Isle of Purbeck

David Morgan - Tuesday, 2 September, 2003

The drive at the 5th at the Isle of Purbeck is the closest (in real terms) to one of those fantasy golf hole calendars you will ever play. You stand looking back at Poole and Bournemouth, and try keeping your ball out of the English Channel (should you possess golf balls that can fly a few miles). On a perfect English Summer’s day, the detail of the landscape in front of you, and to the right, and left (from the nine hole course Swanage is the other perfect vista) appears so close, so touchable, so easy to find. On the other hand, when the weather is more capricious, you could still be trying to find the fairway this time thrashing a driver (or two) to find the green. The views might be more Turneresque on this weather occasion – it would still be a reason why Purbeck has a place on any golfer’s list of places to play.

‘The’ way to go to Purbeck is across the ferry at Sandbanks. In the middle of Summer or early on in the day when the beachcombers are making their way to Studlands, its an hour and a half queuing. Try to play at say 10.30 and you can (hopefully) go straight across, watching all the other holidaymakers going off for their own day of fun.

You get out of your car to see the inlets of Pool Harbour and beyond, paying your very good value green fee in the foyer of the beautiful grey stone clubhouse. The 18th is in front of you, the 3rd tee on the right. Holes 1 and 2 go out and back on the left of the clubhouse, the 1st the easiest hole the course, the 2nd one of the more difficult. With the wind off the sea, 2 is a very tough par four, the 3rd plays easier if you take a driver, Hole 4 is one hell of a par 3 and then you try your luck at the 5th.

Its not a driver under still(er) conditions as the fairway slopes away to a sea of gorse (just about as expansive as the real wet stuff further on). It then anything from a short iron to a bullet of a one iron to a green which has to be hit.

If you are just a couple over par by now, don’t think the 6th is a par five where you can easily pull back a shot. To have any chance of getting home in two, you must be long and left so that the ball runs back (but not too far) down the left to right slope. The bunkers short of the green protect a very long and narrow green.

Hole 7 and you can open you shoulders and get close to the green – its well protected by bunkers though. The 8th is a monster par five where a fade leaves you looking towards the green over probably 200 yards of ‘dead’ ground. Nearly any player will be left with a pitch or chip and run to a very exposed green.

To finish the front nine is a simple short par three then you start the back nine with a par four where being up the right gives more run and a better approach. You now start eight holes of a very fine finish.

The 11th has a two tier green, unusually with the lower tier being at the back of the green. A push will find trees and a little dell, a big hook one of the biggest bunkers in the region.

The 12th tee shot is blind and is followed by an approach to a green which slopes back at the player much more than it appears. You must have the correct club, and for the 13th, the tee shot is another carry decision – whether to try to make it over the stream that crosses the fairway or to leave a long iron approach to a parapet green set up behind the 9th green.

The 14th goes back in opposite direction through a field of gorse and is followed by the classic par three on the course. It’s a long iron for anyone to a green set across the line of shot and guarded by bunkers and more gorse.

For Hole 16, you again have to think of laying up (in front of the stream) and with plenty of room left, it seems the best option. Anything pulled or hooked though will run off into a ‘collection area’ of bracken and more gorse.

What’s left? Two short par fours, played into the sea breeze. The 17th is very well guarded and has a sloppy green. Hole 18 has the visuals of two fairway bunkers to put you off your tee shot. Find the fairway and it’s a simple pitch.

So how difficult is Isle of Purbeck? Don’t be fooled if the wind doesn’t blow and you have a straight hitting day because anything wild or any sort of breeze and you will immediately know why SSS is a shot higher than the par. What is certain is that you will have a few moments of triumph to go with lots of disaster.

Problems? The only one I can think of is that some may not realise that this is natural land, its very hard to manage or to manicure and that the fairways have occasionally been lost in recent years. The club has to put lots of water on the greens when there is any sort of heat wave so they can be a bit slow but once again, a good swing will cope with both striking irons and chipping and pitching around the greens. Those who scuff the ball need a better game.

Once you have finished your round, sit back and enjoy the views from the safety (in bad weather) and comfort of the glass walled club lounge. You will have played one of the most visually spectacular courses around and if golf wasn’t your game that day, go down to the nearby beautiful beaches and contemplate what’s next – you will be back.

For our review of the town and our accommodation suggestions, go to the Golf Tour review for Bournemouth

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