Taking the train in England: My bag at the Sunningdale stop
A travel feature I wrote about heading to great golf in England by train appeared in yesterday’s Toronto Star. BTW, I think this is the first thing I’ve written for the Star since 1998.
Here’s a taste:
LONDON“At 6 a.m. London’s ritzy Sloane Square is just starting to bustle with bleary-eyed commuters, as I duck out of my hotel, slip a handful of pound coins into the Underground ticket dispenser and proceed to the train.
My fellow travellers all have briefcases tucked under their arms and are heading to work. But I’ve got my golf bag over my shoulder and I’m off to Waterloo Station to catch a train to Sandwich, on England’s southeast coast. I’ll spend the day playing at Royal St. George’s Golf Club before catching a late afternoon train back to the city and the evening rush.
The notion of playing golf around London by train might baffle some, especially after experiencing the city’s notorious traffic. But London is surrounded by great golf, and thanks to the remarkable rail network, it’s within easy reach “ just a couple of hours away. Not many people, it seems, take advantage of that opportunity.“We might get a few players “ 10 or 12 a year,” says Bill, the locker room attendant at St. George’s, as he picks me up at the station for the three-minute drive to the course.
RT. Good to read your piece in the Star. The one thing that perplexed me a bit was how subdued you were about the actual courses – Sunningdale & Sandwich. Wonder how you would rank those 2 against the best in Canada? Other than the 3 courses, did you play anywhere else?
I wouldn’t say I was subdued — I just had a tight word count. I think I was more effusive about the courses in my reviews here, though I have yet to do Sunningdale. I love them all, BTW. And no, I didn’t play anything other than the three clubs.