Ian Cranidge

I played Dinard at the end of August in what can only be described as drought conditions, fairways totally burned out which sadly didn’t do justice to what is quirky and fun course with much to enjoy. While not long in length it has plenty of terrain movement making some holes play longer than the card suggests, strategy is very much to play for position rather than bombing with the driver. The layout and location reminded me a lot of Thurlestone in Devon, more seaside than links, definitely no sand dunes with the course running along the clifftops. The par 4 6th is the highlight of the front 9 as others have mentioned and rightly so, lots of different ways to play it depending on wind. With the firm conditions when I played only long iron was needed from the tee, straightforward enough but then the challenge was then to clip a delicate wedge off the solid baked fairway to a green that is set up to spit back all but the best shots, real fun. While the par 3’ were all of modest length they are no pushover, not finding the putting surface will lead to all sorts of trouble. On 12, which I felt was the finest of the short holes missing the green right will more often than not lead to a reload, the hole can really wreck a card if the wind is blowing, it inflicted a 6 on me sadly and I only found a bunker! Walking up the 18th affords a great view of the characterful 3 story clubhouse, definitely worth a post round visit to enjoy a beer in the charming bar or balcony on fine day.

The Vignes course is an ideal complement to the main Chateaux course at the Medoc resort and a solid layout in its own right. The architecture isn’t as dramatic with less shaped bunkering and routing that’s more pedestrian it’s worth playing if you’re staying at the resort or nearby. I’d recommend playing off the white tees if you’re a decent player otherwise you won’t get to use many of your longer irons. The front 9 is solid if unspectacular except for the excellent 8th, a cunning right hand dog leg which demands careful thought before wielding a club, you can take out the immediate danger by hitting a long iron which leaves you a long iron approach into a green with plenty of danger, alternatively pull out the driver and try to carry the bunker or thread your drive between the trouble, that gives a short iron in, I chose the latter and was rewarded with a solid par. The back 9 begins with a strong 4 tempting you to carry as much of the lake as possible, braver you are easier the approach. The course character changes from the 11th into a tighter tall pine tree lined track reminding one of Surrey which is no bad thing. If you’re driving well and keeping out of the tree’s you shouldn’t have too much trouble posting a decent score, I enjoyed it but very little stood out for me, I remember the fierce heat making me regret walking and carrying more! Course conditions were not as good as the main course but given the drought conditions no surprise. As a resort Medoc’s a great place but I would prioritise playing the Chateaux course and play the Vignes if you have time.

There is definitely a heathland (certainly not links!) feel to the Chateaux course, routed over a relatively flat space with little movement in the terrain the challenge comes from strategically placed bunkers, cunning raised green complexes, water and smart hole routing. In a very dry summer the course was in remarkable condition, turf and green quality as good as I’ve played on all year, only a few bare patches here and there but totally understandable. Only the wilted dried out rough bordering the fairways pointed to the water restrictions the course was operating under, it did make the course less penal and I’d expect in more normal times that adding to the test particularly from the tee. Your round will commence in fine style with a strong par 4, a split fairway gives different options and will govern whether it’s a short or mid iron approach, in fact the opening stretch is pretty tough, a 576 yard par 5 follows with the SI 456 yard par 4 coming at the 4th. The two par 3’s on the front 9 both bring water into play if the pins are cut into tight wet side positions, provides a stern test of control and nerve.The back 9 commences in robust fashion with a dog leg right par 5, an especially challenging tee shot, the bold line is to flirt with the trees down the right and take the bunkers out of play but this is the riskier choice. 11 is a smart mid-length par 4 where there are several ways to play to avoid the stream which cuts the fairway. The par 3’s on the back 9 are longer but with no water, 17 in excess of 200 yards from the whites will see most players reaching for a long iron. The final hole maintains the quality, a long par 4 into raised green, to have a chance of finding it in regulation your tee shot needs to the carry the left rough and first fairway bunker, an inaccurate approach will be most likely leave a tough up and down in full view of the terrace! Greens ran with beautiful roll, lots of undulation but not extreme, certainly a solid test of putting if you find wrong spot. I loved the 150 yard markers nod the wine making heritage of the region, overall the whole resort is a quality experience, I also played the Vignes course which I will add a review for.

The Europa is the toughest test at the La Cala resort, it has the feel of a proper tournament course that demands strategy and precision, definitely not set up to flatter the holiday golfer. I last played in 2009 when it was new, I enjoyed it a lot more this time and its matured into a fine layout. Unfortunately on the visit in May 22 the course was suffering from the problems with the greens (also afflicting the Asia course), recovering from a disease which seems to have severely damaged them, mostly sand and spiky patches of grass, really should closed the course IMHO.Putting aside the conditioning (and lack of service) issues there is enough quality to maintain attention. The round commences with an easy short par 4 (SI18), the course really bares its teeth on the 4th, longer hitters can try and cut the dog leg and carry the hazard with a gentle draw, that gives a much better approach shot. The safer option which has almost as much jeopardy is to hit a straight drive (and I mean dead straight) which leaves an approach needing to carry the bunkers and avoid rolling off the green, one of the best holes at La Cala and cost me a ball every time I played it! Compared to the other courses at the resort the par 5’s are tangible challenges, no crazy downhill drives where a 5 iron can fly 250 yards. None of them straight so being able to move the ball left or right pays dividends especially from the tee. Most players will need to play them as 3 shotters, you’ll need to hit 280+ yards from the tee to have a realistic chance of an eagle putt, not dropping shots on the par 5’s will normally result in a decent score given most of the par 3’s and 4’s are relatively short. As with the other courses as La Cala its buggies only given the terrain. Service and course marshalling were a shambles during our visit, long waits for buggies, pro shop running out of water, 5 hour+ rounds with no on course marshals. The resort were indifferent to our complaints about the greens and no compensation was offered, we won’t be returning to La Cala. I would avoid until the greens recover and there is some evidence of investment in service.

I found the Asia weakest of the 3 tracks at La Cala, it follows the template of the other courses laid out over some severely undulating terrain which isn’t ideally suited for golf and often results in holes being compromised by the terrain, especially the par 3’s. The conditioning of the course was very poor, the greens had experienced issues all year apparently and in May 22 seem to consist mainly of sand with random patches of spiky grass, the course really shouldn’t have been open. Likewise the tees were in a poor state, barely any grass on some of them, I’m not sure how long it will take to recover so I would check if you’re heading for a visit this year. The bunkering was also in poor condition, very inconsistent sand and having that rare problem off too much, several times I ended up with a severely plugged ball, I don’t mind paying the price for visiting sand but those lies lie that don’t reflect well on the resort.The course does have some decent holes, the downhill par 15th is excellent, a couple of different ways to play, if you can hit a draw with your driver you won’t have much left or hit an iron to take the trouble out of play but it then leaves a long club into a green with trouble all round. The finishing hole is a cracker, an uphill par 4 which to reach needs a long faded tee shot, anything too straight will probably find sand. The long thin green is protected by a cavernous bunker, better to over club as I found when my approach was a tiny but short and tumbled back into the trap.Most golfers will end of playing the Asia as part of a package but I would try and play the other courses as a priority at the moment.

I’d last visited La Cala 15 years ago and was interested to see if I’d still enjoy it again as a much better player. To a degree yes, for me the America course is the best of the 3 offering a better variety of holes and routing but it’s definitely holiday golf. It does ask some tough questions from the tee, get it right and the fairways are cleverly designed to flatter good drives, miss them and you end getting properly punished. Most of the hazards are red staked so it’s designed not to be too penal for higher handicappers, same goes for the greens, while they are often elevated the ground behind is raised so it pays to be a little longer with approach shots and you’ll rewarded with the ball rolling back onto the green more often than not. They keep them at moderate speed and had decent roll when I played, most were fairly flat.The terrain is fairly extreme and a buggy is essential, I’m not even sure you’re allowed to play without one. Standout holes for me were the long par 3 11th, very much different to the other one shotters, can be anything from a 5 iron to a 3 wood depending on conditions, anything right will end up way below on the 10th fairway. The par 5 9th and 18th were a blast, not serious holes but fun to hit downhill drives 300+ yards and hit a mid iron 2nd shot to the green. For me generally a fun course which can put a smile on you face at times but also offers a decent challenge for the better golfer.

The Montgomerie Max is similar to Carya in that it was built originally to host pro tournaments, both the course and infrastructure are top quality giving a first class all round experience. However removing the course from that is it quality layout, yes although behind Carya, it doesn’t have as many good holes and variety, too often the challenge is water based which makes the course a little one dimensional at times. That said the sandy waste areas on a couple of holes stands out as a great feature, very easy to find one very difficult to escape with any degree of control. The tough par 5 11th is great example which uses them well. The 18th is cracking finishing hole where you can be a hero or fool in front of players enjoying their refreshments on terrace over looking thee green. Conditioning and greens were fantastic, turf conditions were carpet like and greens were agreeably firm, didn’t roll as well as they looked but given some the severe slopes that wasn’t an issue.

With the small number of reviews it seems the Nobilis Robinson course very much flies below the radar of many golfers visiting the Belek area. It certainly shouldn’t, we added it to our tour and were very glad we did, it’s a quality layout and in excellent condition, undoubtedly the equal of some of the higher ranked courses and probably the best greens we played on all the week. The course asks some tough questions from the start, the opening hole is a long par 4 rated the hardest hole on the course, no gently easing you in! The 2nd isn’t much easier at 430 yards off the yellows, both require long straight drives to give any chance of finding the green, not being straight will inevitably require a wedge out of the trees. That pretty much is the case for most holes, this course places a premium on accuracy from the tee, punishment awaits in a sideways chip out for shots which are off line unless the golfing gods are smiling on you.The 6th and 8th par 5’s are the highlight of the outward stretch, both clever dog legs which make good use of water and terrain, the 6th green is really tucked away, anyone bold enough to try and reach in two will need to execute a perfect fade to find the green. The 8th is shaped the opposite way and brings water into play both from the tee and the approach, anything left into the green will most likely end up wet. The last two holes coming back are a great finish, 17 a sharp dog leg left, bigger hitters can try and carry the trees leaving short chip in or play for position with a long iron. 18 is a straightforward par 5, a long drive will leave the chance of glory with a fairway wood.I think this course deserves a much higher place in the Turkey ratings, conditioning as good as any of the courses in the Belek area with excellent greens and plenty of interesting holes, not quite reaching the heights of Carya or the Monty Max but very good all the same.

