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Andy Cocker

@buddaboy67

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Golf wanderer
Panelist @officialtop100 for ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช, ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ & New England๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
Member @woodhallspa_golf
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88/100๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ
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๐ŸŒโ€โ™‚๏ธ25 Countries
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One of the delights of each Summer in New England is our annual trip to @eastwardhomembers. I feel blessed and privileged to play what is my favourite course in the USA. Our hosts are the most wonderful people and make each visit such fun, filled with great memories. The course has been renovated with greens extended, making for some fun new pin positions, but otherwise Herbert Fowlers design holds true. Cape Cod and Chatham are quintessential New England and playing Eastward Ho! the icing on the cake. Thank you Bill, Randy and Kerry. #capecod #capecodgolf #herbertfowler by @buddaboy67
The first round of the trip at the excellent Eugene Country Club in Oregon. Carved through towering Douglas Firs, this is a fine course with lightening fast greens for late October. Next up after a long journey via London, Seattle and Portland is Bandon Dunes with three World Top 100 courses at the resort. by @buddaboy67
๐ŸŒŸNEW COURSE 502๐ŸŒŸ @longmeadowcc is a Donald Ross design dating back to 1922. Having celebrated its 100th anniversary this club, that flies under the radar appointed @tylerraedesign to produce a Masterplan that will restore and refine this classic Ross to Ross' original design principles. This Top20 Mass course @officialtop100 maximises the land movement which is predominantly between holes 3 - 8 and 16 - 18, with standout holes being the superb par 3 8th and the par 4 17th. There isn't a weak hole on this layout which is unchanged from its original routing. As the club follows through on Tyler Raes Masterplan it would not be a surprise to to see it head further up the rankings. A must play if you are in South West Massachusetts. Thank you to our hosts @travelinggolferdwe and @lookatmenow1965 and we look forward to seeing you both again in 2027. by @buddaboy67
Could this be the coolest golf course stone wall feature in the World? @mariongolfclub1904 is a quirky 9 hole golf course, just down the road from The Kittansett Club, but don't overlook it. The stone walls date back 100s of years to when the land was farmed and play a key part in what was George Thomas's 1at design. It may not be his best but there is charm at every turn and a vibe that is more in keeping with North Berwick in the UK. There are stone walls on the 3rd and 8th par3s and dirt berm in front of the 9th. The 3rd is great but for cool, the 8th wins out. The views over the sound behind the green on the 6th is also worth taking a few extra minutes to soak in. The new ownership have transformed the course in the last few years, along with a new logo that is a nod to Thomas's other passion, roses! Whatever you do dont drive past. Call in and play one of the top 9 hole golf courses in the World, all for a modest fee. The course is 2700 yards with 5 par 4s, 3 par 3s and 1 par 5, but depsite its length the charm will win you over. I would love to see the course make the @officialtop100 Mass rankings at some stage. by @buddaboy67
One of the joys of going to New England each Summer is that we get to see our US based friends whilst we are there. Whitinsville GC @whitinsville_golf_club is a 9 hole Donald Ross classic located in Central Massachusetts. My good friend Steve is a member here and it's one of our favourite places to meet up with him. @reggiedunlop18 (Gary) is also a good friend, introduced through Steve years ago and I have shared fairways with them both, here in the UK as well as over in New England. What better place to catch up with them both than at Whitinsville. It may only be 9 holes, but it packs a punch, with rolling fairways, forced carries, elevated tee shots, rapid heavily contoured greens and severe false fronts/slopes (on 4 of the 9 holes), leaving a mis hit approach some 30 - 40 yards back at your feet. The fescue framed fairways add to the overall aesthetics of the property. The addition of the clock to mark 100 years is a nice touch as well. Whitinsville in my opinion is the best standalone 9 hole course in the World! You can read mine and others reviews @officialtop100 #whitinsville #Donaldross @donaldrosssociety #massgolf @playmassgolf @whitinsvillegolfshop by @buddaboy67
There's more to @lofotenlinks than the famous 2nd hole. There are 17 other stellar, World class holes to play. There's the camaraderie of your friends plus new ones you meet along the way. Theres Laven restaurant where the food is superb, the ale a winner and the people you chat to on the long tables, telling stories to add to the wonderment of this place. Theres the Midnight Sun, something you can't quite picture until you see it for real. Theres the experience actually making it this far - 3 flights, additional golf courses played @miklagard_golf and @bodo_golfpark. There is horse riding, hiking, swimming. But as I'm a golfer, @lofotenlinks took centre stage. Memories to last a lifetime. A special place in my heart. Here's to the next 500! by @buddaboy67
