THE COURSE
Opened on 31st May 1994 and built on almost 150 acres of rolling Bedfordshire countryside.
Dropping 35 metres from top to bottom, the course with countless doglegs, sloped fairways and greens, large areas dividing holes, the course presents a challenge to all standards of golfer, with wide fairways for the higher handicapper, but demanding precision placement and careful course management for the low handicapper to score well.
The greens drain freely, allowing golf to be played on them throughout the year.
HOLE-BY-HOLE GUIDE
Hole 1
Par 4 - Stroke Index 8/8
⚪ 341 Yards
🟡 335 Yards
🔴 310 Yards
Tough starting hole, uphill all the way. Don't get too tight to the corner of the dogleg on the left side of the fairway or you won't have a shot to the green.
Take at least 1 extra club on the second shot to compensate for the upslope!
Hole 2
Par 4 - Stroke Index 12/12
⚪ 324 Yards
🟡 312 Yards
🔴 298 Yards
Straightforward Par 4 unless you push it right off the tee! Then you have to come over the small bunker onto a small green if you do. On windy days beware!!
You are playing from the shelter of the wood. Once your ball is above the tree canopy, it will be affected by the wind!
Hole 3
Par 5 - Stroke Index 18/18
⚪ 477 Yards
🟡 458 Yards
🔴 434 Yards
Great Birdie chance if you get a good drive away!
Second shot is all downhill to the green but beware, that bunker front right is an absolute ball magnet.
Hole 4
Par 4 - Stroke Index 10/10
⚪ 349 Yards
🟡 327 Yards
🔴 308 Yards
Slight right hand dogleg.
Get yourself down the left side of the fairway from the tee to make the approach shot much easier.
Hole 5
Par 3 - Stroke Index 16/16
⚪ 149 Yards
🟡 143 Yards
🔴 134 Yards
Par 3 with a very shallow green front to back.
It slopes left to right as well - you really don't want a putt from the left hand side down the slope!!
Hole 6
Par 4 - Stroke Index 4/4
⚪ 499 Yards
🟡 461 Yards
🔴 430 Yards
Sweeping left hand dogleg. Consider taking a long iron or a hybrid from the tee! If you hit it long down the right side, the slopes will carry it down in to the right hand rough and you will have absolutely no sight of the green from down there!
If you can keep the tee shot to the left side of the fairway, the long hitters can possibly reach this in two.
Hole 7
Par 3 - Stroke Index 14/14
⚪ 182 Yards
🟡 165 Yards
🔴 142 Yards
Tough par 3. Mounds to the front right, water to the front left.
Shallow valley to the rear of the green. If you miss the dancefloor it's a tough up and down from off the green!
Hole 8
Par 5 - Stroke Index 6/6
⚪ 495 Yards
🟡 484 Yards
🔴 443 Yards
Par 5, sweeping right hand dogleg. If you can carry the ridge and get the ball onto the downslope, you can add another 40 yards to your drive in summer! If you take it on to get there in two, if you can reach the right hand fringe the slopes will throw the ball onto the green.
Come up slightly short and they throw you into the bunker instead.
Hole 9
Par 5 - Stroke Index 2/2
⚪ 593 Yards
🟡 579 Yards
🔴 505 Yards
Par 5 An absolute monster hole.
593 yards from the back tees. The second shot unlocks the hole. It has to be down the left side of the fairway. If you go right, your approach is off a sideslope and downslope, over a bunker, to a green which runs away from you!
Down the left and the green opens up, but it's still a tough shot to a green embedded in the trees on all sides.
There's a reason why this is stroke index 2.
Hole 10
Par 3 - Stroke Index 15/15
⚪ 144 Yards
🟡 114 Yards
🔴 90 Yards
Probably one of the best Par 3's you will ever play. Only 144 yards, all across water to a severely sloped green. A putt from 6" is no gimmie on this hole if its downhill!!
Get the ball on the green to the right of the flag and below the hole and you will at least have a straight-ish putt.
Anywhere else, is trouble!
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Hole 11
Par 4 - Stroke Index 5/5
⚪ 327 Yards
🟡 320 Yards
🔴 312 Yards
Par 4, you just need the middle of the fairway beyond the ditch, out of the trees and not in the bunkers! Then add at least 1 club as the three tiered green is elevated from where you are standing!
Don't leave it short in the water to the front, but definitely don't put it on the top tier when the flag is on the middle!
Hole 12
Par 4 - Stroke Index 1/1
⚪ 422 Yards
🟡 395 Yards
🔴 350 Yards
Superb Par 4, right hand dogleg. You need to keep the ball on the left/middle of the fairway as the right side with throw you down under the trees.
The long hitters can reach the water off the tee in the summer. The further left you go, the more the left hand bunker comes into play for the second shot.
Get the ball onto the left side of the green for an uphill putt.
Hole 13
Par 3 - Stroke Index 13/13
⚪ 201 Yards
🟡 189 Yards
🔴 144 Yards
Long Uphill Par 3. Take extra club to allow for the elevation of the green. The bunker to the front is deceptive, it makes the hole look shorter than it is!
The ball tends to move right to left across the green, so aim for the right hand side of the green.
Hole 14
Par 4 - Stroke Index 3/3
⚪ 398 Yards
🟡 386 Yards
🔴 367 Yards
This hole demands precision from the start! Ideally, the right hand side of the fairway, between the two main ditches is the place to be, unless you fancy taking on the second ditch and clearing them both!
The second shot is into a funnel of trees, there is very little margin for error on this hole, but aim for the left side of the green and the slopes will help send the ball back to the green.
Miss this green short and right if you fancy a world of pain!!
Hole 15
Par 4 - Stroke Index 9/9
⚪ 368 Yards
🟡 353 Yards
🔴 329 Yards
Either lay up short of the ditch and have a longer second shot or fly the ditch and a short iron to the green.
The second shot requires precision on length - 5 yards too short and it stops dead on the upslope. 5 yards to long and you are off the back!
Hole 16
Par 3 - Stroke Index 17/17
⚪ 168 Yards
🟡 149 Yards
🔴 132 Yards
Downhill par 3, aim at the right hand bunker and draw it into the heart of the green.
Sounds easy!
Trees down both sides and to the rear make this a very challenging hole. When the flag is on the left, beware of the slope to the left hand side of the green!
Hole 17
Par 5 - Stroke Index 11/11
⚪ 517 Yards
🟡 500 Yards
🔴 387 Yards
Undulating Par 5. Aim to the left side of the fairway off the tee and let the slope bring it back to the middle. Second shot off a downslope and sideslope, ideally gets you through the 150 yard markers onto the flat part of the fairway.
Don't be short with the approach, you really don't want to be close to the green and short, especially if the flag is at the front.
Hole 18
Par 4 - Stroke Index 7/7
⚪ 452 Yards
🟡 437 Yards
🔴 395 Yards
The longest par 4, a sweeping left hand dogleg. Keep the ball to the left side of the fairway, but there is lots of trouble if you end up in the trees on the inside of the dogleg.
A long second shot, downhill all the way to the green so good club selection is essential! The green runs away from you on two tiers!
Don't leave it 10 yards short, especially if the flag is up the top!
