Introduction

This is my first attempt to put together my ideal golf course. I have tried to ensure that it is a sensible layout and consequently some great holes have missed out as they did not fit with the routing. The only exception is back to back par 3s at holes 12 and 13, which I accept is unusual but, given the quality of the holes, I hope you will forgive me. To help me narrow it down, I have also used my golfing bible: 1001 Holes You Must Play Before You Die. All of these holes, except the 7th, feature in the book.

There are some great holes that have missed out, so I will start working on an alternate list shortly. As you might guess from the title, I am also going to put together a dream 18 from holes and courses I have yet to play. This will obviously be a little more difficult and will be based purely on footage from professional events and information from reviews/websites.

Hole 1: Spyglass Hill – Par 5, 595 yards
“Treasure Island”
Robert Trent Jones Snr.

From the moment that you come off the freeway and through the barriers at 17-mile drive, it is clear that you have arrived somewhere special. Spyglass Hill is an amazing course, with the first 5 holes playing down to and along the Pacific, before heading away from the sea and into the forest.

The first hole is majestic and an absolute treat. Playing down hill from right to left, your tee shot is blind but to a wide fairway (with generous rough on both sides before you get to the trees. It is a pretty good view from the tee box, but nothing can prepare for what comes when you turn the corner …

The approach from here is about 280 yards, or more realistically, 180 yards to the edge of the huge bunker in front of the green. The rough was deceptively thick and the ball really sits down in the perennial ryegrass. Still, I managed to chunk one down the fairway from here, just missed the green with my approach, chipped on and two putted for an opening bogey.

Hole 2: Royal Porthcawl – Par 4, 454 yards
Charles Gibson

The sea is in view on every hole at Royal Porthcawl. There are amazing views across the Bristol Channel and, on a clear day, you can see as far as Somerset. The day that we were due to play we drove from a lovely village pub in Somerset where we had been staying for the previous two days. Having enjoyed glorious weather up to that point, the clouds got darker the further west we drove. Eventually, we pulled into Royal Porthcawl: the rain was coming in from the sea horizontally across the car park.

We headed to the sanctuary of the clubhouse, had lunch and checked into our rooms in the Dormy House. Having come this far, we decided that we would brave it. How bad could it be? We managed 3 holes before trudging back in! Neither of us had come prepared and it had become totally impossible to play.

As we were staying, we managed to secure a tee time for the following day. This turned out to be a bonus, as the course was serene and the late afternoon sun was glorious. I don’t really remember the first time particularly well, but we did get to play the 2nd hole twice!

This is a real test. Measuring over 450 yards from the medal tees, it requires a long carry over the wispy rough and purple heather. The sea path hugs the left hand side of the hole, which slides from right to left (towards the sea) as you get to the green. There green has literally no room behind it and anything big is on the beach. It’s not much safer leaving it short, as there are two pot bunkers on the left between 20-40 yards off the green and a cavernous bunker on the right.

Hole 3: Real Club de Golf de Sevilla – Par 3, 154 yards
Jose Maria Olazabal

There are nine lakes at the Real Club de Golf de Sevilla. As I studied the scorecard standing on the first tee, I wondered if the 6 balls I had brought would be enough …

I played the course on my own in early June 2019 and, as you can see, it was a glorious day. The opening two holes are quite gentle, but the third is a real test. I will confess that I played it twice … I did not account for the wind the first time and what I thought was a good tee shot met a watery grave. There are trees all along the left hand side of the course and sheltering the raised tee box. Water surrounds the front half of the green and there are bunkers on the left and right. From the tee, the green looks a long way away and very small …

As you can see, the green is anything but small and having come up short the first time, you can see the view of my putt coming back. Good thing the flag was in the middle, as there is another 20 yards to the front. From this view you also get a better perspective of the height of the tee box.

