Top 25 Heathland Courses

[User20205]

Will be a par five from the 10th tee Nick.

Are they still missing a hole tho?

 

[richart]

Are they still missing a hole tho?

There are a lot of changes planned, so pretty sure they will end up with 18 holes.

 

[User20205]

I don’t like the 18th either.....those office windows are awfully close to the back of the green 🤣🤣

 

[richart]

I don’t like the 18th either.....those office windows are awfully close to the back of the green 🤣🤣

Last year, a Mariner hit it over the clubhouse into the car park. Not me as I can’t hit it that far. It was the old boy that out drove you at Cowdray Park.

 

[SammmeBee]

How on earth does Camberley even get in the mix. Woking then West Hill then the other W (but they’ll tell you otherwise!).....

 

[User20205]

Last year, a Mariner hit it over the clubhouse into the car park. Not me as I can’t hit it that far. It was the old boy that out drove you at Cowdray Park.

Lucky bounce 😉😉🤣🤣

 

[MendieGK]

Will be a par five from the 10th tee Nick.

No they’re moving the tee forward and it’s about a 420 par 4 I thibk

 

[Swingalot]

I’m not a great fan of Camberley- it has some very good holes but a lot of not so good ones so I would put it at the bottom of those four , next would be Worplesdon but i need to play it again as it was an early season round - the greens weren’t great but the layout was nice. Liphook would be second - greens are stunning and a lot of the holes are just superb but the first is poor and the 15th is really poor plus not a fan of that path just before the 2nd green. Then my fav is West Hill just really enjoy it there even if it has a few holes that aren’t great

So I think West Hill , Liphook and Worplesdon are very close and its just down to a personal fave and then Camberley a fair distance below imo

I’m not a great fan of Camberley- it has some very good holes but a lot of not so good ones so I would put it at the bottom of those four , next would be Worplesdon but i need to play it again as it was an early season round - the greens weren’t great but the layout was nice. Liphook would be second - greens are stunning and a lot of the holes are just superb but the first is poor and the 15th is really poor plus not a fan of that path just before the 2nd green. Then my fav is West Hill just really enjoy it there even if it has a few holes that aren’t great

So I think West Hill , Liphook and Worplesdon are very close and its just down to a personal fave and then Camberley a fair distance below imo

I’d have Liphook just above West Hill, but not much in it. Played Liphook twice and it got better the 2nd time round which I think is a good sign for any course. west hill I loved first time I played it, but played it 3 times since and each time I enjoy it but at the same time find faults I did not notice the first time.

As well as the layout, condition is also key. Liphook greens and fairways at H4H in my opinion put West Hill almost to shame recently.

 

[merv79]

Love broadstone, but you don’t get stupid holes like the 7th on the top top courses

I actually quite like the 7th at Broadstone!
Broadstone is on a great piece of land but it needs alot of bunker work.

I have played 21 of the 25 and my top 5 would be

Sunningdale Old & New
Swinley Forest
Hotchkin
St Georges Hill
Closely followed by Hankley in 6th

I personally would rank Hndhead ahead of Camberley, Woking, Ladybank.

 

[Junior]

Liphook was a lovely course.....Personally, one thing I don't like is having to cross roads, so that marked it down a little in my book. Still a great course though. I couldn't choose between there and West Hill.

 

[Liverbirdie]

I was really mainly talking about courses I have played a number of times each year that you had above Woodhall

I don’t see any of those three courses having 15 “brilliant” holes

They prob have 3/4 outstanding holes , 10 very good holes and then a few weak holes. They do have your undulating holes and elevation that you like - Camberley for me has some shocking poor holes - 16 , 18 two perfect examples

But I’ll add my thoughts on the others that I have played you mentioned

Alwoodley - really enjoyed it but a few holes I didn’t enjoy and but overall a superb course

Berkshire Blue - another superb course but I think the Red is better and is close to Hotchkin- very close

Hankley - again outstanding but two holes which imo just make it below Hotchkin - 4 and 18 - the holes further out are just stunning

Worplesdon - just below West Hill imo

Not played Broadstone , West Sussex

So my top 5 would be

Sunningdale Old
Sunningdale New
Swinley Forest
Hotchkin
Hankley Common

The Berkshire Red , Blue then Alwoodley

But West Hill is one of my favourites

You've read what I said wrong - I never said that them courses had 15 brilliant holes. I said give me A course that has 15 brilliant holes and a few weak ones over one that has 18 good holes.

I think people concentrate too much on the odd weak hole rather than the whole package at courses. Fair enough, if a course has a terrible or badly designed hole call it out, but dont lose sight of the "whole" experience. Whole above hole, for me.

Its a shame we cant get a great forum deal at St. Georges Hill, as I think that would definitely see many chose it above the Hotchkin also.

Berkshire blue is a good course, but I felt that the final four holes were a bit samey - high tee to a valley fairway and a raised green with 3 of the 4 yardages being similar. Havent played the red yet.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

You've read what I said wrong - I never said that them courses had 15 brilliant holes. I said give me A course that has 15 brilliant holes and a few weak ones over one that has 18 good holes.

I think people concentrate too much on the odd weak hole rather than the whole package at courses. Fair enough, if a course has a terrible or badly designed hole call it out, but dont lose sight of the "whole" experience. Whole above hole, for me.