Pasha is the second course at the PGA and while a decent enough track it’s very much inferior to the Sultan. Whilst the conditioning and greens match the quality of its big brother it’s very short (unless you play off the back back tees) and feels squeezed into a small parcel of land. Some of the short par 4’s are good fun and almost all the par 5’s can be reached in two by lower handicappers, worth including on a tour as a nice break from the tougher tests in the area. The short holes are pretty much all the same length and at most require a flick with at most an 8 iron.

The term championship course is a well used slogan but few courses really truly are, Carya is definitely one. Clearly designed to test the best everything about it is big and bold, huge deep bunkers, severe undulation and lightning quick greens are the order of the day, be sensible in choosing the correct tee or it won’t be a fun experience. The fairways are pretty generous though with little rough wayward drives are likely to end up in the trees which line the holes or the fairway bunkers scattered in clever places, most will cost you a shot. Interestingly despite the heather planted throughout the course it doesn’t come into play, as this course is a homage to the Surrey sand belt I thought they might want to bring it into the mix, maybe it grows too high in the warm climate! Carya is really a second shot course, the greens are so severe and fast failure to find the right place on the putting surface or missing the green on the wrong side is very penal. There are too many good holes to detail and others have done an excellent summary in previous reviews, the highlights for me were the par 5’s and shorter par 4’s, all have multiple ways of playing them and depending on pin positions chances to score. One small disappointment is the tee on 16 built on top of a villa isn’t accessible, I assume it’s been sold and the owner doesn’t fancy golfers teeing off on their roof! Conditioning and facilities are fantastic, make sure you get there early to use the first class practice facilities and the biggest and most extreme putting green I’ve ever seen. For me easily the best course in the Belek area and any trip should include it on the itinerary.

The PGA Sultan is one of the courses created in the last 20 years along the coast, as with a majority of layouts it’s set out on sandy ground with tall pines lining most holes, a definite Surrey sand belt feel. There’s no doubting the ambition and where the investment has gone, impressive practice facilities and club houses with first class service are what it’s about. The Sultan was the first course I played on a trip to Belek, an excellent introduction to what to expect. The front 9 is relatively flat albeit many the holes do have plenty of rolling fairways and sculptured green complexes, a gentle start, coming back is much more interesting with a lot more elevatio change. I didn’t think the course really got going until 7 with a fun dog leg left par 5 which can be got in two if you're bold with your driver and long irons. 9 is a superb short par 4 which asks questions from the tee, a big lake on the left and bunkers right require either an accurate long iron or long thump with the driver to fly the trouble. If the flag is left you’ll still need to carry the water with a wedge. 10 then follows with a similar challenge to thread your drive through the bunkers and short of the water, anything left into the green will be wet.The closing stretch of holes from 16 provides grandstand finish, 16 to for me was the best hole on the course, a par 5 routed around the lake, the bolder you are from the tee carrying the lake the easier the approach, longer hitters will certainly have a chance of reaching in 2 with a bail out area short of the green which is where my second shot ended up setting up a birdie. 17 is a simple par 3, while only SI 18 is an easy green to miss. 18 brings water into play again both from the tee and approach, would be a great matchplay hole to finish on. Condition of the course was fabulous, the only criticism were the greens, quite slow and grainy, very hard to read putts and often the grain pushed the ball into strange lines, possibly my inexperience in those type of greens contributed to the lacklustre short stick performance. With the new WHS the course rating throws up some interesting handicap adjustments, I couldn’t believe I got extra shots, caused some comments from the lower handicap members of the tour!

I definitely agree with some of the previous reviews of Newquay that it’s a quality layout and worthy adding to any visit to Cornwall. While it doesn’t reach the heights of some of its more illustrious north coast neighbours there is a lot to savour.Set out on what nowadays some prime real estate (given what borders the course) and resembling a half pipe which slopes down to Fistral beach there are some real climbs and falls which the course uses to good effect, Google maps does not do it justice. Your calf muscles will carry the memory next day. The course really gets going from the 3rd, a cracking downhill par 4 which has some clever bunker placements, anything landing on the left hand side will likely end up in a bunker. They are proper hazards (as are most of them on the course), getting your ball out and decent yardage is the best you can hope for unless you have Seve like skills. Then back up the hill to arrive on the 5th tee, the highest point on the course and one of the most enjoyable tee shots. Play for position with a long iron or try to drive the green and bring a lot of trouble into play. After that work your way along the bottom of the course, 7 and 8 being excellent short and long holes. You’ll then play back and forward across the course, 12 a great mid length par 4, bolder you are with you line shortens your approach but brings the bunkers into play ending any chance of finding the green in regulation. The closing holes are pretty average in comparison to the highlights, this sums up the course, plenty of great holes but lacks the consistency of higher ranked courses.Turf qualify was good and running fast however a good number of holes have a weed problem. Greens were all good and very large , had plenty of pace, 3 putts all too easy if you found your ball above the hole. Its a tougher course than its modest length suggest mainly down to the excellent bunker placements especially on the fairways which funnel balls into them if not landed on the right place. I felt this was similar to its neighbour Perranporth but a lot more fun!

My last round at Yelverton GC was on a wet chilly winters day so the visit in mid April 2022 was much more enjoyable and brought out what makes the course so special. With kind weather the high moorland setting truly comes to life, wonderful views of the surrounding Dartmoor wilderness frame the course, there are few more spectacular inland courses in southern England.The course thankfully is the equal to the views, while not long by today’s standards it has enough challenge to maintain interest without being overly penal. The fairways are wide and expansive, you really need to have a bad day from the tee to miss them, the biggest danger with the firm conditions and lack of rough was too much run taking you into trouble. The four legged lawnmowers you share the course with keep the turf well trimmed and remove any rough, fortunately you get relief from their hoof marks and what all that grass eating produces. Being moorland there is plenty of movement of the land although nothing too extreme and course uses it to good effect. The round starts with a strong opening couple of holes, a long par 3 and par 4, then one of excellent short par 4’s which for me were the highlight of the course. On 3 one can go for the green threading a drive through or trying to carry the fairway bunkers setting up a good birdie chance or lay up for a more conventional approach, a classic risk and reward hole. Similar treats are found later on the 9th. The 3 shotters were all good, making good use of the old mine workings to provide some unique hazards, missing the greens is costly and whole range of hollows humps and bumps will give your short game a thorough examination. The closing 3 holes are crackers, 16 a longish dog leg right downhill par 4, needs a well executed tee shot down the right hand side to provide the shortest and best approach. Anything long and left potentially brings in the trees and leaves a very long approach. Then follows the best par 3 on the course, set slightly below demanding a gentle draw to find the green, anything too far left brings in the OOB or the need for a delicate chip to escape. 18 is a relatively easy drive, the longer the better because coming up short with your approach will drop you into a very deep bunker at the bottom of the old mine workings which I sadly found. I hit a great sand shot which left me a 6 footer for par which annoyingly I missed.Greens were excellent condition for the time of year, still recovering a little but rolled well enough, I think I’d need a another couple of rounds to figure them out. They looked flat but that hid a lot of subtle movement and breaks which confused me several times, must have been the altitude! If you’re heading to the SW I’d recommend you have it on your schedule, don’t let it’s short length deter you, there is a lot which is fun and unique, just make sure you play when the weather is good.

I’m really surprised La Moye isn’t ranked within the Top 100 courses for the UK, it certainly has the pedigree and architecture to justify it in my mind. Set out across a dramatic cliff top location it combines elements of seaside, links and parkland in a beguiling mix, the springy fast draining turf providing great conditions even in late winter. I’m a member at L’Ancresse in Guernsey so enjoy reciprocal playing rights; the pro shop and starter could not have been more helpful and friendly in finding me a tee time even though I hadn’t booked, truly an example to all clubs. The course starts with a mid-length par 3 which sets the tone for many of the holes, inaccuracy from the tee will be costly especially if you short side yourself. The holes then begin to work their way down to the cliff edge, all necessitating an accurately placed tee shot to have any hope of getting on in regulation, 5,6 & 7 is a fantastic stretch, you wonder where the 7th fairway is as you walk down the 6th, only once you’re a long way down do you see below on the right. The 7th climbs back up the hill, one of the most fun and intimidating tee shots on the course needing a gentle draw to find the left hand side and correct angle, failure to find the fairway will give you only slim chance of par. The back 9 moves slightly inland as the course carves it its way through dunes and heathland, 10, 11 & 12 providing an exhilarating start to the turn, 12 being a cracker of a short hole with its heavily bunkered and contoured green complex. You then turn back to sea for the end of the round, 17 being a super downhill longish par 4, distance control of your approach shot essential to hold green. The final hole is a tough uphill par 4 with the green sitting in a bowl below the very smart clubhouse, not an easy hole to finish and make par! I was fortunate with the weather and encountered only a solid breeze, when the wind blows I imagine the difficulty dials up considerably, add in the rough which was dormant for the winter and course will ask many questions. Given how hard the course can play the greens were pretty generous and not overly shaped, played slow during my visit as they were healing from being sanded but I expect come the warmer weather will speed up. Special mention for the bunkers, I didn’t find many but when I did they had proper deep sand in them, testament to the quality of maintenance, something that’s often neglected on many courses. If you’re visiting Jersey make sure La Moye is on your itinerary you won’t be disappointed.