Hole 4: The Royal St. George’s Golf Club – Par 4, 496 yards
Laidlaw Purves, Alister McKenzie & J.J.F. Pennink

If the opening 3 holes at Royal St. George’s are a gentle opening, you know that you have arrived when you reach the 4th tee. A semi-blind tee shot with a fairway that banks from right to left awaits you. The ideal line is to take the tee shot straight over the mound on the right, but this is fraught with danger. The mound is high and houses the biggest bunker I have ever seen. Once you have negotiated the tee shot, you must decide whether to go for the green. The green is small and set upon a plateau with run-off areas for anything coming up short. There is very little margin for error, however, and anything long will bounce into an adjoining garden – out of bounds.

There are three sets of tees at Sandwich: Championship, Medal and Weekday. The weekday tees at the 4th hole still measure to 412 yards, but it is scary to look back nearly 100 yards to the Championship tees. Not only is the tee box a long way back, but it is also further right which makes the bunker even more imposing.

Hole 5: Sunningdale (Old) – Par 4, 410 yards
Willie Park Jr.

Sunningdale is one of the finest heathland courses in the world and both courses consistently rank in the Top 10 in England. It is also one of only 4 resorts that feature multiple courses in the Top 100 in the World (along with Bandon, Barnbougle and Winged Foot).

The 5th hole of the Old Course exemplifies why it is so highly acclaimed. It is set at one of the high points on the property and provides a great view stretching out as far as the 6th green. The natural routing between the trees to a fairway that is lined with heather is immediately appealing to the eye. The two fairway bunkers protect an errant tee shot and the small lake will make you think twice about trying to play from them to the green. The entrance to the green is protected by bunkers left and right and a small heathery mound just short on the left hand side.

Hole 6: The Berkshire (Red) – Par 4, 360 yards
Herbert Fowler

A day out at The Berkshire is always something to be enjoyed. I have been fortunate enough to play both the Blue Course and the Red Course on multiple occasions over the past few years. Having discovered that there was a special rate for MCC members, I have made a point of organising at least one outing with a group friends who are also members each year. MCC also play their home golf matches here and there are a couple of charity days that I have supported.

I always think that this hole should fit my shot-shape as, like many amateurs, I tend to hit left to right from the tee. It is not quite as simple as this, however, and if you try to take too much off the corner you will end up buried in the heather (or worse the trees). The fairway runs out very quickly if you go too straight and so whilst it may be a relatively short hole it still demands real precision. The approach to the green is again deceptive, as there is a false front which will return a short approach to the fairway and two deep bunkers left and right. There is very little space behind the green, as I found to my cost on my last visit.

Hole 7: Royal St. George’s – Par 5, 573 yards

This is the only hole not to feature in the “1001 Golf Holes You Must Play Before You Die”. Nevertheless, I still think it’s a pretty good hole. The tee shot is blind and you hit over the ridge to the left of the bunker shown in the picture below. There is a run out of about 75 yards until you reach the pot bunker on the right edge of the fairway. This will catch a drive that is too straight and therefore you need either to follow the right to left shape of the hole or aim further left to avoid it. The view from atop the mound is glorious as you look out across the Channel.

The hole plays along the beach to a thin green which has two deep bunkers on the front right corner. The last time we played this hole it was down wind. I hit 3-wood off the tee to the middle of the fairway at the bottom of the slope and then sent another 3-wood into the heart of the green. From there I sank a 15-foot right to left putt for my first proper eagle (I have one other where I holed out from 65 yards at Woburn’s Duchess). Suffice to say, I have happy memories of this hole!

Hole 8: Southport & Ainsdale – Par 3, 153 yards
James Braid

We played Southport & Ainsdale on a trip with Royal Birkdale and Hillside. What a great trio of courses … and literally on adjoining plots. The closing stretch at Hillside runs parallel to the last two holes at Birkdale and the railway line separates Hillside and S&A. We were truly lucky firstly to have the opportunity to play these great courses, but also to do so in great weather conditions.

The 8th at S&A is a super par 3. It plays uphill to a raised green with run-offs at the front and sides. The green slopes from right to left and there is a ridge across the centre. The length is not a problem, but if you don’t hold the green then it is a very tricky up and down.

