Course Review - East Berkshire Golf Club

Greetings one and all and welcome back to another slice of the Three Off The Tee blog. I hope you are all well and your golfing handicaps are tumbling especially in this exceptionally warm weather we are having, at least in deepest, darkest Berkshire.

I recently did a course review on The Caversham which you can read here - The Caversham course review following my visit after the merger with Reading golf club and some extensive changes to the course. I am back with another review which I hope will whet your appetite to visit and play there if you are ever in the vicinity. With that teaser lets crack on.

Have you ever heard the term "hidden gem" regarding a golf course that you perhaps should have played or have never even heard of but paly and it is a real joy. My visit to East Berkshire falls very much into the first of those and it is a course almost on my doorstep that I have never played despite it being perhaps even close to my home than my home club Royal Ascot. It was time to rectify this. Perhaps even stranger is the fact we have East Berks on our club reciprocal list so there has been no excuses. 

I took advantage of my own club being severely impacted by the Royal Ascot race meeting to book a tee time for a four ball. I arrived early (as is normal for me). I don't know about you but I am always a little nervous arriving at a new club for the first time and wary of the reception I may get. Even in these modern times with golf enjoying a boom, some clubs seem to have a very archaic view to visitors. I had no worries on this score and the staff in the professional shop were very friendly and accommodating and let me know where everything was. 

As I was there early I was able to avail myself of the practice facilities including a really well kept short game area (including several bunkers) and a large putting green. The short game area was a welcome site given the flaky nature of my chipping and pitching at the best of times, and the putting green was a real eye opener to the speed of the greens we'd be facing on the course and did little to put me in a putting comfort zone.

The East Berkshire Golf club was founded in 1903. I've taken their history from the club website which you can visit here - East Berkshire Golf Club website

Designed in 1903 by Peter Paxton, East Berkshire was originally a heathland course but has evolved into a mature tree-lined parkland course.  Paxton was adept at using the natural water courses that flow on the land to guard the greens. Heather too was used as a feature to provide cross hazards on some of the longer holes, reducing the need for bunkers and maintaining a natural look to the course. These natural barriers and cleverly designed doglegs mean the course plays a lot longer than the 6,200 yardage suggests. Coupled with fast undulating greens, this makes for a real challenge of not only a player's striking ability but also their discipline and course strategy, as the competitors of the annual East Berks Stag will testify. Shaped fairways leading into well-defined semi rough helps to identify the driving areas and carefully placed greenside hazards ensure that wayward shots go unrewarded. East Berks' famous guests are too numerous to mention. The South Africans Bobby Locke and Gary Player were frequent visitors to the club in the 60's and 70's.

We were invited to enjoy the course off the white tees which was a nice touch and although this wouldn't make much of a difference in the overall distance as the scorecard below shows, it was nice to see what the members would face in their monthly medal.

All of the golf holes are named and the first is called Paxton after the original designer. It is a strange hole, not long in length but one that poses a real dilemma on the tee to ensure the right club is taken to avoid the danger. While it is a gentle start, it is not to be underestimated. Long hitters can try to drive the green but invariably this is a rash decision, especially as the first hole of the day. Heather, trees and bushes encroach on all sides. The percentage play is to determine the pin position and play a positional club from the tee. If the pin is tucked right, favour the left half of the fairway, without concern for distance. The longer you stand on the first tee the more the trouble seems to pinch in and make finding the fairway harder and harder. 

It is definitely a well designed course and the third hole, called "Trackside" as it runs along a railway line, is a fine demonstration that you don't always need bunkers to make a hole difficult. Measuring 429 yards off the white tees with out of bounds down the left longer hitters can get home in two but anything long and right will be blocked out and as you have to favour the left side to get optimum distance and so are always flirting with the out of bounds.

The East Berkshire Scorecard

The first par three is a real gem. Called Garnett's Gem it is only 148 yards off the white tees it has a large green and so club selection can be hard and there is water lurking left and it is preferable to be longer rather than short.

