Foxhills (Bernard Hunt) - Surrey - England

The least known of the courses is the nine-hole Manor par-three loop that you can't miss as you drive into the sprawling estate. I did not manage to play this shorty on my visit but did get to see their two main 'championship' courses; the Longcross and Bernard Hunt, both of which play predominantly through stunning pine forest, especially the Longcross.

I came away impressed with both but if you only have time for one round when playing or staying at Foxhills you shouldn't be too picky about which one you choose to play. Both are high quality, well presented with not much in it. I just sway towards the Bernard Hunt myself but it's almost the flip of a coin.

All four nines start and end at the clubhouse with both courses sharing a large double green for their 18th. The routing for each nine is very good and takes you on a lovely tour of the grounds. Overall the Longcross is slightly tighter and shorter than its brother but you are required to shape the ball off the tee on both tracks thanks to a number of dog-leg holes, some more angled than others.

I had an early morning start on the Bernard Hunt and was pleased with the beginning of the course. A pair of medium length par-fours, both dipping down from the tee and then legging up to the right for the approach, set a nice tone to the round. Both holes are tree-lined, as are the majority on the Foxhills property, where accuracy trumps distance for the most part.

Holes three to seven do open up a bit before the front nine closes in a similar fashion to the first with a shortish and tight par-four played to a raised green. There is plenty of movement in the land on the Bernard Hunt and this makes for some exciting holes. I thought the 1st, 2nd, 6th, 7th and 9th are particularly strong although I have to question Today's Golfers claim (there's a sign on the tee) stating that the 6th has one of the best fairways in golf. Very nice, yes but give me the 6th at Royal North Devon or any number of heaving links fairways any day!

The back-nine (which loops around the inner front-nine) starts with a recently re-designed hole which has similar characteristics to other holes we have seen so far; a descending drive before playing up to the green. I didn't think the inward half was quite as dynamic as the opening side but there are still many highlights. The 15th has a brilliant, albeit quite evil green, and the 17th is a grand looking hole with another excellent green, this time two-tiered. All-in-all this par 73, 6,864-yard course has plenty going for it.

Ed is the founder of Golf Empire – click the link to read his full review.

It wasn't just the fabulous quality of this course that impressed me so much it is the facility as a whole. It was the first time I had been to Foxhills and wasn't aware how extensive the club is, you could spend the whole day and not even play a round. Foxhills has instantly jumped in to my personal top 10 courses and I can't wait to go back and play The Longcross later this year.

Course No. 2 at Foxhills. There are many arguments as to which is the better course. I pick the Longcross, but the Bernard Hunt is an equal test with (almost) equal beauty.

The course measures 6,883 yards from the tips and therefore many holes play long. The layout is delightfully undulating, and this creates entertainment. Both visually and via playing.

The course is half open/half tree lined. The promotes accuracy off the tee which is completed by small but true and testing greens.

It would be fair to say that there is no real ‘wow’ factor that you find at other neighbouring courses (Wentworth and Sunningdale a wedge away). However, there are a number of holes that appeal to me. The devilish par 4 9th is almost driveable but the green is defended by a number of deep bunkers. Not to mention that the fairway slopes violently from left to right. This is a Sunningdale Old-esque hole for me.

Another hole that deserves commendation is the par 4 18th, an uphill 450-yard dog-leg left to a shared green with the 18th on the Longcross course. A brilliant feature.

Me weekend tee-time preference will be the Longcross, but I can’t be too much of a golf snob. I’m lucky to have another wonderful golf course to choose from.

I find it hard to pick between the Longcross and BH. Longcross is certainly the prettier of the two and has more charm, but I feel BH makes up for that by being a truer test of golf.

This course is tree-lined but feels a lot more open than the Longcross. The opening holes are all solid - getting particularly good at 5 and 6 (both with approach shots into elevated greens). 7 is a tough par 5 which is followed by a pretty par 3 and then an enjoyable shortish par 4 9th. The approach is semi-blind so you need to be in the right place off the tee to have a chance of scoring well here.

10 is my favourite hole at Foxhills. Brilliant drive from an elevated tee onto ground that slopes to the left but the dogleg bending to the right. The approach is a challenge into yet another elevated green.

11 is another nice par 3 at the top of the hill before the course starts to feel a little different. 12-13 have a different feel to any others on the rest of the property.

16 was a long par 3 with trouble all the way down the right and 17 was another tight hole with an elevated green (this one felt a bit more like the Longcross holes).

