The designers of Pleasington deserve some serious recognition and no mistake. The course layout is amazing. You never know quite where you are or where you’re going – a ‘bearings amnesia’ that is always welcome. Losing your bearings and forgetting about everything in your day-to-day life is partly why we all play this crazy game and Pleasington achieves this with a gold star.

Pleasington Golf Club’s stroke index 6 is a monster; the 460yard par 4 sweeps away to the left and asks the question of your fairway wood play for your second shot. A picture perfect 18th century cottage accompanies the fairway and has a Buena Vista to die for – views across the Lancashire countryside are second to none from here but back to the job in hand &ndash a tricky sloping green awaits those struggling to play and admire the view simultaneously &ndash this is a picturesque but very long and difficult par 4.

On the off chance you succeed in popping your ball in the four and a half inch cup for two points your reward is potentially the finest tee shot you’ll ever encounter. The elevation of the 14th is not for those with a touch of vertigo that’s for sure. The 381yard par four begins its journey from some 60 feet above the fairway and begs you to launch a drive into the stratosphere afore you. If they made driving ranges like this they’d be packed from dawn ‘til dusk!

The fifteenth swoops its way back up the hill taking you to the final par 3 of the course. At 154yards from the back and over some ancient oaks to the green behind it’s a clever hole, as you need distance and height to achieve your two Stableford points.

Final holes should always complete your round for the clubhouse galleries to witness and the 18th at Pleasington succeeds with serious aplomb. A slight dogleg up the hill towards the main building asks you to hit a long iron to the long green ahead and should provide many a thrilling finish at one of England’s most thrilling golf courses.

Favourite hole
Any hole that instantly makes you pick a handful of balls out the bag and want to bang them towards the green is always going to be a winner and they don’t come much better than the 12th at Pleasington.



<<< Previous | Continue >>>