We’ve been admirers of West Sussex Golf Club – affectionately known as Pulborough – for some time now. Not only a fierce proponent of two-ball golf and a brisk pace of play, its exceptional heathland course also carries a rich history and, for generations, has been lauded among the finest courses in the world. A par 68 that may look modest on the scorecard, it provides a searching test for the scratch player while remaining relevant and enjoyable for the higher handicapper or older golfer. Every time we drive away from West Sussex, it’s hard to understand why golf ever [...]

Sam & Tom made the trip back to Kington Golf Club, 12 months after being completely fogged off, to visit one of the highest 18-hole courses in England. While Kington might sit alongside other hilltop courses, there is a genuine and lasting sense of quality throughout — both in its setting and in the way the golf asks questions of you. The course was originally laid out by Major Cecil Key Hutchison, part of a broader Golden Age cohort that will feature in another video in the coming weeks, with later revisions attributed to the great James Braid. The result [...]

Filmed over three years, this documentary follows the creation of Old Petty, the new Tom Doak course at Cabot Highlands. We go back to the earliest discussions around routing, the breaking of ground, the construction process, the provenance of the site, the architecture and subtle differences with Castle Stuart, and the grow-in of this much-anticipated addition to one of Scotland’s most exciting golfing destinations. Old Petty will not only enhance the Cabot Highlands experience but also strengthen the wider region, attracting golfers for longer stays and contributing to the local economy. A huge thanks to the outstanding team at Cabot [...]

Atop this year’s bucket-list dreams was getting a chance to play at Brancaster (Royal West Norfolk) at high tide. The spring tides bring with them some extra oomph, transforming many of the outer holes into a series of dramatic carries across the water. Huge thank you to the club for making this one happen. We managed to stay in the club’s recently transformed dormy lodging the night before, and then head out at first light so we could time things right. Luckily the weather played ball too! Brancaster is not just one of the most enjoyable links experiences in the [...]

Golf course historian Simon Haines and course architect Joe McDonnell (McDonnell & Cooper Design) take us back to 1913, a decade before Tom Simpson was commissioned to build an 18-hole course at Blackwell. At this point in the club’s early history, Harry Colt had been tasked with transforming a rudimentary 9-hole layout, played since 1893, into something more fitting for the needs of its members. This is a lost chapter in the story of Blackwell. Over time, the details of Colt’s original work have faded, but Simon and Joe have worked tirelessly to reconstruct what Colt designed when he only [...]