Length: 6536 (whites)
Par: 72
Hole-in-one chance: 12th (14 times)
Course Record: 67 (net 66)
Handicap certificate: Not required
Hoebridge golf club got it right. They were gifted the beautiful scenery & the changes in elevation throughout the course but they’ve made the most of it. The course is easily accessible by car with plenty of parking space. A train to Woking followed by taxi to the course would be worth the hassle.
Go to the the pro-shop before your round where the staff are more than helpful if you need assistance. They have a good driving range at Hoebridge Golf Club with 50, 75, 100 yard markers for short game, 2 large target greens at 150 and long iron practice at 200 yards. Outside you will find a well kept putting green.
The course is one of the best pay and play courses in the region and offers golfers of all abilities a fair challenge as well as an enjoyable round.
Designed by John Jacobs, Hoebridge Golf Club has been set up to promise the opportunity of low scoring but not without punishing poor play. There are certain holes where good course management is much more important than just hitting it flush.
One of the best examples of this comes as early as the 5th where a drive to the left hand side of the fairway will be greeted with an open line in. Anything right of centre means negotiating two very tall fir trees which protect the green. Navigate this hole well and you will admire the view from the green as well as your score on the hole.
Par 3s
There are 5 par 3s on the course with 2 on the way out, 3 on the way in. The 2nd is a generous green, protected by bunkers on either side but offering golfers the chance to score with their short irons. The 6th is a great hole and definitely the best of the par 3s at Hoebridge. Playing from an elevated tee, hitting this 2 tiered green will take skill and distance control with the hole typically set up at over 170 yards.
On the back 9 the 12th and 18th both represent good scoring opportunities and require solid strikes with a short iron. If you play the 12th well, the bunkers shouldn’t even come in to play. The 18th green has more protection from its bunkers although measuring 148 to the front can you give you confidence of ending your round well.
The 16th is a different beast and one that is not afraid of showing its teeth. Playing to an elevated green, this hole measures 197 (from the whites), 187 (yellows), 168 (reds) and coming up short here is easy to do. Avoiding the bunker at all costs is key here as scrambling out will be a big challenge. This hole will definitely test the patience of the high handicapper.
Par 4s
The par 4s at Hoebridge Golf Club are a joy to play. You get to enjoy holes with well positioned bunkers, blind tee shots, changes in elevation and stunning views of the Surrey Downs. Do not be tricked when looking at the scorecard beforehand that your second shots will often be played with a short iron or wedge, the design of this course has been well thought out and anything less than solid off the tee will ensure anything less than an easy shot into the green.
Without a doubt the most memorable par 4s on the course include the 5th, which is the first in a trio of excellent holes. The 11th is a blind drive which will often leave you on a downhill lie to green that is tucked behind a front side bunker. If playing your second on an uneven lie has you worried, you should check out our tutorials where we share the tricks of the trade to help you lower your score. But to give this course its credit, all the par 4s are varied and require good course management.
Par 5s
Hoebridge Golf Club opens with a par 5 and follows it up quickly with another at the 3rd. Both these holes require solid drives to the centre of the fairway but can then be reached in two. The 9th is a true par 5, unless you hit the ball like a Re/Max long driver, with a narrow green tucked away the end of a challenging 500 yard hole. The 13th can often be viewed as the hardest hole on the course for a number of golfers who driving the ball into a narrow fairway with a steep bank to the left and out of bounds to the right. Anything but your Sunday best on the 13th will not be good enough.
The 17th is where Hoebridge Golf Club separates the sheep from the goats. Course management is key if you and playing directly to the end of the fairway leaves a flat lie, where as taking on the top of the hill is a risk and reward shot. On a hot day, conquering this hole is an achievement in itself, you need plenty of energy and water to play this golf course.
Round Up
All in all, Hoebridge is a great golf club and certainly a favourite of ours at Golf Drawer. This course also drains well, so you can be confident that it will be playable during winter and you are unlikely to be on temporary greens. The club house offers good food, a friendly atmosphere and a place where non-golfers are encouraged to be. Hoebridge Golf Club also sports 2 other courses, a 18-hole par 3 course and a 9 hole course, as well as a newly built miniature golf.