Hankley Common

The best hole at Hankley - probably one of the best holes in Surrey: the par three 7th

The par five 8th is all there before you, flanked by heather, from your perch on the elevated tee

How much heather do you dare to bite off with your tee shot on the 10th?

The par five 13th traverses gently undulating land that allows for a tricky green set over a small valley

While most of the course enjoys vast open views, the 14th is cut through a thicket of pine

Hugging the trouble on the left side of the fairway pays dividends at the 17th

Course name: Hankley Common
Location: Farnham, Surrey
Four Word Course Review: More than mere beauty

From one course off the beaten tourist path to another.
A year or so back I asked some well-travelled golfers if they could recommend a few non-Top 100 courses worth seeing. Many suggested Hankley Common, and were shocked to hear it was on the Golf World list (#74 in GB&I). Incidentally, Silloth also got mentioned.

I can see how they could have thought Hankley was outside that group. It seems that with few exceptions, perhaps with good reason, Top 100 courses are very widely known. The obvious conclusion is that they are well-known because they are on the Top 100 lists and therefore attract a lot of visitor and tourist play.

But lately I wonder if perhaps the opposite is true: they aren't all well-known because they are in the Top 100, some are simply in the Top 100 because they are well-known, while better courses either miss out or end up lower on the list through anonymity.

Rated higher? A matter of opinion. What I will say is that Hankley Common deserves to be much more well-known and regularly visited.

Built on 800 acres but utilising less than 150 of them for golf, it's easily the most secluded place I have played, with rolling fields of heather as far as the eye can see, the occasional ribbon of green fairway cutting through.

The routing is the star of the show at Hankley, with the holes laid out in a series of triangles and U-Shapes (1-4, 6-8, 10-12, 13-15) to ensure the wind is constantly hitting you from a different angle. Joining those loops are linking holes that take you between the best sections of the property.

The terrain is largely similar to Walton Heath (Old) - not wildly undulating but with sufficient movement, while remaining an easy walk - and the open vistas are reminiscent of the same course. There's something fantastic about seeing the next hole open up as you walk towards the green of the one you're playing.

Benefiting from the greatest change in elevation are two of the three par fives, the 6th and 8th. The former climbs a steady hill to a green set in a steep hillside that hides its surface from view, while the 8th tee offers sweeping views across the course and a grand drive downhill over a field of heather.

Linking them is the brilliant par three 7th, a 183-yard journey set across a valley (naturally covered with gorgeous heather) to a skyline green that is brilliant for more reasons than the aesthetics and recovery options. The green itself consists of four equally-sized segments. The lowest of the four is front-right and they rise steadily in a clockwise direction finishing weith the highest tier at the back-right. Truly an all-world hole where just hitting the green feels like an achievement but is in reality only half the assignment.

Thanks to the lack of trees blocking your views, a number of dogleg holes allow you to see the flag fluttering far out of reach with nothing but heather in the way. Despite knowing it's too far to reach, it has the effect of drawing your eye and inevitably your clubface. The outside of the dogleg offers the best angle in, but only the most resolute golfer will be able to force himself to aim there.

It's an effective design trick that Braid (who converted Hankley to 18 holes in 1922) also utilised on the 10th at Cinque Ports.

Speaking of comparisons, the 1st at Hankley bears a striking resemblance to the opening hole at West Sussex in the way it uses some pretty ordinary land to get you away from the clubhouse.

The variety is what shines through most after playing at Hankley Common. The par threes and fours vary wildly in length, some holes are out in the open and others cut through thickets of pine, the approach shots are played uphill and down and the constant changes of direction ensure the wind never stays with you, against you or across you for too long.

In my mind the Surrey heathbelt is amazing not for how good its best courses are, but for the sheer depth it possesses. The quality of the courses that most golfers have never heard of is astounding.