Woodhall Spa Golf Club

Woodhall Spa

 

EXPERIENCE THE NATIONAL GOLF CENTRE

 

The National Golf Centre at Woodhall Spa, also the home of England Golf, invites you to experience the world-class golf courses and Academy. With two magnificent courses – the Hotchkin and the Bracken. The Hotchkin is currently ranked number 54 best in the world (by Golf.com) and has recently been extensively refurbished by leading golf course architect Tom Doak.

 

Woodhall Spa prides itself on looking after the needs of their guests. You will be offered the warmest of welcomes on your golf break and fine hospitality. Whether you are enjoying a golf break with your friends, visiting in a society/corporate golf day or playing in a championship. A fantastic selection of golf and local accommodation packages are available. See ‘example package’ tab on the left-hand side for some great deals at local accommodation.

 

Woodhall Spa’s Hotchkin course was described as “one of golf’s supreme shot making tests” as it was named the 54th best course in the world in Golf magazine’s benchmark ranking. The Hotchkin rose 12 places from its position two years ago in the American publication’s 2020-21 list of the greatest courses in the world. The headline rise is vindication of the club’s decision to engage feted architect Tom Doak to renovate the heathland masterpiece over the course of three years.

 

The Lincolnshire course’s significant jump placed it ahead of some of the most iconic and alluring names in the game; Ballyneal, Kiawah Island (Ocean), Cape Wickham, Royal Lytham, Sawgrass, Whistling Straits, Bandon Dunes, Cabot Links, Bandon Trails, Barnbougle (Lost Farm) and Royal Melbourne (East) were all ranked below the Hotchkin.

 

The Hotchkin was one of 30 courses from Britain and Ireland, with only 15 rated better than it. There was one additional entry from mainland Europe, making the Hotchkin the 16th best course in the whole of the continent. In ranking the course at No.54, Golf’s new architecture editor – the highly-respected Ran Morrisset – said: “Harry Vardon left us much more than six Open wins and a grip. Woodhall Spa is his design legacy, an intriguing heathland/inland links blend, an oasis of tumbling terrain amid the surrounding flat fenland of Lincolnshire.

“Deep bunkers are its defining trait, along with plentiful gorse and a stellar set of par 3s. Credit architects HS Colt and SV Hotchkin for enhancing Vardon’s work and turning the course into one of golf’s supreme shot making tests.” Doak’s work at Woodhall Spa centred around hundreds of trees removed, bunkers restored, created and filled in, and the encouragement of heather.

 

In addition to creating a greater heathland feel that has significant environmental benefits, the more open course now enjoys expansive views and is already improving further its already renowned turf. “We are naturally delighted with this ranking,” said Richard Latham, general manager. “To be so high in such a respected list is very pleasing and credit must go to Tom and his team – as well as our in-house staff who carried out so much of the renovation work – for improving the course to such a degree that this esteemed panel view us so highly.

“To be rated among the stellar names in world golf illustrates what I hope anyone who has visited us recently knows; the Hotchkin is a world-class golf course.”

 

GOLF

The Hotchkin Course – A classic British heathland experience 

 

For more than a century, golf travellers have been welcomed to this exquisite heathland course, famous for it’s natural, dramatic bunkering and distinct tactical challenge.

The course was built on a sandy tract of land to the north of the village and has classic heathland characteristics. Such is the importance of the surroundings, Natural England declared the course a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and is a wonderful example of how golf and nature can benefit each other.

The Hotchkin course has seen various development phases over the last 115 years culminating in an 18-hole renovation project, which was completed in April 2020. Tom Doak, arguably the leading golf course architect in the world today, led the renovation project and re-introduced so many of the original features that had been lost through time. Also, a particular effort was made to return to a more rustic look by creating rough edges around bunkers and leaving many areas untouched as we believe that a heathland course should not be over-manicured.

The course is a fair test of strategic golf. The firm heathland fairways are generous in width and the greens have only subtle borrows. However, the 143 dramatic, cavernous bunkers and scrub, gorse and heather await errant shots!

Being rated so highly in the world rankings for the last 50 years, is an indication to the courses’ quality and architecture.

 

The Bracken Course at Woodhall Spa

CREATED BY DONALD STEEL, ONE OF BRITAIN’S FOREMOST GOLF COURSE ARCHITECTS OF THE MODERN ERA

Your golf break to Woodhall Spa Golf Club and The National Golf Centre would be incomplete without a round on the Bracken Course.

 

Created by Donald Steel, one of Britain’s foremost golf course architects of the modern era, The Bracken Course, which opened in 1998, has evolved into a course of exceptional finesse that is appreciated and enjoyed every day by golfers of all abilities.

Hewn from a contrasting landscape of woodland and arable farmland, the fairways and greenside bunkers are more generous than those of The Hotchkin Course, while the large, welcoming greens are more approachable, yet require thought and touch to master the true-rolling putting surfaces.

 

FACILTIES

Golf.

Floodlit Driving Range.

Pro Shop.

Golf Academy.

Performance Centre.

Clubhouse Bar.

Clubhouse Restaurant.

Celebrations Welcome.

Conferences.