Sherborne

It continues: “The new holes only lasted four years before being given up to agriculture for the war years, but after the war all these holes were painstakingly reinstated. And so it remained for the second half of the 20th century, a tight course on a limited acreage. One or two holes could be considered almost dangerous, and the club decided to let the course breathe more easily, purchasing more land on the south side. Thus holes 2 to 5 and 8 to 10 are new or reconstructed, and the old 12th and 13th combined.”

Joe Lee commented as follows in The Golfers Guide to the West Country: “The old James Braid-designed track has been revamped by Howard Swan and an extra 500 yards have been added to the original.

In all, seven holes have been affected and improved, with the old 9th and 10th holes becoming one long par five to add a little stiffness around the turn, and those that have played here before will notice that two or three other holes have disappeared in the makeover.

Happily, the best hole on the course, the par three 7th [now the 9th], has survived the shake-up… Another lovely hole, the par three 15th, played over a valley, also remains, as do the excellent fairways and terrific views, mainly from the front nine, across the Vale of Sparkford and Blackmore Vale.”

The 2002 refashioned course now measures a modest 6,436 yards from the back markers, playing to a par of 72. There are only three par threes on the card: the 188-yard 7th, 192-yard 9th and 162-yard 15th, all of which are terrific holes. The last of these, in particular, is a very memorable short hole, with tees and green positioned on opposite sides of a valley. It’s a forced carry all the way at this do or die hole where anything short will be lost in the thick vegetation.