Review: Weybrook Park

As a team, Golfmagic has been in somewhat of a matchplay slump recently. Our last three outings have ended in defeat, and they haven’t even been close.

When we were invited to Weybrook Park Golf Club, by one of our readers, to conduct a ‘Ten of the Best: Hybrids’ feature, we were glad to hear that we were also going to be playing the track in the afternoon.

The pressure was on. Not only did we need to end out losing streak but we would be playing two active members on the site, both with a heavy presence on the forums and Twitter. If this went badly, we would never hear the end of it.

We travelled to Basingstoke from London and after a number of complications due to our ancient satnav, arrived at a sunny golf course and a cheery welcome from locals. 

As it was a Monday morning, the course was relatively quiet and had a secluded feeling, just the tonic after the hustle and bustle of the Big Smoke.

We tested the hybrids on the range, both grass and astro, for a couple of hours and hits hundreds of balls each – Andy’s thumb was causing him problems and Charlie’s back was seizing up but we couldn’t complain (well, Andy could and did) as our opponents had the same ordeal.

After a delicious lunch in the clubhouse, it was time to battle it out on the course and we jumped in a buggy to the opening hole, an intimidating 523-yard par-5. It could have been the burgers, it could have been the rain that started to come down over the opening holes but it was a slow start by all involved.

The course was in good condition throughout the 18 holes. Built on an old chalk farm, players are faced with numerous blind shots and doglegs throughout.

Off the tee, there is a decent amount of space so players will be able to open their shoulders. On a number of holes the big stick should be substituted, such as on the short finishing hole, or the extra length will get you in trouble.

The greens were in good condition and rolled slightly slower than we were used to but this will have been affected by the rain we had at the start and on the back nine.

My favourite holes were the 16th and 17th which were truly memorable. The 16th has a raised tee and sits next to the clubhouse where members have a great view as you attack the par-5. Boom a drive and you will roll down the hill which leaves an approach over water and onto sloping green.

This is followed by the par-3 17th which is a descending par three with a protected green which calls for a perfectly struck shot. If you miss the green then you will have the chance to get up and down but the .

It’s an enjoyable round that will test the best and worst players among us. While long players will prosper, it really calls for a thinking golfer to score well.

Green Fees:  £19 - £36
Par:
Length:

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GOLFMAGIC has been in somewhat of a matchplay slump recently. We've accrued three loses in a row and, worryingly, these defeats could be described as drubbings.

When we were invited to Weybrook Park Golf Club to conduct a ‘Ten of the Best: Hybrids’ feature, we were glad to hear that we were also going to be playing the track in the afternoon. "Great moments are born from great opportunity," I explained to Golfmagic's Andy Roberts, who looked totally uninterested in my rousing speech. 

The pressure was on. Not only did we need to end our losing streak but we would be playing two active members on the site, both with a heavy presence on the forums and Twitter. If this went badly, we would never hear the end of it.

We travelled to Basingstoke from London and after a number of complications due to our ancient satnav, arrived at a sunny golf course and a cheery welcome from Rich Fitzpatrick and Brian Tracy.  

As it was a Monday morning, the course was relatively quiet and had a secluded feeling, just the tonic after leaving the hustle and bustle of the capital during rush hour.

We tested the hybrids on the range, which boasts both grass and astro, for a couple of hours and we all ended up hitting hundreds of balls – Andy’s thumb was causing him problems and Charlie’s back was seizing up but we couldn’t complain (well, Andy could and did) as our opponents were put through the same ordeal.

After a delicious and very affordable lunch in the clubhouse, it was time to battle it out on the course and we made our way to the first tee where we were faced with an intimidating 523-yard, par-5. It could have been the burgers, it could have been the rain that started to come down over the opening holes, but it was a slow start by all involved.

The course was in good condition all the way round with luscious fairways and well-kept greens on offer. With the recent dry spell we were impressed to note that there were very few burnt patches around the course, which many courses are struggling to deal with at the moment, so we must tip our caps to the greenkeepers for this feat.

Built on an old chalk farm, players are faced with numerous blind shots and doglegs throughout the course and there are a number of undulating holes. In order to shoot low scores you will therefore need to be able to hit from a variety of lies and that's just to get to the short stuff. 

Off the tee, there is a decent amount of space so players will be able to open their shoulders. On a number of holes the big stick should be substituted for an iron or hybrid, such as on the short finishing hole, or the extra length will get you in trouble. 

The greens were in good condition and rolled slightly slower than we were used to but this will have been affected by the rain we had at the start and on the back nine. 

My favourite holes were 16 and 17 which were truly memorable. The 555-yard,16^th has a raised tee and sits next to the clubhouse where members have a great view as you attack the par-5. Boom a drive and you will roll down the hill which leaves an approach over water and onto a sloping green. You better be dialed in at this point as numerous bunkers surround the green and it will be a tricky up-and-down if you get stuck on the sand.

This is followed by the par-3, 17^th which is a descending hole with a protected green, calling for a perfectly struck shot. If you miss the dancefloor, which many will do as lies at 189-yards, then you will have the chance to get up-and-down as there is a lot of green to work with. Stick it in the middle and you will have a great look at birdie and by this point, you'll probably need it.

It’s an enjoyable round that will test the best and worst players among us. While long players will prosper, it really calls for a thinking golfer to score well.

And those of you wondering how the match went - well, the radio silence should speak volumes (#5and4).

Green Fees: £19 - £36
Par: 72
Length: 6,746 yards

For more information, go to the Weybrook Park website.