The links at Royal Guernsey/L’Ancresse are a gem, positioned out on the north east tip of the Bailiwick it makes great use of a relatively small area without feeling compromised. Tougher than the course index suggests holes are routed in a number of different directions which means when the wind blows (which is pretty regularly) careful consideration of club and line is needed. Much of the front nine runs through corridors of thick gorse, while the holes aren’t narrow anything wide will be swallowed up by the green spiky stuff and a reload required, there’s very little first cut rough to slow errant shots. The course opens with relatively gentle par 4, the fairway slopes left to right and the gorse will take anything off line, easy to drop an early shot with a careless swing of the driver. The next 2 holes then work their way along the beach (which is OOB on the right) before heading inland, although the front 9 sees limited land movement the fairways have plenty of hollows and ripples to give a variety of stances. The greens are on the small side and demand precision approaches, inaccurate shots will be swallowed up the deep pot bunkers or swales, the course is fair in the fact a bit off line will probably be OK but anything more wayward will probably be gone forever in the gorse. The front 9 is the longest and toughest, 3 par 4’s in excess of 400 yards prove a stern test, don’t drop too many shots on those and you’re well set up to score on the easier holes.The back 9 is more open with the gorse and bracken only in play on couple holes, there’s also a lot more movement in the land, some fairways and green complexes are reminiscent of RCP/North Berwick in their extreme character. 10 is a fun hole, requiring a straight long drive avoiding the OOB right to approach green hidden in a depression, anything short will roll back leaving a challenging pitch. 11 is a SI2 par 4 generally played into the wind, it requires a big draw from the tee to leave mid/long iron into an elevated green, anything short or off line will leave a tough pitch to rescue par. My favourite run of holes is when the course reaches its furthest point from the clubhouse after the par 5 14th , holes run close to the sea once again. 15 is a fun shot from a raised tee, you need to avoid the tower on the right (apparently there’s a big hole in the roof which has claimed a few balls over the years), land your ball in the ideal spot you’ll get a terrific kick forward onto a flat lie leaving only a mid/short iron into the raised bowl of a green. Then follows short par 4 which long hitters will fancy driving if the wind is favourable, a stream which crosses the hole will collect anything not straight and deep pot bunkers lining the fairway add further pressure on the tee, a classic risk reward hole. 17 is a short uphill dog leg right par 4, be brave with your line and the reward will leave you with nothing more than a wedge in your hand, too straight or left from the tee will most likely disappear into the gorse. Some might say the closing hole is something of an anti-climax being a 160 yard downhill par 3 with a big green, nonetheless depending on how the wind blows it can a 9 iron or 3 iron! Turf conditions are links like even with the fairways well irrigated, bunkering is used sparingly on the fairways but a proper punishment if you find one, around the greens they’re deep enough to challenge the best. Greens a generally kept firm but not especially fast which is reflection that the wind often blows and they have some serious undulation in places. Whilst the course doesn’t have dramatic towering dunes and only has 2 rather weak par 5’s it is a good course with plenty of character, certainly well worth the visit if you’re in the channel islands. I am a member at L’Ancress and have tried to remain objective!

I enjoyed my recent visit to Braintree Golf Club in charity golf day. The holes are framed by mature trees making it an attractive layout on the eye, turf quality of the fairways was carpet like and pleasure to hit off, despite being warned the rough was extra thick due to overseeding it wasn’t especially penal and have played much worse recently. The tight fairways were a bigger challenge (and small greens), not a course to pull out the driver on every holes unless you want to risk some heroic lines (a resultant ball loss) on the numerous dog legs, a majority of the time a more measured approach using a hybrid or long iron from the tee pays dividends leaving nothing more than a mid-iron into the majority greens.Notwithstanding it being high summer when most courses are at their best the greens were disappointing, very inconsistent with numerous fluffy long patches blighting almost all of them, it looked as if they needed a good roll to flatten them out so the mowers could get a good cut. The hole routing is very much dictated by a relatively small site, you don’t see the first par 5 until the 12th and only one more on the 18th, these were very much compromised by the limited space, on 12 only real option is an iron/hybrid off the tee and 18 same again unless you can hit a high fade with your driver. The par 3’s offered the best variety and fun, a good mix of long, mid and short holes which get most of your irons out of the bag.Overall Braintree is worth a stop if you’re in the area, a solid parkland course in a tranquil locale and friendly club with great facilities.

There’s much to admire at Sandy Lodge but I found it hard to warm to. No doubting the quality conditioning, the tees, fairways and greens were some of the best I’ve played all year but in contrast I felt the architecture a little underwhelming. Set out over relatively small site on what feels like the crown of a wide hill the holes rise and fall, the result is a lot of blind shots, both from the tee and fairway, in the breezy conditions you’ll typically encounter a recipe for lots of time looking for balls in the rough. Playing in high summer and with perfect growing conditions thick rough lines almost every fairway, only a narrow strip of first cut before the knee deep stuff, it does become pretty tiresome after a while seeing shot after shot bound off into the rough even with the broad fairways and not being especially wayward!I appreciate it’s a link style course so the rough is an integral part but just allow a bit more first cut! And as a links course I think it would really benefit from some tree clearance, there are what seems to me too many trees which look relatively young dotting the course and out of place, I can’t understand why they were ever planted. The layout is on the quirky side with 6 x par 3’s and 5 x par 5’s, the par 3’s being a mix of long and shorter holes which I felt were the best bits of the course, the uphill 18th is a like a Pete Dye experiment run wild. The clubhouse and service are 5 star, I recommend dining there pre or post round. Overall for me 3.5, despite the great condition and service they aren’t enough to make me want to return soon.

I used to glimpse Woking from the train heading towards Basingstoke and wished I was playing rather than on my way to dull meetings, I had my chance recently and the experience didn’t disappoint. Nestled in the Surrey sand belt the course carves its way through picturesque mature forest, only the noise of trains from Waterloo and jets into Farnborough disturbs the tranquillity. Short by today’s standards with only 2 par 5’s the course relies on some spectacularly contoured greens for its defence, you really need to have your approach shots dialled in to find the right part of the greens. Find the wrong spot and you’ll end up with some monster putts, miss the greens and you can end up with some of the toughest up and downs you can imagine, long putts to save your par at best. The club has a very good practice putting green which for a change feels the same as the course greens, I advise spending 15 minutes before teeing off working on long putts, it’s a certainty you’ll have 5 or 6 very long putts at some point and it’s all too easy to 3 putt with a tiny lapse of concentration.The course begins with a gentle par 4 before suddenly hitting you with a long par 3 needing big carry, then a succession of strong par 4’s which demand tee shots to avoid the heather to give you any chance of finding the greens in the right place. 8 & 9 being really tough, dog legs both needing big carries over the corners to have a hope of reaching in regulation. Woking isn’t long overall but there are some tough 400+ par 4’s which is where the course shows its teeth. The par 5’s feel like a break and are a good place to score albeit you still need to find the right place on the greens, the 15th green in front of the club house is a great place where you can hole a long glory putt or painfully 3 putt in front of the members enjoying their refreshments. Of the two nines the front has more interesting architecture, there is much more elevation change providing some excellent raised tee boxes and greens. The closing stretch is superb with the final hole tempting you to carry as much heather as you can to leave a wedge into the green protected by a tree and the pond. Overall just a fantastic experience, combined with excellent service it easily justifies its high ranking. As to where it sits in comparison to its close neighbours, the other two ‘w’s I don’t know. I played West Hill a couple of times many years ago and Worplesdon is still on the bucket list.

A visit to Knole Park is a captivating experience, set out in the majestic and historic Knole Park estate the course it has elements of parkland, heathland and upland in the design which makes it fairly unique, for Kent at least. Unfortunately I played on probably the wettest and windiest (2 club!) mid-summer days you can imagine but it didn’t detract from what is a very enjoyable experience, the fairways and greens definitely drain well. It starts off with a mid-length uphill par 3 which asks a tough question from the beginning, don’t go right or you’ll be asking the deer to help find your ball. Then you head off and you won’t see the club house again until you walk down the 18th fairway, make sure you are well provisioned because there is no half way hut. The next couple of holes are parkland style, working their way through some fine undulating terrain, 3 and 4 being exceptional short par 4’s which encourage you to let rip with the driver, get it right and you have a short iron to find the green, get it wrong and if you can find your ball amongst the bracken you’ll be chipping out sideways.You then emerge onto the heathland/upland portion of the course which is much more exposed, certainly felt that on the day I played, you really have to consider the wind when making a shot selection, high ball strikers like me more so. The course has 6 par 3’s which all felt pretty tough but fun, they’ll make or break your score, all were different with severe punishment on at least two sides of each hole, missing the green provides a thorough examination of the short game. The closing sequence of holes from 14 onwards are cracking with 2 of the par 5’s coming at 15 & 17 and an excellent final hole heading down the clubhouse.The greens were very pure, rolled a lot quicker than they looked given how wet it was, I don’t believe the fairways are irrigated so in a dry spell they’ll give lots of run. I was however disappointed with the conditions of many of the fairways especially the heathland parts, patchy lumpy grass meant it was something of a lottery what lie you’d fine, a little frustrating to find the middle of the fairway and your ball ends up in bare lie with a clump of turf in front or behind. Despite that minor gripe Knole Park is well deserving of its high ranking, there are few courses which combine different styles of golf so well and in such an beautiful setting.

I can think of few better pleasures in the world than an early round at Swinley Forest on a warm mid-summer morning. From the moment you drive up the understated, almost hidden driveway and cross the railway line it’s a perfect experience of class and old world charm. The characterful clubhouse to the course routed through mature pines over gently rolling terrain, the tag of Harry Colt’s least worst course is well earned. While relatively short by today’s standards (I played off the whites) the course is no push over, you need to keep the ball on the fairway to have any chance of posting a decent score, they are generous but the firm turf means anything offline will be swallowed up by the acres of heather which line almost every fairway, at best a wedge out the only option unless you are very lucky. This must be fairly regular occurrence so the club generously has installed white marker posts in the heather to give you a reference point and some hope of finding your ball, a nice touch.The course opens and closes with a couple generous par 4’s which are perfect holes to start and finish with, open with a par to boost your confidence and end with par to take away good memories while sitting on the terrace with a post round drink. The short par 4’s and par 3’s are the highlights of the course, especially good the 3rd , a downhill par 4 where you can be brave with the driver and have flick with a wedge into the green or play safe. 11 was my favourite, an uphill slightly blind tee short, it requires a gentle draw to end up on the right hand side of fairway providing the best angle into the green. All the par 3’s are excellent, a sublime mixture of uphill and downhill holes, some with fearsome elevated greens which punish any loss of concentration, firing your ball into some terrifying heather/rough areas. Defending the greens are a multitude of swales, hollows and deep bunkers topped with heather and long grass, only supremely accurate approaches will yield birdie chances, anything careless will be a real test of your recovery short game. I felt the greens had moderate pace, I would have preferred them quicker, maybe they are slower than you expect because of all the humps and bumps, it took me a few holes to realise putter needed to be brandished firmly! The only criticism was my visit was over too soon, practically having the course to myself I was done in less than 3 hours, I’d have happily gone around again, there was a corporate golf day teeing off as I finished and I was sorely tempted to try my luck and tag onto that.

