2-FORE!-1 Six of the Best
Published: Last updated:
This week’s 2-FORE!-1 Six of the Best guide includes a couple of magical clifftop layouts which are in good condition all-year round as well as a ‘must play’ former European Tour venue. 2-FORE!-1 Golf is the longest running – and best – discounted green fee scheme in golf and is an asbolute must if you’re looking to play a great course for a great price…
*Scarborough South Cliff, North Yorks – South Cliff is a clifftop cracker with seven stunning clifftop holes.
This quirky clifftop-parkland layout, designed by Alister MacKenzie, lies just outside the popular seaside town and strangely after the opening exchanges you find yourself walking across a main road and through a housing estate to play…the ‘magnificent seven’ perched 100ft above the beach.
*Whitekirk, East Lothian, Scotland – An outstanding inland heathland alternative to the classy links layouts in the area. It certainly presents a stern challenge owing to the nature of the rolling terrain allied to the gorse-lined fairways and the wind coming off the Firth of Forth.
*Elsham, North Lincs – Has plenty of pedigree and not just because it’s been around since 1900.
This tranquil, well wooded wonderland is the former home club of former Open and US Open champion Tony Jacklin.
Narrow fairways and smallish greens mean good course management is critical, particularly at the par-4 2nd – a sharp right dogleg leading to an undulating green guarded by trees and a stream.
*Nizels, Kent – Kent is famed for its luscious links courses but Nizels is widely regarded as one of the Garden of England’s leading inland layouts even though it only opened in 1992.
*Slaley Hall, Northumberland – Widely regarded as the best golfing venue in the North East and it’s not hard to see why. Besides two quality 18 hole courses, it also boasts a four star on-site De Vere hotel and excellent all round facilities.
But the star of the Slaley show is the Dave Thomas-designed Hunting course, the regular European Tour venue down the years offering a superb variety of holes with the stroke index 1 par-4 9th – named ‘Sleeping Giant’ the undoubted pick.
*Guildford, Surrey – Always in top condition owing to the fact it’s based on chalk and with stunning views – particularly from the short par-4 4th where you can see across four counties. You’ll never get tired of tackling this fine downland layout.