Its a shame we cant get a great forum deal at St. Georges Hill, as I think that would definitely see many chose it above the Hotchkin also.

Berkshire blue is a good course, but I felt that the final four holes were a bit samey - high tee to a valley fairway and a raised green with 3 of the 4 yardages being similar. Havent played the red yet.

You see for me weak holes do take a mark of the whole package because sometimes if the hole is that weak it’s something you don’t forget - Liphook and Camberley both have them

St George’s Hill is superb and I completely forgot about

If I look at my choices then i have three clearly ahead of the others - Sunningdale Old and New plus Swinley - i won’t IMO play a course that would replace those

Now below them the difference between all the course is very minimal beyond prob the one that sticks out is prob the last one I played

I could prob put - Hankley , Berkshire Red , Hotchkin and St George’s Hill levelish on points if I was doing a scoring system - they are all stunning courses with each having their own characteristics and there is no doubt people will have them in different order of favs.

But courses like Camberley , Liphook , West Hill and Worplesdon just aren’t in that level of course IMO nice courses in their own right but I don’t think the ratings lie about them

 

[Liverbirdie]

You see for me weak holes do take a mark of the whole package because sometimes if the hole is that weak it’s something you don’t forget - Liphook and Camberley both have them

St George’s Hill is superb and I completely forgot about

If I look at my choices then i have three clearly ahead of the others - Sunningdale Old and New plus Swinley - i won’t IMO play a course that would replace those

Now below them the difference between all the course is very minimal beyond prob the one that sticks out is prob the last one I played

I could prob put - Hankley , Berkshire Red , Hotchkin and St George’s Hill levelish on points if I was doing a scoring system - they are all stunning courses with each having their own characteristics and there is no doubt people will have them in different order of favs.

But courses like Camberley , Liphook , West Hill and Worplesdon just aren’t in that level of course IMO nice courses in their own right but I don’t think the ratings lie about them

Fair assessment. I'm going to enjoy going back to Woodhall, especially after the changes.

Will go with an open mind.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Fair assessment. I'm going to enjoy going back to Woodhall, especially after the changes.

Will go with an open mind.

Well there is a some pairs Opens next year 👍

 

[MendieGK]

You see for me weak holes do take a mark of the whole package because sometimes if the hole is that weak it’s something you don’t forget - Liphook and Camberley both have them

St George’s Hill is superb and I completely forgot about

If I look at my choices then i have three clearly ahead of the others - Sunningdale Old and New plus Swinley - i won’t IMO play a course that would replace those

Now below them the difference between all the course is very minimal beyond prob the one that sticks out is prob the last one I played

I could prob put - Hankley , Berkshire Red , Hotchkin and St George’s Hill levelish on points if I was doing a scoring system - they are all stunning courses with each having their own characteristics and there is no doubt people will have them in different order of favs.

But courses like Camberley , Liphook , West Hill and Worplesdon just aren’t in that level of course IMO nice courses in their own right but I don’t think the ratings lie about them

I agree with your order of courses. I’d add Notts in with the hankley etc though

 

[PhilTheFragger]

One course nobody had mentioned yet, almost certainly outside the top 20, but worth an honourable mention

Huntercombe

Play it each December with my society , love to play it in the summer.

My personal top 6 of the ones I’ve played

Swinley Forest ( just golfing heaven)
Liphook
Berkshire Red
West hill
Berkshire Blue
Camberley

Looking forward to adding both Sunningdale courses to the list next year

 

[Deleted member 21258]

For me(not played masses of the ones listed to be honest):-

Sunningdale Old
Ganton
Beau Desert
Hankley
Sandiway (probably bit parkland/heathland, certainly has the soil of heathland)

Surprised people have included Liphook, thought the course was very short especially the par5s and the crossing the road wasn't for me.

But by far my favourite kind of courses, heathland are.

Hoping to play add Hotchkin, swinley and St Georges Hill shortly, which are both on mine/sons bucket list.

 

[PNWokingham]

I think the lists are fairly accurate on top heathlands. For me
1. Sunningdale New is top, followed closely by a split with
2. Sunningdale Old, Swinley, Hankley, Woodhall, St George's Hill. Next close group:
3: West Hill, Liphook, Hindhead, Woking, Worplesdon, Broadstone, Ferndown, Parkstone, Wentworth East
4. Beau Desert (only played once and loved it so maybe could go up the group above), Blackmoor, Camberley, Ladybank, North Hants

How do you classify courses like Wentworth West - clearly was heathland but has lost a good deal of that feel.

 

[Blue in Munich]

I think the lists are fairly accurate on top heathlands. For me
1. Sunningdale New is top, followed closely by a split with
2. Sunningdale Old, Swinley, Hankley, Woodhall, St George's Hill. Next close group:
3: West Hill, Liphook, Hindhead, Woking, Worplesdon, Broadstone, Ferndown, Parkstone, Wentworth East
4. Beau Desert (only played once and loved it so maybe could go up the group above), Blackmoor, Camberley, Ladybank, North Hants

How do you classify courses like Wentworth West - clearly was heathland but has lost a good deal of that feel.

If you're a member at Sunningdale rumour has it that it's classified as "the pay & play down the road"...

 

[shortgame]

How do you classify courses like Wentworth West

Parkland. Sadly.