Perranporth is a unique, a real links course laid out on the side of a hill, not natural golfing terrain by any stretch of the imagination but it does work just about. I played at the end of April in cool, dry and relatively still conditions with the rough barely up, probably as easy conditions you’ll ever get there. The views are glorious and help you get through the unrelenting toughness of the front nine, crazy levels of undulation combined with blind shots and landing zones that launch the ball in all sort of unlikely places, I’ll put that down the dry and firm conditions, I don’t imagine it’s often like that given the amount of rain that normally falls in Cornwall. It all feels something of a grind, basically up and down several times, only the 7th hold stood out for me. Thankfully coming back the course is routed over much more sensible terrain with some rolling undulation as it carves it way through some large dunes, in fact from 11 onwards the course is great and makes you forget the misery of the front 9. Given it was early in the season the condition was a little scruffy and greens were slow but a blast of warm weather should fix that. I feel you need to play Perranporth for the experience at least once. While I can appreciate the architecture, quality of many holes I have no desire to play it again, the back 9 is class but isn’t enough to erase the memory of the front 9. I’m surprised its ranked ahead of Trevose which is a much more consistent course on every level and a greater number of quality holes overall.

I played Trevose on a bright windless late April day, with the firm dried out fairways and green surrounds it was like high summer except for the chilly temperature. Fair to say the course was at it’s most benign, even from the white tees and the rough had failed to show up a resultof the cold spring, pleased to shoot 6 below my handicap in such favourable conditions, very much doubt if the wind was up the result would have been the same.Set in kind of bowl the land slopes gently down to the Atlantic, the holes flow up and down and across the incline, while there are no dramatic elevation changes there is plenty of movement, the first couple of holes work their way down to the sea and then slowly work their way back up to the clubhouse and then back down again coming back. With the still conditions its generous fairways were hard to miss, I imagine they need to be wide when it’s blowing. I was pleased to see they are not irrigated so delivered some fiery bounces and tight lies, iron shots needed to be struck cleanly, very satisfying sound when you clip a wedge shot off the turf in those conditions.I had a good day so didn’t miss too many greens or find many bunkers, severe punishment awaits careless shots, balls will easily bounce off into the rough or find the cavernous greenside bunkers if you don’t find the putting surface. If your wayward here your short game will a through test. Although many of greens are undulating they rolled beautifully and a lot faster than they looked, once I’d got the pace I holed plenty. Standout holes for me were the opening stretch down to sea including the superb par 5 4th (a great example of a short par 5), in fact all the par 5’s were great, the 15th especially good with OOB lining the left hand side and the green complex ready to dump anything left into the burn or worse. I think the introduction of the Sandy waste areas in between some holes is inspired and provides a contrast between the turf and sand, a classy addition. Trevose is definitely a lot more than ‘holiday golf’, when more normal Cornish windy conditions are the norm it’s a tough track where beating your handicap will be a result. To me it doesn’t quite rank among the top class links tracks, lacks the drama of a Staunton, RCP or North Berwick but still an excellent course that is worthy of a visit any day.

It’s not often you play an 18 hole par 3 course, it shouldn’t be judged against a standard course but does it stand up on its own merits, in this case very much so. Routed over some undulating terrain it will ensure you hit almost every club in the bag except maybe your 3 wood and driver, great fun, a proper test of shot making and always in good condition. Some of the greens are very small so unless you have laser like accuracy from the tee on every hole you can be certain you’ll need a keen short game to make par. There’s a wide variety of uphill and downhill shots, trouble is easily found from the tee leaving you either with a difficult stance, a bunker or worse a drop. The greens vary in size and complexity, while not the fastest you’ll ever play are nice to putt on and very true, you won’t see many putts bobble. As with any course in Bermuda if you play outside of the short winter months I would recommend a buggy unless you want the round to become an endurance test. Overall if you’re staying on this end of the island or staying at the hotel definitely worth playing, it’s a fun round to compliment the more traditional courses you should play. I played there in June 2019.

A round at Stoke Park is always a delight, even more so an bright late Autumn day when the trees are at their resplendent best, a real visual treat. The last time I played the club was half way through the bunker refurbishment, I felt at the time they looked too bright and out of place but thankfully a few years has blended them seamlessly into the course and they provide a worthy defence, ready to punish bad drives and swallow inaccurate approach shots. Of the two 9’s I think the Colt is superior, much better defined holes and more interesting terrain; not to say the Alison is bad but it just doesn’t have the wow factor many of the Colt holes do. On the day I started out on the Alison, a gentle par 4 and par 3 to open with before you hit the main course with its mixture of long and short par 4’s being the best holes, because of the soft conditions the course played a lot longer so mid irons into the small greens was needed on many holes. Playing the Colt loop coming back is a tougher challenge with only one short par 5 and succession of longer and shorter par 4’s, all well defended by deep bunkers, the highlights for me were the par 3’s, the 12th/3rd requiring a well struck long iron to carry the bunkers and the famous 16th/7th which many other reviewers have covered before. The greens were the best I’ve played on all year even in the damp conditions, carpet like with wonderful roll, while not hugely undulating they have a lot of subtle slopes and hollows, they most definitely are a challenge; the day I played most of the pins seemed to be in their toughest spots adding to the fun.While Stoke Park doesn’t reach the level of the top courses in the home counties a round here on the tree lined fairways, always excellent course condition and quality greens will always put a smile on your face.

A round at Dartmouth is to play 2 nines of very differing quality and architectural note. Constructed on terrain thats not naturally suited for setting out a course its very reminiscent of St Mellion, a purpose built golf resort surrounded by farmland (and calling itself Dartmouth even though the sea is some 5 miles away!). The front 9 is pure quality and very tough, carving its way through and up and down a narrow wooded valley; it demands you bring your ‘A’ game from the tee or you’llll be reloading a lot. It starts out with an uphill par 4 then a cracking downhill par 4 where danger awaits if you’re too long and stray to far from the fairway. Then an excellent par 3 which is hugely satisfying just to find the green from the whites. There's no let up on the par SI2 4th, that did eat a couple of my golf balls even though the shots only slightly drifted offline. The quality continues with a tough 200 yd uphill par 3 at the 7th, going out finishes with a couple of nice par 5's. Unfortunately after that the quality dips considerably with succession of pedestrian par 4's which while quite long and tough don't reach the highs set earlier on, only the SI1 par 4 15th and closing par 3 18th remain in the memory post round. For mid-October and events this year the condition was excellent, the greens were little slower than I'd have liked but still had nice roll. As ever with these resort type courses pace of play was pretty appalling, I suspect there is no restriction on handicaps which on a tough course like this is a recipe for glacial slow play, I watched one 4 ball tee shots not even reach half way to one of the shorter par 3's! Also I would recommend a buggy, it has some of steepest walks between holes I've ever seen and some big gaps. Notwithstanding that I did enjoy my round at Dartmouth, comparing it with St Mellion it lacks that courses consistency but being generous I rate it as 4 balls for the front 9 alone.

Weston Super Mare is a charming old school links/seaside course that’s well worth turning off the M5 for. While not in the league of Saunton, St Endoc etc it has plenty of quality holes to make the trip worthwhile. The course is squeezed into a pretty small site, some of the tees are alarmingly close to greens which definitely focuses the mind when hitting approach shots, expect hear ‘fore’ shouts echoing around the course!Despite being flat, lacking dunes and the sea only visible at the far end of the course it has plenty of links character, firm fasting draining turf, thick fescue rough and great pot bunkers defending many greens. I felt the best holes were the par 3’s, of varying length demanding a quality shot or severe punishment awaits, the 7th bit me hard when I pulled a 5 iron into thick rough on the 8th tee slope. I think the course is a lot tougher than it’s short length suggests, being such a tight site there are plenty of drives with OOB very close and green complexes which will spit back careless shots. The quality of greens was excellent, firm and true with great roll. Overall definitely worth a detour if you’re on the way to the South West’s higher profile courses.

I read with interest the previous reviews of the course before playing, having now played it a couple of times I understand why it divides opinion. Building a links style course in the middle of the Oxford countryside with a club house with which makes one think of a motel was a bold move but I feel it is a very good course, reminds me a lot of the Trump Ferry Point course in New York, a links style pastiche which looks great, is great fun but doesn’t play at all like a real links even with the wind which was blowing hard when I played.There’s lots to enjoy about The Oxfordshire, well designed holes which demand solid shotmaking to avoid the numerous sand and water hazards, excellent green complexes which will test your short game if you miss them. I enjoyed the par 5’s the most, accurate drives and approaches (some quite reachable in 2 from the yellows/whites) will yield plenty of birdie chances but will punish you hard if you don’t, the 11th being a great example which runs along one of the lakes and pinches into the fairway at points testing ones courage strategy. The short par 4’s are great fun as well, especially 6 and 8. The course can be stretched to a crazy length, playing off the whites/yellows will be enough for most players especially given the par 3’s equire some big carries over water and sand.Post lockdown the course lacked polish, some shabby bits and most of the bunkers unraked, understandable given the situation most courses are in at the moment, hopefully it will get back a more normal standard as the year rolls on, the greens were OK but recovering from work so I imagine they speed up and offer more challenge. Overall for me a great day out on fun course which I’d happily play again.

