Godstone Golf Club Course Review

Godstone Golf Club
GF £30-£36 (18 holes)
Par 36, 6,068 yards
GM Verdict A sporty 9-holer with plenty of risk-reward offering great value for the area
Favourite Hole The par-4 2nd with plenty of trouble but also very pretty

The charming, 9-hole but full-length course at Godstone is just a couple of minutes in the car from Junction 6 of the M25. It opened for play in 2005, and is perfectly enjoyable for golfers of all standards. Attractive ponds come into play on three holes, there are ditches to avoid, plenty of undulations and strategic bunkering all the way.

The course opens with a left-to-right dogleg to an attractive green, an ideal hole to ease you into your round.

Next comes a terrific par 4 with trouble on both sides. The ideal line is up towards the bunker on the left, and even then there is a stream to carry and a bunker eating into the green.

There is a gentle climb up the par-5 3rd where a fairway bunker 100 yards short of the green catches many a second shot.

The first of the two short holes is at the far end of the course. It is played over a shallow dip to a large green.

The 5th is definitely one of the more tricky holes with a bunker guarding the corner but also the ideal line if you can carry it. The green is nestled up in the corner, over a ditch and very well protected.

Next comes one of the easier holes where distance control on the approach is the main question to be asked.

The 7th hole is an interesting three-shotter which plays pretty much as a double dogleg; a little to the right to avoid water as you head up the slope, but then over to the left as the green is almost behind the lake.

The penultimate hole is a delightful short hole, almost a par-3 version of the equally attractive 2nd.

The closing hole is played right to left, back up the slope, and again to a well-protected green. Beyond it, the mansion that was part of the school at Streete Court dates back to the late 18th-century.

Godstone is a fun course that is well presented and very well priced. It operates from a modest, prefab style clubhouse, but there are plenty of good pubs nearby. It is also just a mile from the excellent Harry Colt design at Tandridge.

Godstone Golf Club is a part of the Altonwood Group, the flagship of which is the excellent Addington Golf Club a few miles to the north. This Next 100 Course is currently in the throes of a major upgrade which is aimed at restoring its original Abercrombie design principles and significantly boost its already impressive wow-factor.