| I have been lucky enough to
play this course on numerous occasions with two friends
and fellow members of tee1up. It is a lovely course and an
excellent test of golf which is only spoilt by the lack of
atmosphere in the club itself. The first occasion I played
the course they had a very good chef and the food was excellent
and we were well looked after by the staff, as I said I
have played the course loads of times always stopping for
a beer or something to eat and on each of the times I have
played there was only a handful of members using the bar.
Having said that they do have a strong membership and I am
told things have got a little better lately.
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- The first hole a par four leads you
up through the valley between the two hills the hole
has woods on the right and a high bank to the left
which you will find is covered in some deep and tough
rough. Keeping it straight on this hole isn’t to
hard but you second shot into a two-tiered green is a
little misleading. Hole two in my book comes to early
you need to have a settled your drive to cut the
corner off this long par four dogleg left. Either way
you will fin you need quite a long iron into another
two tier green. Hole three still moving upwards in the
valley is a fairly short par four with a bunker just
on the full length of you drive the right other than
that the green is easily hit with a wedge for your
second shot. The green itself runs from back to front
which can make putting difficult if you over shoot the
pin. The fourth is the hardest hole on the course it
is all up hill still in the valley. It only measures
436 yards but the wind sweeps down the valley and the
fact you playing up hill all they way make this two
very big shots to reach the green which is protected
on both side by bunkers. Hole five the first of the
par threes is a very deceptive and the last hole up
the valley. It plays one more club than it looks and
when you get there the greens contours are all over
the place. The sixth takes you over the top of the
course to the right of the clubhouse and is a very
short par four a long straight drive should get you
there in the summer but I would suggest playing a
medium iron into the middle of the fairway leaving a
short one onto the green which is large as it share
the hole with the 13th. Hole seven is a
difficult par four 451 yards off the back tee the
fairway sweeps to the right but is protected by
bunkers and trees on that side and the fairway drops
to the left taking you away from the hole if you
manage to hit a long enough drive. The next shot in a
long one to a sunken green. The eight the second of
the par threes is a long straight hole, which is
protected on the left and right by a bunker. Hole 9 my
favorite hole on the course a long straight drive is
needed in excess of 270 yards to get you over the two
sets of ridges across the fairway. Then it is another
long shot into the green which according to the club
is probably built over a roman villa and you will see
why when you get there my believe is that the hole was
built on a roller coaster. The tenth is another
straight par four with a couple of bunkers on the
right which can trap you drive as every thing sweeps
to the right off the tee. The green has a narrow
entrance and is in the shape of a big bowl depending
on the placement of the pin there shouldn’t be much
of a problem getting your par. Hole eleven is a long
par five with a couple small bunkers on the left
trapping you drive of a left to right slopping
fairway. Further up the hole are three more bunkers
across the middle of the fairway. The best approach to
this green is from the right as you find yourself play
across a bunker and a ridge protecting the green on
the left. The twelve is a lovely par three through a
narrow gap of trees and protected by bunkers on the
left. Hole 13th shares its green with the
sixth this hole and is drivable in the summer at only
275 yards but you are better off playing a medium iron
to the center of the fairway. The green slope back to
front and putting can be a nightmare from the back of
the green. The fourteenth is a another par five with a
blind shot from the tee don’t get to far left as the
ball will sweep into the rough off the fairway, your
next shot will take you down the valley leaving you a
short one up to an elevated green which has two tiers.
Hole fifteen takes you home to the clubhouse along the
top of the hill along side the M3 and has some great
views for miles over Winchester etc. The hole a par
four is straight drive but everything slopes right to
left. If you hit long enough you will see the deep
ditch that protects the green which is quite long but
you will need to keep to the right as trouble with a
capital T is on the left. The sixteenth the last of
the par threes protected by bunkers left and right and
is quite long and can be made even more difficult with
the swirling winds off the hill. Hole seventeen sweeps
from right to left, which is helpful as the best
approach to the slightly elevated green, is from the
left. The eighteenth is a delightful par five nearly
all down hill if you hit big enough off the tee the
green is certainly in reach for two but watch out for
the bunkers stopping the low ball down the hill.
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