"Heather Drive" marks the tenth hole and at 437yards it is a test. East Berkshire has seven par fours that play over 400 yards off the white tees and so all are a challenge for the average club golfer. The tenth is a great hole that can reward brain and brawn equally. At last, long hitters will get the feeling they can wind up a little, an opportunity here to hit a high draw around the corner. But anything left will be in the garden of the houses adjoining the course and is a reload and anything long and right will be blocked out. The smartest play is for the right side of the fairway, leaving a longer shot in. The green entrance is narrow and the left side must be avoided at all costs. 

The closing hole "Nearly Home" is yet another par four that is over 400 yards playing 413 yards. It is a great finishing hole. The longer a golfer can drive, the more they should keep snug right off the tee, as anything left can leave a difficult approach over trees or sharply round them, I actually played it well and despite putting it in the right hand green side bunker I played a great bunker shot that rose high over the lip, checked on landing and then rolled at dead weight into the hole for a closing birdie.

If you are familiar with all my product and course reviews you know I always conclude with marking in several categories and giving my final score. As always, these views are strictly my own and impartial and East Berkshire has had no input and I have not received any remuneration for my thoughts.

Course Layout - As I've mentioned, East Berkshire has been a bit of a hidden gem and has sat there in plain view since I moved to the Bracknell area of Berkshire over three decades ago. It is a beautiful layout and although not long compared to some of the more modern courses, it is a thinking golfers course. The long par fours, of which there are many over 400 yards are a challenge without feeling like a slog. There is only one par five, which is relatively short at 495 yards off the whites. Only one par three is over two hundred yards but all of them ask their own questions. 

The course does undulate a little in places but it couldn't be considered a hard walk. We played in the middle of June with the thermometer touching 30 degrees and while it was hot and humid I didn't feel overly fatigued at the end of the round. 

The layout flows nicely and there isn't too many overly long walks from green to tee. The greens are large in places but not like the modern green complexes on many newer courses. 

Score - The layout has a very old fashioned feel to it and is perhaps an epitome of the club as a whole. It is one take requires guile and in places playing a few times to discover the nuances and a strategy to navigate your ball around successfully but it is none the worse for this. 8.5/10

Course Condition - What can I say? A hidden gem on my doorstep and one that was in magnificent condition throughout. As I've mentioned it isn't a long course but the tees, fairways, bunkers and greens were all in top order. In fact I'll go as far as to say the greens were the best I've played on all season. They were covered in an even swathe and were quick. Lightening quick. They were also very true and so while the speed was tricky to deal with initially, if you picked your line the ball didn't deviate from it. 

The standard of the greens should have come as no surprise given the condition of the practice green but even the green on the chipping area was good enough to putt on. 

Score - It was hard to pick fault with any of the course presentation. It was all in top nick and there were a large number of staff on the course working away as we played and it was evident they took great pride in the product they were producing. 9/10

Facilities - The club doesn't have a lot of room but it makes the most of what it has. There is a very good short game area with numerous flags to aim at on a contoured green along with a practice bunker. There is a large putting green as well which was the same speed as the greens on the course which is a real bugbear of mine when the practice facility bears no resemblance once you start putting for real. 

The clubhouse is perhaps a little old fashioned and quaint for some with its large leather sofas and honour boards on the wall but for me it was none the worse for it. The bar was well appointed with a number of lagers and local bitters on offer. There is a large changing area and visitors are able to use this and aren't shunted off into some small area elsewhere.

The professional shop was well appointed and the staff were friendly and welcoming as were the staff serving in the bar and we were made to feel welcome. The few members we met on the way round and as we came off the eighteen were all polite and we didn't have any issues. 8.5/10

Welcome - I arrived very early but it wasn't an issue and the professional shop staff told me all I needed to know and then pointed me towards the short game area to idle some time and to hone my flaky technique. Once the rest of the fourball arrived we were dealt with well and when we brought up the option of playing off the white tees there were no issues. 

