Notts Golf Club, England   

looking back down the 11th hole

11th hole, 365 yards: An interesting hole in that it appears to twist and turn this way and that, but after several rounds the player will realize the hole is actually straightaway. The saddle that contains the fairway, with banks of gorse to each side, gives the impression of movement. The fairway, then, mercifully plays wider than it actually is, and the player then has a short-iron to the well bunkered green set in an ampitheater of gorse. Looking back down this hole from the twelfth tee on a fine spring day with the gorse in bloom is a delight.

12th hole, 430 yards: The club best described this hole in its centenary pamphlet: 'The worst or the best hole on the course is perhaps the 12th - according to the wind. Wind against - a great hole; wind behind - well, we cannot have it both ways.' The hole plays along a ridge and, approximately 170 yards from the green, the fairway drops off and to the left sharply, leaving a player who drives it there a blind shot from a sloping stance. More is the pity because from, say, the 185 yard mark, the approach is perhaps the best on the course, with a raised portion of the fairway protecting the right side of this green.

13th hole, 235 yards: Notts is best known for this beautiful, downhill par three. It is interesting that the player is often aware of playing downhill on this course but is never hit over the head with uphill shots - the genius of Park's routing. Since the distance on this hole can be quite taxing, especially exposed to the wind, the architect gave the players enough room short and right of the green. However, this 'safety' zone cannot be believed until after several rounds as that area is largely hidden from the tee, partly by trees and partly by the gorse. In difficult conditions, the player who is playing conservatively, therefore, will have to fire his tee shot off toward what looks to be most unfriendly country. Much more than just a pretty hole.

the fearsome 15th with its tight entrance to the green

15th hole, 440 yards: The favorite hole of some, this brute would be at home at Royal County Down. The narrow green (with its 17 yard wide entrance) is set against and surrounded by what looks suspiciously like gorse-covered sand dunes. In fact, the player expects that he would catch a glimpse of the sea if he scaled them, only to be reminded by his friend that they are about as far removed from the sea as any other spot in England.

16th hole, 355 yards: From another elevated and exposed tee, the player plays down and to the right. This can be a fearsome proposition into the wind as there is nearly a 200 yard carry to the fairway. The approach shot is perhaps the most 'fun' shot on the course. The green is quite wide but shallow (20 yards) behind a fearsome bunker. (There is also a wall of gorse behind the green that provides for more than just scenery - have you ever thinned a wedge from the fairway?) Controlling the distance and trajectory of such a shot brings great enjoyment.

Two characteristics that Notts possesses that some other inland gems do not are length and difficulty. While such factors are not prerequisites for top courses, having them has never hurt a course. The inland courses of England seem to fall into two groups - the courses near London and the few top-notch ones that are scattered throughout the country (e.g., Woodhall Spa and Ganton). Notts has advantages over both. It possesses the length that several of the top London courses lack; it finishes well, unlike Woodhall Spa; and it has the variety that some of the courses, such as Ganton, lack. Even though it has twelve par fours, the variety in length, topography, shape, setting and pacing of the two-shotters at Notts holds the player's interest in that he never complains 'Not another par four!' People should beat a path to this course - it has it all.

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