A round at Mullion is a fun experience, I had the benefit of playing on a sunny albeit windy day which allowed me to enjoy the true splendour of its location. Set on cliffs above the English channel it runs down to the beach before working its way up and down several times, if you’re a member here you’ll certainly be fit.As other reviewers have noted it’s an uneven course with some great holes which would be at home on any top quality course but its diluted by too many ordinary holes, especially the uphill ones which feel often like a real slog. The most fun holes are the 6th, a short downhill par 4 risk and reward hole, the 7th which is the lowest holes on the course, 8 a tough par 3 with some vicious pot bunkers, the signature 10th hole where you have miss the green at your peril, 14 requires you to a hit a great drive to have any chance. Putting on the greens was a real joy, medium paced but rolled very well with not much undulation.Despite its remote setting away from the string of courses on the North coast Mullion is definitely worth a diversion and probably placed about right in the rankings, not enough good holes to challenge the top courses but a great day out nonetheless.

The members at Saunton are truly blessed having a club with two high class links courses. It’s well worth the effort to reach Saunton, not the easiest of locations to access but it won’t disappoint. I was able to play in early March just before lockdown on a typically blustery and showery day you’re pretty much guaranteed to get in North Devon, genuine links golf weather. Although early in the season the condition was excellent; the greens wonderfully true with excellent roll, a joy to putt on and thankfully the rough was pretty thin. The course starts with an superb par 4 from an elevated tee which gives a great view of the courses, it then winds its way through the dunes with a great mix of dog legs and straighter holes which all ask strategic questions of how to play your approach and how bold should I be on the dog legs. Stand out holes for me were the 1st, 9th, the short 10th which tempts you to either launch one at the green or be sensible and the closing stretch from 15 in. To my mind there are probably too many par 4’s in row, a short par 3 in the middle would provide some variety and respite but given the quality of them it’s not major issue, just would add a little fun. It felt like there weren’t many bunkers (unless I just had a good day!) but if you find one it’s a proper punishment which you have punch out with a short iron in most cases. Overall a great course, in my own personal ranking it doesn’t reach the heights of North Berwick (lacking that courses variety and quirks) but is still a very good course which should be on the bucketlist of anyone who likes links golf.

It had been too long since my last visit to Thurlestone, I enjoyed even it even more playing course in high summer. The front 9 runs along the spectacular south Devon coastline before heading inland and uphill before returning to the club house towards the sea again, the UK’s Pebble Beach tag is well earned.The back nine is very much secondary in quality and architecture, only the last 3 holes meet the high standard going out but the holes are still fun, just a few too many pedestrian side by side holes for my liking. For me it’s the par 3’s which standout as the best holes, especially going out, all have their own character and are orientated in different directions so there’s the need to take the wind into account on every hole.Some might describe this as ‘holiday golf’ but I think it’s a tougher challenge, the fairways are generous but when I played very firm so it wasn’t too difficult to see balls to run out and the rough can really cost you, especially if you’re too wayward you’d end up in waist high rough and a lost ball. The courses main defence is the wind and the green complexes which harbour a lot of deep bunkers and drop offs, the greens don’t have too much slope and medium pace so you’ll normally be able to 2 putt without problem.I had a pleasure of playing with a couple of members who were great company and generous with their insights into playing the course. If you’re in the South West it’s certainly worth seeking it out, I think it deserves to be higher in the Devon rankings but still behind the classic links of the north coast.

I hadn’t played Toot Hill in nearly 15 years and I enjoyed my return visit in February 2020, time has improved the layout which now blends better into the countryside and looks less manufactured. I don’t normally like to review a course in the winter because few are at their best especially with the monsoon conditions the UK had seen in February 20. However the course was in remarkably good condition, especially <img src="/images/toot-hill-review-TOOT001.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Toot Hill Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Toot Hill Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> considering how many other courses were closed due to flooding, there were only a few really wet areas and bunker puddles, the greens had plenty of speed, remarkable for the time of year. The course is routed over a shallow valley so there is decent amount of elevation change to enjoy, the site is fairly small so some compromises have been made in hole routing, the front 9 has too many side by side up and down holes which are pretty dull. The opening hole is a longish downhill par 4, on a cold windy day a real challenge to hit it long enough to ensue you have a short iron in your hand for the approach, it would be more fun in the summer I imagine. The course then goes uphill to a par 4 and 3 and then a tedious up and down block of holes. Thankfully after that stretch the course becomes much more interesting; from 9 onwards a great downhill dog leg right par defended by a lake which depending on the pin placement tests your nerves. Then follows a good sequence of holes including the island <img src="/images/toot-hill-review-TOOT002.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Toot Hill Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Toot Hill Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> green par 3 at 12 and SI 1 par 4 at 14. I like the way the final 3 holes are set up finishing par 5, 3 and 4, the final hole being short but well defended with bunkers and pond to punish any loose approaches. I’m not sure whether the rough is allowed to grow up in the warmer months because the course is very generous from the tee with the exception of a few out of bounds around the perimeter of the course, it’s the generous bunkering and green complexes providing the challenge. I found the bunkers more often than I’d have liked; some being very deep but the quality of sand in them meant escape wasn’t a problem but given their strategic location your scrambling and bunker game gets a full work out. Finished the round off with one of the best bacon rolls I’d eaten in ages, overall one of better courses in Essex and I’d argue its inside the top 10 in the county, may be not for the architecture but certainly for its condition and the back 9’s quality.

I thoroughly enjoyed my recent round at Westerham in a society day, I must admit to being surprised given its lowly ranking on this site how good it was, possibly its short length is held against it, I would certainly rank it higher than the likes of Hever Castle <img src="/images/westerham-golf-course-review-WESH004.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Westerham Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Westerham Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> and Nizels. I played on a mild and breezy October afternoon and we were fortunate with the weather which only made the visit even more agreeable. Laid out on the North Downs near the M25 it is a decent challenge as the holes and rise and fall over the hillside. Even though it’s a comparatively young track opening in 1997 it feels a lot more mature as the holes wind their way through tall tree lined fairways. It eases you into the round with a couple short par 4’s & 5’s before the challenge begins to toughen, it’s not a course where you can hit driver on every hole, there are a good number of tight doglegs which demand precision with a long iron or else your approach shot is likely to be compromised by trees, you can of course try and bomb one with the driver but more often than not that will cost you. Approach shots are into relatively small greens which have some severe undulation built into them and some steep run off areas to punish errors, land in the wrong place and expect a 3 putt, the 11th <img src="/images/westerham-golf-course-review-WESH005.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Westerham Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Westerham Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> green being a great example. A downhill par 3 with a shelf on the right hand side, land it on the slope and your ball will feed down to the hole for a kick in birdie, land it on the top (as I did) and you’ll need the pin to stop your ball rolling off into the distance. Given it was mid-October and we’d just come off a very dry September the condition was great, the only disappointment was the slow pace of the greens, they were really slow. I’m not sure if was because the club had applied some feed recently or too keep the pace of play up. The back 9 toughens up considerably, much tighter with tougher green complexes and thankfully no uphill par 3’s (one of the worst design features that can afflict a course!). Combine the course with a great club house and it pushing towards toward top 10 in Kent status.

Despite the length of its coastline Essex has very few links courses, I’m not sure why that it is, given the number of turbines off the coast it doesn’t lack wind. More likely the lack of dunes and mainly clay soil doesn’t provide what’s needed for links golf, the best links track in the county is found at Orsett some way inland from the <img src="/images/frinton-havers-golf-course-review-FRIN001.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Frinton (Havers) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Frinton (Havers) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> Thames estuary. Onto Frinton I’ve played it regularly in the past decade as part of an annual society day and it’s probably the only true seaside links course in the county. The town itself is the definition of genteel and the charming old clubhouse reflects that tradition, the main dining room and bar overlook the 18th green allowing members to enjoy a post round G&T. It has become less stuffy over the years as the modern world finally reaches Frinton and visitors are welcomed more warmly now. Although it’s a seaside links you won’t have view of the sea, the course is situated behind a very high seawall, the only clue you are on the coast are the seaside huts plonked on top of the wall and normally the ever present wind. I played at the end of September on 3 club wind day, when the wind blows from the South most of the the opening 9 holes are brutes even though they don’t look long on the card, survival golf at best unless you are very skilled at <img src="/images/frinton-havers-golf-course-review-FRIN002.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Frinton (Havers) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Frinton (Havers) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> hitting low stingers off every tee. Architecture wise there is practically no elevation change save the raised green on 18, the some of the greens have some great undulation which keeps your attention, there is some decent bunkering around the greens, the drainage channels which cross the course offer the main defence along with the wind. The club generally doesn’t let the rough grow too high so you won’t normally have any problems if you’re wayward. Coming in all of the par 5’s are easily reachable in two if you have the wind behind, great to have blast knowing the worst that will happen is finding a bunker. Condition was OK when I played albeit the dry conditions in September had led to many bare patches and cracked fairways, the greens played true albeit slow, they aren’t mown very tightly because of the wind so don’t be afraid to hit the ball harder than normal, it generally won’t go past the hole very far. Frinton isn’t a top end links course in the RCP, North Berwick class but it does offer a fun challenge and good value, £35 for a round, coffee and bacon roll is fair to me.

I played the North Course on a very breezy but warm day in September, it’s part of a wider hotel and apartment complex and it appears almost everyone staying was there to play golf. I feel it’s a case of two very contrasting 9’s, the front is rather pedestrian albeit with some very long par 4’s (1st hole being SI 1!) and typical <img src="/images/el-rompido-golf-course-review-ELRO010.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="El Rompido (North) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="El Rompido (North) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> of any Spanish golf resort, not much to generate interest. However coming back is a much more exciting proposition with dramatic changes in elevation (13 being a highlight), some fine views to take in and considerably better architecture, 13-18 being a great run of holes . The course is set up to be generous from the tee with little rough and wide fairways, the only ball I lost was trying to drive the green on 11. Bunkering was well positioned to collect loose tee shots or badly hit approaches, the courses main test is to place your ball onto the large and undulating greens to avoid 3 putting or worse. I found them very difficult to read even though they were in recovery mode after summer maintenance and were not mowed to normal length they were fast, I dread to think how they would play once recovered! I found the overall course condition disappointing <img src="/images/el-rompido-golf-course-review-ELRO011.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="El Rompido (North) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="El Rompido (North) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> though, large areas of the fairways lacking any grass with scruffy and bumpy tee boxes on many holes. It was also a lottery whether the ball got any roll or bounce, seems to depend on the species of grass you land on rather than the shot you executed, fair to say no two holes were the same in that regard. By far the most disappointing element was the pace of play, expect a 5 hour+ round even though most players use a buggy, there’s no evidence of marshals or management of players and both the South and North suffer the same curse. I’ll admit that speed of play did colour my judgement and I certainly wouldn’t want to play it again unless that issue was addressed, the North is a good course despite its at times tired demeanour, worth playing for the back 9 alone.

