Batchworth Park

 

The tee shot on the 3rd is played to the middle hill, which looks about 15m long from the tee, but in fact measures about 50m

The green of the par three 4th is among the highest points on the course, so wind is always a factor

Course name: Batchworth Park

Location: Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire
Four Word Course Review: Bunkering functional, not pretty

Batchworth Park is a relatively new Dave Thomas course just south of Watford. I made the mistake of heading up the Central line on the tube to check it out on the same day as the Notting Hill Carnival! But once the crowds decamped at Notting Hill Gate, it wasn't long before I was standing outside Batchworth's elegant clubhouse enjoying the last day of summer, with sunshine and expansive views.

I was really impressed and quite surprised by the course. There are some seriously cool golf holes out there. Located on a street named Batchworth Hill, you expect some undulating terrain, and that's exactly what is serves up. But not only does is run along and between the ridges and valleys, holes like 3, 4, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 17 are routed over the hills - which are really steep in sections.

My one complaint might be that the bunkers are over-countoured, but unlike the Thomas course I played last weekend (Traditions GC in Surrey), the back edges aren't covered in rough, so a ball approaching at any decent pace will still find the sand. What I didn't like that the mounding behind many bunkers meant you couldn't see them from either the tee or the fairway as you approach. Not only would the strategy be a bit clearer, the aesthetics would be enhanced.

It's not overpowered yet by trees, and here's hoping the club management stops the trees encroaching, because the feeling of space is one of the great joys of the course. It marries parkland, downland and heathland features nicely, and while it definitely feels "new", I don't mean that in a bad way.

The par 5s are standouts. The two on the front are quite short (I hit a 5i and 7i for my second shots), but on the back, both measure over 550yds (I hit a full 7i and a full PW for my third shots). They sit on some of the most interesting terrain, which is utilised well. The short par fours also stand out as quite memorable. 2, 4, 8, 10 and 17 all reward a perfectly-struck driver, but also give some love to the canny golfer who hits his long iron or hybrid into the right position.

The 4th is the sole par three that stands out, with the others cut from the "let's get them with length" cloth. Shorter can be better! It's a drop short calling for no more than an eight iron unless the winds are strong in your face (and the position atop Batchworth Hill means the wind is often a factor), but bunkers await anything short or right, with any really bad slices or pushes often kicking down to a cavernous trap some 25m right of the green. From there you'll gladly take a four and move on.