I had heard stories over the years from various quarters about East Berkshire being a stuffy place, set in their ways and a very cliquey place to be. I saw no evidence of that during my visit. The service in the 19th was swift and efficient. I would need to go back a few times and see how the club worked for example at the weekend and how new members get acclimatised into the club and how easy it would be to get a game but that is perhaps nit picking and not for this piece. 8/10

Value For Money - As this was a reciprocal, we got our round for free which of course is ideal. The green fees are on the club website (check them out here - Green Fees) and while on the face of it they seem high, and of course we know how tight money is for many people at the moment, I think given the condition of the course once you play, on balance it is pretty on trend with East Berkshire's closest neighbours and for the area in general. County cards are welcome and on presentation will give a not insignificant discount, which may be worth bearing in mind if you are thinking of visiting. Value for money is always a subjective section and perhaps the hardest to be objective but given the flourishing interest since lockdown I think the pricing is representative. 8/10

Overall - Why haven't I ever been here before? What a wonderful place and right on my doorstep. What was I thinking? It is a reciprocal so why have I not been all over this before especially when the Royal Ascot race meeting makes playing my own course so awkward.

It was a very interesting course, immaculately presented and there was plenty off the course for members and visitors to enjoy from the practice facilities (I'm not sure I'd ever move from that short game area given my current woes) to the clubhouse and all that had to offer. Haven't waited so long for my first visit I won't be leaving it as long before the next. 8.5/10

When The Circus Comes To Town

Welcome to another blog. It's been a while. I've had a very stop start season to date and haven't been in the rudest of health (as you'll see) and so my golf has been intermittent and very in and out.

My home course, Royal Ascot (Royal Ascot Website) has played host to the Jamega Tour (check their website Jamega Tour) for a pro-am on the Sunday and a two day event for the professionals on the Monday and Tuesday with a £10,000 to play for. The Jamega Pro Golf Tour was launched in 2005, creating a platform for professional golfers to experience life as a touring pro. Since then the tour has witnessed several Jamega Pro Golf Tour players progressing to European tour and Challenge tour status. This includes Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston, Tyrrell Hatton, Todd Clements and Zane Scotland.

During the season there are a series of mini order of merits that give the professionals some cash bonuses and free entry to the 2023/24 season so plenty to entice the players and add an extra layer of pressure as they tee it up each time.

The Jamega Tour is the longest running tour for developing golfers and trying to pr0gress them up the golfing echelons but it is not the only act in town:

2020protour

Founded by European Tour player Chris Hanson and his caddy Adam Walker, the 2020pro tour (website here - 2020 Tour) has burst onto the scene in 2020 with great success. With an equitable policy that seen a female winner, the 2020protour features plenty of big prizes for participating players including a race to 100 birdies £20000 prize.

Clutch Pro Tour

The Clutch Pro Tour )website here - Clutch Pro Tour another Mini Tour that has really come into its own this year. With prize pots of £10000 to the winner of Major events, its no surprise the Tour has attracted the likes of European Tour regulars Andy Sullivan, Richard Bland, and Robert Rock. Big partnerships with the likes of Mizuno Golf and Modest Golf Management has really thrust the Clutch Pro Tour to the top of the order.

1836 Golf Tour

The 1836 Golf Tour (website here - 1836 Tour) is one of the more established Mini Tours having been around for a number of years now. Like most Tours, it offers a comprehensive order of merit and plenty of incentives for players looking to make the step to bigger things. Created for professionals by professionals, 1836 packs in a strong annual calendar and season ending finale.

The circus stop at Royal Ascot each year is hugely popular with both the members who are always fill the pro-am slots and the professionals who are always hugely complementary about the course and the event as a whole. The pro-am was blessed with warm and sunny conditions and the green staff had done an excellent job in making the course look superb visually and play equally as well.

I was playing with my long time friend Geoff Jones who can be vary dangerous of his handicap and after a late drop-out, our recently installed Club General Manager Stephen Nicholson. We were paired with a wonderful young professional called Ricky Brackenbury. Now as you will recall health has been an issue recently and in the days running up to the day I had been feeling decidedly under the weather with Covid like symptoms although all the tests were negative. On the Saturday I had a really bad pain in my groin where I knew I already had an inguinal hernia and my immediate concern was I had done that more damage. I was very undecided about playing but having committed my entry (and as my friends will testify I try and be financially prudent, or as others call it tight) I decided to play.

