Royal West is a lovely layout and has always been perceived as a significantly easier test than the East course. I played it very recently in quite wet conditions, which meant that it played its full length with very little run on the fairways and the greens had very little roll. The only downside to this was that the greens were very soft when the ball was chipped into them, with little to no release. However, a good putt rolled absolutely perfectly, so it was more a case of moisture under the surface hampering the chip and run. I’ve always enjoyed the flow of the holes on West, with a good balance of short and long holes (with arguably the shortest short playing at 82m and the longest playing at 230m on the day I played!) Royal is a fantastic facility with great staff and both courses are always a highlight when I get to play there. I like the new halfway house layout and the staff are all friendly too.
