Foxhills Golf Club, Longcross course
It feels like it’s been a long winter but I can’t wait to get back on the course, the sky looks dark and ominous and I know the course is very wet but it’s my first outing of the year. I am standing on the first tee of the Longcross course at Foxhills Resort in Surrey looking down at the first fairway as it weaves its way through the red pines from this slightly elevated tee. I feel like a man who has just found an oasis in a desert after days of searching for water – yes it certainly has been a long winter.
The hole slightly doglegs to the right but the fairway has a slight reverse camber to it. I slightly hook my ball, which rolls into the semi rough but my 6-iron second shot finds the green and I make a two-putt par.
It’s the perfect opening hole, not to difficult but it also gives you a taste of what is to come, it’s a tight tree lined course and accuracy more than length is what you need here.
The second is a slightly blind shot but the closer to the trees you aim on the right the more of this dogleg right you can cut off, leaving you a little wedge in. The first of the par threes arrives at the forth hole and sits in a little amphitheater of tall pines, the green is not very deep at only 26-yards, but with the contouring, position it is all important.
   
Top: Dogleg right to start at the 1st Above: LtoR 7th, 10th and 18th holes
Small greens are a feature of this course with only three being deeper than 30-yards, the ninth hole is only 18-yards deep, and I make a chip and a putt par, to bring to a close a wonderful stretch of holes.
I make a stop at the half way hut, the coffee and sausage bap are the perfect combination to start my back nine and at just 324-yards and that extra bit of sustenance inside you the 10th offers a great birdie opportunity which I duly take. The 11th brings up the first par 3 and like the front nine both the short holes are tough propositions, measuring over 220-yards from their elevated tees.
The 14th hole is the Longcross’s signature hole and was voted by BBC 5 Live listeners – which I am one of – as one of the greatest holes that they had ever played. It is played from an elevated tee and measures 536-yards, its at this point my heart slightly sinks, not because I don’t think it’s a great hole, it certainly lives up to its billing, but I know in the summer months the flowers will be in full bloom and the sky will be blue and most importantly my ball will not plug so I would get plenty of roll, which you will need if you want to have a go at this in two.
As I miss my birdie putt on the double green 18th hole that is shared with the Bernard Hunt courses 18th green, I look back down the fairway longingly. It’s been a wonderful afternoons golf, in a beautiful setting and FW Hewtree has done a fantastic job and I can’t wait to get back here in the summer. The green staff have been working overtime during the winter months and I know once we hit May and June Longcross will be in full bloom and what a joy it will be to play then.
No video due to rain
Above: Tall pines surrounding the 7th green
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