Hunstanton
HUNSTANTON or Brancaster? That is the question that has vexed thousands of golfers over the past century when visiting the Norfolk coast and while many may have strong opinions, the best answer is surely ‘both’.
A couple of days on this blessed stretch of coastline is guaranteed to raise the spirits.
And while the obvious time to arrange such a trip would be the summer, do bear in mind that Hunstanton is a sensationally good option in the winter too.
Throughout the year, the greens remain firm and smooth and since the members pride themselves on brisk play, you will be back in the cosy clubhouse within three hours and not much more.
Hunstanton is also more accessible than you might imagine, especially for those approaching from the north.
By an act of geographical curiosity, this small town on the Wash is the only resort on Britain’s east coast to be west-facing.
The course is located a mile or so outside the town centre and follows the time-honoured links tradition of a front nine that broadly travels away from the clubhouse and an inward half that brings you back again.
On one side is the River Hun and the other the Wash. A spine of duneland runs the entire length down the middle.
Generally, the prevailing wind will favour you on the outward half but the locals say that in a freezing easterly scoring well is even more of a challenge.
Yet the layout is subtle enough to confound anyone expecting to score well in one direction and struggle relentlessly in the other.
There are changes of direction throughout and, after the first three holes, you never again play more than two consecutive holes before turning round.
One of the greatest pleasures of Hunstanton. is the delightful mixture of holes – it seems that every long and demanding hole is quickly followed by something more playful.
Good hitting is essential to prosper on holes like the 3rd, 5th and especially the 11th but clear thinking and touch are more important at the 6th and 13th.
Originally laid out by George Fernie and opened in 1891, James Braid extended and revised the original layout, notably adding some typically subtle bunkering, while James Sherlock created the current 9th, 10th and 11th holes in the 1920s.
Since then, only a few new tees have been added and while, inevitably, Hunstanton is not long by modern standards it hardly needs to be considering the difficulty of the course and the sea breeze.
Indeed, when The Brabazon was played here in 2003 many of the world’s finest amateurs struggled to come close to matching par.
Clearly, the direction of the wind is crucial to deciding how the links must be tackled but presuming the prevailing westerly is in effect, a fast start is not out of the question.
For the better player, oblivious to the potential embarrassment of an opening drive struck from a 1st tee yards away from the front windows of the clubhouse, the approach will be little more than a pitch and the 2nd is reachable in two.
Even the 3rd and 5th, both well in excess of 400 yards, can be navigated without need for heroics and the large green at the 4th, played back towards the clubhouse, is a generous enough target.
The need for strategy is paramount at the 6th. It looks as though you can hit it almost anywhere from the tee and, to a degree, this is indeed the case. But only when you survey your approach to the plateau green with steep run-offs in all directions that you will know whether your drive was a good one or not.
Depending on the wind, finding and holding this green – even with a short iron – can be incredibly difficult and the penalties for missing it severe.
Then comes the famous 7th, played across a gully and an enormous bunker with trademark wooden sleepers. It is hard to know whether you would rather be playing downwind (how do you fly the bunker and hold the green?) or into the breeze (suddenly the bunker becomes twice the size).
Two par fives end the front nine, and since they play in opposite directions, a five on the one is often more worthy than a four at the other.
After the 10th comes the turn for home and the 11th is a par four of championship stature.
Fortunately, the 12th is less taxing before another par four, in the opposite direction, traverses the same set of dunes to a green sunken and hidden by the ripples of the land.
This is a terrific hole but the next is not as universally loved. It involves traffic lights, a strong hit towards a distant marker and the hope of a favourable downhill bounce towards the green.
Holes like this do split golfing opinion but on the basis that good shots invariably seem to find the large 14th green while poor ones do not, it is hard to be overly critical.
The last four holes offer a little bit of everything – a five, a three and two fours. The most testing is the 17th, surely one of the toughest par 4s in the land.
Measuring over 464 yards and into the wind, the real difficulty lies in the green, tucked against the spine of dunes and little more than a ledge – especially when viewed from 200 yards away.
Go left and you will find thick rough while anything fading away will run off and down, leaving a chip few will relish.
The final hole is slightly shorter but again anything off line will leave the hardest of up and downs.
They combine to create a fitting finish, and are worthy of deciding any match.
Card of the course (championship tees)
1 380 4 15
2 565 5 7
3 448 4 1
4 173 3 17
5 441 4 5
6 339 4 9
7 168 3 13
8 506 5 11
9 535 5 3
Out: 3,520 yards, par 37
10 382 4 10
11 446 4 2
12 379 4 16
13 386 4 6
14 222 3 18
15 475 5 8
16 191 3 14
17 464 4 4
18 446 4 12
In: 3,391 yards, par 35
Total: 6,911 yards, par 72