water. Suffice to say I wasn't popular although it was all in jest.

By the time we got to the 18th we were all running on empty and could see the sanctuary of the clubhouse. The problem was the last hole involved a drive over a valley full of heather and then an approach semi blind up a hill to the green perched at the top and in front of the clubhouse and the very busy patio area. I'd actually played quite steady golf over the last six or seven holes of the round and so thought I'd a chance of stealing the pot of cash on offer and so opted to play safe with a three wood to the bottom of the hill. The others, with little to play for all got the big dogs out to blast as close as they could to the green 323 yards away.

In the end, the slope to the green negated all of their drives even though each had been sweetly struck and my three wood had gone just as far. I pitched up with a wedge and two putted for a closing par. However once the maths had been done over a welcome pint my 34 points, good as it was, could only finish third and Anthony our host, came good with 35. Golf Monthly Forum regular Chris Kissane (known as Murphthemog) also had 35 points too but lost with a worse back nine score.

The course was fantastic and it's another virtually on my doorstep that I'd never played. Thanks to all the guys who made it a great day and to Anthony for his generous hospitality. I'll definitely be back again and the day was a wonderful pre-cursor to the main event the following day at Blackmoor. I had hit the ball well and so confidence was actually on the up and I was definitely in a glass half full type of mood.