More fun in the heather …

The term “hidden gem” is often used to describe a golf course. It is a cliché and I am still not sure precisely what it means. Whatever it means, it is not correct to use it to describe Hankley Common Golf Club. It may be a little more remote than some of the other heathland courses, but it is well known to any serious golfer. Hankley is frequently in the top 30 courses in England (ranked 23 in the list I am using) and is usually in the top 5 for heathland courses. The course has incredible heritage – it first opened with 9 holes in 1897, James Braid added 9 more in 1922 and Harry Colt re-modelled the whole 18 holes in 1936.

It is usually ranked in a similar position to Woking, but a better comparison is Walton Heath. The thing that immediately strikes you about Hankley is the amount of space there is. That space gives many of the holes an almost inland links feeling. The comparison continues with the beautiful, but penal, heather, and the wind-swept appearance. It is always in great condition, but in the summer it is exquisite and runs firm and true.

The green fees compare favourably to its nearest heathland competitors and there is a generous reduction for those with a County Card. It is always money well spent – you will be guaranteed a relaxing round of golf and a feeling of solitude that is reminiscent of the Highlands. Given this, it is perhaps unsurprising that numerous films have been shot on the surrounding common including most famously the latest Bond film, Skyfall.

More matchplay, different format

Today I am playing with Chris and Amber. We are all playing off 14 and rather than just playing straight up Stableford, I suggest match-play for 3. This consists of playing for 6 points per hole – the winner gets 4, 2nd place 2 and 3rd place 0. If two players are on the same score the points are split and 2 points each if we all have the same score.

It is a Friday afternoon, the weather is glorious and work is done for the week. What could be better?

The Front 9

Holes 1-2

Like Woking, Hankley has a similar opening and closing hole. Whereas at Woking they are short par 4s, here we have two long and challenging par 4s. Both measuring around 425 yards, they require accuracy off the tee and a well-judged approach.

There is no margin for error off the first tee. Heather encircles the fairway and extends the length of the hole on the right. It also pinches into the fairway from the left at about 215 yards. If you miss left you will have a difficult shot over the trees. If you miss right you need luck with the lie in the heather!

We tee off – Chris misses left, I miss right and Amber smokes it straight down the middle. As it transpired, this would be the first of many visits to the heather for me. Chris chips out and leaves himself 100 yards, I get a good connection and am pin high in the bunker. Amber hits a good approach, but the ball runs on and she is left with a long putt from the back of the green. After a little fumbling around with our respective short games, we all walk off with 5. 2-points each.

The 2nd is a beautiful par 3 and rated stroke index 18. There is a large bunker that looms large right at the front of the green and another on the left. The green is pear-drop shaped and slopes from back to front. Today, we all hit good tee-shots into the green. A 3-putt from yours truly means that Chris and Amber share the points.

Hole 3

The 3rd and 4th holes take you back past the 1st fairway and then along to the clubhouse. From there you then head out into the wilderness of the common.

The 3rd is a good hole. It is a short par 4, but is not easy. As such, you need an accurate tee shot to avoid the heather on the left and the fairway bunker on the right. Reaching and holding the green from either of these hazards is not easy. The green itself is a good complex which has plenty of subtle undulations.

I was in the heather again, whereas Chris and Amber both hit good shots into the fairway. Fortunately, the lie was good again and I only have a 9-iron into the green. Chris and I both hit the green in two (see picture below) and shared the points with par 4s.

Hole 4

Another par 4 follows and takes you back to the clubhouse. More heather on the left and the right provide protection and there are two fairway bunkers at 210 and 230 yards. Careful clubbing required off the tee! The green has a false front and run-offs to the left and right. A large bunker protects the front middle and there is another one hidden at the back.

Same again – Chris and Amber were safely on the fairway and I was into the heather on the left. This time I did not get the luck with the lie and my approach squirted out right towards the clubhouse. This left a difficult chip, which I executed poorly and couldn’t hold the green. Amber had some trouble with the green as well, whilst Chris put himself in prime position with a super shot to the middle of the green. Another solid two-putt par for Chris left me and Amber sharing a point each.

Holes 5-6

The 5th hole gently bends from right to left. Again, good bunkering means you need to take care with your club off the tee, especially with the fast running fairways. In addition, the further up the fairway you go, the narrower it gets. The green is long and thin, so check out the flag location before you fire into it. There is a slight false front on the left handsome which feeds into the left hand bunker.

Chris continued his good form with another stellar drive and an approach into the heart of the green. Two more putts had him home for another par. Amber and I both found the fairway with our drives, but were unable to capitalise and shared a point each with 6s. At this stage, Chris was well ahead with 16 points as Amber and I each had only 7.

The first par 5

The 6th is the first par 5 on the course. It has a dog-leg from right to left and plays uphill on the approach. Heather and trees flank the fairway on both sides, but there is a little more space to the right off the tee. This also gives you a better angle for your second shot. The green is protected by a cavernous bunker on the front right. When you get up to the green everything slopes from left to right and there is a bank above the green the left which will feed the ball back down. Don’t go too high, or you will end up in the heather and be left with a treacherous chip across the green.