I thoroughly enjoyed my round on the International course despite playing on one the summers wettest days! Regardless of the heavy rain the course remained unaffected and in great condition with no standing water, even the greens retained their pace, testament to the quality of the course and its maintenance. Don’t come to the London Club expecting an old style club atmosphere, the club house has the feel of a high end international hotel chain with top quality service (but mediocre food, I would dine elsewhere). Although the course is relatively new it doesn’t feel it, routed through the gently rolling Kent countryside on either side of a wide valley it has the character of a heathland/links layout, wide fairways surrounded by deep rough and well placed bunkers to punish <img src="/images/london-club-international-golf-course-review-LCIN009.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="London Club (International) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="London Club (International) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> loose shots. It is a tough course even with the generous fairways, while most of the par 4’s are quite straightforward (from the yellow tees at least) it’s the par 3’s and 5’s which offer the most fun and test, they bring the water hazards into play and have some gigantic bunkers ready to punish mistakes. On the blustery day I played ball striking needed to be of the highest quality to make the carries over water on the par 3’s, careless shots or club selection almost always found water, even the DZ’s require you to make substantial carries over the hazard, playing in a medal here could break you! The par 5’s are a chance to score albeit finding a bunker means its making par tough, the final par 5 18 is a brute if you’re unlucky to be playing into the wind like I did, 3 quality shots are needed find the green for most players. In common with most modern courses it was designed with buggy use as standard, there are some long walks between holes and steep inclines, nothing too extreme but your calves will remember you played the day after. The conditions meant the course was quiet so no pace of play problems although given the deep rough surrounding most fairways it wouldn’t take much for higher handicappers to end up with a 5 hour round. Overall the London Club oozes class and any visit is a pleasure, not cheap but it’s not difficult to see where your money goes with some of the best course conditioning you’ll find.

I really can’t decide whether I think the red course is good track or merely above average. I played it in late July 2019 on warm blustery afternoon, perfect conditions for a heathland course which needs the wind to offer a defence. <img src="/images/frilford-red-golf-course-review-FRIL003.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Frilford Heath (Red) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Frilford Heath (Red) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> Perhaps my views were influenced partly by the poor condition of numerous fairways and tees, lots of bare grassless patches and rabbit damage everywhere, I really expect better at £95 a round! The course is routed through a flat heathland site, similar to Walton Heath but without the elevation change unfortunately. There are however plenty of good elements to enjoy, excellent greens, clever bunkering and a strong mix of short and long par 4’s, the 7th, 8th and 13th being the stand outs for me and the front 9 finishing with a great par 3 that demands an iron shot of high quality to <img src="/images/frilford-red-golf-course-review-FRIL002.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Frilford Heath (Red) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Frilford Heath (Red) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> find the putting surface. The back 9 isn’t so good with it feeling like something of a grind after the last par 3, the round finishes with a rather odd short par 4, a large bunker sits in the middle of the fairway forcing to you to hit an iron but none defending the green. I did like the fact they only allow 2 balls on the red so pace of play was great, barely saw anyone else on the course! The clubhouse is in the traditional style (with decent food), its terrace is a nice place to sit and contemplate the round you’ve played. Overall it’s a 3.5 ball course for me.

Make no mistake, Bethpage Black is a monster of a course, it requires not only supreme accuracy from the tee and the need to work the ball both ways but also be pinpoint with your irons or you’d better ensure your bunker and short game is sharp. Bethpage is an industrial sized facility with 5 courses and the infrastructure to process hundreds of golfers, don’t come expecting the feel of private <img src="/images/bethpage-black-golf-course-review-BETH004.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Bethpage (Black) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Bethpage (Black) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> country club, this is a proper public course. I played a month after the 2019 PGA, the stands and infrastructure were still being dismantled which gave some sense of the scale needed to host major championships. To avoid the crowds I played mid week, easy enough to book online and they do have space for walk ups blocked out as well. Standing on the first tee having enjoyed the warning sign you know a stern test awaits, do not for example try to carry the dog leg on the first, very few players will make it and your second shot will be a short iron to escape the thick rough at best. As mentioned earlier almost all of the holes need you to hit a long and accurate tee shot to surprisingly narrow fairways, even on the wet day I played the ball ran and often what seemed a great shot had made the deep stuff or at best the first cut. If you’ve made it to the primary rough don’t be heroic, take your medicine and grab a short iron, play for position and get onto the fairway at all costs! I don't think I’ve ever seen green complexes with such severe defenses, many elevated and protected by some of the <img src="/images/bethpage-black-golf-course-review-BETH005.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Bethpage (Black) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Bethpage (Black) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> most penal bunkers you can imagine, great fun to pit your game against them. Once you’ve made it onto the putting surface most of them relatively flat, I’m guessing Tillinghast thought you’d suffered enough getting onto the green without inflicting any further challenges with the short stick. They rolled beautifully true, even on a damp day they retained their pace, I don’t think I saw my ball bobble once. The course is carved from woodland but the trees don’t really come into play, it’s more of heathland set up than parkland, even the greens are frequently surrounded by brutal rough. I thought the hardest holes were the par 4’s, I played from the whites which meant they were nearly all over 400 yards, the back 9 had some of the toughest I’ve ever played. Despite its relentless toughness and unforgiving nature the black course is a must play track, not only with its history of hosting major championships it’s simply a brilliant design making the most of the terrain with the finest bunkering I’ve ever seen. I was 10 off my handicap and the weather was awful but loved every minute, if you're in the NYC area try and play, jump on the LIRR to Farmingdale to play one of the world’s best public courses.

I played a round here in mid-June 2019, had a wonderfully sunny and clear day to enjoy the spectacular views the course affords from numerous holes. It's a parkland layout which is extremely hilly, impossible to walk in the warmer months unless you enjoy an endurance test. I hugely enjoyed my visit here; it's the typical US <img src="/images/tuckers-point-golf-course-review-TUCK006.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Tucker's Point Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Tucker's Point Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> country club slick service from the moment you arrive, dine well in the club house before teeing it up and enjoy a cool drink on the veranda post round. The course itself was in good condition, even though I played from the tips it’s not overly long but it does demand you to be accurate from the tee or end up playing from an incline either above or below your feet. The rough is kept low and overall condition was good, I visited the well sited bunkers several times but it was little disappointing to find several hard packed making sand shots something of a lottery. On the day I played the greens were recovering from maintenance and were heavily sanded however they still had a decent amount of <img src="/images/tuckers-point-golf-course-review-TUCK007.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Tucker's Point Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Tucker's Point Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> pace in them and the member I played with said they are very fast in normal conditions. I felt the back 9 better of the two, it was enjoyable to hit from the elevated tees on 12 and 13, the short par 4 17th has the stunning view of the eastern end of the island and the chance to reach the green if you can hit your drive 280 yards+! I played on a Thursday afternoon and we had the course to ourselves, weekends are busier but they have marshals out to police the pace of play, a welcome addition all clubs should have. Overall definitely worth playing if you’re in Bermuda, it’s next to the Mid Ocean Club so easy to combine for a 36 hole day out.

Only a 90 minute drive from central Manhattan in upstate New Jersey stands the Ballyowen course, hard to believe a links style course could be located in the heavily forested rolling hills of the area, when you’re on course it feels very remote and peaceful. Despite the Irish links theme of the clubhouse, staff uniforms and a bagpiper this is not a links course, too much water and elevation change for that but it is an attractive layout which makes great use of the rolling landscape, water hazards and fescue grass which lines most of the fairways.

The course starts with a <img src="/images/crystal-springs-ballyowen-golf-course-review-CRYT001.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Crystal Springs (Ballyowen) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Crystal Springs (Ballyowen) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> couple of great par 4’s both of which require large carries over waste areas to find the fairway, the 2nd being a real risk and reward hole, the bolder you are the easier and safer your 2nd shot will be. I really enjoyed the par 3’s, especially those with water hazards guarding the front, the 6th being a highlight. Requires a solid mid iron onto a huge green, especially tough into the wind with a front right pin position, I was fortunate to hole a 50 foot birdie putt from the left hand side but I wouldn’t recommend that as a tactic. The back 9 was more of the same with a cracking downhill par 5 to open the inward stretch, hit a good drive and even higher handicappers can go for the green in 2. The round ends with a great par 5 and tough par 4, even a great drive on 18 will need a high quality approach to make par on an elevated green, very easy to under club and come up short. The greens are all huge, many with severe slopes, find the wrong place on them and you’d better commit to your shot or you’ll be seeing plenty of 3 and 4 putts. They rolled well when we played, still had signs of the spring treatment, understandable given the cool spring weather however it was disappointing to <img src="/images/crystal-springs-ballyowen-golf-course-review-CRYT002.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Crystal Springs (Ballyowen) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Crystal Springs (Ballyowen) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> see how many were blighted by numerous pitch marks, I guess being a public course players aren’t so worried about repairing them. Course conditioning was of high quality, despite a wet few days before the turf was in great condition with very few boggy patches, early in the season the fescue hadn’t grown thick and high so it was a little more forgiving than it will become, high summer it will swallow loose shots. I thought the fairways were generous, most the fairway bunkers which made them look tight are pretty well spaced and the rough being more of hazard, the greenside bunkers stood ready to collect anything short or long. They were fun to play out of, not too deep and the quality sand made them relatively easy to escape, a few were suffering from the prior days rain but most were playable.

As you would expect from a US resort course quality service from the moment you arrive, buggies were included in the green fee and I would advise taking one because there is a long walk between holes. Overall well worth a trip, public courses of this quality are rare in the tri-state area.

