There are one or two course which have a signature hole .... and very little else. One picture does not sell a golf course anymore and the facet of signatures is hopefully disappearing as fast as it arrived in the days of design excess that went with sporadic attempts at talent during the boom time of the 80 s. You will soon hear about the 18th at the West Midlands Golf Club and you will hear about a lot more.

At over 6600 yards from the Championship tees and at 6000 yards from the tees of the day, your golfing armoury will be tested throughout. Around 10% of the length of the course comes in one hole, the very genuine three shotter of the 3rd. Its followed by a dinky little par 3 which, if the rough is ever taken away from behind the green will create a run off towards one of the streams that cross the property and really up the difficulty rating of the hole.

The course opens with two gentle par fours and finishes with two more, though the 8th could hardly be described as gentle as it is very close to 500 yards in length! To complete this nine, there are two par fives (watch out for the water) and a short to mid-iron par three.

The West Midland Golf Club has been built on some excellent land for a course, mostly very gentle slopes but with two little hills to run over. For the tee shot at the 10th, the drive is beautiful framed, a great looking start to the back nine. The 11th is no pushover as a long par 3 yet the card seems to say two birdies to follow at 12 and 13, so a bogey on the 11th should not be too much of a problem.

At only 503 yards, you could be tempted to think the hole is easy. Its not. This is classic design, slightly uphill with all carry required if you want to try for the green, flying your second over the side of the hill. A more sensible option will be to play short left and pitch on. You then turn back on yourself and can open your shoulders for a downhill drive to a hole which is over 60 yards longer. The have a go golfers will then look to blast their seconds onto the green - but there is a little lake left and hedge trouble right.

14 is another strong par three and the last tester (for length) comes at 15 before you turn back towards the clubhouse for the run-in.

16 and 17 are drive and pitch holes then you walk across to the 18th. Everyone has seen the 17th at Sawgrass - you now can play something very similar. There are no surrounding trees to protect this version of that famous hole, something which negates that the greens at the West Midlands are not quite as quick as across the Pond - the course conditions are though very good for such a young course and the greens well settled. They are good enough now and will get better and better.

All this talk of the cut stuff is assuming that you have actually hit a green which is two clubs deep. Its easy, surely.

Any sort of breeze and the tension you will be feeling about just hitting the ball straight will be doubled. There is nothing easy about this tee shot and make it on one round at the West Midlands and you will miss the next. Just keep an eye on how long a swing your partner or opposition takes as they make their attempt to cover the 145+ yards. You could put a telephone box on the tee and a fair few would be able to swing in that.

When you have finished, you can relax in a very impressive clubhouse which has a restaurant set overlooking the largest lake on the estate .... and that infamous 18th. For full details of all the club has to offer, visit their web site - www.westmidlandsgolfclub.co.uk or call 01675 444890