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J.F.
Abercromby, the original architect of the Old Course
at
Bovey
Castle, was a storied English
architect whose reputation was esteemed, on the
merits of his own original work and some joint
ventures with some of the finest architects of the
day. Renowned for his understated designs that fit
the natural flow of the landscape so well, the
personality of his work was a perfect match for the
idyllic parkland setting here in Dartmoor
National Park, in Devon County in
Southwestern England. The course, which sits at the
foot of the glorious old manor house, has a
beautiful flow down through the front nine while
adjacent to the river. The second half moves back
toward the estate's higher ground, where some
dramatic and difficult golf holes form the closing
stretch.
The
setting is reminiscent of its original sister course
at Gleneagles, which many have dubbed one of the
finest inland courses anywhere. As far as scenery
goes, the Old Course here is no slouch, as the
gorgeous
Devon countryside serves as the backdrop
for the upper holes, while the dramatic namesake
castle presides over the lowland front nine. The
only fault was a period of neglect, when time wore
on the original Abercromby that was designed in the
late 1920s. Peter de Savary’s acquisition of the
course brightened hopes for its future, and the
resurrection of this gem has been expertly
coordinated. Electing not to plow the course under
in favour a modern course, Donald Steel and Tom
Mackenzie were hired to restore and enhance the
preexisting "bones" of the course. Given the success
of Steel and Mackenzie’s work at
Skibo
Castle
(de Savary’s previous property), it is little wonder
why the duo was called to
Dartmoor
for the task. The course as it exists now is not
brutishly long, giving the holiday golfer a fighting
chance, while testing any low marker to play to
their handicap. The recent work has added pot
bunkers and some new putting surfaces, as well as
better drainage and more playability. The closing
hole is a case in point; where there was once a
sloping fairway so severe that it seemed equally
awkward and unfair, the Mackenzie-Steel team
softened the left-to-right slope to create a more
reasonable landing area. However, at 432 yards
uphill, from the back tees, the hole still possesses
the challenge that ‘Aber’ would have envisioned.
In keeping with active
nature of the estate, the course is eminently
walkable, though buggies do exist for those wishing
to conserve their energy, or for those hoping to
play a quick evening round and beat the sunset.
The addition to the end of the original castle has
meant that teeing off the first hole (a 309-yard par
four) has become something more of a spectacle, with
the shadow of the pro shop and castle from the
right. Thankfully, the hole offers the golfer the
chance to get off the tee with an iron or fairway
wood and save the driver for the second hole of the
day. Immediately plunging to the valley floor, the
first hole plays sharply downhill and the approach
is with a short iron to a green that is open on the
right side and protected left by bunkers. The
seemingly gentle start does afford the golfer the
chance the make an opening par, but the river that
runs along the left side of the hole, before slicing
in front of the green some forty yards shy of the
putting surface, must be avoided.
In contrast to the forgiving opener, the second
hole, a 382-yard par four, plays back towards the
castle. After a decent drive, the golfer faces an
approach that has to carry the river that runs
diagonally in front of the green, hugging the right
side of the surface. Steel and Mackenzie cut a
bunker into the hillside left, and its sod-walled
face leaves no doubt in the golfer that bailing left
is no more attractive than the watery grave right.
Should the pleasant walk from the first green to the
second tee have left the golfer slightly dulled to
the grandeur of the place, coming out of the trees
to see the magnificent castle again can feel like a
small homecoming.
The third is another challenging hole, measuring a
daunting 208 yards from the back tees. The tee shot
is played through a chute of trees and must carry
the full distance to a green that is perilously
perched in the pond guarding three sides. The tricky
green is sure not to yield many birdie putts, so a
cautious two-putt is exactly what the doctor
ordered. To understand the spirit of the estate, one
can begin with the story of the third green, which
doubles as the target for impromptu late-night
closest-to-the-pin competitions from the Castle’s
front lawn.
The English golfing legend, Sir Henry Cotton, once
proclaimed that the seventh hole was
“possibly
the best par four in British in-land golf”. With the
compliment coming from no less then a three-time
Open winner, it is little wonder that little has
changed here today. The 384-yard hole is intertwined
with the stream that snakes its way through the
hole, creating two distinct fairways and the
greenside protection. The long golfer can choose to
carry the first fairway and the stream at its end in
pursuit of the second fairway. However, with a
little wind into the golfer, a very good strike is
required. From either fairway, the approach is more
difficult from the right side, which causes the
golfer to play over the water entirely to the green.
From the left side, the absence of bunkers allows
for a straightforward approach that needs to be
struck with authority.
After climbing to higher ground to begin the back
nine, the golfer is greeted by the challenging 11th
hole, which plays to a brutish 451 yards from the
exhibition markers. The drive is played over a
valley to a ridge that offers a generous fairway, so
accuracy can be sacrificed for a little extra
length. The approach, however, is another demanding
test, which begs the golfer to hit a long club over
the river valley to a green where the safest miss is
long.
After the demanding par-four 11th, the golfer is
treated to a few short holes, including the
back-to-back par fours at 13 and 14. The 13th
measures a seemingly modest 323 yards, but boasts a
string of four bunkers on the left side, leading
into the green and a large stand of trees on the
right. Laying up is the prudent play and leaves a
short pitch into the tricky green.
Coming back towards the North Gate is the devilish
14th hole, playing to just 280 yards. Although the
scorecard indicates that the hole may be a pushover,
few good players would dare to flirt with the green
from the tee. Set between two stands of trees, the
opening through which to approach the green is very
narrow, not to mention the difficult deep bunkers
that guard the green. If the golfer elects to lay
up, thought is still required to leave a position
that allows the second shot to have a clear shot to
the green.
After the visually stunning 17th hole, the golfer
arrives at the challenging closing hole. Playing
slightly uphill, the golfer must find the driving
area while avoiding the bunkers that guard its right
side. Although the right side leaves a better view
of the pin, it also leaves a longer approach.
Despite being blocked out by the steep left to right
slope, the left side of the fairway is the ideal
place to play the approach from. Bunkers guard the
lower right side of the green and gobble up shots
left short, which kick in from the slope. Aiming
left is essential and even if the golfer cannot
muster the full approach, the downhill left-to-right
slope will help run the ball in. The strategy of
this fine closing hole is better revealed to the
golfer on subsequent trips around the course, which
seems to generally hide its secrets well. It is a
combination of this unfolding mystery and
spectacular setting that gives the golfer reason to
be drawn back, time after time. Surely Abercromby’s
legacy lives on in the Old Course, and the expert
touch of Sirs Mackenzie and Steel deserve full
credit for its preservation.
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