Woodhall Spa (Hotchkin)

Woodhall Spa (Hotchkin)

  • Course Type

    Semi-private
  • GOLF Top 100 World Rank (2023-24)

    58
  • Year

    1926
  • Architects

    Harry Vardon, 1905/H.S. Colt, 1912/S.V. Hotchkin, 1926
  • Par

    73
  • Yardage

    7,024

Course Overview

Credit architects H.S. Colt and S.V. Hotchkin for enhancing Harry Vardon’s initial work and turning the course into one of golf’s supreme inland delights, an oasis amid the surrounding flat fenland of Lincolnshire. Deep bunkers are Woodhall Spa’s defining trait, along with plentiful gorse and a stellar set of par-3s. A meticulous restoration carried out by Renaissance Golf Design in recent years saw trees felled and heather regenerated. Set 150 miles north of London, Woodhall keeps a relatively low profile as it isn’t among a cluster of great courses. That’s a shame, because this outpost course is emphatically worth the trip. (Photo: Courtesy Woodhall Spa)

3 things to know

  • Hole everyone talks about

    No. 12, par-3, 170 yards: Be sure to take enough club at this deceptively uphill one-shotter. The enormous bunker on the left is a round-wrecker. Stear clear!
  • Best non-golf amenity

    The club is owned by the England Golf — the country’s amateur golf association — with its headquarters onsite at the National Golf Centre.
  • Insider tip

    Avoid the bunkers at all costs. They are among the most cavernous in the world and the course’s signature feature.