Basingstoke Golf Club

I made a report before which was pretty damming of this course. However it was the truth. I have no reason to knock it, i report on what i see. It is surrounded by litter. It does suffer road noise from the M 3 , it does look poorly looked after at times . Many of the real greens have not been used and were effected by the weather . Where as other courses in the area did not have the same problems . eg Dunmmer 1 mile away . Suggests draining isnt right . Many Trees , bushes look in need of pruning . Some trees have been cut down leaving stumps , which are unsightly . The course is expensive to join as a member or to play as a visitor . The driving range has only 3 bays . You can play there , Im going to do so , its a good test , but as mentioned there are negatives there. I hope that under data protection my details are not allowed to get into anyone else's hands . I have no axe to grind im just giving factual feedback . Im trying to help fellow golfers, not slate this course . To sum up its worth a visit and were the things mentioned looked at and improved it would be a great course . Dont let me put you off, but do take in that there are some problems here, i cant hide what my eyes have seen.

Played here midweek, July 2008.
A pleasant surprise.
Very enjoyable,well laid out & designed (James Braid) established parkland course.Great variety of specimen trees (reminded me a bit of Hendon in this respect).
Nice mix of holes (the only hole i didn't like was the long par 3 12th).Starts & finishes with par 5's which i like.Another plus,which makes a change from modern designed courses which are all about length,was that there were several interesting,risk & reward shortish par 4's (holes 6,8,9 15 & 16).The 245 yard dogleg 8th typifies them ,as you can chose to lay up or go for the green which is riskier.
There's a lovely overall feel to the course (similar in some ways to Tandridge ),which a lot of courses don't have.
Immaculate course conditioning/presentation & the lush fairways were great to hit off.
There are a few undulations here & there but it's laid out & flows in such a way that it's not tiring or a slog .You seem to fly round & before you know it you've finished (fairly compact & would be a good 36 hole society venue).
Slight shortcomings were that it's very close to the M3 ,so you here a constant drone & as a collection, the par 3's were reasonable rather than memorable.
I'd look forward to playing here again & would have no hesitation in recommending it.
Kevin B.

An excellent, very well maintained, mature parkland course. True, fast greens, lots of bunkers to catch even slightly wayward drives and approaches to the green. The ample space between fairways and the mature trees makes you feel you almost have the course to yourself. The only mild criticism I would have is that although it has a lot of excellent holes I couldn't think of a signature hole that had the "wow" factor. The members are to be congratulated on opening up their course to 2-for-1 which makes it affordable to visitors.

With a couple of friends, I have just played at this lovely course on the 2 fore 1 scheme. May I congratulate the club for entering this scheme on an all year round basis which has allowed me and no doubt many others to play at a sensible green fee. The welcome was first class from all concerned, the pro shop, the bar (excellent Adnams!) and the caterers ( very filling "Fat Boy!"). The course itself is a good old fashioned traditional tree lined parkland course with many glorious old trees, which is very reminscent of St Pierre, most of which I either seemed to hit or be behind on the day ! A good test, very good conditions on both fairways and greens, and all in all, one that I would recommend anyone to whilst in the area.

While it may look benign, it is a challenging course - not long - but it needs accuracy to score well. With its wide range of mature and younger trees, the course is a picture-perfect parkland layout but don't let the beauty charm you too much or lull you into a false sense of security; the tree-lined fairways are tight but fair. Thanks to the grounds staff, the greens are excellent, becoming more subtle every year, with particularly interesting putting on the 2nd, 5th, 10th, 11th, 12th 14th, 17th and 18th. With their well-designed, typically narrow necks between long bunkers, most greens pose judgement problems for accurate second shots, even with 150-yard markers. Be brave, go with enough club and crisply hit high, floating approaches usually grip and stay.
Cross-cut and cunningly shaped, the fairways are clearly delineated with two cuts of rough and the longer cut holds the ball tightly in its lushness making a cleanly hit recovery difficult. Shaped drives are rewarded but accuracy is the key, rewarding the full range of handicaps
Laid down in 1928, but with a very new clubhouse and pro-shop, it is a course to visit and enjoy.
P.S. Don’t be fooled by the 2nd – it is longer than it looks!

This is an excellent parkland course with fine greens. It is a test for most golfers, but a most enjoyable one, the course never fails to please. The club house has been upgraded in recent years and is first class.

Greens are fantastic, one of the best parkland courses in the south. NEw pro and Club house in the last 12 months.

As near perfect greens as you could wish for - all year round