There are more important things going on in the world than hitting a little ball around a field, and it’s important to keep a sense of perspective. But as I’ve daydreamed about a brighter future, I’ve kept my mind occupied by putting together a list of golf courses to play after lockdown.
I wanted to share that with you. Some of these I’ve played before, some I’ve not even stepped foot in the car park. If I have the chance, though, I’ll visit them all when the golf bag finally comes out of the garage…
Golf courses to play after lockdown: Swinley Forest
Swinley Forest is my happy place. There’s something about the combination of pine trees and glorious heathland that I find instantly calming. Add in some exceptional holes and the mix is just intoxicating.
The 4th, a slightly uphill par 3 with a Redan green and a steep drop off both in front and to the left, would be the first on my list of best 18 holes.
This kind of brilliance is found all over the course. I love the par 5 15th – if you hit and hold that green you’ve got a memory to the treasure – and the final hole, winding its way back to the memorable clubhouse, is the archetypal perfect closer.
Once upon a time, Swinley Forest was private with a capital ‘P’ – a tiny sign the only encouragement without sat-nav. Now the club, who have always been full of friendly souls, offer limited visitor opportunities on most weekdays throughout the year.
If you haven’t been, you must go. Not least for the lunch, which is one of the seven wonders of the golfing world.
- Related: Top 100 Fun Golf Courses in GB&I
- Related: Top 100 Golf Courses in GB&I
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Where’s Steve going next? Turn the page to find out…
Golf courses to play after lockdown: Brora
When your financial plight gets worldwide attention – and helps you raise a life-saving £70,000 in a single week – it’s obvious you’ve got quite a course on your hands.
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Those who are prepared to travel to the Scottish Highlands, and Brora, are very aware the James Braid layout is the real deal.
The views look stunning. I like the idea of a golfing pilgrimage and there’s also the warm fuzzy feeling of having helped support a national treasure. Start the car.
- Related: Top 100 Golf Courses in Scotland
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Was Brora on your list? Turn the page to find out where Steve is going next…
Golf courses to play after lockdown: The Old Course
Let’s get the obvious one in there. It’s the Home of Golf and I haven’t stood and quaked on the 1st tee or hit one off the road on 17 like basically every other golfer on the planet. It’s shameful.
What’s worse is I’ve spent plenty of time in St Andrews – so much, in fact, that I’ve basically walked the course.
I’m not sure you can really say you’re a golfer until you’ve hit one over Grannie Clark’s Wynd or posed for a silly selfie on the Swilcan Bridge.
Yes, it’s nearly £200 now and, yes, it’s going to involve an obscenely early morning alarm call to get in the queue and hope I can get on as a single.
But what all of this over the past couple of months has taught me is that it’s experience, not money and not time in bed, that really matters in this life.
- Related: Top 100 Fun Golf Courses in GB&I
- Related: Top 100 Golf Courses in GB&I
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We’re off to Merseyside next. But where? Find out by turning the page…
Golf courses to play after lockdown: Formby Ladies
You might be starting to see a pattern here. If I’m picking up the clubs again after so many months, I’m not going to be trekking round 7,500 yards of rough-cluttered pain. I want to have fun.
Few courses fit the bill better than Formby Ladies – and not just because I tied my lowest ever score here (76) on the first round of my club’s weekend away when I was captain.
I can leave the driver – easily my worst club – in the car and everything is reachable with a well-placed tee shot and good approach.
But don’t think you can just roll this place over. The fairways are tight, the greens are tiny, and you’ll need to have every part of your game working well to score here.
It’s been described by one of NCG’s Top 100 panellists as “Muirfield scaled down into a bite-sized, manageable, entertaining links.” What more invitation do you need?
- Related: Top 100 Fun Golf Courses in GB&I
- Related: Top 100 Golf Courses in England
What’s the final destination on Steve’s post-lockdown road trip? Find out by turning the page…
Golf courses to play after lockdown: Royal West Norfolk
That walk from the clubhouse to the course – the sandy steps leading through that quite incredible gate to the 1st tee. It’s a bone fide ‘oh my god’ moment.
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I’m also intrigued by the idea of having to time my day specifically to ensure I don’t get stranded by the tide.
While I’d like to think I’m a modernist in all things golf, there’s also something alluring about a place that would really rather you only play foursomes.
The course itself looks epic. I suspect the 8th and 9th, which are where the coast comes into play most prominently, will quickly appear in my favourite holes column.
The simplicity of this classic links is timeless. Now if only that car would start…
- Related: Who features in our definitive rankings of GB&I courses?
- Related: The 10 best holes in Great Britain and Ireland
Which courses are you going to play when lockdown comes to an end? Let me know in the comments, or tweet me.
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