๐ŸŒŸ NEW COURSE 500๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŽ‰๐ŸŽ‰ What a course to play to reach this goal. It's only taken 15 years to get here and tbh the 1st few years I didn't venture to that many different courses. @lofotenlinks Just hits different! I will be doing a couple of posts to capture the beauty of the course, but these videos and photos are of the iconic 2nd at Lofoten. Worth the journey just for these views alone. Lofoten summed up for me when on the 2nd day I wrote this down: "It is truly magical. The sun breaking through the dark rain clouds, shining it's golden rays across the course laid out in front of me. I was alone, on the 8th green, having just 'nipped' back out to complete the 7th and 8th holes, which we had skipped earlier in our round. At that exact moment, nothing else mattered. I let the feeling wash over me, trying to take everything in, not knowing whether this would be the last time I'll ever see that view, combined with such a feeling of complete happiness and being at one with this most magical of places. It has been the people I have met along this trip and the camaraderie I have shared with them alongside my friends, who I travelled with, that means that moment and that trip to the land of the Midnight Sun will remain in my heart and thoughts forever." Roll on course No1000 but for now I'll take time to reflect on my journey so far, that has seen me play golf all over the World, meeting the most amazing people, many who have become lifelong friends, sharing amazing experiences and cultures and seeing views one could never see unless they were stood on a golf course. To everyone I have shared the fairways with, Thank You, to everyone who has hosted me, I am forever grateful and to all the memories yet to be made, I cannot wait to see what happens next! #500 @officialtop100 @visit_lofoten @lofoteninfo by @buddaboy67
Just 1 course shy of my 500th different new course, @saltengolfklubb @bodo_golfpark was the perfect stop before my onward flight to Lofoten. Robin Hiseman of JCB fame designed the course 20 years ago but had not seen the finished 18 holes until now. I was lucky to accompany him and my good friend @brianwardtop100golf to visit and play the course. As you can see from the photos the course is a mix of 9 links like holes and 9 mountain holes. Split by a road the 2 nines actually go together well and whilst you get the views on the coast, the inland holes are very strong in terms of design. We were treat like royalty. The members at Bodo were so friendly and welcoming and a big shout out to my playing partner @enestekevin and Manager @henrikdagfinrud for making our day special and to Kevin for winning the Pairs Texas Scramble with me. A definite must stop on your route to Lofoten. Whilst not ranked at the moment on @officialtop100 I would be surprised if there are that many better courses in Norway. A day and course I will always remember. I plan to return in 2027 ๐Ÿ˜ƒ #499 by @buddaboy67
๐ŸŒŸNEW COURSE #498๐ŸŒŸ The start of a memorable trip to Norway, saw a mad dash from Oslo airport whilst on a layover to Bodo, to @miklagard_golf. Just 15 minutes away by taxi, this modern parkland design by @rtj2golfdesign is bold and bucks the trend of woodland/forest courses that Norway traditionally lends itself to. Its a bold design. Not usually a big fan of RTJ2 designs but this is a good, open, parkland course, which utilises the elevation changes well. It has water, as one would expect from RTJ2 and large bunkers as well as tricky, and contoured greens that make for interesting putting. The course is lined up for Championship Tour level golf with the back tees measuring 6542 metres! There are 5 sets of tees, down to 4736 metres, so something for everyone. Playing on tee III (6211 yards) to try and get around quickly before our next flight, the course is eminently playable yet testing at the same time. Water comes into play on holes 2, 10,11,16 and 18 with water on other holes simply visual. I came away very impressed by the design. Its a solid course, asks the right questions constantly whether off the tee, on the 2nd shot or testing your green reading ability on the contoured greens. As a travelling golfer aside - we played Miklagard enroute to Lofoten, taking in Salten Golfklubb (Bodo). This plan broke up the 3 flights. Bodo is designed by Robin Hiseman of European Golf Design (the man who designed JCB) and it is well worth the stop off to play as part of the Northern Norway golf experience. Read my full review @officialtop100 by @buddaboy67
