Way back in the day we told you about Dewstow in Wales which featured a par 6 behemoth (as well as a totem pole).
Sadly, that club’s remarkable hole faded into memory when the course closed in March this year.
For eight long months we were left six-less, looking on with envious eyes at the Czech Republic’s Penati course, the Farmstead Golf Links in North Carolina and the 1,097-yard par 7 at the Gunsan in South Korea.
Thankfully, the wait is over and, for the very first time, we are able to update our entry in the ‘This club is famous for’ Hall of Fame.
So, without further ado…
THIS CLUB IS FAMOUS FOR: IT’S PAR-6 HOLE
Prior to its purchase by entrepreneur Carl Faulds, the 16th hole at Hamptworth was your ordinary 570-yard par-5.
Hamptworth was a pleasant golf and country club, with five international-standard croquet lawns, two tennis courts, and even a cute little barn owl on the club’s logo.
The beautiful parkland course has stood on the site for more than 100 years, with the gentle sounds of the Blackwater river meandering through the course.
‘We called it the beast for obvious reasons’ But Mr Faulds has a twisted side, and with room to spare he made the decision to extend the hole to 666 yards, christening it The Beast, for obvious reasons.
And just in case any of you aren’t theological scholars and the reasons therefore aren’t that obvious, this is the appropriate passage, from Revelations:
“Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred threescore and six.” (Rev 13:16, 18)
Pretty intimidating stuff. But Faulds is quite pleased with the result. Here he is at at the opening of the new hole…
Just kidding. Here he is…
Anyone who conquers the beast by shooting a net birdie receives a certificate, and Faulds said: “We believe this is the only par-6 in the country, and it has certainly attracted a lot of interest.
“We were able to extend it to 666 yards and we called it The Beast for obvious reasons. It actually plays longer than 666 yards because it is hilly.”
We can only imagine what the bunkers look like…
And so to the hole itself.
Standing on the tee, the first shot is open and generous, allowing golfers to open their shoulders and get as much as distance as possible with their drive. Now isn’t the time to scuff it.
The hole then zig-zags through the trees, playing uphill, before you reach a bunker which guards the front of the green. Play over that and you’re on to a sloped putting surface.
Oddly for a man with what is clearly a sadistic side, Faulds said his intention is to make the club as welcoming as possible.
“We are keen to innovate at Hamptworth,” he said. “We are investing heavily in drainage so the course should be playable throughout the year and through wet spells.
“The intention is to create an inclusive, not exclusive, venue for the entire family to enjoy their leisure time, based on providing quality and value for money and a wide range of sporting and social activities.”
Just a shame there isn’t a totem pole, really.
Can you remember which club is the only one outside of England and Scotland to have hosted the Open? You should! But if not, click HERE to find out.
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