South Moor Golf Club

At South Moor, near Stanley, Co. Durham, Dr Alister MacKenzie designed a course that winds between gorse, heather and bracken in a superb moorland layout.The large, slopey greens are a typical McKenzie trait, guaranteeing that even when hit in regulation the player will have to work hard with his putter to match par - harder still to make birdie.At 6,271 yards from the back tips, the course is hardly long by today\'s standards but with a premium on accuracy it would be foolish to try to overpower the course with the driver, particularly with out of bounds a factor on 11 holes.The course starts gently enough and though the first seven holes are no pushover it is widely accepted that, barring the long par our fourth, they present the course\'s best birdie opportunities.Perhaps the greatest testimony to McKenzie\'s design is that, like all great courses, it continues to ask questions coming down the stretch. Ultimately though, South Moor is a great challenge, a tough but fair examination of every part of the game.The club\'s recently refurbished clubhouse provides a great place for reflection.