Hadley Wood

Multi-tiered greens, plateaus, and fearsomely bunkered – Hadley Wood may have preceded Augusta National by a decade but many of the design tricks later employed by Dr Alister MacKenzie in his Georgia paradise can be found in these 265 acres of parkland a short drive from the centre of London.

It’s a secluded setting in the Hertfordshire countryside, routed as it is across an old deer park, and the mature trees, undulating landscape, and many water features elicit a feeling of tranquillity from all who visit.

That’s reinforced by the open nature of the course off the tee, but don’t be fooled. Hit the right spots or those multi-layered putting surfaces will simply confound you.

As you’d expect from MacKenzie, the short holes are standouts. The 7th, in particular, guarded on three sides by bunkers and with a lake to the rear plays much differently to its advertised 141 yards, while any shot at the 17th must negotiate a ditch and a swathe of bunkers before finding a green that’s placed on a rise.

The 10th, at 185 yards, demands a long carry over a lake to a green that’s found within a copse of trees. It is a formidable start to the back nine, and one of the most Instagram-worthy holes on the course.

Meanwhile, the 13th and 14th, both par 5s which swing sharply to the right, could come straight out of the Augusta playbook – especially the former with its approach that is played downhill to a green on two levels – and the closing hole, set in the shadow of the magnificent clubhouse, is an excellent finish.

If you’re interested in seeing MacKenzie at his most creative, then this peaceful parkland should definitely be on your radar.