Golfing in the UK (Painswick)

A round of Golf at Painswick, Gloucestershire, England.

On a recent visit to Merrie England, I had occasion to play an enjoyable round of Golf at a lovely Course located in the heart of the Cotswold hills in Gloucestershire. The Painswick Golf Club was established in 1891 and today ranks as one of the Top 100 “Must Play” courses in the British Isles! Indeed, I was truly privileged to receive a chance to play there!

I was most pleased to receive an invitation from Mrs Ann Smith, the Hon. Sec. of the Painswick Golf Club to play there as a guest. I had contacted the club via email citing my life membership of the IGU a couple of weeks prior to leaving on my trip in the earnest hope of a round during the weekend when I was in the vicinity.

Indeed, I had absolutely no expectations of any sort and thus was very pleasantly surprised when Mrs Smith mailed me back and was kind enough to cajole the Captain of the course to lend me a set of clubs and had even arranged for me to get around the course with a local member!

With a happy heart, I packed my Golf Shoes and the usual assortment of Golfing accoutrements into my bags and set off, so to say, to the wide blue yonder.

The pretty little village of Painswick, with its ancient churchyard clad in fine old English Yew trees, and all its beautiful, warm buildings of the curiously yellowy beige Cotswold Stone, set off by the evening sun, is situated about an hour and a half by train from London.

I hopped off at the quaint little country station of Stroud to find myself surrounded by the balmy and scented summer evening countryside of England. My old friend from school met me there in his fancy Porsche cabriolet convertible and we drove straight through to stay that night at The Falcon Inn, a 16th Century hostelry in the little village of Painswick, quaffing some of the excellent locally brewed dark ales till a rather advanced hour. It was the Summer Solstice, long lazy days with the sun setting well past 9pm!

Presenting myself at the club at ten thirty sharp that fine, sunny Saturday morning, I met the club captain and my golf partner, a dapper gentleman of some sixty odd years, Mr Norman Hindmarch, who gravely introduced himself and welcomed me. My first sight was of the neat clubhouse, the lovely sweeping views of the Cotswold Hills, with the 18th Green in the foreground. Taking hold of the Captain’s retired set of solid Graphite Shafted Wilson Clubs and a Taylor made Burner Driver and mounting them on a trolley (there are no caddies in those parts), I went along to the first tee. A glorious sight indeed, for one who was playing the course for the very first time!

The ground rose sharply up and I attacked it with a number 3 iron, wishing to play it safe and landed on the brow of the rise, with the green in front of me, near some dangerous looking pits, hidden traps lurking unseen, waiting to snare the unwary or over-confident golfer!

(I shall not at this point own up to the scores that day, but suffice it to say I holed out from there in three putts, while my esteemed partner, with the ease of a pro, made par!)

The second hole came forth with a nice wide fairway, which my partner attacked squarely with his driver, while I played humble, hitting my number 3 again. An interesting hole with disused quarries on three sides.

We meandered there from around the course, with its breathtaking views from every possible vantage point till we reached the 5th – a brilliant blind tee shot over the ramparts of an old fort to the green above the brow. Mr Hindmarch regaled me with tales of how once in the dim distant past, people used to hurl spears at each other at that very spot, and now it serves as the setting for the genteel sport of Golf!

We chanced upon Mrs Smith along the way, while she was in the middle of her round that fine morning and I was happy for the chance to meet the kind lady who had enabled such a wonderful morning for me!

We then moved on to the 6th where Mr Hindmarch took a photograph of me at the highest point in the Cotswold hills.

The 7th, 8th and 9th holes passed without too much trouble except that with all that climbing in the 34-degree temperature I was (though pretty fit) beginning to feel the effects of the temperature and thirst. I ended up drinking all the water that Mr Hindmarch had very kindly given me as well as all the water he had brought for himself as well!

Now, we were onto the back nine with the 10th tee shot being similar to the 5th,inasmuch as it is a shot over the brow and the hill fort ramparts and then the interesting 11th hole where one needs to drive accurately over a kind of natural “saddle” formation on the hill.

Down then to 12 and 13, avoiding the lurkingly perilous quarries and onto the 14th, which is a nice drive from a high tee box with the green well below. Immense photo opportunities abounded around me!

Holes 15 and 16 were passed without undue worry and then BANG, I lost my ball to the treacherous woods. Sportsman that he is, Mr Hindmarch somehow contrived to do the same and we moved on in a companionable way to the 17th, which has a nice dogleg, left with a bank to the left of the green and a drop to the right. At this point I decided to horse around a bit and slid down the hill on the seat of my by then grass stained trousers, like I used to long years ago while in School in the blue hills of Ooty! Another photograph just after that psychological moment!

Rather weary and somewhat saddle sore by now, we moved along to the 18th tee – frankly I was about all in at this time, with the vision of gallons of cold orange juice or other suitable tissue restorers in front of me, just one hole beyond.

The beautiful par 3 18th hole is dominated by a large Oak Tree, sitting right in the middle – guarding a flat green which has a dangerous drop to the right of it.

Never had I felt so much like I was coming home, as I felt then when I plopped the little white ball on the green at long last!

Onto the traditional 19th then, to my good friend who had kindly waited for me and was lurking near the bar. Then there was much chaffing, quaffing and good-natured banter with the President of the Club, the Captain of the course and the genteel members. Many a kind round of chilled orange juice and a strange brew called J20, which I quite liked by the way, passed then, to ease the parched throat!

Indeed, it was a fine experience, which I would heartily repeat and re-live, for the fun, friendship, sportsmanship and the great time it afforded me! It really was a pleasant experience to be taken unto their hearth and home, so to say, as a visiting out-of-towner!

My deepest thanks to Mrs Smith and Mr Hindmarch for that most enjoyable Saturday morning!

Visit www.painswickgolf.com for more information on the club and the course. Even better, when next you’re in England, go and see the club for yourself. I will lay a 100 to 1 bet that as a golfer, you certainly will not be disappointed!