Longcliffe Golf Club

Located off the M1 near Loughborough, you might never know there is a course of such style and class here. Longcliffe is routed through Charnwood Forest and, as you would expect, this puts a premium on accurate driving. That said, at over 6,600 yards from the backs there is certainly no shortage of length. Doglegs are the norm, with few of the longer holes in a straight line. The club dates back over a century to 1906 so you can expect a mature and established challenge. With a Standard Scratch Score off the white tees of one over par, the examination is a serious one.

The club dates back over a century to 1906 so you can expect a mature and established challenge.

The par 4s are slightly longer on the way out which makes the front nine the more difficult to score well on more often than not. [gallery ids="eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczpcL1wvbmNnLWxpdmUtYXNzZXRzLmFtczMuY2RuLmRpZ2l0YWxvY2VhbnNwYWNlcy5jb21cL3VwbG9hZHNcLzIwMTFcLzEwXC9Mb25nY2xpZmZlLTE4dGguanBnIiwidGl0bGUiOiJMb25nY2xpZmZlIDE4dGgiLCJjYXB0aW9uIjoiIiwiYWx0IjoiIiwiZGVzY3JpcHRpb24iOiIifQ==,eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczpcL1wvbmNnLWxpdmUtYXNzZXRzLmFtczMuY2RuLmRpZ2l0YWxvY2VhbnNwYWNlcy5jb21cL3VwbG9hZHNcLzIwMTFcLzEwXC9Mb25nY2xpZmZlLmpwZyIsInRpdGxlIjoiTG9uZ2NsaWZmZSIsImNhcHRpb24iOiIiLCJhbHQiOiIiLCJkZXNjcmlwdGlvbiI6IiJ9"] However, if you can make it relatively unscathed to the back nine, there is a chance to make up ground over the closing stretch, which includes a couple of short 5s and some tricky but manageable 4s. One dangerous moment comes at the short 15th, where the green is protected by a pond that eats into the left-hand side of the green. Expect to find an excellent variety of holes, most tree-lined. The longest par 4 at Longcliffe is the 12th, which measures an almighty 487 yards from the tips. Doglegging to the right at driving distance, there is little prospect of cutting a corner well protected by trees. Find the fairway and you will be left with a long second to the green. Few would turn up their noses if offered a five when standing on the tee. The 6th is a drivable par 4 but as a dogleg to the right, you will need to be able to shape your tee shot as well as cover the distance. The alternative is to lay up from the tee and trust your wedge – there is more than one way to play this hole successfully.