To stop or not to stop may sometimes be the question, but at the very best halfway huts the only real question is “what am I going to have?”…
Whether soup, a sausage bap or something else suitably warming in the winter, or a long chilled drink in the summer, the halfway hut is a welcome site for many (although not all) golfers. The chance to refuel, sit down for a while, or maybe take your mind off a game that isn’t going particularly well are all good reasons to take 10 minutes out mid-round.
Many golf courses feature halfway huts of varying styles, standards and scales – some open every day, others on a more limited schedule. The following 10 – split into Premier League and Championship standard - have lingered long in the memories of one or more GM staffers for various reasons…
Premier League
Sunningdale For many, Sunningdale’s is quite simply the king of halfway huts for two main reasons – the sausage sandwich is on a different planet, and the view looking back up the magnificent 10th hole on the Old course, watching others attempt to master it, is simply splendid.
Wentworth Not all halfway huts come precisely midway, but the best ones give you the chance for a quick breather before renewing battle with the course. At Wentworth, the elaborate hut is cleverly placed to better prepare you for the demanding tests of the long par-3 7th on the East Course and the difficult par-4 9th on the West. Comprehensive menu too.
Gleneagles Another halfway hut where location is everything, this time with the added advantage of also being set in the glorious Perthshire countryside. Like Wentworth, it comes at a key moment on both the King’s and Queen’s courses, just before the 230-yard par-3 11th on the King’s and the birdie-chance short par-4 11th on the Queen’s.
Woburn This delightful Hansel & Gretel affair stands close to the 10th tee on Woburn's Marquess course and serves a veritable smorgasbord of fayre to keep every golfer happy. With just minor modifications it would make a highly desirable two up, two down rustic cottage!
Castle Stuart This elegant mini-replica of the stylish clubhouse by the vast putting green is the perfect spot to stop for a while before heading out along the Moray Firth in the opposite direction to the 1st.
Championship
North Foreland More of a ‘caff’ than a halfway hut, the smell of bacon issuing forth from this excellent watering and feeding hole is enough to lure in all but the strictest of golfing dieters.
Goodwood Enjoys a splendid location on the Sussex Downs at a point where several holes converge. A welcome respite after the demands of either the long 7th, or the testing challenge of the down-and-up 15th. Bovril and sherry comes highly recommended.
The Mere The hut comes after the 11th green at the Cheshire resort, and is perfectly positioned for you to gather your thoughts ahead of the final push over some of the course’s best and most testing holes.
West Hill The hole before West Hill’s popular halfway hut is the sometimes drivable par-4 12th protected by bunkers galore and a steep, two-tiered green. Celebrate with a bacon bap if you’ve mastered it; drown your sorrows with a stiff drink if you’ve floundered in the sand or three-putted
Royal Cinque Ports Another one where Bovril and sherry is the recommended tipple. Whether you opt for that or something even stronger, it’s wise to tarry here for a moment, for once you get to the 12th tee a couple of holes later, you’ll need all the strength you can muster to tackle the fearsome closing stretch if the prevailing wind is in town!
Honourable mentions to the following, which the GM staff have availed themselves of over the years: Royal St George’s, The Grove, Army, Hartley Wintney, Royal Dornoch, Nairn, Ardglass, Puttenham, Coombe Hill, Hindhead, North Hants, Hillside, London Club, Lough Erne, Hainault Forest, Hanbury Manor
