The 8th was an even trickier green, sloping heavily left-to-right. My only three-putt of the day and I was relieved it was not a four putt in truth. The front nine finishes with a hole affectionately named “little gem” that needs little introduction. A breathtaking elevated tee box. 185 yards, playing a club or so less than that with misses that can be severely punished as I found out. The right greenside bunker is particularly penal as the dramatic slope brought my ball inevitably into its clutches.

The back nine begins with a daunting blind tee shot. Playing this again, I doubt I’d used any more than a 7 iron off the tee — playing for position rather than distance — merely trying to catch the downhill slope on the fairway. The 11th, is rightfully stroke index 2. Glorious aesthetically. But a tough golf hole with a two-tiered green to add to the complexity of the distance you already need to cover. A real challenge.

The 12th was every bit as impressive a short hole as the 9th. If anything I may have preferred it. Another sloping green that makes a par anything but a guarantee. Hitting the green isn’t the issue — holding it is. The 13th & 14th go back on each other.

The 14th, the better and harder of the two is a bending 338 yarder with a range of humps before the green and a slope that may inevitably lead into the greenside bunker. Bobby Jones once described this hole as “one of the finest of its length” — and I have to agree. A glorious hole that will reward two great strokes — or equally punish two average ones. The tranquility and peaceful nature of the course really came across on those latter holes. Members here are spoilt.

The 15th is the best par-5 by some distance. A tiger-lined 3 iron over the trees was brave for a first visit but sometimes you just fancy it. A second shot with an 8 iron in hand suggested it was worth the risk — on this occasion. The 16th that followed was the best uphill par-4 of the bunch. Back-to-back birdies was only possibly due to the fact I was below the hole. My playing partner could only watch in horror as his downhill putt narrowly missed the hole before painfully rolling off the green and down the hill for what seemed like an eternity. Harsh.

The 17th, is the shortest par-3. I opted for a PW but the green like many others at Coombe was larger than it seemed from the tee box. It suggested club selection yet again is critical for any hope of sticking your tee shot close. The final hole was far from my favourite, a slightly underwhelming hole after a few beauties before it at 14, 15, 16 and 17. A blind approach aiming for the giant flag as a guide felt like a touch of a lottery in truth. That final green was glorious from the other side — just as it was on the patio slightly over 3 hours ago…

Overall, the place is pristine. A top drawer parkland in impeccable condition throughout. Carrying is tight going though and not for the faint of heart. I felt the back nine was significantly better than the front though. There was a slight routing confusion crossing the 16th whilst looking for the 11th tee box but even then the membership kindly pointing us in the right direction which just about summed up the positive experience we had from start-to-finish. Would love to return with more knowledge of the course.