As you win your way up through one of the glade of trees that surround this public park, you pass the old clubhouse and are faced with the ‘prison’ that is the 18th, a hold with tons of wire netting protect the club buildings and some huge old trees in a stand all the way along the other side of the fairway – that is to come but when you make your way to the 1st, you are staring at just as difficult a hole, a par three of well over 200 yards to a nick of a green in the hillside across the valley. Miss short and in the summer you can run all the way back to the bottom of the hill and face a full wedge back to the hole.

The second is a nothing short par 4 then you play the first of a number of classic par fours – and they are real classics. This turns gently to the left, a tough hole from the back tees with the drive into the funnel of trees that runs all the way up to the green, guarded by a pair of bunkers. The next, Hole 4, is an even tougher par three than the first, 240 yards to a green which falls away to the right and with trees close left.

You should make pars at the next three with not too much difficulty before you face another wonderful and very tough par three, this time just a mid iron to a green set into the edge of a hillside. Miss right and you disappear down the bank – to the left you could find sand but you are more likely to loose your ball.

The 9th needs position then you have another par three, getting a little easier through the green is slightly like an up turned saucer tilted toward the tee. Hole 11 is a drivable par 4 through an avenue of trees then its off to the final par three, back to a more manageable 160 yards or so. Its beautiful and complements all that has gone before.

You can fade a driver through the gap between the fairway and greenside bunkers at the next or leave a short pitch to try for one last birdie because the last five offer very little in the way of further opportunities … absolutely zero on three of the holes.

The 14th is just about as good as it gets, all the way through trees on both sides for 460 yards of bogey opportunities. Miss the fairway bunkers and you have a long iron to a long green which has no bunker protection. It doesn’t need any sand to go with the rubbish off to the right and the bank to the left.

Whilst length is a factor on the 14th, the 15th is just as tough and nearly 100 yards shorter. If you can, fading a driver leaves just a short shot into a green which is slightly across the line of play. That length of club can pass the bunkers on the left which if you lay up means 160 yards or so into the cut stuff which has a bunker and a big mound pushing you across the width of the green and towards a run off into a gully that goes all the way round the right hand side and back. There are trees all the way down the right (and OOB) and more foliage for much of the left hand side.

The 16th needs a good tee shot to leave a pitch and one last birdie chance. 17 is OK for a relatively straight shot. Nothing short of an iron through ‘the eye of a needle’ is needed for 18 and ‘iron’ is what most (anyone with sense) will use from the tee. All that is left is a mid / short iron into a well-protected green. You will be pleased with a finishing four.

Conditions are very good for a course which is obviously played lots because it is such good value. Any standard of golfer will enjoy the challenge which is laid out before them and all this just a couple of miles from the town centre. Problems – just like any municipal, the bunkers need to have rakes left in them and the public needs to know not to pinch the things.

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