Traditions Golf Club Feature Review

Situated in the Surrey countryside, Traditions Golf Club can be considered one of those ‘hidden gems’ for which should be added to your list of courses to play if you’re ever in the area.

A pay and play course can often put some people off but it certainly shouldn’t here as even though it was wet underfoot when I took to the fairways, the overall condition of the course was superb, taking care of the little things that for me make a golf course like correct yardages, signs pointing you in the right direction to the next tee if you haven’t played it before (which were needed here) and certain aspects away from the course such as strokesavers available, ease of being able to book a tee time and a welcoming atmosphere in and around the clubhouse.

The Course

The Peter Allis design was opened in 1999 and has matured into a very strategic track where good course management is key even over the relatively short 6,300 yards you’ll cover over the 18 holes.

The first six holes meander through woodland, some of which become very tight, for example down the 4th where you have to be dead straight to find the tree-lined fairway, before the holes offer up different challenges as it opens out towards the middle and final parts of your round.

Although it is quite short, do not let this fact fool you as the course can easily fight back with hidden hazards that can flip a good score in a heartbeat. Water can come into play on 13 holes and if that isn’t enough you’ll have to plot your way past strategically placed bunkers especially on the fairways and if the wind is up (which it was when I played) the relative open layout will test your judgment making club selection a nightmare.

The greens during the spring and summer months will provide you with a fast and challenging test as reading the subtle breaks will benefit a good putter to post a better score.

A good mixture of holes including four par 3’s and three par 5’s give you good scoring opportunities for which you need to take advantage of as the par 4’s certainly offer up a degree of difficulty.

A yardage book is a must before you tee off as one of the main aspects I like about Traditions is the dilemma’s you have from the tee. A good seven or eight holes will have you thinking about your drive yardages whether it being able to fly a bunker or if you have to lay-up short of the ditch as you just don’t have the power.

Favourite holes include the 2nd which is a an early risk and reward par 4 which has one of those drives questioning whether you can take it over the ditch. If so you have a wedge in and if not then a lay-up will give you a medium iron into a narrow green.

Moving to the 5th this is the first genuine scoring hole. Usually playing downwind the reachable par 5 could give you a good score to settle you down after a tough start.

The 13th is a very tough par 4 but can give you a good confidence boost if you come off with a par. Looks wise it’s very daunting with water all the way down the right hand side and the fairway narrows around the landing area. A tough test, but a brilliantly designed hole.

And last but certainly not least in the pick of the holes is the 16th. Again a reachable par 5 but only if you hit the fairway which is wider than you think from the tee. The big hitter will think they can cut off the corner but I wouldn’t advise it as there’s plenty of room if you just got straight and aim towards the pylon. Yardages for your approach will look deceiving but trust your numbers and fully commit to your shot and you should walk off with a good score – if you miss the water that is.

All in all Traditions is a great track that even for the better player can test your game.  After your round settle in to the lovely clubhouse surroundings with live sport on the TV or a nice sit in the sunshine if you’re lucky.