Test Valley Golf Club - Est 1992
Info correct at last date played: 25th May 2001
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01256 771737 N/A N/A N/A Wright / Darcy Location Map / 5 Day Weather Forecast |
Micheldever Road Overton Basingstoke Hampshire RG25 3DS. |
Club Facilities
| 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 | Black | White | Yellow | Par | Stroke | Red | Blue | Par | Stroke |
| - | Yards | Yards | Yards | - | Index | Yards | Yards | - | Index |
| 1 | 403 | 387 | 360 | 4 | 8 | 320 | 320 | 4 | 10 |
| 2 | 429 | 411 | 398 | 4 | 2 | 384 | 335 | 4 | 4 |
| 3 | 548 | 536 | 494 | 5 | 10 | 475 | 416 | 5 | 6 |
| 4 | 473 | 470 | 450 | 5 | 12 | 409 | 362 | 5/4 | 2 |
| 5 | 172 | 144 | 129 | 3 | 18 | 122 | 116 | 3 | 18 |
| 6 | 395 | 386 | 356 | 4 | 6 | 328 | 328 | 4 | 14 |
| 7 | 321 | 299 | 283 | 4 | 4 | 275 | 269 | 4 | 12 |
| 8 | 366 | 358 | 340 | 4 | 14 | 335 | 335 | 4 | 8 |
| 9 | 182 | 172 | 149 | 3 | 16 | 139 | 124 | 3 | 16 |
| OUT | 3289 | 3163 | 2959 | 36 | - | 2787 | 2629 | 36/35 | - |
| 10 | 371 | 354 | 340 | 4 | 13 | 338 | 325 | 4 | 11 |
| 11 | 423 | 411 | 385 | 4 | 5 | 363 | 308 | 4 | 7 |
| 12 | 580 | 506 | 496 | 5 | 1 | 453 | 409 | 5 | 3 |
| 13 | 208 | 178 | 194 | 3 | 17 | 172 | 147 | 3 | 17 |
| 14 | 605 | 539 | 523 | 5 | 7 | 502 | 418 | 5 | 1 |
| 15 | 358 | 356 | 341 | 4 | 15 | 328 | 253 | 4 | 13 |
| 16 | 221 | 205 | 199 | 3 | 9 | 160 | 151 | 3 | 9 |
| 17 | 426 | 407 | 369 | 4 | 3 | 364 | 280 | 4 | 5 |
| 18 | 416 | 380 | 359 | 4 | 11 | 338 | 338 | 4 | 15 |
| IN | 3608 | 3336 | 3206 | 36 | - | 3018 | 2605 | 36 | - |
| OUT | 3289 | 3163 | 2959 | 36 | - | 2787 | 2629 | 36/35 | - |
| TOTAL | 6897 | 6499 | 6165 | 72 | - | 5805 | 5234 | 72/71 | - |
Course Review
When we played here it was
WET!, VERY WET! so take this into account on this review.
The course advertises the fact that it drains well, but with the constant rain
we had there were the inevitable puddles on the greens and fairways. That said
the greens and fairways were in good condition with some of the greens very undulating
and on 2 or more levels. This course is very open with not too many trees, in
fact the only trees are those that form the course boundary, apart from the small
saplings that have been planted along the fairways. Now with the course being
that open you would think it would be quite easy to get a good score. Well you
really do need to keep the ball on the fairways around here, the rough was not
too long but it could be harsh in places. Water comes into play on four holes
but they are small ponds really not big lakes.
We had one complaint about the course, the bunkers, these were awful. They are
full of gravel not sand, if you do not want to damage or scratch your sand iron
then stay well away from the bunkers.
On our second visit to this course the weather was a lot better and the greens
and fairways were in great shape, the bunkers had still not improved though.
Favourite Hole
Hole
15: 356 yard par 4
Four bunkers, two either side of the fairway are reachable from the tee, so if
you are going for a big drive to leave yourself just a pitch to the green you
will have to be accurate. If you lay up short of the bunkers then you are left
with a middle iron shot over them and the water hazard down to a two tier green
protected on all sides by bunkers. We thought this was a great looking hole,
standing on the fairway looking down over the water to the green was a great
scene.
Visitor Comments
Submitted by IPM on 30/04/2001
I played there last year and it poured with
rain all day so its like the earlier report! That said the staff were
great and changed itineraries to cope with food etc. and even gave us
a credit note to return. (The afternoon round was cancelled as they had
to shut the course. In a nutshell the course looked very new...a bit
up and down, some odd design. A good Soc Hackers course, but little to
interest the better player. Was fairly cheep and hence reasonable value.
Submitted by Rob Lewis on 21/05/2006.
There was a glut of these types of course that appeared during the period late 80's early 90's. Farmers fields converted into Golf Courses. Boring, boring, boring. Little or no contour, gradient change, holes plopped in here and there as if to just make up the yardage. Stick a few ponds in and you have a golf course. WRONG, you have a former farmers field with ponds in it!!!!
Windy course, hence gravel in the bunkers. If bunkers don't work use something else to make up the challenge, use some imagination. Golf courses do not need bunkers, play Royal Ashdown Forest for a fine example of a bunkerless course.
Friendly clubhouse etc, but if this is an example of the design of future golf course in the country then I am going to take up chess. Not a challenge in any sense of the word for even the highest of handicappers. Should be put back to wheat fields. Sorry, not good enough.
Submitted by Daniel Lucas on 09/10/2006.
I played the course at the end of September and my experience could not be further from that of the gentleman who entered the previous comment. I found the fairways and greens to be excellent and I enjoyed the layout and feel of the course. I am a single figure handicapper and I played with two other guys who play off 26 and 21 respectively and we all found the course challenged us in different ways. An example of this was the par 4 8th where the lower handicappers can try to go for the green in one over the ponds whilst the higher handicappers try to find the fairway which is protected by two large bunkers.
The only problem I found was with the tees but there appeared to be some construction going on and when I spoke to a member of staff I was told that they were building larger tees for year round play. I would agree with the previous gentleman in the the staff were very courteous and the lunch we had was excellent.
All in all a very enjoyable day.
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