Robobum
Money List Winner
Liphook GC looks ripe for the taking from first glance, under 6300yds, nice generous fairways and fine greens in pristine condition. Perhaps this is where the course gets it’s name from?? We were just gullible fish in the middle of the fairway looking for that birdie sized morsel, take dead aim at those pins and miss even slightly on the wrong side, bang the hook is in the lip, bait well and truly taken and an up & down for par is extremely difficult to get you out of that keep net.
You don’t get eased in gently at Liphook, from under the clubhouse lounge window you see a 210yd par 3 stretched out below you, the large, bunkeless green falls off on the right hand side. Played into the breeze an early par is well earned.
Despite it’s relative lack of overall length, Liphook does possess a series of mid to long par 4s that are a real treat and test in equal measure. The 420yd 2nd plays into a right to left sloping fairway with glorious heather lining the length of the right hand side. A mid iron to a green that sits slightly above you and obscured from view by a road that runs across the front. The green will feed anything in the right half down towards the centre, don’t miss this green left (personal experience, see opening paragraph!) and expect an easy up and down.
The 3rd is one of Liphook’s wonderful shortish par 3s, played slightly uphill to a small green that is hidden behind the heather fringed bunkers. A very strong par 4 follows as you play back towards the clubhouse, 460yds back into the breeze is a well earned par in anyone’s money. Across the road to one of only 2 genuine birdie holes on the golf course, a par 5 that measures less than 30yds more than the preceding hole. An open drive will leave a longish iron or lofted wood to a well guarded green with deep bunkers left and run offs on the right although an easier up & down will come from that side.
A flat dogleg right par 4 of around 430yds plays into a tiny two tiered green for that length of hole, do not go over the back of this green or you will be one of the fish in that keep net. Hole 7 is another of the fantastic short par 3s, a wickedly sloping small green does not make things easy once you have got on the dance floor, don’t miss this green left, don’t miss right and never go long!!
Eight was, for me, the most difficult driving hole on the course. The tee was tucked into some trees on the left and pointed you out to the trees and heather on the right. A draw off the tee left you with a short iron to a large green full of humps and hollows with no guarantee of an easy two putt. The front nine finishes with another tough par 4, 430yd all uphill to a small sloping green that is hidden from view. What you also don’t see is a large heather clad mound which eats into the front left third of the green.
The back nine starts more sedately, a long iron off the 10th tee will leave you with a short iron played down across some heather to another large sloping green. Number 11 brings the next instalment of fantastic par 3s, a mid iron to a well protected green which narrows in the middle and is framed by deep bunkers on both sides. Stroke index 1 is the lovely par 4 12th. Played out of a chute of trees to a fairway that offers little run, the second shot played slightly uphill to a narrow entranced green guarded again by slopes and deep bunkers on both sides.
Caution is needed on what looks like another pick up hole at 13, a par 5 just under 500yds starts with an easy drive to a wide fairway. The second shot becomes decision time, going for the green requires all carry to the surface as the green is perched up with a big slope ready to bring you ball 50yds back down the fairway. However the lay up is no piece of cake either as a small stream runs across the fairway 90yds short of the green. I certainly felt that going for it was the safest second shot despite seeing my ball trickle agonisingly back down from the front edge.
14 and 15 were, in comparison to the rest, the weakest holes on the course. A long iron to the point of the dogleg left you a wedge into the 14th green which cannot be missed left. Fifteen has internal out of bounds (agghh!) down the right to stop you taking the short route down the adjacent 16th fairway. A blind tee shot of 220yds over a bank of heather will leave you another wedge to a large green set back in the trees. A long iron lay up to the top of the hill at 16 leaves you with a wedge looking down on what seems a flat green. This is probably the trickiest green on the course with the breaks much more subtle than on the others.
You then have a strong par 3 at 17 to a large green with trouble on both sides. Trees and bushes eat in on the left and a good length shot which is slightly pulled can be lost for ever. Liphook then offers you a generous finish, a short par 5 played down a rolling fairway will leave you a mid to long iron to a sloping green that sits up above you under the clubhouse window yards away from the 1st tee. It is essential to stay below the hole to avoid a 3 putt (or worse).
This is a mini Wentworth at Liphook, just much more friendly and intimate. Grand houses line the entrance road to the club and are hidden in private estates in and around the other parts of the course. The course is one where a few times round it will make you feel that a score can be had, there are places to be avoided at all costs and often these cannot be seen as you stand over your shot. The greens are described as some of the best around and rightly so, fast true and full of wicked slopes both obvious and subtle. Then there is always the carvery lunch, how you are meant to go out for another 18 holes after that feast is a question for another day!! If you get the chance, seek Liphook out, you will not be disappointed.
