Coombe Hill Golf Club

Mooie traditionele golfclub kort bij Londen.

Zeer vriendelijke ontvangst.

Niet zeer lang maar heel snelle en moeilijke green. Baan is gebouwd rond een heuvel dus met het nodige klimwerk?.

Coombe Hill was one of the big surprises of my top 100 treks so far, probably because I had lower-than-usual expectations.

"Prepare for four-putts, " claimed one golf traveller while another referred to the "slightly crazy greens. "

A close pal complained about the sharp inclines and declines over the relatively small plot of land which abuts Royal Wimbledon.

I mused on their words as I had a gentle drink on its gorgeous veranda awaiting my host. Regardless, of their warnings, this was a gorgeous day and Coombe Hill is very pretty.

And also friendly... the lady at its reception told me to "make myself cosy" and the chap in the pro shop was equally welcoming.

The opening hole lulled me into believing my current decent form would continue. I watched players with much lower handicaps than mine struggle to keep the ball on the green but my chip remained on the putting surface and I notched an easy par.

"What is all the fuss about? ", I wondered as I knocked my tee shot down the 364-yard par-four second and lopped a wedge shot towards the target.

I thought I had placed it perfectly in front of the green but it rolled on and on into the trap just behind the hole.

On one knee, I swished my 58 wedge and the ball rested six feet from the flag. Job done? Nah, the putt seemed destined for the middle of the cup but then swerved unexpectedly to the right.

Welcome to Coombe Hill.

Seriously, I thought that the chatter over the greens unfairly overshadowed this course's many other attributes.

I loved its detail, pristine paths and steps, wonderful criss-cross patterns on its fairways, great bunker detail and concentration on picturesque challenges on every hole.

The reason Coombe Hill is so named becomes most obvious straightaway with fairly gentle downhill holes followed by fiendish upwards ones.

By the time, it was clear that, despite being shorter than most of its Surrey neighbours,

The 10th also has a very rare feature - a Second World War crater which is part of the course. A post marks the spot at which a bomb fell and a blind drive up and over it will give the opportunity of a fairly comfortable chip towards the hole.

We had a memorable day played in great weather in superb company on a track which is manicured as well as anywhere I have seen.

Coombe Hill was on top of its game even if I wasn't.

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Coombe Hill is a thrilling JF Abercromby design that compares well with many, if not most, of the famed nearby Surrey and Berkshire courses that occupy the various top 100 golf course lists. In fact to the untrained eye you would be forgiven for thinking you are playing one of the great heathlands at this flamboyant woodland venue.

The routing of the course is particularly appealing as you make your way through hundreds of English Oak trees, vibrant rhododendrons (at least at this time of year), small patches of heather and various other natural species that adorn this beautiful piece of land. Indeed, apart from the hum of the A3 whilst playing a few holes towards the low end of the estate it is a sea of tranquillity. Considering it is locked in by residential housing (multi-million pound pads to be more precise) you are more likely to be disturbed by a squirrel clambering up a tree or a bird tweeting on your backswing than by anything else.