Farnham

Another glorious course in the county of Surrey, Farnham Golf Club offers a great mixture of heather and pine trees across its layout.

Situated just outside the town of Aldershot, and only 40 miles from London, Farnham is in a hotbed of golf in southern England.

This course, designed shortly after the First World War, has remained relatively unchanged, and although not the longest, there are plenty of challenges along the way.

Visit Farnham’s website here. 

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1896 saw the founding of the golf club, with a 9-hole layout - ‘Binton Links’ - being the original golf course at the club.

That was extended less than a decade later, with the 18-hole course being opened in 1904. Jack White – an Open Championship winner – was the man to aid with the extension of the course.

The club was wound up following the First World War, but came back as Farnham Golf Club in 1922. The new design remains almost unchanged to this day, barring some holes being extended to deal with the advances in equipment.

The course is a mix of parkland, pine and heather with gentle rolling undulations, giving Farnham the best of all worlds. Starting in a parkland setting, the scenery changes after the 5th as the pines close in and the heather replaces the grass. By the 11th, the vista opens again with views over the farmland to the Hog's Back. The gentle undulations give variety but do not demand excessive effort or spoil the experience in this beautifully peaceful environment. The layout pushes just over 6,500 yards, with three of the four par 5s coming on the back nine.

At 510 yards, the opener could be seen as a birdie (or even eagle) opportunity. This par 5 winds its way round to the left, making the right side of the fairway ideal from the tee. From there, the second will be played through the trees. The 2nd is a robust 474 yards – the longest par 4 on the property. Avoiding the fairway bunker is key to keep this as a two-shotter. Out of bounds down the left side near the green may come into play if you pull your second. The first of the quartet of short holes comes at the 3rd. Your approach on this 185-yard hole must carry to the green, due to the false front that will see your ball roll back towards you.

You might think that the 4th is drivable from a quick glance at the scorecard, but this 269-yard par 4 is anything but. The green is blocked out by a thick set of trees, and with out of bounds down the right, there is more danger than you think. The safe play is out to the left, and avoiding the two fairway bunkers, before then knocking a wedge on to the green. The 5th plays as it looks, but it is slightly uphill so take an extra club on your approach for this par 4. The heather comes properly into view on 6. The second par 3 of around 185 yards at Farnham sees you play to the green, entirely over the glorious purple heather. The green is situated in the corner of the property, so there is out of bounds down both the left and right sides.

7 is another short par 4 where going for the green is not necessarily the right option. The safe play, like on the 4th, is to play to the wide part of the fairway, before then hitting your approach to the green – one that is tight to the out of bounds line. The 8th is of a similar yardage but with a split fairway, taking a long iron or fairway wood to find the fairway before then attacking the flag with a wedge is your best bet. Longer hitters might be able to find the downslope on the fairway on 9, but for some, staying above the slope is the best bet to have a flat lie for your second.

The opening hole of the back nine has a generous fairway, but two large bunkers loom in front of the putting surface. At 560 yards, the 11th is the longest hole at Farnham. It will be a three-shotter for all but the very longest of hitters. OOB is in play all the way down the right side on 11, so play smart and take your three shots wisely. That danger is also down the right on 12, along with a fairway bunker on the left side of the hole. Two more bunkers sit by the green, while the OOB winds its way around the back and left of the putting surface as well. The 13th is a 168-yard par 3, with three bunkers around the green. The trap on the right covers the length of the putting surface.

14 is another par 5 of more than 550 yards, and winds its way round to the right. Aim for the marker post which sits on the left side of the fairway at the corner. From there, pick your lay-up spot short of the two cross bunkers before playing to the green. The 15th is arguably the pick of the short holes, a 208-yard test off the tips which asks you to avoid the bunker to the right of the green – which is quite severe – with a fairway wood or hybrid. 16 has a hollow in the fairway, where plenty of balls end up off the tee. Make sure to work out the right line for your approach if you do end up in that section of the fairway. OOB looms on the right side once more.

The penultimate hole at Farnham also sees out of bounds down its right side. The 17th is a long par 4 of 430 yards, and the fairway has been made narrower due to the bunker on the left side of the landing zone. Two more bunkers guard the green, which also has a run off behind it so make sure to select the right club for your approach. The last is a par 5 of only 500 yards, so the bigger hitters might fancy their chances here. The entrance to the fairway is narrower than the landing zone, while OOB comes into play to the right and behind the green once more. Two bunkers also guard the final green, but there is plenty of space for those option to lay up before attacking the putting surface with a wedge.

Where is Farnham Golf Club located?

Farnham Golf Club is situated in the southern English county of Surrey, with the club itself located to the south of the town of Aldershot. The English capital city of London is only 40 miles away to the northeast. The A31, which runs from Guildford to Bere Regis in Dorset, runs only a mile north of the golf club.

The town of Farnham has its own train station, which is just over a mile from the golf club. Trains run through to London Waterloo from Alton, with some services also terminating at Guildford. The two biggest and busiest airports in the United Kingdom – Lonon Heathrow and London Gatwick – are both within a 40-mile drive from Farnham, with the former being slightly closer.

Are there any NCG Top 100s: England venues nearby?

Thanks to its location in the western section of Surrey, there are plenty of venues on the NCG Top 100s: England list that are close to Farnham. Hankley Common is only a couple of miles south, while the likes of Liphook, Blackmoor and Hindhead are all close by in the same direction. Moving north from Farnham, the likes of Camberley Heath, West Hill, Worplesdon and Woking are all within a 30-minute drive.

What golf facilities does Farnham Golf Club offer?

Along with the stunning 18-hole golf course, Farnham is also home to some wonderful practice facilities. There is a full-length driving range, along with a short game area and a putting green. There is also an indoor golf studio at the club.

What are the green fees at Farnham Golf Club?

The price of a green fee at Farnham Golf Club changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend.

For more information on current green fees at Farnham, visit their website here.