The Dream Team

My round on Saturday was a mental battle and mind over matter as the pain in my groin was severe and I could feel it both walking between shots but also playing every shot. It was a monthly stableford and I finished 5th in my division despite not scoring on the 16th and 17th so was very pleased with how I ground a score out.

The downside to that was the groin was even more sore on Sunday and to be honest I struggled at times to make a contribution to the team better ball score. I was trying hard but nothing was happening. Ricky was playing some great golf and was unlucky around the greens. He managed to finally get on the birdie train towards the latter part of the round and would eventually finish 12th in the professional event. Our team tied 11th so no loss of face. The highlight for me was the penultimate hole (our first on the course) which is a par three playing 164 yards on the day. I have never had a hole in one and given how I was playing the chances were remote of changing that. I hit a little five hybrid sweet and straight and it landed on the front of the green, ran towards the hole, having a cursory look on the way past and finished a foot behind the cup.

It would definitely not been the day to get a hole in one from a cost perspective but it was my best shot of the day and won nearest the pin and a four ball voucher to play Chobham Golf Club (view their website - Chobham Golf Club).

And so to the main event and the two day professional event. As always when the bandwagon stops in town it is a fiercely competitive event. This year was no different and with some sunny, if breezy conditions, scoring was good. It was a very close run affair but in the end Barnes Wallis triumphed with a two round score of -10. He shot 63 (-7) in round one and held off some tough play from the other contenders and his 67 (-3) on day two got it done.

It is always an interesting experience to watch these professionals up close. They are good but when you bear in mind they are only on the bottom rung of the professional ladder it brings into stark perspective just how good the players at the next level are and then when you add in the Europro and Challenge tour players it is clear why it takes a lot of talent, hard work and a chunk of luck to progress and make it at these higher levels.

A lot of the professionals use the tour as a way of earning some additional cash alongside their day to day jobs. The Jamega Tour is professionally run and Gary Harris as tournament director runs a very efficient if tight ship.

If the bandwagon stops at your home club or maybe another club local to you it is worth going out and seeing some of the action and if you get a chance to play in the pro-am it is an experience I am sure you'll enjoy

I hope you enjoyed this blog. If you have played in a Jamega Tour event or pro-am let me know what you thought in the comments section or via my social media. I have some exciting stuff coming up in the next few weeks and I'll be bringing some blogs show casing these. I will also be doing a couple of product reviews which will be on my Youtube channel (please check it out - Three Off The Tee Youtube Channel). I will also be making my annual pilgrimage to the British Par 3 championship at Nailcote Hall (sponsored by Farmfoods) from 9th-12th August. Hopefully I'll be able to catch up with some of the professionals and celebrities and bring you some great content. It's always a great few days and I hope you enjoy the content.

If you have been a previous visitor to this humble blog then you'll know I am using CBD oil and other products to see what impact it has on my golf over the year. You can check out part one - (CBD Oil Part One) and part two is available here (CBD Oil Part Two). If you read these you'll be aware there is a free to enter competition coming up and I'll be announcing details very soon. You won't want to miss this.

Plenty to get your teeth into and thank you for your continued support. I look forward to bringing everything to you soon and equally hope you enjoy reading it. See you soon and I hope your golf is going well in 2022.

Product Review - Golfers CBD (Part One)

Welcome along to my latest blog. I hope wherever this finds you, it finds you well and you are getting out and playing some golf. We are still in the midst of winter golf and while Royal Ascot Golf Club (my home club) has been playable, that has meant cold temperatures and some wet and muddy conditions. It is a subject I tackled in a recent blog "Winter Golf - Challenge or Chore" which I strongly suggest you read here - Winter Golf - Challenge Or Chore

However I digress. As the title suggest I am doing another product review. This one will be a bit different so bear with me as I explain. The product I am looking at, and indeed the concept itself will undoubtedly divide opinion and some will buy into it and the benefits and others will dismiss this as placebo at best and hocus pocus will no proven gains. I would hope the doubters will at least read what I've got to say, and the results to date, and will perhaps consider giving the product a go and trying it for themselves.

