Hankley Common - Surrey - England

The striking thing about Hankley is the expanse of land that the course covers. The first 4 holes are played in a loop back to the clubhouse but then the course opens up wonderfully. The 7th and 11th are two fantastic, if somewhat what similar, par 3s measuring towards 200 yards over a valley of heather. Hitting a well-struck shot to the green (as I surprisingly did on both) is a marvellous feeling. There are numerous other strong holes including a long closing par 4 with a dip in front of the green.

My one criticism would be the 4th green which seems overly tricked up with a narrow entrance and run offs that have the potential to turn a good approach into a double bogey without doing too much wrong. It’s position right in front of the veranda does allow for some (possibly sadistic) entertainment for those enjoying post-round drinks watching players grappling with challenging bunker and chip shots. The price for this entertainment is that the occasional ball can scuttle into the veranda causing the drinkers to scatter!

My host informed me that the closing Scottish Highlands sequence for Skyfall was filmed across the hill from the far point of the course. This to me sums up the terrain and feeling of space at Hankley. A wonderful course that I hope to play many more times in the future.

This is an outstanding course that I have had the opportunity of playing many times, if you have not had the pleasure, then you have missed a gem. When the heather is in bloom the course is a thing of beauty, I don’t be fooled a fantastic test of your game.

I was walking around like a kid in a candy store, wow, what a place! The attention to detail is just next level, they must trim the grass around the bunkers with scissors, just unreal.

The course plays very well indeed, lots of holes offering great risk and reward opportunities. It feels like you are in the middle of nowhere, the course had a fair few people playing but you’d never have guessed it.

6-8 is truly special, the kind of test that you dont mind failing because the scenery is so good you just cannot be unhappy no matter how bad you’re playing.

Clubhouse and food were spectacular, couldn’t fault a thing and in my opinion should place a few notches higher on the Surrey top 10.

This was my first visit to Hankley Common which considering I have played pretty much every course in Surrey it seems a bit odd that I have waited this long to play such a prestigious course. The layout is excellent with a good mixture of holes although the majority of tee shots favour a right to left ball flight. I also liked the flow of the course with short and long par 3’s and par 4’s alongside the par 5 holes which you can reach with two good shots. I cannot think of any weak holes at Hankley but I am a sucker for short risk and reward par 4 so for me the 4th and 15th are my pick of holes alongside the par 3 8th which is an excellent par 3. One thing that stands out is the sense of space and that you hear little or no traffic noise. The fairways are pretty flat which is fine and I would like to see more bunkering which would add a little strategy from the tee. The greens are very good although reading them is an art due to their subtlety. All in all its a top course and I cannot wait to return.

Hankley Common is a special place. You play through vast areas of heather, with little trees, offering spectacular views across the course.

The hole course looks like the 6th hole at Sunningdale New. The best holes are 3 6 7 8 13 14 15 16. There isn't a weak hole on the whole course. As good if not better than the 3 Ws.

On top of all of this, the condition is always exceptional.

An extremely fantastic round at an unbelievable golf course. I would say that Hankley Common is a great course and up there with the a lot of the other heathland courses around but feels a lot different as its much more open. The condition in my opinion wasn’t quite up to standard, fairways were a bit worn out and the greens had just been sanded but i’ll give the benefit of the doubt as we played there just after the English Am so the course was in recovery mode.

The first 5 holes or so are in amongst a lot more trees but after that you get into pure heathland area with barely a tree in sight. The first starts off as a tight par 4 requiring an accurate drive to make sure you’re able to play your second one from the fairway. The 2nd hole is a short par 3 playing about 130 yards with a bunker short of the green. 7 and 8 are two back to back holes which are top quality. The 7th is one of the best looking par 3s you will play with a big dip full of heather between the tee and the green. It also plays extremely tough, measuring over 190 yards with several deep bunkers around the green! The 8th is an awesome par 5 with a beautiful tee shot.

The back nine is equally great with a nice mix of open heathland and tree lined holes. The 11th is another tough but great looking par 3 which measures about 185 yards. 13 through to 16 is also a great stretch of holes. 13 is a tough par 5 with bunkers up the left of the fairway on the drive and then either side when you get towards the green. 14 is a short par 4 which plays about 330 yards and has trees to your left. The 15th is an even shorter par 4 which dog legs hard left so requires a 200 yard shot up the fairway in order to give you a clear and straight forward second shot into the green. The 16th is a beautiful uphill par 3 with heather all the way up to the green. I would say 17 and 18 are average finishing holes but the middle stages of the course is where there are the strongest and best holes.

Overall, the experience was enjoyable and the course was exceptional. Would definitely like to play there again and it is a good 5 ball course for sure.

Hankley Common is a heathland paradise played over a sprawling tract of land on the North Surrey Downs where the texture of the property is utterly divine. Pastel colours, sprinkled with tints of purple, give the course a wonderful character which perpetually changes on a seasonal basis.

It is also a drawer’s paradise. Only one hole (the 10th) asks you to hit a fade whilst the vast majority of the other long holes set up for a right-to-left ball flight. A running draw will particularly benefit you at the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th and 17th!

I personally hit this shape of shot and love playing here for that reason (!) but I can imagine somebody who naturally fades the ball may struggle. The lopsided nature of the shots you are asked to hit from the tee is the only real criticism I can throw at what is an otherwise exceptional and visually striking golf course.