Hole 9: Royal Birkdale – Par 4, 416 yards
George Lowe, F.F. Hawtree, F.W. Hawtree

When it comes to scenic holes, there are no shortage at Royal Birkdale. The 9th is, however, one of the best. The tee shot is between the dunes and is semi-blind. The best angle into the green is from the left hand side of the fairway, otherwise you will be playing across the deep pot-bunker protecting the right of the green. The green itself is slightly raised, so don’t leave it short. There is a deep run-off swale to the left of the green and another pot-bunker. If you go long, there is gorse on both sides.

Hole 10: Royal St. George’s – Par 4, 412 yards

A truly magnificent hole. It looks very straightforward on paper, but nothing could be further from the truth. It plays gently up hill to one of the high points on the course. A good drive is only the start, as you realise that the green is narrow, raised on all sides and surrounded by bunkers. There is a 30 foot drop off the back of the green, so don’t be long!

I played the course last September with the London Solicitor’s Golfing Society and was sent to start from the 10th. I hit a dreamy 3-wood right down the middle and left myself 175 yards for my approach. The 5-iron was well hit, but started slightly left. It hit the bank above the bunkers and ran 20 yards off to the bottom of the hill. Faced with a 25 yard pitch to a green that was 20 feet above me, I dumped my next shot into the bunker and took two to get out. 3 putts later and I had walked off with an 8. If my approach had been 2 yards further right I would have been on the green and would have had a 5 at worst!

Hole 11: Hillside – Par 5, 509 yards
F.W. Hawtree

The back 9 at Hillside is one of the finest I have played. There are several of the holes that could have made it into this collection, but my favourite has to be the 11th. The view from the tee box alone is worth the visit!

The hole is a strong par 5 which plays downhill from the tee to a generous landing area. Avoid the bunker on the left before the fairway snakes round to the left if you want to have an outside chance of playing to the green in two. As it is often into the prevailing wind, however, it is more normally a 3-shot hole. The green is raised on a plateau and has tricky undulations. It is orientated diagonally from front right to back left, slopes from back to front and is protected by a large bunker on the right.

Hole 12: Royal Birkdale – Par 3, 183 yards

The beauty of this hole is the aspect created by the four bunkers and gently rising approach to the green. It makes the green look tiny, especially when you realise that there is a run-off on all sides. As you can see from the picture, the hole is framed with the dunes on both sides and the wispy grass surrounding the tee box gives it a rugged feel.

Fortunately, when we played it, the wind was down and it ended up being a boring half in par 3s!

Hole 13: The Grove – Par 3, 244 yards
Kyle Phillips

So, I played The Grove as my second course back following the re-opening of courses in May 2020. It was my third outing here and I loved every minute of it. It was a particularly gorgeous day (see below!) and I was hitting the ball quite well (that always helps). I had just hit an approach from 215 yards into the middle of the 12th green and made a comfortable par, so I was feeling pretty happy standing on the 13th tee.

All of the par 3s at The Grove are good holes, but this is the best of them. The tee box is a full 60 yards above the green which is protected by a ring of 5 bunkers and surrounded by trees. The hole is a huge 244 yards from the back tees, fortunately, however, we played it from a rather more manageable 200 yards. I have a good record with this hole with two pars and a birdie. The birdie came on my second trip to The Grove (last summer), where I rather unusually played the par 3s in -3 and came within a whisker of a birdie on the last one! Anyway, the green slopes from back to front and given the elevated tee you should be able to get plenty of height to stop the ball.

I thoroughly recommend The Grove. Its conditioning is fantastic and (out of lockdown) the hospitality is second to none.