Chris went straight, again, whilst I went left into the heather and Amber was off to the right. We were all up and around the green in 3. For once, my short game came together nicely and I got up and down for par from being just short of the green. Chris and Amber shared a point each with 6s.

Holes 7-9

The signature par 3

The 7th tee is high above the 6th green and as you climb the hill the extent of your challenge becomes clear. This is an amazing par 3 that requires a long carry over the heather to a raised green set in its own mini-amphitheatre. There are two bunkers and a steep run-off protecting the front, and two tiers on the green itself.

Today the flag was on the front left and the hole was playing into the wind. 185 yards to the middle of the green and I have a 3-iron in my hand. Decent strike, but fades off to the right and takes a nasty bounce off the bank into the heather. Chris goes left – we have reverted to our traditional fades! Amber strikes one beautifully into the heart of the green. She has a comfortable 2-putt for par and takes the points. My short-game continued to work, and I nearly pull off a remarkable up and down. A bogey-4 is good enough to take 2nd place and 2 points.

Heathland paradise

This is followed by a par 5 and the best view on the course. There is acres of space out to the left, the 6th fairway to your right and the 8ths hole opens out before you. Here more than anywhere else you can really appreciate the beauty of the course and the natural feel to the routing. This is one of the few holes which is pretty much straight and where the green is clearly visible from the tee box. Fairway bunkers protect the favoured landing spot, and the heather looms large on both sides. The left side of the fairway gives the best angle for the second. There is a bunker on the left of the green and a run-off on the right.

More heather for me off the tee as I push my tee shot off to the right. Chris is up the left and Amber has hit another dreamy tee shot right down the middle. This time I was less lucky with the lie and it took two to get out. From there, I hit a decent approach and am on the green in four. Amber is on in 3, but Chris is struggling off to the left. Amber’s 5 wins the hole and I pick up 2 points with a 2-putt 6.

Hole 9

The front 9 closes with a par-4 that has another sharp dog-leg from right to left. The bunkering comes into play off the tee, with a cavernous sand-pit on the left corner of the dog-leg and two more each side of the green. The approach plays down hill and in the summer you can treat this like a links shot, land the ball short and run it onto the green.

Amber and I both found the fairway, but Chris went left into the rough. None of us played our best approaches, but we were all on the green in 3 and we shared the hole with bogey 5s.

At the end of the front nine the scores had equalised a little, as Amber and I had managed to rein in Chris. Amber had 16, I had 17 and Chris was still just ahead with 19.

The back 9

A rare left-to-right hole

Hankley is renowned for favouring players who can work the ball from right to left. The only hole which requires a left to right shape is the 10th. Given my propensity to hit a fade (usually a glancing blow) this hole should work well for me. Today, I smoke one absolutely dead straight. No good on this hole.

The 10th is another long par 4 and if you do not get a good tee shot away you will struggle to get to the green in two. There is a little cluster of trees on the right hand side of the fairway, surrounded by heather, and this is a popular miss. If you can get a good tee shot away, the green is protected by a solitary bunker on the front right.

So, I have gone left into the heather and Chris and Amber are over on the right. None of us played this hole particularly well and my six (via the front bunker) is good enough to take the points.

Hole 11

The last time I had played Hankley, the 11th was closed as the green had ben vandalised by some idiots on quad bikes. Fortunately, the ground staff have been able to reinvigorate the damaged areas and the hole looked in great shape. It is a full 220 yards from the white tees and the green looks like a very small target. Bunkers left and right protect the front edges.

Chris and I both head left, but are long enough not to be troubled by the trees. Amber is on the green, but on the wrong side from the hole. Some reasonable short game skills from me and Chris, and we are all looking at about 10 feet for par. No luck for anyone, and we share the points with 4s.

Hole 12

The opening holes on the back 9 are tough, and the 12th provides no further respite. The hole shapes again from right to left and your best chance of approaching the green is from the centre right of the fairway. The left hand side will give you a shorter route, but there is a large bunker and a little thicket of trees if you go wrong. The green has a run-off that will catch anything long or slightly to the right. It is a tricky up and down from this – as both Chris and I found!

Amber played the perfect hole, with a tee shot just right of centre and a good approach to the green. 2-putts for par and the hole was hers. Chris and I both missed to the right of the green and took two to get onto the putting surface. We shared a point each.

Hole 13

The back 9 continues with its only par 5. The 13th is long and straight, and always seems to play into the wind. The two fairway bunkers on the left are in play off the tee, and the bunker on the right is in play for your second. The fairway is flanked by heather again and on the right one of the bridle paths comes into play. The green is slightly raised and has protection from two bunkers right and left.

