Feature Review: Hazlemere Golf Club

The first thing that occurs to you as you walk round the grounds and the clubhouse is the sloping hills and fairways of Hazlemere Golf Club.

Knowing these slopes and undulations is key to making your way round this course with a good score. The course on paper is not long at 5833 yards, but there is added length in gradient. The 9th hole for example is adeptly named ‘heart attack hill’ and it certainly induces heavy breathing.
 
Hazlemere has a strange habit of catching you when you think you’ve finally cracked it. The shot that always bounced left onto the green at the 14th suddenly bounces right leaving you with no shot. With 3 par 5’s there is always a chance for birdies if you play these correctly but errant shots are punished on these holes. Despite the birdie chances, playing the par 3’s well is key as it is more than easy to drop shots, especially on the 220 yard 15th hole where it’s almost impossible to hold the green, again requiring local knowledge to get as close as possible.
 
The 18th hole resides in my memory for both good and bad reasons. A great finishing hole that has water in front of a two tiered green; coupled with last hole nerves this really is a test. Many donations have been made to the captain's charity after ball after ball finds a watery grave.

The club itself is a close-knit community where everyone is always welcoming and there are many events going on in the clubhouse. The bar is rarely short of company and many rounds have ended prematurely exchanging the winter cold for a beer or two. Classic golf club food is on offer with my personal favourite being the club sandwich which has become very hard to beat.
 
Once graced with the membership of Luke Donald, a former junior club champion, the rolling fairways of Hazlemere golf Club are a great place to be.

For more information visit:www.golfshake.com/course/view/14972/Hazlemere_Golf_Club.html