Hankley Common Golf Club

Type of course? Perfect heathland Pleasant staff? Everyone, from bar staff to to members to Secretary, was as welcoming as it gets Best hole? The 18th – a strategic hole Après golf? Very nice lunch avant golf Nice round? Fantastic. Golf courses don’t get much better than Hankley Common. Special memory? This was Charlotte’s birthday and our round was the centrepiece of a perfect...

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Woodbridge Golf Club

Type of course? Heathland Pleasant staff? All very warm and welcoming, from the Secretary to arrange our visit to the pro shop and the bar once we were there. Best hole? The short par 5 14th. SO tempting to go for the green in two, just because you can, but you just know it would be a terrible mistake, so you don’t because you’ve recently decided to play like a sensible golfer. Après...

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Prince’s Golf Club

Type of course? Links Pleasant staff? Pleasant enough Best hole? The 8th on Himalayas because of the great drive: a massive carry, water right and left and lots of different options depending on how brave you’re feeling. Après golf? The clubhouse is vast and impersonal, and in the evening we had a nice dinner in a room full of 60 men and us two on our little table. Nice round? We had two...

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Headlam Hall Golf Course

Type of course? Undulating parkland Pleasant staff? Yes Best hole? The par 5 4th. Long, narrow and very tricky. Après golf? I don’t think we had a drink that time, but we once had a fantastic afternoon tea. Nice round? We both felt pretty confident we’d do well on this “little 9 hole” course, but it made mince meat of us. Very pretty and deceptively difficult. Special...

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Darlington Golf Club

Type of course? Parkland Pleasant staff? Yes Best hole? None stood out. Après golf? Nice pint in the down-to-earth clubhouse. Nice round? Wonderful despite being an average course. We played with Danny and Charlotte had a brilliant round. Special memory? Chipping in on the 18th for birdie! Must play...

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Downfield Golf Club

Type of course? Parkland Pleasant staff? Very lovely, in the pro shop as well as in the clubhouse. Best hole? I’d like to play the 16th again. I ran out of fairway on the drive and lost my ball, but it’s a nice, tactical hole. Après golf? There were preparing for an event, so we had to make do with going back to our hotel and buying some haggis crisps and Cava to have by the Tay....

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Ladybank Golf Club

Type of course? Heathland and pine trees Pleasant staff? We played in the ladies’ Open and everyone was very welcoming Best hole? Writing this in December, I can’t remember. The photo below is of the 18th hole, and I did love it. Après golf? A well-deserved beer on the peaceful terrace. Nice round? My personal best in 2021 (not that it means much). It was recommended by a Southern...

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Gog Magog Golf Club (Wandlebury)

Type of course? Undulating amongst meadows Pleasant staff? Yes Best hole? The downhill par 3 Après golf? A decent sandwich on the Covid-safe terrace. Nice round? Very. A well-looked after course and a fourball of chaps even let us through, so the pace was good. Special memory? This was the first time we’d gone away for more than one night in Covid-cursed 2021, so playing on a different...

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Foxhills Golf Club

Type of course? Parkland Pleasant staff? Exceptional starters! On the first day, the nice starter let us go in front of a fourball even though we arrived sweaty, flustered and late, and on the second day, it turned out that the starter knew a good friend of ours (it’s a small golf world) and we had a lovely chat. Best hole? We played both courses (Longcross and Bernard Hunt), although we...

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