Mitcham

The 5th was mong the better holes, with a rolling fairway and interesting green

Course name: Mitcham Golf Club
Location: Mitcham, Surrey, UK
Four Word Course Review: Same hole eight times

This course promised it was an "inland links". Well 10 miles from Central London there is one thing this certainly isn't, and that's linksland! Despite that, the rolling fairways offered very few flat lies, while with subtle elevation changes, some steep rises and tussocked "dunes", I can see how they're trying to draw the longest bow they possibly can and compare it to a links.

Certainly it calls for and rewards imaginative shotmaking. The 5th was arguably the best hole, along with 17. Both called for a long, accurate drive to an uneven fairway, then a mid iron to a green atop a ridge.

But that touches on what I didn't like. To mildly varying extents, so did the 1st, 2nd, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th, which were all within 20 yards of each other in length. Given that a couple of those holes have crossovers with other fairways, I can't see why they haven't shortened a few par fours to eliminate the crossovers and create some variation in the course.

The 18th, a 200-yard par 3 across a gorge to a green with a steep fall-off to the right and OOB left was a great way to finish. The highlight of the day was my mate Leigh holing his approach at the 9th for an eagle.

Would I head back? Yes, it's a decent enough course to have 10 minutes from home for a lazy hit now and then, but I wouldn't recommend you head out of your way to sample the delights.