Sand Martins Golf Club - Est 1993
Info correct at last date played: 19th May 2006
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0118 977 0265 0118 977 0282 info@sandmartins.com www.sandmartins.com ET Fox Location Map / 5 Day Weather Forecast |
Finchampstead Road Wokingham Berkshire RG40 3RQ. |
Club Facilities
- View of the clubhouse from the 18th green.
| Club Hire |
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Putting Green |
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| Trolley Hire | |
Driving Range | |
| Golf Cart Hire | |
Bar & Snacks | |
| Changing Rooms | |
Restaurant | |
AGN Review Score 6.1
Course Card
| Hole | Hole | White | Yellow | Par | Stroke | Red | Par | Stroke |
| - | Name | Yards | Yards | - | Index | Yards | - | Index |
| 1 | Alders | 418 | 388 | 4 | 4 | 329 | 4 | 8 |
| 2 | The Lodge | 325 | 302 | 4 | 18 | 278 | 4 | 12 |
| 3 | Black Rabbit | 514 | 500 | 5 | 12 | 410 | 5 | 14 |
| 4 | Poplars | 166 | 151 | 3 | 16 | 132 | 3 | 18 |
| 5 | Woodcocks | 409 | 401 | 4 | 2 | 357 | 4 | 4 |
| 6 | Bottleneck | 383 | 375 | 4 | 8 | 361 | 4 | 2 |
| 7 | Birches | 388 | 371 | 4 | 14 | 350 | 4 | 6 |
| 8 | Miller's Pond | 197 | 173 | 3 | 10 | 155 | 3 | 16 |
| 9 | Mallards | 371 | 361 | 4 | 6 | 304 | 4 | 10 |
| OUT | 3171 | 3022 | 35 | - | 2676 | 35 | - | |
| 10 | The Dunes | 384 | 372 | 4 | 3 | 352 | 4 | 5 |
| 11 | Skylarks | 383 | 372 | 4 | 7 | 347 | 4 | 11 |
| 12 | Magpies | 156 | 140 | 3 | 15 | 125 | 3 | 15 |
| 13 | Foxes | 422 | 411 | 4 | 1 | 386 | 4 | 1 |
| 14 | The Stag | 148 | 138 | 3 | 17 | 118 | 3 | 17 |
| 15 | Deception | 377 | 367 | 4 | 11 | 347 | 4 | 7 |
| 16 | Sand Martins | 517 | 503 | 5 | 5 | 487 | 5 | 3 |
| 17 | Little Owl | 165 | 155 | 3 | 13 | 127 | 3 | 13 |
| 18 | The Moors | 512 | 502 | 5 | 9 | 460 | 5 | 9 |
| IN | 3064 | 2960 | 35 | - | 2749 | 35 | - | |
| OUT | 3171 | 3022 | 35 | - | 2676 | 35 | - | |
| TOTAL | 6235 | 5982 | 70 | - | 5425 | 70 | - |
Course Review
This course seems to have two different types of nine holes, the first nine are tree lined fairways and are quite tight the second nine are more open with humps & large sand mounds in the fairways that make it look sort of 'Links' like. The course starts with two great holes, the 1st needs a controlled drive to the corner of the dogleg, go too far and you are in the lake, a second lake on the right of the green also comes into play. The 2nd hole needs another controlled drive, probably with an iron to avoid the lake at the end of the fairway but this hole has an easier approach to the green.
- The 2nd hole with water front, right and back of the fairway.
The 3rd hole looks as though you are free from water hazards but two small ponds left & right of the fairway await a wayward drive, the green on this hole is long and could be a difference of two clubs depending on pin position. The short par 3 that follows needs to carry the bunkers in front of the green and the 5th & 6th holes run back and forth next to each other with no real danger. The 7th has out of bounds on the right and bunkers on the left at driving distance with the front of the green well protected. The 8th hole needs a good shot, it's a long par 3 with a thin green & ponds either side of the green.
- Long par 3, especially with the wind against where you need to hit the green.
The 9th hole needs two accurate shots in to a large sloping green then comes the change, you stand on the 10th tee looking at two large grassy mounds in the middle of the fairway. Similar mounds are dotted around the back nine holes making this nine look very different from the front. The 11th needs an accurate drive between two bunkers, staying away from more mounds with the 12th offering a good birdie chance.
- The start of the strange mounds that litter the back nine.
The 13th needs a very good drive to give you a chance of reaching this long par 4 in two and the par 3 14th has you wondering if you will hit the cars that drive up the road to the clubhouse. The 15th hole has a fairway that just ends at about 200 yards then there is a sheer drop of about 30ft down into a ravine, you can choose to lay up to the edge of the fairway & leave yourself a long approach or drive into the ravine to leave a shorter but blind approach.
- Looking back towards the tee on the 15th, showing the drop in the fairway.
The 16th has ponds on the left after the corner of the dogleg and quite a few bunkers to dodge. The 17th's tee shot is all downhill to a small green, make sure you get the club choice right as anything short is going in the pond. Get a good drive off the 18th tee and you may catch the sloping fairway that will throw your ball forward giving you a chance of trying for the green with your second, if not you still get a good chance of a birdie by sensibly laying up short of the bunkers.
- The 17th with a bail out area on the left.
The course is well maintained and the greens were immaculate, there are well spaced out tee areas and yardage markers in the fairway to help your approaches. We enjoyed the round very much and this course could have got in to the Top Ten courses but unfortunately there was one glaring problem, the PUSH BUTTON SHOWERS!!
Why oh why can a club like this not afford to put in decent shower facilities, time and time again we mention that the last thing you want to do is get into a shower with a temperature that you cannot control when you are all sweaty & want to refresh yourself for a drink at the bar.
Favourite Hole
Hole
9:
371 yard par 4.
- The 9th needs a well placed tee shot.
With water short and a ditch running up the right of the fairway, bunkers and trees on the left, this hole needs an accurate drive. You need to stay on the left side of the fairway to give yourself a good approach to the green which is very large and could leave you with a 40 yard putt!
Visitor Comments
Submitted by Rob Lewis on 21/05/2005.
Yep I agree a really nice golf course to play. Certainly not over-taxing.
Very unusual in its to very differing 9 holes, parkland and links style. Good photo's of the course which I have never seen so green.
The course in winter is very wet with large pools of water lying on the fairway hence some bizarre drain covers in the middle of the fairway on some holes. Very dry in summer with everything brown except for the fairways. In summer you need to rein back significantly or you simple run out of course, most notable on the 1st hole when in summer nothing more than a medium iron is needed to get into the dogleg.
No real signature hole, although I have seen a number of hole in 1s on the 17th. The 2nd is drivable if you aim for the telegraph pole. Difficult shot and certainly not the percentage play but do-able.
The ravine hole is playable in a number of ways. In summer it is difficult to hold up before the drop, it is far easier to play your drive into the ravine and chip out. Nice course, lovely clubhouse, hate the showers!!!
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