Finally, 18 is a decent hole (if a little similar to the 18th on Longcross) which doglegs severely to the left.

I enjoyed both courses here (as well as the tricky par 3 course which is worth a round) and both courses will test you in different ways. Play them both and see if you can pick a favourite.

Some nice holes amongst the pine trees around the clubhouse, but the further away you go from the clubhouse, the worst the holes get. Lots of average holes which all merge into one.

The Bernard Hunt course is the lesser of the two courses at Foxhills. There are similarities between the two courses although the BH is a little more generous off the tee and a little more undulating. The course starts off steadily enough but it is not until you reach the 6th that you find a memorable hole…this long par 4 has a brook you need to avoid from the tee before you attempt to find the green set above the player. 9 is a fun short par 4 with a tricky green again which is set above the player. Hole 18 is a decent enough par 4 which shares its green with the 18th on The Longcross. The BH is a nice resort course but somewhat overshadowed in a county with such depth.

Played in May 18, first time back after a number of years. Friendly welcome, good practice facilities including range, chipping and putting green. The course was very well presented, fast and true greens with some subtle and not-so-subtle breaks, the property is very large so you did feel often in a world of your own.there were some exciting holes and shots, however at other times the course took a bit of a breather, especially in my opinion from holes 11 to 16. The drive at the second was a classic risk/reward shot where a well judged fade would leave an easy approach. The long uphill par 3 fourth really tested your ball striking, with a false front ensuring you had to land on the green (with a 4/5 iron in my case) and then hold it. I was a bit underwhelmed by the par 5 seventh, where a good drive could go into the brook, and also your second shot needed to be 100 yards in length max in order to stay on the fairway. I don’t see the point of a par 5 that almost forces you to play 3 irons. The 8th and 9th were picturesque holes, and the drive on the 10th also got the heart beating a little quicker. After that it fizzled out a bit, still very enjoyable but not quite as thrilling. Somewhere between a 4 and a 5 ball rating, but there’s string competition in the area if you have the cash!

First impressions were excellant with tennis, golf and all the facilities in one location. A couple of interesting short par 4's to start with, but by the time I got to the forward tee on the par 5 third I realised the yellow tees were way forward. The starter had enthused about the stroke index 1 par 5 fifth but off the forward yellow tee on the day this was not a good golf; the drive was a nonsense with no idea what to hit to be short of the pond or on what line. This continued for the rest of the round with yellow tees not suiting the design of the course. Greens were good, some bunker lies dodgy, some very bare lies around some of the greens, and a good finishing hole. A resort course probably sums it up. Could be a four ball, but difficult to judge a course unless you are off the proper tees !

If I was writing this review having not played that many courses, I would probably give it a 4-ball ranking but as I have played and posted reviews for so many, the Bernhard Hunt can only get to a 3-ball based on my comparisons. Currently #22 in the great golf county of Surrey is probably a little high, certainly Camberley Heath should be in front of it. Even with a number of decent holes, the course struggles to give the wow factor seen on plenty of the others in the county. The 5th is a very good hole; a par-5 and SI-1, water to cross at about half-way and a tough uphill approach to the green and the 10th is a great driving par-4 and having an elevated tee is an obvious contributing factor. I think the course loses its way a little after the 12th hole, this is the furthest point from the clubhouse and the holes to the 16th are a little un-inspiring if truthful. The 18th though is fantastic, an uphill par-4 around 450 yards with a slight dog-leg to the left. Foxhills as a venue is difficult to fault, with great accommodation and facilities that you would expect to see at high-end clubs – and this is always popular with the corporate market. In summary, Foxhills as a resort is certainly successful but the Bernard Hunt course lacks a little for me.

I am a member here, I have been for 2 years now and it just keeps getting better and better. new Green keeper and director of Golf doing wonders with the greens. The fairways are lush, the challenge and variety of the holes is something to savor (spell check are you sure its not savour?). You will not be disappointed by playing here. A chance to play strategically, a chance to bomb it and if you have a card going then there is a great finish from 16, 17, 18 that if negotiated well into the prevailing breeze will make the beer taste even better in the cosmopolitan country club Bar XIX. Some very pretty holes here. A strong test of golf that was the home of the Q school back in the early eighties and late seventies. The other course is a beauty too. every time I come here I feel like I have arrived. Best holes? 1,2,6,8,10,16,17,18 but thats subjective! P.S. great hotel and other facilities if you are looking for a break. No, I dont work here!!! I just love it! JCB LAY