@blackmoorgolf was an absolute pleasure to play, as I drew nearer to achieving a goal I set years ago of playing 500 new courses. #497 did not disappoint. A heathland masterpiece that somehow flies under the radar, it sits on the western edge of the sandbelt that cuts through Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire. Whilst under the radar, fortunately @officialtop100 recognises quality design and it rightly sits at #67๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ Top100. Tim Lobb has been advising for a number of years, restoring holes to its traditional heathland setting. There are some wonderful holes at Blackmoor, the par 3's being standout and the 9th in particular a short stunner played uphill back to the clubhouse, with golfers approaching the 8th green adding to the audience. Blackmoor is a hugely likeable golf course, a par 69 layout that offers pleasure to both the high handicap player and a challenge to the elite golfer, as evidenced by the coursesโ€™ Open qualifying history and the success of the Selborne Salver, one of the most prestigious individual amateur events in England won in the past by Matt Fitzpatrick. The finishing hole is also one the finest you will play. An undulating fairway and what a green to close out your round on. Put Blackmoor on your must play list! Read my full review @officialtop100 by @buddaboy67
๐ŸŒŸ NEW COURSE #496 ๐ŸŒŸ @haylinggolf proved a true and tough test of links golf. With winds constantly above 35mph and gusts over 45mph, plus a constant fine rain, this was never going to be an easy walk in the park. But fun it was. Hayling lies on an exposed peninsula on Hayling Island located off the Hampshire coastline. Bounded by Haying Beach and the English Channel, the prevailing wind blew into and across on most holes, with only one or two tee shots actually feeling like you were getting any assistance. It's a strong routing, with only the 1st 2 holes laid out next to the English Channel directly into the Westerly winds. The routing then switch inwards, back on itself before playing back into the wind on hole 6. The section 7 - 14 is played at the end of the penisula and holes switch directions constantly - SW, N, NW, S, SW, NE, NE, E - a crazy combination of short par 5s, long par 4sย  short par 4s and short par 3. Its the best section of the course. You will have had every aspect of your game examined. Your ability to use every club in the bag, to play a ground game under the wind when required, to shape a shot using the wind to your advantage, to select the right strategy on so many of the holes, being rewarded if executed well, punished by rough and gorse if not. All of this and more whilst getting blown over and wet through. And yet we had amazing fun. Despite the weather, the course routing kept you engaged throughout, offering up birdieable holes, then pitching you straight into a hole where you'll be happy to walk away with a bogey. The ebb and flow, the cut and thrust, the give and take all evident. I'd love to play Hayling on less wet and windy day but to be still battling in our matchplay game heading down the last, was testament to the fact that neither player had let the weather affect them to the point of giving up. Sat in the clubhouse afterwards, reflecting on Haylings status within the England Top100, any course that makes this level in the rankings has done so due to its strong architectural bones. Hayling has this in bucket loads thanks to Tom Simpson. @officialtop100 by @buddaboy67
@parkstonegc - Located in Dorset, just outside Poole and within a short drive of the beautiful surroundings of Corfe Castle, Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door, Parkstone is a well healed club, set in a wealthy suburb, but at the same time, not all pretentious. The welcome was friendly, even the local fox came to say hello to me on the 1st tee. Designed by Willie Park Jr, and latterly lengthened and altered by James Braid in 1932, the routing is a golden age wonderment, utilising the undulating ground to great effect. No hole feels forced, none feel artifical, all feel like a cloth has been draped over the landscape to create the rolling fairways. Presentation and conditioning were 2nd to none, nothing was left out of place. The bunkering has been perfect all throughout the course. Excellently placed and in play for all levels of golfer. The greens themselves have been varied, but consistent in speed, with slopes, tiers, ridges, run offs all requiring laser focus on approach and when putting. The routing flows well, making exceptional use of the terrain to maximise what each hole has to offer. The course may not be 'championship' length, but its a solid test, with 5 par 5's and 5 par 3's meaning a good score can be posted, yet enough trouble to test the lower handicapper. It's a course I fell in love with and one I will definitely look forward to playing again. If I lived within an hours drive of this course, I would be a member. It's a course I could play week in, week out without question. It offers up a fun, playable routing, with plenty of challenge for all levels of golfers. Add Broadstone, Stoneham, Ferndown and Isle of Purbeck and you have a superb golf trip to this part of Hampshire and Dorset. Read my full review at @officialtop100 ๐ŸŒŸ New Course #494 ๐ŸŒŸ by @buddaboy67

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