Stoneham Golf Club.

David Morgan - Tuesday, 2 September, 2003

Back in the mid 1900’s, the Dunlop British Masters (now the Daily Telegraph Damovo) came to Stoneham. The players back then would have faced much the same challenge as that you will face if you add Stoneham to your list of golf tour courses. This is perfect golf land, rolling this way and that and covered in trees which have been around for hundreds of years. Its a design which only has three pairs of holes running in the same direction – the 1st and 2nd, the 6th and 7th and then the 12th and 13th. Every other tee shot switches direction and for the holes which follow each other (in direction) its 5 then 3 (twice) and a 5 then a short par 4. You are going to be asked lots of questions about your game and you can only enjoy the views and the challenges that start from the 1st tee.

As an opening tee shot, this fairway is wide enough and a push will go into the trees, not straight out of bounds. You cannot see the green (for the second) but the fairway runs down to an open and large green. It’s a good long iron that can find the putting surfaces in the summer and you’ll have another long iron to the par three 2nd.

You then turn back 180 deg to play the short(ish) par four 3rd. This is another good driving hole and anything miss-hit could only get to the up slope and not onto the flat where the approach is much easier. Then to the 4th.

Spectacular is one word for the 4th with the landing area not visible from the tee – the green is though, 460 yards away across the other side of this little valley. A shaped, well struck tee shot can run well down – in hard conditions, the bigger hitters will find trouble with a driver. Its then an approach which needs more club than you think and one which allows for the feed to the right on the first of this type of green design at Stoneham.

You then walk through the woods to the 5th tee. This is a short par 4 where long hitters can get close to the green. It another hole where a push will find trouble yet the best tee shot is a fade, opening up the green even with a lay-up.

Slightly uphill, there are cross bunkers on the 6th, a par 5 where many will look to lay-up at the top of the slope short of the green. This time the green runs to the left and is well guarded by three bunkers.

Hole 7 is a blind, very long par three. Its original design was as a short par four and as an ‘old’ hole, detractors have stock reasons why there should be alterations. There were only one or two ‘suspicious’ bunkers, too flat and sculpted to be true to the rest of the course and as a blind hole, just take it as it is. Its certainly not unfair if you hit the on the correct line.

Hole 8 is another three, this time a classic which is set beautifully into the rise. The 9th needs a long tees shot to carry a dip and once more, a fade is a better shot as long as it doesn’t stray too right.

The 10th is designed to encourage you to hit a draw, probably with a long iron and you need the same sort of shot from the tee at the next, a wonderful par 4 which plays much longer than its length. Its all carry for the second to a fortress green with bunkers either side and a drop back to a front stream. The vista is made all the more impressive by the Rhododendrons growing all the way across the bank behind the green.

You cannot see the fairway from the tee at the par five 12th yet everything encourages a straight shot which can run down to 250 yards from the green. The approach is a very different shot where anything pushed will find trouble and this is no certain birdie hole.

Neither is 13th, the shortest of fours with the smallest of greens protected very subtly.

You then throw away the finesse part of your game and try to belt your tee shot up the 14th for a chance to get home in two. The fairway is mounded and slopes and the green needs a threaded faded approach.

Hole 15 goes back down the hill, to a green set against the trees and there is a short par three to follow, a hole with a huge green surrounded by three tough bunkers.

On 17, the drive looks as if a fade will be best but from the right, you will pitch towards the water, a stream recently opened up and developed to half surround the green. The green itself goes left so something down the left allows you to be more positive. Four is a good score.

From the 18th tee, you have another opportunity to launch the ball up the hill. Its then that this hole shows its teeth. If you lay up, you need to be positive. If you go for the green, you don’t want to miss left with bunkers and a fall away yet most will not think much about the gully to right, until they have found it. This is no dip of rough. It goes down more than 20 feet at its deepest and anything hitting its side will go straight out of bounds. If you take enough club to carry up to the green and push you shot, there is nothing to stop you ball running OOB on the putting green. It’s a tough finish which needs nerve to make four.

The clubhouse is un-imposing, the course is and is very well kept. Play well and you will be rewarded with a sub par score as the length of the course is perfect for all standards of club golfer. Points to note – unless you have instructions, its hard to find.

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

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