Railways and golf courses

For the criteria of this thread Montrose qualifies with 3, the Royal Montrose having two courses, the Medal Course and the Broomfield Course, and the Montrose Caledonia Golf Club.

Barry Links is within a mile of 4 courses but only one club house. Anyway, Carnoustie and Golf Street stations are already qualifying with Carnoustie's 3 courses so adding a third station might be excessive for the same courses.

Monifieth surprised me, but an aerial view shows a lot of fairways. Monifieth Golf Links has 2 courses and so has Monifieth Golf Club, so that is currently putting Monifieth in second place with 4 courses behind Troon with 5.

Coastal links courses are dominating the field here with only Gleneagles inland. Scotland is also dominant (I know, the Scots invented the game on the links) with only Llandudno in the running for Wales and none for England.

Are there any inland stations with 3 courses within a mile? Are there any stations with 3 courses within a mile in England? Yes, there is at least one, I'll not give any more clues just yet.

I played St. Melyd Golf Course near Prestatyn in about 1970 - there was a freight line to Dyserth Quarry that you used to cross on a foot crossing to get to some holes

The more you look, the more you find.

Kintore misses out purely because the reopened station is still under construction.

Inverurie, Portlethen, Cupar, Insch, Huntly, Keith, Inverness and Elgin all have a course plus club house within 1 mile.

Final one for consideration is Springfield in Fife which deserves a mention as it forms part of the adjacent college.

Finding another course or two within the limit is a lot harder once you move away from the Carnoustie-St Andrews area though.

North Berwick zGolf Clubhouse is less than half a.mile .
from the station. Glen Clubhouse for the East course is probably just outside the mile

Surely there must be more than one station in England with 3 courses within a mile - the one I know hasn't been nominated yet.

I can get two for Banstead - Banstead Downs and Cuddington, and it looks like 3 for Esher, with Esher Common, Sandown Park and Hersham being the three. And doing some checking West Byfleet looks like it has a third as well, Twisted Stone to go with West Byfleet and New Zealand.

Woking Stations looks pretty tight for Woking, Hoebridge and Sutton Greer. Sunningdale gets you two courses at Sunningdale itself, plus Sunningdale Heath. Bagshot looks a good shot for Windlesham and the two courses at the Berkshire. Longcross seems within a mile of the three courses at Wentworth, East, West and the Edinburgh.

By tram Gravel Hill looks pretty good for Addington Palace, the Addington, Addington Court and Falconwood golf courses.

Ladybank

Cricketer8for9 said:

I can get two for Banstead - Banstead Downs and Cuddington, and it looks like 3 for Esher, with Esher Common, Sandown Park and Hersham being the three. And doing some checking West Byfleet looks like it has a third as well, Twisted Stone to go with West Byfleet and New Zealand.

Woking Stations looks pretty tight for Woking, Hoebridge and Sutton Greer. Sunningdale gets you two courses at Sunningdale itself, plus Sunningdale Heath. Bagshot looks a good shot for Windlesham and the two courses at the Berkshire. Longcross seems within a mile of the three courses at Wentworth, East, West and the Edinburgh.

By tram Gravel Hill looks pretty good for Addington Palace, the Addington, Addington Court and Falconwood golf courses.

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Banstead scores 2 with Cuddington and Banstead Downs, the Oaks being well outside the mile.

Esher scores with Hersham, but are the others 18 hole courses?

West Byfleet station may be added to the list of 3 scoring stations with West Byfleet, Twisted Stone (formerly Traditions as shown on OS map) and New Zealand. First entrant from England!

Woking has Hoebridge but Woking at Hook Heath and Sutton Green don't even come close to the mile criteria.

Sunningdale station has Sunningdale itself, boasting Old and New Courses, plus Sunningdale Heath taking it into the 3 scoring league.

Bagshot is out of range of Berkshire and Swinley Forest.

Longcross station is just within the mile as the crow flies from the Wentworth club house, with 3 courses, East, West and the Edinburgh.

As I tried to make Tyneside Metro's Regent Centre station a member of the 3 clubs league (I used to be a member at Gosforth), and failed, I'll exceptionally allow a challenge from Gravel Hill tram stop. Addington Court is 18 holes, but Falconwood seems to be only 9. Addington and Addington Place are eligible to allow Gravel Hill into the 3 scoring league.

