Saunton West may be the little sibling of the two layouts, but it’s almost as tough and plays closer to the area’s tallest dunes. A few greens are tucked into these hills...
Saunton is set on an amazing piece of land. It doesn’t feel quite as sandy as some other links, but the dunes, rumpled fairways and scenery make up for it. As a layout, S...
Playing with a large group, Royal North Devon split opinion exactly as you’d expect. Much of it as flat as a pancake, some holes seem as wide as they are long, and thanks...
I like Felixstowe Martello. There is a road that bisects the course and I understand why some view the inland half as inferior. It’s flatter, there’s more water, there ar...
Purdis Heath is an impressive site for golf, allowing for plenty of flat holes, dramatic holes, plus views across the central lake. Apart from one hole it feels a lot mor...
Ignoring the hospitality, this is a parkland course which is decent but nothing special. It’s not particularly strategic, the land is just one long hill, some holes feel...
I played the Blue on a day when the greens had been recently sanded so I didn’t see the course at its best. It’s a flatter, more straight-forward course than the Red but...
This may not be the objective best of The New Forest’s courses, but it’s certainly my favourite. It’s fun, quirky, cheap and might have the most animals of all the area’s...
The Buddon is a course of two halves, starting and ending as pure links and running nicely alongside Hogan's Alley and the Championship course's 7th. This is the Buddon's...
Brokenhurst Manor’s reputation has grown this year thanks to it hosting a Rose Ladies’ event. The New Forest is one of my favourite places in England so I had high hopes,...
I’m struggling to pick a favourite between Sunningdale’s two courses, which is a big compliment to the New. The Old is a little prettier and grander, but my favourite par...
Ashdown Forest's an ideal mix of tough holes, short holes, hero shots and options. The course starts a little slowly but once through the 5th it becomes as adventurous an...
I hadn’t wanted to play the Castle. I was put off by the negativity, it’s not quite links, and I thought the Eden looked more enjoyable. It was my only option though on a...
Lundin’s worthy of any Scottish itinerary. By links standards it’s very hilly, making for many dramatic holes, blind shots and bumpier fairways than usual. The whole plac...
Leven is a ‘rough and ready’ links. Its fairways are still in bad condition post-2018 drought, but the greens were good and the layout provides a solid test of golf. The...
Running alongside The Old Course, the New has a good amount in common – you can putt from everywhere, there are hollows and humps to play with, it’s scoreable if the wind...
I feel it’s a somewhat mixed bag on the Jubilee, there are a few bland holes but there are more top drawer ones which make up for it. It’s a bit of a slog, the shortest t...
One of the very best. It’s bigger, grander, more majestic than almost everywhere I’ve played. There are no weak holes, then you get one of the best finishes in the world....
A classy golf course but one of two halves – the holes nearer the clubhouse, and the half on the wild links-land. It’s also a real tough layout when the wind is against,...
Burnside’s short yardage doesn’t make it easy. In some way’s it’s tougher that its big sibling next door – tighter fairways, smaller greens, more gorse and heather. The f...