Alan Hedley finds a club and a course making its mark in impressive style
Blackwell Grange is well on the way to becoming one of the premier golf clubs in the North of England.
With a magnificently-refurbished clubhouse, driving range and state-of-the-art professional’s shop, officially opened by former Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher, this club doesn’t let you down when it comes to the golf course – quite the opposite.
Many people will be familiar with the course in its previous existence as Stressholme, a municipal club, but in an eminently sensible move, Blackwell Grange club moved in to take over the running of the course while its lay-out was earmarked for housing development.
The result is a club with a settled future, excellent facilities and a course set in beautiful, natural parkland measuring just under 6,500 yards off the back tees.
It meanders through a challenging and varied landscape with the River Skerne running through the course and coming into play at several holes.
Things get under way in fairly tricky style with a testing par four defined by the trees that both cross and close-in the fairway. Some accurate hitting is required if you are to get off to a decent start.
The Skerne encourages extra skill at the next three holes. The second is a long, difficult par four despite being downhill with the river running along the right-hand side for the final 100 yards or so, with the green nestling invitingly in the
river’s loop.
The third is a short uphill dog-leg par four, but with the river running all the way along its length. The fourth, the signature hole (see factfile), is an excellent par three.
A straightforward par four follows provided you can get a good drive away and avoid the trees and strategically-placed bunker, while the sixth poses similar problems.
The seventh is arguably the toughest hole on the course at nearly 450 yards, but it’s pretty straight and the fairway is wide.
The eighth is a shorter, possibly drivable, dog-leg, but there are well-placed bunkers and trees waiting and the front nine ends with a long par three with a green also well guarded by bunkers and trees to the left.
The start of the back nine sees the first par five and it’s rated as the second toughest hole on the course, but it is well manageable for the longer hitters as it is straight and relatively trouble-free.
Another longish par three follows with a lateral water hazard all the way up the right with the green surrounded by bunkers.
The 12th requires a good drive through a narrow part of the course that combines the well-matured landscape with some tricky bunkers, and the 13th is another good par three with a narrow entrance to the green through trees and bunkers.
Four of the final five holes all measure over 400 yards, and while the 14th is a par five, the fairway is tight and bordered by trees. The 15th is a shortish par four, but one of the most interesting holes on the course.
With a narrow fairway with the now familiar tree and bunker combination waiting to snare anything slightly off line, there’s also a road and hedge all the way up the left until the hole turns left at around the 230-yard mark. Any drive short of this point is going to make the second shot to the green problematic.
The 16th is another par five and a nice straight drive avoiding the trees and bunker makes it a good birdie chance.
Two great par fours make the finish. The 17th is over 400 yards with an abundance of trees up the left, a couple of bunkers in the middle of the fairway, and a well-guarded green, while 18 is another long par four which again features all the course’s trademark characteristics – trees, well-placed sand traps and inviting greens.
