
Dean Bailey plays the Dr Alister MacKenzie-designed Darlington Golf Club
Dr Alister MacKenzie’s work is well-known around the world, particularly in the US where his layouts include Augusta National and Cypress Point. His work closer to our region, particularly in Yorkshire, is equally celebrated as some of the country’s finest golf course architecture.
The good doctor was also fond of visits to the North East and Teesside, and visited Darlington Golf Club in 1914 to create a new layout to replace the club’s original 1908 course. Opened for play in 1915, today the course measures 6,217 yards from the back tees. While trees have become an increasing challenge, the greens – many featuring the contours and sweeping curves which came to define MacKenzie’s style – remain the primary challenge of the course.
Each of the par threes is a delight. Following an opening pair of par fours – the first sharing a double green with the par three ninth while the 448-yard par four second presents a tough test of accuracy with four greenside bunkers – the first par three is also the signature hole.
The dramatic green guarded by seven bunkers at the 157-yard par three third is simply spectacular. Sloped steeply from the back plateau to a much smaller front portion, the putting surface is flanked by three bunkers, while four more lie well short of the green to deceive players taking aim at front pin positions. You could play this green for hours and not work out its many fascinating curves, slopes and contours
A short, dogleg left par four follows. Club selection from the tee is vital as the best approach is from the left side of the fairway – though you must make it to the corner to see the putting surface. Players who run too far across to the right side must navigate over or around a single bunker at the front right of the green.
The first of three par fives in four holes follows and while the fairway is generous, anything too far offline will tangle with trees. A cross bunker some 70 yards short guards the route to a small, well-defended green with a narrow entrance between four deep bunkers.
A shot shaped from left to right at the 547-yard sixth hole will move away from the three fairway bunkers on the left side towards the more generous right half of the fairway. From here, another cross bunker guards the approach to a green with a single bunker on its front right corner and a large runoff area to the left side – a pitch from this area isn’t too difficult as it’s played up the slope of the green.
While its green is less dramatic than the third, the par three seventh makes up for this with a beautiful setting among the trees. Another well-bunkered approach hides a generous green.
The trickiest of the par fives, the eighth hugs the boundary of the course on the left side and features two centre-line bunkers, which can catch the biggest hitters out. The hole follows the boundary all the way to a large green which wraps around a single bunker on its left side.
Returning to the double green, the 164-yard ninth is played to a far more undulating portion of this putting surface. A fascinating maze of hollows, rises and curves will test even the most confident putters while a single bunker on the right side – which defines the main contour between the two portions of the double green – and two more on the left beside a small hazard will test many en-route to the green.
The 10th is played straight up the hill back to the clubhouse. Flanked by out of bounds to the left and tall trees on the right, this short par four can catch players out despite measuring just 346 yards. The green here is guarded by three bunkers, including a deep trap on the right side which makes any approach from this side difficult.
The tee shot at the 11th can be daunting as the 468-yard par four sweeps around the out of bounds fence on the left side. A very long tee shot is required to get a view of a generous green which features a lower front third separated from the rear portion by a steep slope.
Playing from a raised tee, you get a great look at the bunkers guarding the route to the green at the 137-yard 12th. Five of them encircle the front of the green, though any shots beyond the sand should find a generous putting surface.
A pair of straight, demanding par fours follow – starting with the 420-yard 13th. The boundary of the course comes into play again on the left side here, while a row of tall trees guards the right side and the next fairway. The approach is played uphill to a long green, which is pinched in the middle by two small bunkers on the right side and a mound on the left.
Played back down the slope, the 399-yard 14th has a more generous landing area for tee shots, though its green is much longer – some 40 paces – and requires a well-struck shot to avoid the small pond on the left side and long bunkers flanking either side of the putting surface.
The tee shot at the 203-yard par three 15th is set back among the trees. The green complex here features a wide approach area, making front flags accessible. Shots aiming to reach the back of the green must navigate a pair of deep bunkers as well as a steep rise which cuts the green in half.
The final par five, the 16th is short at 487 yards and the fairway is one of the most generous. Set between banks of huge trees, the approach narrows as it sweeps towards the green, which features three small, shallow bunkers on its right side. The green is one of the most interesting on the course, featuring subtle slopes which twist and turn and make long putts incredibly difficult to read.
Another 200-yard par three, the 17th is just as demanding as the 15th, The raised green sits beyond two bunkers which are deceptively short of the putting surface. A pair of bunkers on each side of the green ensure the 17th is as challenging as it is beautiful. The green is another cracker.
The tee shot at the last is played from a corridor of trees and those hitting driver must turn the ball from left to right in order to find the short grass. From the fairway, a short approach is all that remains to a long green with bunkers on both of its front corners, and a further bunker hidden beyond the first on the right side. Long putts here may need to navigate their way across the two rolling waves in the green – a final test of putting skill to end the round.
Caddy’s tip
Being able to read putts with large and/or multiple breaks is a big advantage here
Our verdict
Laid out by one of golf’s greatest architects, this is a must-visit for its spectacular par threes and incredible green designs