I’ve played the Nicklaus course at St Mellion regularly over the last few years so it’s overdue a review. There’s no doubt it can be tough challenge if you’re wayward from tee. Most of the fairways don’t contain too much undulation other than incline, however miss them and streams, trees and thick rough with an awkward stance await you if you can find your ball. The course starts out with a blind tee shot that requires you to be bold to ensure the green is visible; it’s also very easy to under club with your approach and come up short. The course then works its way up and down a wooded valley where water is never far away. Personally I feel the back 9 is better, too many long grinding par 4’s on the front 9, feels like you’re always hitting uphill! For me the best sequence of holes starts on 9, a mediocre par 4 followed by 10-12 which are the courses standout holes, 10 is a great downhill par 4 which needs an accurate drive to the left hand side of the fairway, 11 a great par 3 needing a very precise iron shot to carry the water and hazards and have any chance of par. The 12th is probably my favourite, a par 5 needing a fade from the tee too have any chance of seeing the green in two. If you fancy your chances of having an eagle putt you need to carry the stream which crosses the front of the green complex which itself is shaped to reject any careless shots. The round ends with two tough par 4’s, both needing you to position the ball in the right place and have any chance of reaching the greens, the 18th has a pond in front to collect any shots which are short or left. Whenever I’ve visited the greens (and indeed the whole course) have always been in good condition, as earlier reviewers have said they have lots of slope and random humps, a typical Nicklaus design. They’ve always been very true when I’ve played and will punish any loss of concentration with the putter.
The course markets itself a lot to societies and groups so slow play can be problem if you get stuck behind some high handicappers, I always tend to play mid-afternoon when they do some great deals on green fees and most of the large groups will have finished. I prefer to walk courses but I would advise taking a buggy here, there are some severe inclines and long walks between holes, I only made the mistake of walking once. It’s one of those courses I would play if in the area rather (I have family in Plymouth and it’s certainly the best course nearest to the city) than make it a destination, there are much better courses in Cornwall and Devon although if you like the resort style and great conditioning you’ll enjoy St Mellion. Overall a 4 ball course for me when compared to the local competition.

Make no mistake this is top class course which takes no prisoners, Pete Dye must have really moved a lot earth to create this masterpiece of golf architecture. The course is carved from forested rolling hills on the New York- Connecticut border, with its remoteness and peace it’s hard to believe you’re only an hour’s drive from Manhattan. I played on warm and muggy day early in May; the course was still waking from winter which meant the rough wasn’t quite as tough as it could be but still costly for any careless shots you hit. <img src="/images/pound-ridge-golf-course-review-POUN001.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Pound Ridge Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Pound Ridge Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> Any player coming here should be very mindful of the tee they choose, the club helpfully suggests the appropriate box by handicap, you’d be advised to follow that advice, there are some very big forced carries and narrow landing zones, if your ego rather than handicap made the decision ensure you have plenty of balls in your bag. You need to drive the ball well here; punishment waits on most holes in the form of thick rough, huge rocks, deep bunkers or swampy waste areas, all too easy to rack up a big score from tee even before you have to thread your approach onto the well protected greens. The opening hole is great, a good drive needed into the right position for a blind approach to a green surrounded by sand and swamp, it sets the tone for the course and there is no let up on the SI1 2nd either, if you can walk off with no major damage to your card you’ve done well. Most of the greens have plenty of undulation and slope, tricky to read even when not especially fast and there are places where flags can really be tucked away. Even after heavy rain the night before the tees, fairways and bunkers were all in great condition, only a few places where water had <img src="/images/pound-ridge-golf-course-review-POUN002.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Pound Ridge Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Pound Ridge Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> collected. The final 3 holes are a real test; I’d been playing only a shot off handicap until I stepped on to the 16th tee, finished the round 6 off without losing a ball and finding the fairway with my drives!

I normally prefer to walk but a buggy came with the green fee, given some of inclines I’d advise taking that option unless you like a workout while you’re playing. As you’d expect service was great, small but fully equipped club house although a little disappointing the kitchen closes early (1700) so anyone hoping for a post round snack/meal should plan to go elsewhere. The early season fee of $141 was good value but now its $235 for eighteen at the weekend before 1300 which I think is expensive given the options in the tri-state area. Would I go back, absolutely because it’s tough but enormous fun , rewards and punishes you in equal measure. I'm giving it 5 a ball rating because its rare to find such a quality course in the New York area that's open for visitors, not just guests of members.

I played the Trump Golf Links Ferry Point on a chilly and breezy late April day, the course was still waking up from winter which meant the rough was forgiving albeit still easy to find a tough lie, still easy to find a wayward ball, I can well imagine high summer you can easily loose a bag of balls if you’re not careful. I note the previous reviewer says it not really a true links, I agree and ‘links style’ would be more appropriate, <img src="/images/trump-golf-links-ferry-point-golf-course-review-TRUG001.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Trump Golf Links Ferry Point - Photo by reviewer" title="Trump Golf Links Ferry Point - Photo by reviewer"> a stylish pastiche which looks like a links but doesn’t really play like one, playing the course very much favors hitting it high over the hazards rather than a ground game even with the wind. Perhaps it was the early season conditions but there was very little roll so the course played to its true length, choose wisely which tee you use, I played golds which was a tough 6800 yards with soft ground on a cool day. Expect to hit lots of long irons and woods on approach, the fairways are inviting and wide, well bunkered but not penal if you chose a sensible line, the green complexes are the courses real defence. Land your approach in the wrong place and the bunkers, false fronts, hollows and swales will devour your ball leaving plenty of tough up and downs. The greens were still healing from spring aeration so not running perfectly true but still very fast with lots of subtle breaks to test even the best hottest putters. Favorite holes for me were the par 5’s, the short par 7th (a real risk and reward hole), and the long par 3’s, needing you to hit your Sunday best and account for the wind.

As you'd expect from the group which <img src="/images/trump-golf-links-ferry-point-golf-course-review-TRUG004.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Trump Golf Links Ferry Point - Photo by reviewer" title="Trump Golf Links Ferry Point - Photo by reviewer"> owns it service is a focus, free range balls, great putting green and short game area. I’m told the club house is brand new and only just opened for the 2019 season, surprisingly understated ranch style with no gold leaf or marble to be seen anywhere! Given its only just opened and early in the season I’ll forgive the 10 minutes it took for me get a coffee, once fully open the outdoor areas will look great. Does it offer great value, maybe, I got a discount off the sticker price as a NYC resident but it’s still towards the top end of what I’d pay for a round but then again it is NYC and public golf courses are the minority. Pace of play was great in comparison to most NYC public courses but also a reflection of the green fee deterring only the keenest golfers. Certainly worth visiting if you’re in the area, easy to reach from Manhatten.

I had the pleasure of playing the Bay view course in mid April 2019. Is this a true links course, no, more of a seaside course with a links/heath like character but that’s not a bad thing, reminded me most of a Walton Heath by the sea! It's a great fun layout with the front nine being tougher and the back 9 more generous from the tee. When I played the course was just emerging from its winter hibernation and the numerous mounds lining most holes were not at their most penal, loose drives were not too costly. The greens were surprisingly quick despite still healing from aeration, numerous breaks and undulations that need to care to avoid 3 putting, I imagine in summer they become a serious challenge. Even after heavy rain the fairways retained a links like bounce and the numerous bunkers were fun to play out of, not too hard if you find one and are not too greedy with yardage. When I played it was a rare still day, like any links style course it needs the wind to compensate for the relatively short yardage, further protection is in the numerous elevated greens which I like, wayward approach shots are punished with deep run off areas or bunkers. The only negatives were the pace of play; we were stuck behind a very slow 4 ball who took nearly 3 hours to play the front 9 even in buggy’s, the course needs an roaming marshal to manage pace of play. I also think there are probably too many trees on the course taking away some of its links/heath charm, looking at pictures from the early days in comparison there now seems to be a larger number and out of character, clearing those not in the original design would really help.

One thing The Grove never disappoints on is its condition and standards of service, some of tee boxes are like greens! I played there on a warm sunny October afternoon, despite heavy rain the day before the course was in perfect condition with lush fairways and in spite of the hot and dry summer there was little evidence of any course damage. <img src="/images/grove-golf-course-review-GROV045.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="The Grove Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="The Grove Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> The course is set over some fairly mundane ground but keeps it interesting with rolling fairways and elevated green complexes, don’t expect a flat stance on too many shots. It’s pretty generous from the tee, the courses main defence being well designed greens and run off areas that will punish shots that land in the wrong place. I played from the silver tees (6,700 yards) which made most the par 4’s close to or more than 400 years, expect to be using long to mid irons for many of your approaches unless you're a really big hitter. The greens were fastest I’ve played all year and very true, a real pleasure to play on.
However having played it 4 times now there are very few holes that I remember, it’s also course designed around buggies and the path’s are far too close to the fairways in too many places, on a couple of couple holes slightly wayward approach will land on the path never to be seen again! Personally I don't think it offers great value for money, I’ve always played it on corporate days so not had to pay but I wouldn’t spend my own money when there are better courses for less nearby, overall worth playing if you get a deal or freebie or once to enjoy the great conditioning.

Having read the mixed reviews for the Hunting Course at Slaley Hall my expectations were not high but I left rather underwhelmed. Its set in beautiful hilly countryside and uses the undulations to great effect on some holes, I just felt there were too many dull holes which were just a long grind albeit with some good strategic bunkering in places. It’s generous from the tee and the bunkers although numerous are not too hard to avoid, the best sequence of holes is from 5-9. Despite this years heatwave the general condition was good but some of the tees looked tired and the green complexes had bare areas in places, greens were pleasantly fast and had good roll. One big negative was the pace of play, if you’re playing between Friday or Monday expect a 5 hour round even with a buggy. The attached hotel sells a lot of cheap weekend golf packages and has no handicap restrictions for what is not an easy course, watching players hitting 100 yard drives then waiting for the green to clear before hitting their 2nd does little to improve perceptions of the course. If you’re in the area it’s worth playing but not worth a diversion.