Amber and I were up the right, mine just left of the heather and Amber onto the bridle path. Chris was up the left edge. My 3-wood second stalled into the wind and caught the fairway bunker noted above. From there I hit a good 7-iron which came out a little hot and ran through the green. 3-putts for a 6 was good enough to share the hole with Chris who had 2-putted after a delicate chip over the right hand bunker.

Hole 14

The 14th started a good run of golf from the 3 of us as we came to the business end of the competition. Chris and I were tied on 27 points, and Amber just behind on 22.

Leaving the 13th green, you turn left and walk back for about 100 yards to the tee box. It is one of the few tees that is enclosed, with trees on both sides, and it makes the drive feel very tight. You hit to a fairway which slopes downhill and give you a chance of a getting value for your shot. The tee shot does, however, require a good carry over the heather and is semi-blind as you clear the top of the slope. The green is well protected with 3 deep bunkers to catch an errant approach.

We all nailed great drives straight down the middle and Amber and I took full advantage of the slope. Chris’s approach came up just short and caught the left-hand bunker. Amber was at the back of the green and I had hit my best approach of the day into the middle. Chris took a swipe at his first bunker shot, but caught the lip and got a chance to try again. Second time lucky, as the pitch landed softly on the green and ran straight into the hole for par. Neither Amber nor I were able to convert our birdie attempts, but both in safely for par. 2 points each.

Hole 15

The 15th offers some light relief and at less than 320 yards it should give an opportunity. You do, however, need to consider the tee shot carefully. It is, again, semi-blind and requires precision to cover the right amount of heather. If you are too far left, your ball can easily get caught on the edge of the heather or be blocked out by the trees. Too far right and you will run out of fairway very quickly or can be caught by the bunker. The green has some subtle borrows and is worth taking time before you pull the trigger.

The good golf continued, with 3 super tee shots. The approaches were pretty good too, and we all ended up on the green in regulation. Amber and I safely 2-putted for par, but Chris couldn’t quite make the return putt so missed out on the points.

Hole 16

Hankley has a great set of short holes and this is the final one. The 16th plays up hill and always requires more club than you first think. The bunkers, especially the pot bunker on the left, are to be avoided. The green slopes gently from back to front and will reject anything which is short.

Chris and I both hit solid iron shots into the green, but Amber uncharacteristically chunks one into the heather. Although she recovered well, a two-putt bogey was not good enough to take any points from the hole. Chris lags one up to the hole and I can’t convert my birdie chance. As a result, we share the points as we move onto the final stretch.

Hole 17

The 17th really requires a solid draw around the corner. The last time I was here, I tried it and executed it perfectly. Still not sure how I did it! Anyway, once you have your tee shot away, the green is further round to the left. Two bunkers protect the green and the right-hand bunker is surrounded by heather.

Amber brought herself back into contention, hitting a superb tee shot and an approach that ran into the green. Chris and I struggled, as I went right and he went left (you might notice a theme here!). I punched out to the left hand side, but was unable to hold the green with my chip and the ball held up in the heather above the right-hand bunker. As a result, with the ball hanging 2-feet above the bunker, I could do no more than to nudge it onto the green. 2-putts for a 6 was, fortunately, enough for a point.

The final hole

The final hole is a classic, as I eluded to earlier in the post. It is 432 yards from the white tees and often plays into the wind. There are no bunkers, but the heather features (everywhere). In front of the green is a dry moat, which means that although the hole plays down hill you need to carry the ball the full distance with your approach. The notes on the club’s website state that “a par 4 here is like a birdie” …

Permutations …

So, the match was interestingly poised – I had amassed 36 points and was in the lead, Chris was in second with 33 and Amber just behind with 31. It was therefore between me and Chris for the win, but he needed to win the hole with Amber in 2nd to take the match. 2 points would be enough for me.

Chris strikes a great tee shot down the middle. Amber goes right into the heather and I lose one straight left. We see it drop, but not being sure precisely where it is I play a provisional. Not a great start. After a brief investigation, we find mine but I can do no more than to hit out sideways. Amber has found hers and manages to advance it a little further. From 245 yards, I take driver off the deck and find the middle of the club. The ball runs through the moat and makes it halfway up the bank on the far side. Still got a chance!

Chris hits a good approach, but if comes up just short and holds on the bank just left of the green. Amber is on in 3, but is a good 25 feet from the flag. I size up the chip and think that 2 from here should be enough. Amazingly, I connect perfectly and the ball bounces twice before rolling right into the middle of the hole. I can count on one hand the number of times I have chipped in from off the green, so this was a very pleasant surprise! Chris chips on and both he and Amber 2-putt for 5s.

Final thoughts

As I noted in my review of Woking, Hankley Common is one of my favourite heathland courses. It’s difficult to choose between them but I count myself very fortunate to have had the opportunity to play it so many times. The clubhouse is understated and unpretentious, the facilities are terrific and the course is first class. I cannot think of a better set of 4 short holes anywhere in the country, and with its consistently fabulous conditioning it should always be included in any heathland tour.