Good effort there for English clubs and all inland too. Took a bit of checking. There is at least one more station in England with 3 clubs within a mile walk.

Highlandspring said:

Ladybank

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Ladybank station is within a mile of Ladybank Golf club but next nearest seem to be at Falkland and Markinch.

As an aside you do often see a railway running beside the courses that are used for The Open - probably about the only interesting thing about it. (I'm not a golf fan!)

Moor Park must qualify. Two courses at Moor Park itself, plus Sandy Lodge. Not sure if Rickmansworth is within the mile. Similarly Rickmansworth may be within a mile of Rickmansworth, Batchworth Park and the two Moor Park courses.

Cricketer8for9 said:

Moor Park must qualify. Two courses at Moor Park itself, plus Sandy Lodge. Not sure if Rickmansworth is within the mile. Similarly Rickmansworth may be within a mile of Rickmansworth, Batchworth Park and the two Moor Park courses.

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Moor Park station qualifies with 3, Moor Park's two (what an amazing club house) with the High and The West plus Sandy Lodge.

Northwood Hills station only just misses out with Haste Hill and Pinner Hill within the mile, but Northwood's club house is outside.

Northwood station may be allowed in if the crow went very straight from the nearest end of the station platform to the nearest corner of the Pinner Hill club house! Northwood and Haste Hill qualify.This station's case is one for the closer scrutiny review body!! Two near misses so close together may deserve a special ruling, a dispensation or derogation, maybe.

Rickmansworth is another good place to play golf, but although Rickmansworth and Batchworth Park are within the mile the club house for the Moor park courses is well outside.

What's now emerging are strong golfing heat areas in the leafy suburbs of London, now challenging the links courses in Scotland.

There is certainly at least one more station with 3 or more full 18 hole golf courses with club houses less than a mile away. If I know one, there'll probably be others.

Mag_seven said:

As an aside you do often see a railway running beside the courses that are used for The Open - probably about the only interesting thing about it. (I'm not a golf fan!)

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There was a controversial moment at the last Open at Troon when a class 66 was passing while one of the golfers was just about to take a shot, the driver gave the horn full blast and put the guy off his swing

Cameron Bowden said:

It would be interesting to know how many drivers/ guards have been on a train that has been hit by a wayward golf ball?

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At Llandudno the railways actually runs between two different golf course. So I am sure a stray ball must have hit a train at some point. On the left as you head out of Llandudno is Maesdu golf club and North Wales golf club is on the right, you then have the Conwy estuary to the right of that and Conwy golf club on the opposite side of that!!

Earlswood station is about 0.5miles from Redhill & Reigate Golf Course (my grandparents lived in Reigate so I often walked across the golf course with them and my parents). However, the golf course is more than a mile from its two namesake stations.

But Redhill and Reigate is now closed.

Kendalian said:

Ansdell & Fairhaven is just next to Royal Lytham & St Annes, another Open venue. (Senior Open is there in a couple of weeks time).

Because the Blackpool South line was singled in the 1980s with no loops, when the Open is on a shuttle runs half hourly from Preston (usually the RES platform) to A&F every 30 min with a replacement bus to Blackpool South

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It has also been done with 2 train shuttles , Preston to Ansdell and Ansdell to Blackpool South with a temporary block on the line mid platform at Ansdell before the platform was shortened to its present length

Well if we're talking about closed stations. From the old (closed) entrance to Belgrave and Birstall station to Birstall Golf Club is by my reckoning about 60 yards. The club is literally on station road.

Cricketer8for9 said:

But Redhill and Reigate is now closed.

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So it is, and just a few months ago! I was last there 35 or more years ago so I hadn't noticed.

Prestwick Town station has Prestwick Old Course as a neighbor, 1st tee is the other side of the fence from the platform.
There is another two courses within a mile from the station.
Barassie which is part of Troon has a course across the road from the station so that's 6 and at a push Dundonald links is probably also within a mile of Barassie so 7 at a push.
Basically once you leave Kilwinning almost every spare bit of open ground is a golf course until you get to Ayr.

Looking a bit more closely at my local area Sanderstead looks like it’s close enough to Croham Hurst, is definitely close enough to Purley Downs and may just be close enough to Selsdon Park.