Askernish despite its isolated location is well worth a trip to the wild and rugged island of South Uist, probably the most natural links course you’re every likely to play. I played in mid September on windy but dry day, untypical Uist weather given you’re normally guaranteed a soaking at some point. The first 5 holes are fairly mundane but from 6 onwards <img src="/images/askernish-golf-course-review-ASKE026.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Askernish Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Askernish Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> it moves into the dunes and begins a sensational stretch until it slows down on the 16th as you return to the club house. My personal favourites were holes 7 & 11. The 11th is one of the best par 3’s you’ll ever likely to play, requiring a 185 yard carry over a deep gully to the top of another dune into the prevailing wind, I needed to hit driver to make it and thankfully still managed a par with an audience of grey seals watching from the shallows on the beach below. Don’t come expect perfectly mown fairways or manicured greens, despite that they still rolled reasonably fast and true. The only negative points were the rabbit problem which blights almost every hole, the club needs to fix it before the course is damaged further, it would also benefit from some yardage marker posts, my golf course app didn’t have the course mapped so bring your rangefinder!

I had the huge pleasure of playing the course in mid September, it had recovered from the summers heat wave but still played firm and fast, the turf wonderfully firm and rewarding a well struck shot. I played in a 2 club wind from the west which made the first 8 holes tough <img src="/images/north-berwick-west-golf-course-review-NOBE135.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="North Berwick (West) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="North Berwick (West) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> but still enormous fun, coming home from 13 inwards it’s hard to imagine a better sequence of holes. The greens were fast and true and but held the ball. I thought the course pretty generous from the tee, hard to loose a ball unless you hit a real wild one, it’s very much a second shot course into the fantastic green complexes. I was paired up with a couple of other solo players, they both had caddies whose generous and friendly advice proved invaluable. Add that to the warm welcome received from the secretary and it’s hard to imagine a better place to play links golf in its truest form.

I played Bovey Castle in early July 2018, much of the course is set in a remote picturesque valley below the hotel with the back 9 climbing back up the hill onto more exposed moorland type surroundings. The whole area had seen hardly any rain for a month or so (very rare for Dartmoor!) which meant conditions were firm and fast with the fairways full of bounce and tight lies. It’s not a long a long course but with trees <img src="/images/bovey-castle-golf-course-review-BOVE056x.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Bovey Castle Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Bovey Castle Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> lining many of the holes it’s all about position to attack the small greens, all too easy to boom what appears to be a great drive only to find a shot that needs to shaped around or flown over the trees. To my mind the front 9 is the best of the part of the course, the brook which meanders through the valley touches most of the holes somewhere adds some fun to approach shots. It reminded me a lot of St Mellion albeit the conditioning wasn’t quite as good, the greens had a decent amount of pace in them but disappointed to find them being aerated and sanded which mean gave random bobbles, no warning of this fact in the pro shop or when booking. Reasonable value for money at £59 as a visitor, worth having lunch in the hotel Brasserie after, great location on the balcony to contemplate the birdies made and putts missed. IRC

I played Golf Del Sur a couple of times recently on a Tenerife golf trip, managed to play all 3 loops during a couple of rounds. It is an attractive looking course with the lush green frequently framed by black sand (although often more like gravel!) and the conditioning of both fairways and greens was good. Personally I feel the North and South are the best of the 27 holes, the links feels compromised by the land they had to squeeze the holes into and with hazards rather clumsily added giving it an unnatural feel. It is generous from the tee and a solid challenge even from the yellows, the key defence the course has is the wind which seems to always blow hard from the airport and it sure makes the course a great deal tougher. On one of the days we played it was blowing 15 mph+, will little natural cover it made the round something of a grind. One really disappointing element was the pace of play, 5 hour+ rounds seem the norm and the club doesn't seem to do much to control the standard of golfers or have marshals out to speed up play, given it was low season I can't imagine how long a round takes during the peak months. Personally I rate Adeje and Las Americas higher than Gold Del Sur.

I played Las Americas in mid May, having played it plenty of times over the years it doesn't disappointment. It isn't cheap (but they do deals including lunch outside of peak seasons) but the condition is always great, on this visit the greens did have a few too many blemishes from unrepaired pitch marks, sadly not much the green keepers can do if players don't repair them properly. Of the nines the front is the strongest with some nice elevation changes and a good mix of long and short par 4's, the holes at the top of the course being my favourites. The course is pretty good at managing players, we as a three ball got around in just over 4 hours which is good for a resort course. If you're visiting Tenerife certainly worth playing.

Despite having played most of the courses in Tenerife I finally played Amarilla. I remain undecided if it’s a good course or not, the condition isn’t great and it looks rather unloved and tired. Maybe the course surrounds of untidy wasteland and rather grotty looking villas clouded my judgement, there are some great holes here and plenty of elevation change to enjoy but it doesn’t seem to flow as a course, the routing seems to have been decided by the properties which line quite a few holes rather than the terrain. The greens were fun with some of severest slopes I’d even seen on greens, get in the wrong place and 3 putt is a good result. It is however decent value given the cost is lower than other Tenerife courses. I’d suggest playing it if you have a spare day but not at the expense of playing Adeje or Golf De Sur.

Having played Adeje many times over the years I thought it deserved a review. Some reviewers see it as a holiday golf course which seems unfair, there’s plenty of challenge for most golfers, fairways are wide but if you miss them the rough or waste areas will add shots to you score. Highlight holes for me are the 4th and 5th with most of par 5’s joy to play. The greens are always fast and course was in great condition even in May when courses in Tenerife often see maintenance after the peak winter season. Pace of play is normally good and the buffet in the clubhouse great value.

I played RCP earlier this year on warm sunny August afternoon; even with a clear blue sky the breeze was ever present. It’s a magical links course; from a distance it looks very flat, however once on the course it has plenty of rolling fairways and blind shots to test even the best golfers, I can see why final Open qualifying is held there. The day I played the wind direction meant the final 5 holes were directly into the stiff breeze making them brutally tough, even from the yellow tees, I did have the pleasure of making par on the 212 yard 14 having hit big 3 wood directly into the breeze which held the green. Conditions were perfect when I played, firm and fast fairways and greens which were not overly fast albeit I watched my playing partner putt into a greenside bunker and then me making the same error two holes later! Sadly I didn’t shoot anywhere near handicap (15) but I always think the true test of a great course (and fair one) is that you want to go out again straight away, RCP left me with that feeling and wishing I’d scored better on the front 9. I saw some earlier contributors said the club wasn’t very welcoming, I found the opposite, they were happy to allow my partner and our 3 month baby in the bar along with my playing partner and his family including a 6 month old. The club house is treasure trove of golfing history, well worth staying a while to browse, some famous names to be seen on the wall plaques.

I played the Duchess course on a late October day, mild but misty and damp. I'd not played at Woburn for a few years but the experience was as good as I remembered, friendly, helpful staff and top notch facilities. Even with a 1300 tee time we had the course to ourselves, able to enjoy the experience of walking the tree lined fairways heavy with the scent of pine. As other reviewers have said the Duchess is the shortest of the three Woburn courses but makes up for it with tighter fairways and small greens, all immaculate with tee boxes that look like carpet. I personally didn’t think the fairways especially narrow, only the wildest of drives will mean you're searching the trees or reloading. What’s key to a good score is ensuring you are in the right place on the fairways; it’s all too easy to rip a good drive only to have a tree blocking you or playing your next shot from an incline. There is a good mix of long and shorter par 4’s; I thought they were the best holes on the course. The only slightly disappointing element was the greens, quite slow albeit very true, I’m putting it down to the weather and time of year. IRC

Noria was the last course I played in my Moroccan visit and despite its somewhat quirky design I thought was the best of the 3 I played in Marrakech. The course has been carved out of some uninspiring flat desert terrain, despite that there are some gentle undulations and elevation changes to make the routing interesting. The generous fairways were a joy to play from; lush and springy grass meant I never had a poor lie; however any loose shots are severely punished if you stray from the green stuff into waste areas which are baked as hard as concrete by the desert sun. If you’re lucky enough to find you’re ball in the waste its like hitting off a stony cart path! The course is well bunkered, catch a fairway bunker and it’s almost impossible to make the green in regulation even though the sand is forgiving. I thought the best holes were the par 3’s and 2 par 5’s, the 5th and 15th. Unfortunately the beautiful club house is barely used, both the bar and restaurant were closed when I visited and looked to have been so for a while, shame not to enjoy a post round beer overlooking the rectangular reflecting pool between the 9th and 18th greens.

I played Assoufid on hot late September morning. Unfortunately the hazy weather meant visibility was poor and I couldn't enjoy the views of the Atlas mountains. <img src="/images/assoufid-golf-course-review-ASSO025.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Assoufid Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Assoufid Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> The course itself is carved out of rolling desert scrub with waste areas lining most fairways to catch wayward shots, it has its fair share of elevation change using the landscape well. On my visit the condition of the course was very disappointing, I understand summer is the time in Morocco when maintenance is performed and wouldn't expect perfect conditions so early in the season but it was very poor, fairways on the front nine only had a thin covering of grass, the rest being sand and worm casts. The greens were equally poor as well with too many dead <img src="/images/assoufid-golf-course-review-ASSO026.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Assoufid Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Assoufid Golf Course - Photo by reviewer">patches making putting a lottery. In my opinion the course shouldn't have been open or offering at least a reduced green fee. That said it is an attractive layout with the chance to use most clubs in the bag, service is good with a great practice area and free balls. Overall a 3 ball course, just check the conditions before you play.

I played Ourika on a perfect late September morning, still and cloudless. As other reviewers have noted the challenge from the tee is carrying waste areas and water, choose the correct tee carefully and the generous fairways with minimal tough should prevent you finding too much trouble. I thought the best holes were the par 5's, only the bravest and best will go for them in two with the rest of us having a short iron into a smalllish target and plenty of trouble for wayward shots. The greens were excellent, fast and true with plenty of subtle breaks and bumps to savour. Overall condition was great although the views weren't enhanced by lots of half built and seemningly abandoned villas around the back 9. It's not a course for walking, not sure buggies are mandatory but it would be long not walk otherwise with the distance between some holes. I would make sure you arrange transport before hand, it's a long way from the centre or you'll have a long wait for a taxi back!