Eastham Lodge requires train of thought

Mar 18 2008 by Richard Williamson, Liverpool Daily Post

WHEN you rub shoulders with royalty, it is all too easy to get left in the shade.

And while the golfing community on the Wirral is immensely proud of the Open’s recent return to Royal Liverpool, the spread of courses across the Merseyside peninsula are equally determined to make their own mark.

In fact it is the diversity of courses on offer – stretching from historic links at places like Hoylake and Wallasey to challenging venues like Heswall and Caldy – that makes Wirral such a popular golfing destination.

Eastham Lodge is one of those clubs working hard to ensure that it, too, enjoys a place among the golfing hierarchy.

And given the fact that the members have already shown throughout the club’s history their ability to meet adversity head on, the future looks brighter than a summer’s dawn.

In the past the club has endured moments when it seemed the final hole had been played.

Originally started as a club for workers at Port Sunlight on land provided by Lord Leverhulme – with a railway carriage as a clubhouse – the move to its present home on the banks of the Mersey proved a signal for members to go full steam ahead in developing a tricky test of accuracy and skill.

First as a nine-hole club, then through a stage with 15 on offer, Eastham Lodge is now in its prime with a full complement of 18 holes.

And the fact that this golfing jigsaw has been put together in a number of stages means a few of the pieces will come as a surprise.

It is not a whopper by modern standards, falling short of 6,000 yards and with a par of 68. But the confines of its woodland setting mean it cannot be treated lightly for fear of finding yourself barking up the wrong tree.

The vast majority of the holes are framed by those trees that have survived the ravages of the winter storms of the past few years so it is very easy to forget how close to suburbia you are. Scampering squirrels or rabbits and the bird life – now including a family of buzzards – add to the natural feel of a course that is like a breath of fresh air.

The trees give a tight, compressed feel to the course that means tactics and caution will serve you well.

“It is not the longest course you will play,” admits professional Nick Sargent. “But it is nice and tight and positional play holds the key to a good score.

“We only have one par five, but the par threes are all good holes, with two of them topping 200 yards. The greens offer a tough target and are well guarded by bunkers and trees.

“The 10th is probably the pick of the course. It is 186 yards, but is all carry with bunkers short and out of bounds behind the green. There are plenty of run-off areas, too.

“While the overall length of some of the holes may not seem much, often there is a fair carry to get in the right position. For example, on the fourth – which is a 464 yard par four – the carry to the corner of the trees is around 300 yards and that can turn it into a three shot hole for players. There is a big green at the finish, but a narrow approach with trees down the left and out of bounds, too.”

Sargent believes the improvements that have been made to the course – which include new swathes of gorse and trees – have added to the cutting edge of the holes.

“The standard scratch score is now the same as the par, when in the past it has been below,” he said.

“We have planted gorse and trees and they have helped make the course a far better challenge.

“The seventh, for example, was a fairly straight forward hole for the low handicap players, but by planting gorse and trees on the corner of the dog leg we have left them with something to think about.

“The 13th is another tricky hole, where the carry to outrun the trees is around 315 yards, while the par three 15th has been improved by the filling in of the ditch in front of the green. Instead there are not grass mounds masking the green with gorse bushes awaiting anyone who hits the ball too far right.”