Howley Hall

A gentle opening par four that offers a good chance of a birdie. The ideal tee shot is on the right side of the fairway, short of the fairway bunker. This requires a shot of around 200 yards from the back tee.

The shot onto the green must be the correct distance as anything short will end up in the ditch short of the green and anything past the flag leaves a very quick putt.

The second hole is another short and quirky par four where the ideal tee shot will be played to the widest part of the fairway, short of the fairway bunker. This will leave a shot of between 100 and 120 yards into the green. Judging the distance can prove tricky on this hole as your view to the flag is obscured by two large bunkers short of the green. This is one of the flattest greens at Howley Hall and will offer a good chance to hole a putt.

This par four crosses the par five sixth hole and can be played in two ways, the longer hitter can try and thread a shot up the hill onto this tight fairway and give themselves a much shorter approach shot into the green. The majority of players can hit a shot of around 200 yards from the back tee and leave a shot of around 130 yards uphill to the green

It is imperative to judge the distance correctly as the green has deep bunkers on either side as well as a runoff area over the back. Par on this hole is always a good score.

The first of Howley Hall’s short holes is well bunkered and requires an accurate shot if the flag is on the front of the green but a back flag offers a slightly wider target for most golfers. Missing this green will require a sharp shortgame to save par.

The fifth hole is now one of the toughest that Howley Hall has to offer. The addition of bunkers at either side of the fairway has made a straight tee shot imperative. Longer hitters can carry these bunkers and leave a short iron into the two-tiered green. The putting surface is on two levels and requires an accurate shot to leave an uphill putt.

A fairly simple par-5 that offers a good chance for players to hit the green in two. The tee shot is downhill and predominantly downwind to a generous fairway that crosses the third hole. Players have the choice to lay up short of the road to leave 100 yards into the green or hit it over the road with the potential of hitting the green in two. The second shot is blind but there is a white post behind the green offering a good marker for the centre of the green. This is a great chance to pick up a birdie.

This hole measures 420 yards from the back tee and requires a good tee shot to set up your approach into the green. Most players can hit a driver and stay short of the bunker on the right side but longer hitters may choose to hit a shorter club to avoid it. The real difficulty of this hole comes from the shot into the green. A ditch runs down the left side of the hole and gets within three yards of the putting surface which is also protected on the right side by bunkers. This is a really tough test for most players and par is always a good score.

This short hole is surrounded with trouble and can be a real card wrecker but the large green offers an inviting target for a well struck shot. The green is on two levels but the slope in the green is very gradual and one of the easier greens on the course.

The front nine ends with a real risk reward par four. It is a dogleg left which longer hitters can attempt to hit the ball over the corner and leave a very short shot into the green. The ideal shot is around 200 yards and on the left side of the fairway. This ensures a clear shot to the green avoiding the bunkers on the corner of the dogleg. The green slopes away from you and from left to right and is also protected by a bunker short of the green and on the left. Putting can be difficult due to the subtle slopes in the green.

Visually, this is one of the best tee shots on the course. The fairway is framed by bunkers and requires an accurate shot to set up your approach. Longer hitters may be able to carry the bunkers which makes the target much wider. The approach shot is difficult as it must be hit high in order to hold the green which slopes significantly from front to back.

The 11th hole at Howley turns gradually from left to right with a bunker on the left hand side which must be avoided in order to reach the green in two. The green is a small target with two bunkers on the right and one on the left to protect it. Any misjudgement will result in a difficult chip but if you hit the green in regulation, you should walk away with a par.

This testing par four has a pond on the left side of the fairway and trees on the right so a tee shot short of the pond sets up your approach into a long, thin putting surface. The green has some extremely subtle borrows that can leave you scratching your head but it is a definite birdie chance for most players.

The second of Howley Hall’s par fives is a difficult driving hole which has four bunkers lining the fairway. Once the tee shot is out of the way, it is a straightforward hole with a ditch crossing the fairway 80 yards short of the green. Players should lay-up short of this or attempt to go for the green in two if you have hit a long drive. The left side of the fairway is the best place to approach the green which slopes from back to front and narrows in the middle.

Another stunning par three that requires a very accurate tee shot. Middle of the green is your aim regardless of the flag position and an errant shot will be swallowed up by the bunkers surrounding the green. There is also a large bunker short of the green to stop low shots being played onto the green and a three on the 14th is always a good score.

This is my favourite hole on the course and requires two very good shots to find the green. The tee shot is daunting due to the two large bunkers on the left which only the longest of hitters can carry and a bunker on the right that will catch players who try to bail out. This is realistically a bogey hole for most golfers and a second shot of around 200 yards to a heavily guarded green awaits those who hit the fairway avoiding the bunkers. The green has three deep bunkers guarding it and slopes from back to front. If you walk off this hole with a four, it really feels like a birdie.

The longest hole at Howley Hall allows players to open their shoulders for the first time and the generous wide fairway looks inviting from the tee. If you manage to hit the fairway, a lay-up shot should be hit down the left side to give you a good angle into the green and avoid the bunker on the right. Ideally, you should leave yourself a full shot into the green as the ditch short of the putting surface is a popular destination for shots that are not hit with conviction. The green slopes from back to front and offers a generous target for a short shot.

A tee shot of around 220 yards from the back tee is ideal for the widest part of the fairway as well as staying short of the bunkers. The fairway narrows considerably and has a run-off area on the left which can kick you ball into the rough so the right side is favourable. When walking down the 17th, you will see the ruins of Howley Hall on the left. The shot into the green is hampered by bunkers short of the green but the largest part of the green is unguarded towards the back. The 17th is one of Howley’s flattest greens and offers a good chance to hole a putt.

Howley Hall’s signature 18th is one of the best par three’s in the county. It is played from an elevated tee, back to the clubhouse and depending on the wind, can play anything from a 9iron to a 3-wood. Three large bunkers surround the green with a bail out area short left of the green. This is a tough closing hole and should be approached with caution as many good scores can be ruined here.