So what is this product, what does it claim to do and what has it got to do with my golf? I am looking at a company called Golfers CBD and in particular their oil and fruit gummies. Who are Golfers CBD? They are a UK based company (head office in Reigate in Surrey) who are selling CBD or Cannabidiol to improve a players concentration, recovery and sleep and even assist in treating aches and pains. As always with these reviews, I haven't been paid or had any remuneration for this review from Golfers CBD, they have had no input into this review and the views within this blog/review are mine, and are independent based on my own experiences and findings.

It is a developing market and with there are a number of other brands out there including one endorsed by Open winner Darren Clarke. However it is the Golfers CBD products I am going to look at. If you want to find out far more about what Golfers CBD have to offer then check out the website here - Golfers CBD website

The health benefits of CBD are well known and by influencing the receptors in our systems we can change how we react to stress, maintain a good mood and execute motor skills under pressure. The ability to influence these reactions, to aid preparation (through improved sleep) and recovery time makes this the perfect supplement for golfers.

The company are very passionate on where they source their CBD oil from. As well as that how much should you take? This can be confusing but the important calculation is the percentage of CBD. Their 1000mg oil comes in a 10ml bottle, this is 10% strength. Golfers CBD say some companies sell 1000mg oil in a 30ml bottle, this is additional carrier fluid so one third the strength at around 3.3%. Or to put it another way you need to take 3 times as much to gain the same benefits from Golfers CBD. You can get CBD oil from a lot of places including Holland and Barrett (a health store brand in the UK) so I guess the moral if you don't buy directly from Golfers CBD (and you can view all their products in their store here) is you need to do your homework and be careful what you are buying.

Golfers CBD have already got some well known names on board with their product including Solheim Cup player and victorious captain Catriona Matthew and they have a growing presence on social media especially Twitter. Check them out here - Golfers CBD Twitter. It may be in your best interest as they have frequent giveaways and so you may be lucky and get a chance to try Golfers CBD for free if you win.

So you've heard about what CBD is, how it works and how Golfers CBD think it can benefit the average golfer as well as elite and professional players. So what has that got to do with me and my golf? Well, I have been trying the oil in the basic level at 10% as shown below

Golfers CBD oil

I have had an inkling to try CBD for my golf for a few months. This may have come from my social media seemingly being bombarded by different companies (big brother is clearly watching) offering their wares. Again, being transparent, I won the oil and gummies in a free to enter draw from Golfers CBD so that has clearly influenced which make I have tried. I have had to pay for the another batch of oil. That said, I had already been drawn to their products via their social media and so they were always going to be the first manufacturer I used.

The astute amongst you will see this is part one of the review. I am planning to use the Golfers CBD products throughout the golfing season and also to see how it helps with sleep and treating any aches and pains (so my glass back will be a prime candidate).

So lets start at the beginning. I have been using the oil for all my rounds since the new year. I take a couple of drops about 15 minutes before I tee off and have been taking a couple more after nine holes. I have not had any golf instruction during this period and because of the freezing temperatures, strong winds and rain we have had in my neck of the woods, any range time has been restricted to two sessions since the new year so I have had to rely on rocking up and playing on the day and not honing my swing in the evenings.

I can only report on my results in January since using the CBD oil but in the weekend roll ups, I have come second (and picked up some money) and third several times. I have even won the Sunday roll up (and a nice £75) pot which is something I haven't managed to do in well over two years. In very simple terms I have played under my handicap three or four times and those games where I wasn't under handicap, my scores were still well into the thirties, even though I didn't feel I hit the ball particularly well and struggled with my short game in the wet winter conditions.

