While down in Hampshire I played North Hants the day before Stoneham. The club is famous for its native son, Justin Rose, and hosting the Hampshire Hog, one of the more elite amateur comps in the south. The course has recently undergone a serious bit of work with a new clubhouse and altering holes 1-4. Additionally, bunker improvements and heather regeneration are currently underway. I was impressed with the course even though it mainly pissed down all day. As such, the pix aren't great, but they give an idea of the design quality. I was especially impressed by the width of the fairway corridors. I think some of the more illustrious courses in the London area could take a page from the North Hants book.
#1 - a longish par 3 converted from a shortish par 4.
#2 is a very good hole with tough bunkering. The drive area is less than it may look because the bunkering is right on the turn of the leg.
The approach to #2 is interesting because the green is raised and the left side of the green is left open.
The 3rd is a very clever short par 5 converted from a short par 4. This is the approach after a decent drive.
The layup area isn't nearly as wide as it looks because the land moves toward the water and the tree narrows the choice of shots from the left side.
The 4th used to be a par 3, now it is a driveable par 4, but the land moves away from the green and bunkers protect the high left side.
After a layup this is what remains. The pin can just be made out over the heather on the left. It is easy to see the advantage gained by successfully driving up the right side.
The 5th is a very difficult par 4 uphill and to the right.
I like the roll-over grass bits on the redone bunkers.
The 6th hole continues the fun. A fade slinging out to the right will catch the slope and kick back left.
I really like the greenside bunkers because if flat bellies go for the green and don't pull it off they will most likely have these pits to deal with.
The 7th is another blind drive legging to the left.
The approach uses dead ground very well. I also like the left cross bunker which can catch out overly aggressive flat bellies.
The string of good holes continues with the excellent 8th. The green is very large - a figure 8 at an angle to the tee starting way on the left by the bunker and moving toward the pin. The green is bi-level at the waist area between the two circles of the figure 8. A lovely hole.
The 9th
Approach to #9
Unusually, the back nine also starts with a par 3. Its a toughie as well. There is a cross bunker to be carried and there is a big pimple in the green. Generally speaking, all the greens have some interesting aspect to them without being ott.
11 sort of reminds me of a reverse of #9.
Tee shot at #12.
The green is another two tier jobbie.
It was starting to get very dark at this point and we knew the rain was gonna bucket down. The 13th is a lovely short par 4. Its not really driveable, but decisions off the tee still need to be considered.
14 is a wonderful driving hole which really rewards a well placed tee shot.
#15 is an awkward looking par 3 - almost an after thought it seems.
16 is probably the best hole on the course. A new bunker has been slapped out on the left just about where a good drive finishes.
The approach is long and uphill. Its so easy to leak the approach left which has heavy rough and is not very pleasant.
#17 is another reachable par 5, but the left side of the green tucks around behind trees and this bunker also is a problem. The green used to encompass the bunker, but I think drainage problems below the bunker probably made it easier to eliminate the green are below the bunker.
The fairway bunker at 18 is much tighter than it looks (if you can see throught the rain!).
After a good drive its only a shortish iron. The finish isn't quite what one would hope for, but then the back nine generally isn't as good as the front with the exception of the great 16th.
I liked North Hants, but wouldn't necessarily reco it unless one was very close. It only has a handful of standout holes, but is none the less solid golf throughout. Despite the greens being more interesting than Stoneham, the terrain just doesn't come close to the excitement of Stoneham.
Ciao