Walton Heath Old

My second visit to Walton Heath's old course peeled back layers which I may not have appreciated first time around. Perhaps that is because I was keener to enjoy it rather than be intimidated by the tight tee shots, deceptive greens and ball-eating heather. And the impression, I gained second time was that the old course gives players a chance - particularly after the opening seven holes. There are opportunities on the pars fives and shorter pars fours but don't allow complacency to creep in - its deep bunkers, infamous heather and knotty gorse can wreck many a card.

This time we couldn't bathe in the glorious history of its clubhouse because ours was the first society to play post-Covid lockdown but the staff made us heartily welcome and we downed a splendid before-round bacon roll and after-match burger and chips while keeping our social distance on the patio. Altogether, another wonderful day on a great British heathland course. The only quibble would be that the fairways were not as lush on some holes as we might have expected.