Course Guide

Hole 1, Par 4, 407 yards, Stroke Index 5

A good testing start to your round. The drive should favour the left half of the fairway to keep away from the danger of the trees and open up the approach to the green. A solid second shot pitched short of the green and left of the bunker, will feed onto the testing green that slopes from front to back.

Hole 2, Par 4, 357 yards, Stroke Index 15

This dog leg par 4 forces you to drive right of the bunkers that protect the direct route to the hole, longer hitters may risk trying to carry the bunkers to open up the green. The testing second shot needs to have a high flight to land gently on the fast down slope over the first bunker favouring the right side of the green to kick towards the hole avoiding the deep bunkers to the left of the green.

Hole 3, Par 4, 330 yards, Stroke Index 14

What this hole lacks in length it makes up for in trickery. The drive has to be placed between three fairway bunkers that will attract any stray shots. It is essential to place your approach shot onto the correct level of this two tiered green that is protected by bunkers in front and to the right of the green. The safe approach shot will be played towards the back of the green avoiding the bunkers. Shorter hitters should play short of the green with their second shot and try to pitch close to save par.

Hole 4, Par 4, 339 yards, Stroke Index 16

This tee shot has to be played for position with most golfers choosing to play short of the fairway bunkers. This will leave a straight forward approach shot from within 150 yards to a generous green sloping from back to front. The front bunker offers the green protection on the left side with the green falling away on each side and at the back to punish the wayward shot.

Hole 5, Par 4, 439 yards, Stroke Index 1

This the toughest hole at Sherborne can ruin your scorecard before your round has really started. The generous uphill fairway narrows sharply with a dogleg to the right with three bunkers on the right corner to be avoided, along with the infamous bush in the middle of the fairway. A wayward approach to the right will be sucked in by the bunkers whilst any shot to the left of the green will kick down into the trees. A 5 on this hole will please most golfers.

Hole 6, Par 5, 490 yards, Stroke Index 17

The tee shot on this the first of the par 5's needs to be steered straight through the tunnel of trees to a fairway protected on both sides by bunkers. A good drive for the longer hitters will set them up for a long second shot to try and feed between four bunkers protecting the downhill green. More moderate golfers will find a nice wide lay up area from where they can try to pitch and putt for a birdie.

Hole 7, Par 3, 188 yards, Stroke Index 9

The three par 3's at Sherborne stay in the memory of all visiting golfers. This first par 3 offers a stern test with the green drifting away to the right protected by four well positioned bunkers. Longer players need to hit a high soft landing shot to the narrow green where shorter hitters would be well advised to play short of the green to the left and try to pitch close for their par. Awaiting you is a testing green with various slopes to a raised tier at the back providing a stern test for the first par 3.

Hole 8, Par 5, 487 yards, Stroke Index12

This sweeping right to left par 5 needs to be played to the right of the centre of the fairway as any shot to the left will be caught by fir trees and thrown down to the bottom of the copse. Two bunkers are well positioned on the right of the fairway to make you think about your tee shot. The second shot needs to be positioned to the right as the sloping fairway will kick the ball to the left where again a well positioned bunker will catch the wayward shot. The approach to this long green needs to be flown all the way onto the putting surface as anything landing short will be thrown down the bank to the left of the green. A good par 5 that makes you think carefully about every shot.

Hole 9, Par 3, 192 yards, Stroke Index 6

This tough par 3 offers no safety for any shot that does not hit the green. Anything short or left will fall violently away from the green where as a safer shot to the right of the green will leave a treacherous downhill shot to the green if you manage to avoid the two deep bunkers positioned to catch your ball. Once on the green the back to front slope will move the ball more than it would appear. A 3 on the ninth is a score to be proud of.

Hole 10, Par 4, 404 yards, Stroke Index 3

The start of the back nine provides you with a stern testing double dog leg par 4, again many golfers will aim to make a safe 5. The tee shot needs to hug the trees on the left of the fairway towards the big tree in the distance. Your approach shot needs to be played short of the green where the downhill approach will carry the ball onto the green. Again this approach needs to be in the middle of the fairway to avoid the bunkers protecting the large sloping green.

Hole 11, Par 5, 497 yards, Stroke Index 10

Don't be fooled by the stroke index of this hole as it plays every yard of its 497 yards. This double dog leg undulating hole needs to be played between two sets of trees on your lay up shot with three large cross bunkers stopping golfers from running the ball towards the green. Once in the lay up position, a green that sits across you protected by bunkers either side and hollows around the green will test any golfers approach shot.

Hole 12, Par 4, 456 yards, Stroke Index 2

This the second toughest hole on the course leads you away from the clubhouse again with an inviting hole that gently sweeps down into the fairway and green in the distance. Your drive should favour the left hand side of the fairway inside the line of the trees to avoid the left to right slope pushing your ball to the awaiting bunker and rough. The majority of golfers will play their second shot short of the green from a sloping lie to leave a straight forward pitch to the green which has bunkers either side. Again you will not be disappointed with only dropping one shot on this testing par 4.

Hole 13, Par 4, 359 yards, Stroke Index 4

A testing hole that proves you don't need length to make a hole difficult. Your tee shot has to favour the left side of the sloping fairway to avoid running down into the trees. Your uphill second shot from a sloping lie needs to clear two fairway bunkers 90 yards short of the green to make the green or leave a straight forward approach to the first unprotected green on the course.

Hole 14, Par 4, 311 yards, Stroke Index 13

Once you have taken in the panoramic views of the Dorset/Somerset countryside, you see the challenge that lies below you. Don't let the views fool you as this short par 4 can really catch you out. The tee shot has to be played for position as distance isn't vital here. The shot wants to favour the right side of the sloping fairway to roll towards the middle, which opens up the hidden green that moves away to the right of you. Anything short of the green will kick away to the left and anything long will fall away violently from the bank at the back of the green.

Hole 15, Par 3, 162 yards, Stroke Index 11

The 15th hole at Sherborne is remembered by everybody that has the pleasure or misfortune to play it. The tee and green are placed either side of a valley with no future for any shot that does not carry to the green. Two treacherous bunkers will catch any ball on the front of the green leaving a bunker shot to a green well above your head. The back of the green is sloped to gather any ball that goes long of the hole. The advice for this hole is always to take an extra club, keep your head down and hope it will fly far enough!

Hole 16, Par 4, 370 yards, Stroke Index 7

The drive on this hole has to be played to the left of the ravine toward the shared fairway with the seventeenth. Any shot sliced to the right will fall into the ravine out of bounds. Longer hitters may try to carry the ravine but beware it is a 220 yard carry over tall trees. The second shot for the shorter hitters is well advised to be played to the flat area in front of the green leaving a straight forward pitch over the green side bunker. A picturesque hole that can ruin any good score card.

Hole 17, Par 4, 276 yards, Stroke Index 18

A real risk and reward par 4 with the fairway narrowing the further that you go. The tee shot should be played to a safe spot on the fairway that will leave a straight uphill approach shot to a testing green. The hole is protected from the longer hitters with three deep bunkers placed in the bank that approaches the green that will catch all golf balls in the area along with any short approach shots. Again take an extra club to ensure that you make it all the way up to the green.

Hole 18, Par 4, 351 yards, Stroke Index 8

A tough uphill drive awaits you to finish your round. With out of bounds running up the right side of the hole, the tee shot should favour the left side of the fairway which also leaves an approach into the green avoiding the two deep bunkers on the front right of the green but beware a further bunker will catch any shot that drifts left of the green. The final green slopes from back to front with a putt that will always break more than you imagine.