Hartlepool Golf Club, England

www.hartlepoolgolfclub.co.uk

White tees par 70, SSS 71, 6298 yards

Red tees par 72, SSS 72, 5562 yards

Hartlepool golf course lies just north of the town of the same name on the north-east coast of England.  Built in 1906 this is a part links course with some of the holes through the sand dunes reputedly reworked by James Braid.  On the seaward side the course is protected by sand dunes and on the landward side the town is hidden from the course by a large railway embankment.

There is danger short, left and long on the 5th

We had a friendly welcome at Hartlepool where we played on a very windy day.  The first four holes are more parkland than true links holes. The par 3 fifth is played over a ravine to the left and requires accurate clubbing to avoid disaster - short, long or left is a lost ball.  The 6th enters duneland proper and is a totally blind drive.  Unfortunately the marker post is for the men's and not the ladies' tees.  The fairway slopes left to right and it is likely that your second shot will have a difficult stance.  There is a narrow entrance to the elevated sloping green.  The drive at the 8th is angled across the fairway making it difficult to hold on a windy day unless with a very controlled fade.  This is a long par four which was previously a par 5.

The tenth green is set in a bowl

The tenth hole was redesigned by James Braid and is a driveable par 4 in a favourable wind.  The green is in a deep hollow with thick rough behind to punish an over zealous shot.  The 11th is a lovely par 3 with an uphill carry over marram grass to a green sloping from back to front.  This is followed by another par 3 which is sharply downhill from an elevated tee with views over the coastline to the North and a green which slopes from front to back.  The 14th is an excellent hole which doglegs right to left around the dunes.  A longer drive is rewarded by a view of the green tucked into the far point of the course.  A sloping right to left fairway and left to right dogleg at the fifteenth ensures a testing hole.  The final three holes return to the less 'linksy' style of the opening holes.

There is a long carry to the par 3 11th

Hartlepool is an inconsistent course in terms of the quality and true links nature of the holes but the friendly welcome made it an enjoyable experience.

Worth playing?  Don't make a special trip to play it but you will get a welcome if you are in the area.