Croham Hurst Golf Club

Croham Hurst was founded in 1911 and its scenic parkland course was designed by Fred Hawtree and five-time Open champion James Braid. There is a sense of history on and off the course and a tangible feeling of this being a golfer's club. It might be within striking distance of central London in Croydon, but it still benefits from outstanding natural beauty and a feeling of tranquility. The course extends up a valley in a series of gently undulating loops with every hole enjoying a secluded feeling of its own as a result of the lush, springy fairways fringed by silver birch, beech and ancient oak. Built on chalk the course drains well, offering the opportunity of all-year round golf. Indeed, NCG's visit to this corner of Surrey was in October and the greens putted impeccably. 2010 Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie said after visiting the club: "Croham Hurst is one of the nicest courses in the South East of England." Croham celebrated its Centenary in 2011 and hosted the Surrey Amateur Championships as part its events to mark its century of existence.

The back nine also starts with a fine par 5 before a 190-yard uphill short hole which requires a solid shot to fly the bunkers at the front and hold the green.

The course may not be especially long by modern standards but it is a layout which rewards accurate driving as a result of the thousands of mature trees which line the fairways. In addition, undulating greens provide an interesting challenge. [gallery ids="eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczpcL1wvbmNnLWxpdmUtYXNzZXRzLmFtczMuY2RuLmRpZ2l0YWxvY2VhbnNwYWNlcy5jb21cL3VwbG9hZHNcLzIwMTFcLzEwXC9Dcm9oYW0tSHVyc3QuanBnIiwidGl0bGUiOiJDcm9oYW0gSHVyc3QiLCJjYXB0aW9uIjoiIiwiYWx0IjoiIiwiZGVzY3JpcHRpb24iOiIifQ==,eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczpcL1wvbmNnLWxpdmUtYXNzZXRzLmFtczMuY2RuLmRpZ2l0YWxvY2VhbnNwYWNlcy5jb21cL3VwbG9hZHNcLzIwMTFcLzEwXC9Dcm9oYW0tSHVyc3Qtdmlldy5qcGciLCJ0aXRsZSI6IkNyb2hhbSBIdXJzdCB2aWV3IiwiY2FwdGlvbiI6IiIsImFsdCI6IiIsImRlc2NyaXB0aW9uIjoiIn0=,eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczpcL1wvbmNnLWxpdmUtYXNzZXRzLmFtczMuY2RuLmRpZ2l0YWxvY2VhbnNwYWNlcy5jb21cL3VwbG9hZHNcLzIwMTFcLzEwXC9Dcm9oYW0tSHVyc3QtR1YuanBnIiwidGl0bGUiOiJDcm9oYW0gSHVyc3QgR1YiLCJjYXB0aW9uIjoiIiwiYWx0IjoiIiwiZGVzY3JpcHRpb24iOiIifQ==,eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczpcL1wvbmNnLWxpdmUtYXNzZXRzLmFtczMuY2RuLmRpZ2l0YWxvY2VhbnNwYWNlcy5jb21cL3VwbG9hZHNcLzIwMTFcLzEwXC9Dcm9oYW0tSHVyc3QtZnVuY3Rpb24tcm9vbS5qcGciLCJ0aXRsZSI6IkNyb2hhbSBIdXJzdCBmdW5jdGlvbiByb29tIiwiY2FwdGlvbiI6IiIsImFsdCI6IiIsImRlc2NyaXB0aW9uIjoiIn0=,eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczpcL1wvbmNnLWxpdmUtYXNzZXRzLmFtczMuY2RuLmRpZ2l0YWxvY2VhbnNwYWNlcy5jb21cL3VwbG9hZHNcLzIwMTFcLzEwXC9Dcm9oYW0tSHVyc3QtY291cnNlLmpwZyIsInRpdGxlIjoiQ3JvaGFtIEh1cnN0IGNvdXJzZSIsImNhcHRpb24iOiIiLCJhbHQiOiIiLCJkZXNjcmlwdGlvbiI6IiJ9"] Croham opens with two long uphill par 4s which will test even lower handicappers but after that tough beginning the front nine offers chances to put together a good score. The 3rd, for example, is a 287-yard two shotter where a 3-wood off the tee at the bunker on the left of the green will leave merely a chip-and-run onto the round green. The next is another short par 4 where an accurate drive or fairway wood down the left will open up the putting surface for a straightforward pitch 'down' the angled green. The 8th is a terrific par 5 which slightly dog-legs from right to left and where accuracy as well as power is required to find the green – because your target is narrow and protected by a bunker on the left and steep run-offs on the right. The back nine also starts with a fine par 5 before a 190-yard uphill short hole which requires a solid shot to fly the bunkers at the front and hold the green. The 15th begins a fine closing stretch, a 456-yard par 4 where only two sweet strikes will see you home while the 16th is a downhill par 3 of 221 yards which is one of the mostscenic holes on the course. The 354-yard 17th has a bunker in the middle of the fairway to ask questions off the tee – typical of the challenge of Croham – while the last is a terrific par 4 which sweeps downhill from right to left.