I almost didn't play based on the previous review, but I did as I was invited by a member (and customer). Funny how opinions differ and I have to wonder if Mark K played the same course as me?

The first and 18th are similar, although I don't think a 460 yard par 4 is "medium" length, especially as 1 is subtly uphill.

The 9th is a straight 390 yard par 4 over a gulley to a seemingly flat green protected by 2 bunkers (they cant be original?) and the 16th a right to left dogleg, par 4 to a heavily sloped r/l green protected by one bunker and treacherous run-off. One green was relatively easy to hold the other semi-blind and difficult.

I didn't see the 2nd an identikit of 10. Both are short par 4 (260 ish) but would both be excellent match play holes.

But I think that's the point, I think. Calcot struck me as a thinking course, similar in some ways to many old courses, if you miss your shot you will probably struggle and par becomes an excellent outcome. My friend was keen to point out that the course was designed with run offs rather than bunkers in mind, either you hit a good shot and hold the green or you have a devilish chip to try to get up and down. The 8th green a particular case where the green appears flat but through an optical illusion (Harry Colt again) actually slopes front to back. Get that wrong (as I did) and par was a real feat.

The greens were truly exceptional, fast and true but much more subtle than the Blue course at The Berkshire the week before. It took some time to understand the slopes, my friend laughed when he told me that non-members tell him that everything breaks towards the main road. Well it didn't for me or seem to for anyone else for that matter!

I particularly enjoyed the 3rd hole, everything laid out in front of the tee, "how can this be SI 3?" ; the 7th 13th and 17th are par 3s that would not be out of place on any Top 100 course in my view and the final loop of 14 - 18 as good as any I have played in a long time.

The land is unremarkable, certainly it felt hemmed in by the town growing around it and obviously the tree removal isn't finished yet. The clubhouse has seen better days.

Overall, I came away thinking that if I liked modern golf (Bearwood Lakes, for example) I wouldn't have enjoyed the subtlety of Calcot Park and how a short course (less than 6500 yards) could have tested me so? But that I suspect was the genius of Harry Colt.