My scores: an 83 in the morning where I was on the end of that fishing rod on too many occasions and struggling to get up and down, followed by a more respectable 77 in the afternoon.
You don’t get eased in gently at Liphook, from under the clubhouse lounge window you see a 210yd par 3 stretched out below you, the large, bunkeless green falls off on the right hand side. Played into the breeze an early par is well earned.
Despite it’s relative lack of overall length, Liphook does possess a series of mid to long par 4s that are a real treat and test in equal measure. The 420yd 2nd plays into a right to left sloping fairway with glorious heather lining the length of the right hand side. A mid iron to a green that sits slightly above you and obscured from view by a road that runs across the front. The green will feed anything in the right half down towards the centre, don’t miss this green left (personal experience, see opening paragraph!) and expect an easy up and down.
The 3rd is one of Liphook’s wonderful shortish par 3s, played slightly uphill to a small green that is hidden behind the heather fringed bunkers. A very strong par 4 follows as you play back towards the clubhouse, 460yds back into the breeze is a well earned par in anyone’s money. Across the road to one of only 2 genuine birdie holes on the golf course, a par 5 that measures less than 30yds more than the preceding hole. An open drive will leave a longish iron or lofted wood to a well guarded green with deep bunkers left and run offs on the right although an easier up & down will come from that side.
A flat dogleg right par 4 of around 430yds plays into a tiny two tiered green for that length of hole, do not go over the back of this green or you will be one of the fish in that keep net. Hole 7 is another of the fantastic short par 3s, a wickedly sloping small green does not make things easy once you have got on the dance floor, don’t miss this green left, don’t miss right and never go long!!
Eight was, for me, the most difficult driving hole on the course. The tee was tucked into some trees on the left and pointed you out to the trees and heather on the right. A draw off the tee left you with a short iron to a large green full of humps and hollows with no guarantee of an easy two putt. The front nine finishes with another tough par 4, 430yd all uphill to a small sloping green that is hidden from view. What you also don’t see is a large heather clad mound which eats into the front left third of the green.
The back nine starts more sedately, a long iron off the 10th tee will leave you with a short iron played down across some heather to another large sloping green. Number 11 brings the next instalment of fantastic par 3s, a mid iron to a well protected green which narrows in the middle and is framed by deep bunkers on both sides. Stroke index 1 is the lovely par 4 12th. Played out of a chute of trees to a fairway that offers little run, the second shot played slightly uphill to a narrow entranced green guarded again by slopes and deep bunkers on both sides.
Caution is needed on what looks like another pick up hole at 13, a par 5 just under 500yds starts with an easy drive to a wide fairway. The second shot becomes decision time, going for the green requires all carry to the surface as the green is perched up with a big slope ready to bring you ball 50yds back down the fairway. However the lay up is no piece of cake either as a small stream runs across the fairway 90yds short of the green. I certainly felt that going for it was the safest second shot despite seeing my ball trickle agonisingly back down from the front edge.
14 and 15 were, in comparison to the rest, the weakest holes on the course. A long iron to the point of the dogleg left you a wedge into the 14th green which cannot be missed left. Fifteen has internal out of bounds (agghh!) down the right to stop you taking the short route down the adjacent 16th fairway. A blind tee shot of 220yds over a bank of heather will leave you another wedge to a large green set back in the trees. A long iron lay up to the top of the hill at 16 leaves you with a wedge looking down on what seems a flat green. This is probably the trickiest green on the course with the breaks much more subtle than on the others.
You then have a strong par 3 at 17 to a large green with trouble on both sides. Trees and bushes eat in on the left and a good length shot which is slightly pulled can be lost for ever. Liphook then offers you a generous finish, a short par 5 played down a rolling fairway will leave you a mid to long iron to a sloping green that sits up above you under the clubhouse window yards away from the 1st tee. It is essential to stay below the hole to avoid a 3 putt (or worse).
This is a mini Wentworth at Liphook, just much more friendly and intimate. Grand houses line the entrance road to the club and are hidden in private estates in and around the other parts of the course. The course is one where a few times round it will make you feel that a score can be had, there are places to be avoided at all costs and often these cannot be seen as you stand over your shot. The greens are described as some of the best around and rightly so, fast true and full of wicked slopes both obvious and subtle. Then there is always the carvery lunch, how you are meant to go out for another 18 holes after that feast is a question for another day!! If you get the chance, seek Liphook out, you will not be disappointed.
My scores: an 83 in the morning where I was on the end of that fishing rod on too many occasions and struggling to get up and down, followed by a more respectable 77 in the afternoon.