There will be those that simply say this is a change in my golfing fortunes and I am simply riding the crest of a purple patch. That's possible, and I'd love it to be true but my form before Christmas and before taking the oil simply wasn't that consistent. If you've read the this blog you'll know that consistency in my golf is not a common theme. There will be some that say this oil is a placebo and by taking it I am somehow shifting my thoughts into a better place. Again, that is a point of view but not one I subscribe to based on what I've seen to date.

I don't have any scientific data to back that up. I'll leave you to look at the Golfers CBD site and see what they say about the products. What I can do is give you my feedback on the oil and how it has affected me. In very plain and simple terms, I have an air of calm when I am out of the course. I have far fewer swing or technical thoughts in my head (a regular problem), and feel I can see the shots more clearly. There is an air of acceptance of the outcome be that a good shot or bad. I am simply playing on an even keel emotionally.

Golf takes time and you can be out on the course for four hours or more. That's a long time to concentrate and every round will present stressful situations and emotional challenges. The Golfers CBD website talks about CB1 receptors. These receptors are moderators of your memory, mood, motor function, perception of pain, stress response and thinking. For the player there are many obvious benefits just in the course of a single round of golf, particularly the positive effect on mood, motor function, stress response and thinking. This is what I have found. I am more positive about my golf and the outcome of the shot, and even if I hit a shocker I can deal with it.

I have talked about playing under my handicap but I can honestly say I haven't played great golf. I have topped shots into a hazard, struggled with the driver and messed up chips. What I have managed is to find a way to get it round, sometimes playing ugly. To do that I have had to accept the poor shots. That is something I haven't done often, and a poor shot would often see me question technique, moan about bad luck or get wound up inside. Taking the oil before a round and after nine has changed all that. My response to poor shots is so very different. There is a calm, something I am struggling to put into a cohesive sentence, but an air of positivity and a mood shift towards thinking I can make the best of any round and situation I find myself in. As I say it's hard to put into words but in practice there has been a real change in my golfing persona. Some who know me would say I am a glass positively empty when I play, not even half full, but since using the oil that has definitely changed for the better.

I have also had the Golfers CBD gummies (see here - CBD Gummies) which have let me have a boost on the way round. I have tried to keep these in reserve but I had a very good round last Sunday (23rd January) and thought I may have been in contention to pick up the pot for a second week running (although a magnificent round well into the forties put paid to that) and started to get ahead of myself in the closing stretch, The gummies helped put me back into a more focused place. What I have tried to avoid is taking the oil and the gummies together too often. While the proof has seemingly been in the pudding with my performances, and the oil in particular has given me a good base line to start this season long review, I don't want to be reliant on taking more and more products to stay at the same level.

I am going to play February cold turkey and not use any of the oil or gummies and see what effect that has on my performance. I will be interested to see if the level of consistency remains (or indeed improves). Will I still have the aura of calm, focus and lack of swing thoughts? It should be an interesting comparison.

So there you go. A very unusual product to review but one that I think you'll hear a lot more about in the next few years as research data and more reviews come through. I can only give you my own thoughts on what I have found and that is there definitely seems to be something in this and that there is a basis to say it has helped my game so far. It will be up to you to decide if you want to give it a go for yourself, maybe after seeing my ongoing reviews through the season. At this point, I am a convert and it has seemingly improved my game.

To finish, I will be giving away a Golfers CBD gift pack in the future and details on how to enter will be in a future review so keeping following this blog. It'll also be on my social media so if you don't follow me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/hackergolfer) please do so. While you are at it please look at my Three Off The Tee youtube channel and subscribe. You can find it here - Three Off The Tee youtube channel

A Golfers CBD gift pack will be given away as these reviews progress - keep following the blog and my social media links

Thank you for reading this review and I hope it has at least given you some food for thought. Don't forget to check out the Golfers CBD website as there is a host of information that may help you. I am really excited to see how this plays out over the course of the golfing season and what impact it actually has on my game. So far so good but lets see what happens and how it helps my game (or not) once the competitions start and will it help me on the Quest For Single Figures? Join me for the next part of this product review soon.