Berkhamsted

Berkhamsted

Nearby Courses

14 miles away

Ashridge

10 miles away

Centurion

14 miles away

Royal Mid-Surrey (JH Taylor)

If you enjoy a natural and challenging golf course you will love playing at Berkhamsted. There are no man-made hazards and the course provides a unique challenge. Over the years many promising amateurs have competed here in the Berkhamsted Trophy before going on to turn professional. It begins with a gentle opening hole, measuring just over 335 yards from the back tee, played to a generous fairway. A fairway wood or long iron will leave a short to mid iron approach over Grims Dyke to a green well protected by some signature mounds and grass bunkers.

After a short par 3, played to a green protected by a May tree on the left, comes arguably the hardest hole on the course, at least according to the stroke index.

The drive must avoid the small but magnetic pond to the right of the fairway while the second shot has to carry a band of cross-rough to reach the approach fairway. This green is well protected by large mounds.



At the par-5 7th Grims Dyke is again in play. Beware of the mounds to the left and right of the fairway some 240 yards from the tee. Once the dyke is negotiated with the second shot there is a gentle approach shot to a large two-tiered green.

The back nine begins with a challenging par-3 from an elevated tee over a small pond and a large bank of gorse that looks as though it runs all the way to the green  But fear not, there is 70 yards of short grass running up to a large relatively flat green, protected by grassy mounds to the right.

The Potten End loop begins with the long 11th. Once again Grims Dyke runs across the fairway and must be traversed before you reach the green.

This distinctive section of the course ends with a 13th, a lovely short par 4 requiring a well-placed tee shot with either a fairway wood or long iron. The approach shot is played over an area of rough scrubland, with a hawthorn tree set in the middle to a two-tiered green.  Beware the ridge that runs diagonally through the green.

Berkhamsted finishes in style. The 15th is the last par 3 and measures over 200 yards from the back tee. Then comes the last par 5, which doglegs to the right. The second shot needs to carry the mound on the right-hand side of the fairway or be played just to the left of it. Beware of the deep hollow to the right of the green, which will leave a blind pitch.

The finishing hole calls for the drive over – you guessed it – Grims Dyke to find the hidden fairway.  The second shot needs to carry the cross-rough to a two-tiered green that is well protected to the left and right by grass bunkers and mounds.