It is a relatively easy walk with the only climb of any sorts coming when we play the triad of holes where the sixth and eighth (both par fives) act as two lengths of an isosceles triangle with the superlative short seventh joining the dots.

Indeed one of the beauties of the course is that it plays in little triangles, or mini-loops, throughout the round. The first to fourth bring us back to the clubhouse. 10, 11 & 12 are another triangle as are 13, 14 & 15. As a result there are lots of options to hop from one hole to another during the round if members so wish.

Hankley is not an overly strategic course and this could be another quibble you could throw at it. The questions it asks are fairly straight-forward and the course is eminently fair with flattish fairways and minimal fairway bunkering. You do find yourself hitting the same shot a number of times during the round. Although you could argue that the joyful experience of playing on this uncluttered layout outweighs any short falls in this department.

There’s something about golfing at Hankley that makes you feel completely at ease. There may be an element of style over substance but the sublime landscape allows you to enjoy your golf, gives you some chances but still delivers a true test of golf.

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

This is an immense golf course and I am delighted to see it move up the rankings across most listings. I played 36 holes in a day, when my golf game was still new and did not need severely testing! So to say I am dying to go back there now that I am much better player is an understatement.

This is such a great golf course, at the level of golf I was at and playing 36 holes, it was a challenge. I remember the par 3 7th and 11th well but there were so many great holes, long carries and tough par 4’s.

A real class act.

What a fabulous golf course in a huge tract of land. Not many opportunities to play the ball onto an adjacent hole.

Great layout with some superb holes. A real pleasur to play.

We played early September after the hottest Summer on record, when most other courses in the Greater London area were parched with the oppressive heat. Not Hankley which looked pristine from the raised members bar in the clubhouse. First impressions were of hand cut approaches (4th green was under our nose from the bar) and hand cut tees. The attention to detail was evident early doors.

White tees (6474yds) were the order of the day and the first hole was indicative of the Hankley challenge. Keep it in the fairway, and away from the penal heather the course is more than playable.

Not overly long at 422yds, the first plays to a blind second shot which added a wee early round bit of variety. I racked my brain for another blind approach to a 1st hole and could only come up with Headingley GC - answers on a postcard please…

The short 2nd hole (145yds) is perfectly framed amongst the scotch pines and oak trees, slightly uphill asked for an extra half a club BUT do not go long!

The third and fourth holes ask for position off the tee and pars more than acceptable on both these par fours. The fifth hole has a wee spruce tree in the first cut up the right wing that was perfect for my five yard ‘pro draw’, and on leaving the tee had an early round feeling of each hole moving in different directions, which continued for pretty much the entire round.

The short seventh hole played 165yds on the day, with its false front and two tier green its worthy of its signature label. Take a moment on the green to grasp the heathland vista, truly breath-taking. The golf course is played over 160 acres but is surrounded by another 700 acres!

The back (purple) tee on the par 5 eighth hole offers more views across the heath and on reaching the fairway the feel of a links course came into mind with a firm rolling fairway. Birdie chance here, as is the short ninth before a run of tough holes after the turn. Tee shot on ten is quite an intimidating one where must be played up the left half of the dog-leg, I found the heather right then the bunker front right. The bunkers are Colt esk – hazards to be avoided at all cost!

Eleven is a flat, long, testing par 3. I took my par & ran to the dog-leg twelfth where the tee ball asks for a tickle of draw then a straight forward approach to one of the larger and flatter greens. ALL the greens were true and well presented on the day.

Another switch in direction to play the par 5 thirteen, and best to avoid the bunkers, gorse, bridal paths and heather to give yourself a reasonable chance for birdie - I made seven.

Fourteen tee the penny finally dropped for me, it is not about how far at Hankley, its ALL about position (!) made the fairway with 3W and got into the game. Especially enjoyed this approach to a slightly raised well protected green. The view from 15 tee looking back on the fourteen is worth taking in.

Sixteen was the last of the one shot holes before another dog-leg on seventeen – I found the heather (again!) with 1W – but somehow managed to make the green which was a first. Not a first GIR (honestly) but a first from the heather and I spent a LOT of time in it….

On 18th tee it dawned on us that we hadn’t so much as seen a house or heard any form of transport, nothing by way of noise pollution & they saved the best hole for last! Generous enough off the tee before a daunting approach over a deep grass gully. Proper two shot finishing hole to a course that had so much variety to it. Aesthetically it is impressive with colour contrasts aplenty, and on reflection Hankley more than merits its reputation as a Surrey institution of golf in many ways.

It has all the history with Ben Hogan using the links like heathland for practice before his sole Open Championship appearance & victory in 1953 (Carnoustie). Bobby Locke & Andy Newmarch raved about it and legendary ladies amateur championship Elizabeth Price was a long standing member here.

2019 it plays hosts to the English Amateur, shared with nearby Northants for qualifying with Match-play stages all to be played at Hankley.

It has the Colt design stamp after he remodelled this original Braid layout and what a classically routed course it is. If I haven’t said so already on playing Hankley think about positional play from each tee rather than length, as that heather is to be avoided at all costs. The showering facilities are equally of the highest standards as was the food, and with Hogs Back TEA on draught we weren’t left wanting for much….

M. J. Smyth