Played by NCG: Blackmoor, Hampshire

Reason for a Blackmoor Golf Club review: We were on a tour of Hampshire. Blackmoor, being one of those timeless English clubs, tends to fly under the radar and until now it was a course we had never visited.

Where is it? Blackmoor is between Petersfield and Alton in rural Hampshire. It’s a delightful part of the world, all bracken and gorse and mature fir trees.

What to expect: These old treasures rarely feature much in the way of par 5s and tend to protect their modest length with doglegs and streams. Blackmoor is very much in that mould. It plays longer than you might think because on many of the medium-length par 4s you’ll be playing for position rather than hitting full out with the driver. Or maybe you are just bolder than I am.

My best bit: You just know there will be great short holes on a Harry Colt original and so it is at Blackmoor. The 15th is a great example, played to a raised green with a horribly deep bunker on the left. I know this because that’s where my 5 iron went, but I managed to salvage a three with an unusually competent recovery and putt.

What to look out for at Blackmoor: The angles and how Colt protects holes of modest length. Using sand, streams, out of bounds, overhanging trees and heather, what should be straightforward par 4s are never less than challenging.

There’s also a great finishing hole – a long par 4 that climbs steadily uphill. My advice is not to miss the green to the right, where a large, deep pit awaits. But that’s easier said than done with a long iron in your hands.

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