BRIDLINGTON LINKS GOLF COURSE (FITTER DOVETAILS)

 

BRIDLINGTON LINKS GOLF CLUB	https://www.pure-leisure.co.uk/parks/yorkshire/bridlington-links/golf/
Type of course	Links	18 holes	Par 72
Course distance	White 6728 yds	Yellow 6343 yds	Red 5713 yds
Holes	4 x Par 3	10 x Par 4	4 x Par 5
Played	04/06/21
Claim to Fame: Nothing indicated on the web site

Where’s Bridlington Links Golf Course? Bridlington of course. Yes, but where abouts? Well, if you follow the signs through Bridlington and past Sewerby Hall on the way to Flamborough you will see a signpost that says . . . .  Ah, there lies the problem. No signs through Bridlington, no signs past Sewerby Hall and no sign indicating the entrance. Thankfully, Google maps had the directions but, on the day me and the Fitter still overshot. The walled entrance indicates you are entering a  luxury holiday home development at Bridlington Bay and not a golf course.

At first glance it appears you are heading onto the cliff tops, but the further you venture the more you realise it is a golf course. Tees and flags abound on the left hand side of the drive and give you the immediate feeling that this is going to be a short course made up of lots of par threes. Don’t let that deceive you however, for this course is quite a hike, particularly between green and tee on the back nine.

As we came to a halt on the gravel car park, a small wood building to our left highlights in large lettering it is the golf links shop and reception. Directly ahead is a sprawling two story building containing locker rooms, bar, Danes Dyke Restaurant, and at the rear, a large veranda overlooking the 18^th green.

As we entered the smaller of the two edifices, Boom Boom, was in full discussion with the Pro regarding the direction of travel we should take. Bridlington Links is in fact 27 hole strong and although aptly sign posted, pen marks on the scorecard map appear to be essential for the newcomer. Today we would be playing the Heritage Course.

Today’s protagonists were Boom Boom and the Welsh Wizard pitted against the Fitter and me. We had at our previous meeting at Beverley beaten the opposition for the first time by the narrowest of margins and we anticipated today would be another close-run affair. Before we ventured to the first the customary discussion took place regarding handicaps and shot allowances. The outcome unsurprisingly was the same.

£20 per head paid up front and we were off. The first, 361 yards par 4, SI 6 gently rising over a pond was navigated well and we were up and running.  Second shots were off the mark but pitches and putts saved the day and before you knew it I had bagged us the first hole. One up.  The second SI 16 at 309 yards a par 4,  was halved  and we quickly moved onto the first of four par 5’s, the signature 3^rd,  a dog leg left, sloping right to left with ponds at the bottom of the incline. The Fitter went left but avoided the pond, the Wizard went right and me and Boom Boom went through the middle. Unlike Boom Boom’s second mine was sadly scuffed into the water, the Fitter had to chip out onto the fairway and the Wizard sailed left. Shot three for me and the Fitter tucked nicely under the only small tree for miles around and there was no coming back as Boom Boom parred the hole. All square.

After my recent escapades at Hornsea questions started to creep in as to  whether I would once again implode early in the round! The 4^th par 3 over a small hollow at 169 yards SI 12 saw me fair no better as my ball disappeared into the long grass never to be seen again, Thankfully the Fitter was on the green and departed with a par, one up, once again.

The 5th was halved but noticeably the Wizard was firing a lot of shots right and finding it difficult to get out of the long grass he found himself in. He had a particular knack today of drawing us all in to help look for his ball and after a fruitless search he would find it inches away from where he left his trolley! A true magician, if ever there was one! It appeared Bridlington Links lack of trees was preventing his weirding ways from coming to the fore.

The 6^th par 5 at 501 yards SI 8 saw me take my turn to win the hole and we walked off two up as I bagged a par. Likewise on the par 4 8^th and we were three up. At the 9^ththe Fitter began to dovetail nicely and took the hole with a par,  four to the good at the turn, it was too good to imagine.

The 10^th par 4 at 425 yards has a tree lined fairway and an entrance that appears to indicate you are about to enter parkland. This is a false dawn for after the 10^th a trek back up the fairway takes you out onto the cliff edge, that is unless you follow Boom Boom’s directions and head off up the 18^th back through the trees from whence you came. Thankfully, the big hitter quickly realised the error of his ways and no harm was done. Perhaps I should have come to his assistance and taken more notice of my Garmin watch that indicated the hole was 760 yards from tee to green!

Hole abandoned we moved to the proper 11^th and before you knew it the Fitter had once again taken the hole. As he did again immediately at the par 5 11^th SI 11 at 558 yards. Six up with seven to play, an unbelievable score line, surely, we had it in the bag. A half at the 12^th once again courtesy of the Fitter and we were dormie six. “Nowt daft” was the rallying call and before you knew it were back to five up after the 13^th.

With fear of a major collapse and nerves jangling we hit the  14^th par 3 140 yards SI 13.  Boom Boom overshot the green, the Wizard not for the first time went right and I was well short. The hole named ‘Cliffhanger’ had all the makings of another disaster. Thankfully, I bogeyed to half the hole and that would have been enough but just to rub salt in the wound the Fitter produced an excellent par and it was all over bar the moaning.  Talk of cutting handicaps by two was mentioned but quickly ignored  and when at the par 4 15^th SI 9 at 367 yards the Fitter couldn’t be bothered to look for his lost ball off the tee, you knew the open wound was being well and truly salted. Game over much to the chagrin of Boom Boom and the Welsh Wizard, who did go on to win a few holes but the phrase “too little too late” was voiced by the deflated Alliterations.

As to the standard of the course, in the main, the fairways are expansive allowing for a great deal of error but too far offline and the long grass will get you. The greens run fairly true but the bunkers were a disgrace. While I understand covid restrictions prevent players from raking, these bunkers were similar to gravel pits, rock hard and unforgiving. Thankfully, the majority were GUR but even so on inspection you could tell they were not being tended, at all.

On reflection Bridlington Links does have the feel of a holiday park venue but with a little more care an attention I am sure it would receive more bookings from the local area aficionados.