St Margaret’s (the Twickenham one) looks like it’s close enough to the two Royal Mid Surrey courses and Richmond, though it’s really a crow flying as there is the Thames in the way via roads. Richmond Stations looks a bit too far away from Richmond golf club.

And Iver has a good chance for Iver, Richings Park, and Thorney Park.

I'd have a punt at Fulwell: Strawberry Hill, Fulwell and Twickenham Park courses

47271 said:

Slightly off topic, but quite amusing, my uncle once hit a duff shot at St Michael's near Leuchars. It found itself in a passing open freight wagon heading south, never to be seen again.

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Marty Feldman sketch comes to mind!

IIRC there was a Paddington Bear story where he entered a golf competition. Multiple prizes were given out, including one for the furthest you could hit your ball.

Paddington managed to hit his ball through the open window of a passing train and therefore won the prize....

Kendalian said:

Ansdell & Fairhaven is just next to Royal Lytham & St Annes, another Open venue. (Senior Open is there in a couple of weeks time).

Because the Blackpool South line was singled in the 1980s with no loops, when the Open is on a shuttle runs half hourly from Preston (usually the RES platform) to A&F every 30 min with a replacement bus to Blackpool South

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But the station is by the 9th green which is miles from the club house, 1st tee and 18th green. It was a helluva walk afterwards the last time I went to watch the Open there and stayed to see the final putts and presentation on the 4th day.

https://www.provisualizer.com/courses/royallythamandstannes.php

I started this thread back in July when my local station was celebrating the 125th anniversary of the opening of the Dore & Chinley Railway for passenger services through Totley and Cowburn Tunnels, now more usually referred to as the Hope Valley line.

More significant for this thread was the opening of the Sheffield and Chesterfield Railway through Bradway Tunnel in 1870. To the south of the tunnel is Dronfield, now the last station in Derbyshire, but then the stations to the north of the tunnel at Beauchief and Abbey Dale and Ecclesall and Mill Houses were also in Derbyshire. In 1872 a further station at Dore and Totley was opened. In those days railway companies loosely linked together villages and suburbs when naming stations to widen their appeal to the local population, some stations being miles away from the place/s concerned.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries the licensing regulations in Sheffield prohibited drinking on a Sunday but golfers have long enjoyed their 19th hole refreshments. Running south and down the Sheaf Valley was open ground but to the west it was in Sheffield. To the east it was in Derbyshire and the Beauchief Golf Club became established very close to the station of that name. Abbeydale Golf Club was set up nearer to Dore & Totley station. As golf became more popular another course was demanded and was laid out across the top of Bradway Tunnel. Why wasn't it called Bradway Golf Club? Because it was less than a mile away (up the steep hill of Twentywell Lane) from Dore & Totley Station after which it was named.

In the early days of the 20th century all thrived and grew. Golfers happily carried their bags across their backs and many came by train. (Although the tram got to Beauchief station it didn't get up to Dore & Totley.)

Today Dore & Totley is a city council ward including Dore, Totley and Bradway, but that wasn't until 1934 when Sheffield (and West Yorkshire) took in a swathe of north Derbyshire. Prior to 1934 Dore village had slowly expanded from hamlet size after the opening of Dore Road to the station. The second hamlet of Totley had also grown, originally served by a horse bus to the station.

So Dore & Totley station in Sheffield can join the ranks of stations with 3 or more golf club houses within a mile. It can also claim a golf club named after the station, and a council ward too. In its heyday it had 4 platforms with frequent trains on two lines. There may be a golfer who uses the station today, but the vast majority arrive by car.

Beauchief, Dore & Totley and Abbeydale are all lovely courses.

Are preserved railways allowed? If so Ferry Meadows station on the Nene Valley Railway just about qualifies although Milton Park is about 1.2 miles away but as a bonus the track runs through Orton Meadows golf course and Thorpe Wood is also within a mile.

Glencruitten Golf Club is within a mile of Oban railway station. Lots of nine hole courses close to stations on the WHL as well

Not sure this is entirely on topic after they way this thread has been developed, but the St Ives (Cornwall) branch passes alongside the grounds of the West Cornwall golf club. Lelant station nearby