'ALISON'
Par 5, 526 Yards, SI 11
Named after Charles Hugh Alison who was a partner with Harry Colt and John Morrison of Colt, Alison & Morrison Ltd. Alison was a member of Burnham for over 40 years and was also an accomplished cricketer playing four first-class cricket matches for Somerset County Cricket Club. He served in both WW1 and WW2 decoding cyphers. One of Alison’s most respected designs is Milwaukee Country Club (1929), co-designed with Colt, which was ranked among the top 50 courses in America by Golf Digest in 2007. Was a great supporter of Burnham and Berrow Golf Club and despite his commitments to designing courses all over the world and his reputation as one of the best, it is justifiable, to say that the architects of modern-day Burnham & Berrow were Harry Colt and Hugh Alison.
This hole was originally laid out as part of the 1910 extension by Herbert Fowler. However, the final input of the Colt/ Alison team came in 1951 when Alison was asked to design a new 8th green. By moving the green back towards the 9th tee and raising it several feet he made a much more challenging par 5 hole. This was completed in 1953, one year after Alison died aged 70. Colt died in 1951 so this was probably one of his last contributions to course design.
Pro Tip
“A good birdie opportunity for the accomplished player. Depending on the wind direction a good drive will enable the longer hitters to reach the green in two. A pulled tee shot will catch one of the bunkers cut into the bank on the left, a tee shot leaked to the right can catch the ditch which runs diagonally across the length of the tee shot or thick rough if you are really wide. If you can carry the fairway bunker short and to the left of the green with the second shot the ball will feed to the right onto the green. Anything online but falling short will run off to the right leaving a tricky up and down especially if the hole is cut on the right.”