Hole 14: St. Germain – Par 4, 445 yards
Harry Colt

Frustratingly, I cannot find a photo of the 14th from St. Germain-en-laye. So I have included one across the 9th fairway to the rather splendid clubhouse. I was lucky enough to get 3 tickets for the first day of the Ryder Cup at Le Golf National in 2018. So, that made a rather good Christmas/birthday present for my father and I found a mate to join us. We travelled out on the Thursday and I secured us a tee time at St. Germain-en-laye, which had plenty of recommendations. I had never heard of it and so was a little surprised to find so many people milling around on the first tee when we arrived. They clearly did very well out of the Ryder Cup being so close by!

The course is designed by Harry Colt and would fit perfectly into the belt of Surrey heathland courses. It is an absolute gem, and it could not have been a better day for it. There are some truly memorable holes, but the jewel in the crown is the 14th. The hole plays from right to left and the tee shot is played through a narrow funnel of trees. Bunkers on either side of the fairway will catch a particularly good drive (run out at about 250 yards from the members’ tees). The green is long and thin, slopes from back to front and has a ridge in the middle.

Hole 15: Sunningdale (Old) – Par 3, 213 yards

There are very few of the holes at Sunningdale that would fail to make a list of top holes played. I have only managed to include two of them in this list, but as no course gets more than two, I think that’s probably fair! This is the strongest of the par 3s. No elevation change for this one, but it is a long carry across the heather and the green is well protected by bunkers. There is an opening in the trees after you have cleared the tee box which results in a cross wind. This will often push the ball from right to left, so look to the flag for an indication of the strength and adapt accordingly.

My last trip to Sunningdale (Old) was last summer with a colleague and two clients. I had an uneventful start, mixing three bogeys, two doubles and two pars though the first 7. I then birdied the 8th and parred 8 of the next ten holes to come home in 38. The string of seven consecutive pars (including the 15th) was particularly pleasing. This was only the second time that I had broken 80.

Hole 16: Half Moon Bay (Ocean) – Par 4, 387 yards
Arthur Hills

I have been to California twice – the first time I was on holiday with my wife, the second time I was on business. On both trips, however, I managed to fit in some golf. On the first trip, I played Spyglass, Black Horse and TPC Harding Park. For the second trip I headed down the coast to Half Moon Bay. I had heard great things about the two courses, but I opted for the Ocean Course. It was a shame I didn’t have time to play the Old Course as well, as that looked terrific.

As the name suggests, the Ocean Course is played out to the Pacific and most holes have amazing views. The closing stretch is particularly impressive, with the ocean in play on each hole. The 16th is a medium length par 4, playing from raised tees down towards the cliffs. The view (as you can see) is phenomenal. As you make your way down the fairway it meanders to the right and the shallow green appears. The green is beyond a narrow gorge and has a run-off area to the left.

Hole 17: The Oxfordshire – Par 5, 599 yards
Rees Jones

The Oxfordshire is a vastly underrated course. We have played there on two Easter Golf Trips and I have fond memories from both occasions. The latest visit was particularly pleasing as I actually played some pretty decent golf.

Water is in play on a number of holes, but the 17th is quite special. It has a lake to itself and offers different options of how to play it which all depend on the tee shot. If you can get the tee shot on the left edge of the fairway, there is the chance to play across the water – either to the narrow approach area or to go for the green. If you are too far right (or don’t have the stomach for a long forced carry), you have to play the hole round to the right. The green is narrow and you really don’t want to be in one of the bunkers behind it – especially if the pin is at the back.

Hole 18: Royal Lytham & St. Anne’s – Par 4, 410 yards
George Lowe

So, there were a number of contenders for the 18th hole, but Royal Lytham won. This, despite the fact that I left a 4 foot par putt short on my trip earlier this year! Sunningdale (Old), Royal Birkdale, Hillside, Wentworth (West) and Le Golf National were good contenders, but this won. I had a great time at Lytham and that round will always have a special place in my golfing story.

It is brilliantly designed, with bunkers left and right providing a tough challenge off the tee. More bunkers protect the green as you play back to the iconic clubhouse. From the medal tees (393 yards) it is two good hits to get home in two. I played driver to the right edge of the picture below and 3-wood into the right middle green-side bunker. As you will know by now, the rest is history …