370 yard 9th hole15th is a tough little par-3 Taken on the day the 18th
I must admit I feel sorry for the people who run this Donald Steel-designed course. The day I arrive it wasn’t the greatest time of year, but throw in incessant rain and I’m surprised I manage the nine holes we play. As you can see from the video below it isn’t pleasant – the guys who turned up with no rain gear don’t even make the nine holes!
I’m not the biggest admirer of courses that have been designed on ex-farmland, but from what I can see of the back nine (the holes we play) this is one of the better such tracks I’ve played. There are four tee options ranging from 6,980 yards from the white tees to 5,499 yards from the reds. The stand-out holes of the nine are the 460-yard par-4 eleventh, which has a river as a backdrop behind the green, so be careful as it does come into play. It must look beautiful in the summer months and it’s the image they use on their website (see photo at the top of this page) which says a lot about how much the course rates that hole.
The 12th is a tough uphill par-3 hole of 211 yards but to be fair both par-3s on the back nine are great holes. The 15th at 150 is small-but-a-perfectly-formed tough little par-3. The 18th gives you a great chance to finish with a birdie, the par-5 measures only 501-yards. Just steer clear of the bunkering down the right and you can retire to the clubhouse with a smile on your face and enjoy some great food, which is exactly what I do…after hanging everything up to dry!