Retford Golf Club - 18 Hole Course

497 Yards, Par 5

A spacious fairway to begin proceedings, but with out-of-bounds all of the way down the right side, favour the left side of the fairway from the tee. Long hitters can reach in two, although the green entrance is fairly narrow and guarded by bunkers on either side. Two fairway bunkers approx 60 yards short of the green persuade many to lay up. Out of bounds also at the back of the green. The green is quite deep and has numerous slopes and gradients. Unless you get close with your approach, concentration is required to avoid 3-putting. Note that to help with club selection on approach, our flags are colour coded: Red means front third; Yellow means middle third; and Blue is back third.

511 Yards, Par 5

What seems to be a roomy fairway is compromised by a well-placed bunker to the right that awaits longer hitters. To the left, the semi rough slopes away and can kick pulled shots into the woods. Unless your tee shot has been particularly long and straight, two further fairway bunkers approx. 90 yards short of the green will be in play for your second shot. A good risk / reward hole. Do you keep it simple and lay up in front of both sets of fairway bunkers? Or should you go for it? Longer hitters can reach in two if they keep both shots straight, and be rewarded with a birdie or eagle opportunity. However, the entrance to the green is narrow, and bunkers await on both sides. The green will prove challenging for longer puts. In places the borrow is steep, in other places the slopes are much more subtle.

164 Yards, Par 3

From the tee you may not appreciate the depth of this green. Take notice of the pin position and adjust your club selection accordingly if you want to get close. Bunkers protect the front of the green, and at the back out-of-bounds awaits any thinned or over-clubbed shots, especially those that fade right. The narrow entrance to the green requires accuracy if your strategy is to land short and run up. The green is a few yards below the tee, so if you judge line and length correctly you will be rewarded by a great view of landing close, and setting up that birdie opportunity.

208 Yards, Par 3

Despite appearances from the tee, the large central bunker is approximately 20 yards short of the front edge, and behind it there is room to land and run onto the green. The green generally slopes towards you, so if you want to go pinseeking, high balls can be made to stop if conditions allow. Make sure you keep your tee shot straight though, as the gap between the trees in front of the tee is quite narrow, and out-of-bounds awaits a ricochet both left and right. The toughest Par 3 on the course.

390 Yards, Par 4

Although the open parkland on this part of the course gives a feeling of space, four well-placed fairway bunkers await longer hitters, so driving accuracy is important. Very long hitters can clear the two left-side bunkers with a well struck Driver, but most players opt to lay up in the space at the corner of the dog-leg, short of the furthest three bunkers, leaving themselves a longer approach shot. The green is well guarded, with out of bounds to the right, and the pin is often tucked to the left. The front, left-side, bunker is particularly deep and tough to get out of, so aiming for the centre of the green is advisable.

360 Yards, Par 4

This relatively short Par 4 dogleg tempts big hitters to cut the corner. But beware, it is quite a narrow fairway and cutting off too much risks having to chip out sideways for two. Long drives that push or fade can run out of room at the other side of the fairway, and risk having the approach shot impeded by trees. A measured tee shot to the apex plus an iron into the green is the sensible way to play this hole. The green is deep, so take note of the flag position when selecting a club for your approach and out of bounds waits behind. And look out for our Giant Redwood tree at the apex (its only a baby at the moment)!

294 Yards, Par 4

Despite being one of our shorter Par 4s, the 7th is by no means the easiest. It tempts big hitters to cut the corner, but the more you cut off, the smaller the landing zone. Full-on drives that go too straight may find that the silver birch trees at the front left of the green complicate their approach. To the left, our beautiful Rhododendron bushes await pulled tee shots. If you do the sensible thing and play it straight, take note of the left-to-right slope along the entire fairway, which can kick weaker shots into the the trees, but will push well-judged shots down the hill towards the green. An accurate tee shot is rewarded by a nice view of the green, although when the pin is tucked behind the large front bunker, distance judgement is key.

396 Yards, Par 4

With its length, plus out-of-bounds all of the way down the right-side, this is perhaps our toughest Par 4. Off the tee, you'll want to aim for the left side of the fairway, not only to stay clear of O.O.B, but to ensure that the large tree on the right doesn't impede your second shot. The green is guarded by bunkers on both sides. A long approach can finish on the path or OOB behind the green. Hole 8 is Stroke Index 2, so pretty much everyone gets a shot here. The sensible approach is to focus on accuracy not distance. Keep out of trouble, perhaps lay up with your second, and trust your short-game.

136 Yards, Par 3

An uphill hole requiring a club or two more than the distance suggests. The 9th green is split-level. You'll never see a yellow flag here as the central part of the green features a steep slope towards the tee. Three putting is common for those who finish on the wrong level. A blue flag is the norm on the larger, rear plateau, which itself has a significant slope towards the tee in places. Watch out for the large overhanging tree if the pin is tucked left. Most golfers are pleased to walk away with a par here to close out the front nine.

538 Yards, Par 5

Our longest hole offers a generous fairway and a chance to open the shoulders a bit, although beware the out of bounds all the way down the left side. The key to this hole is whether your tee shot is long enough to allow you to clear the three large fairway bunkers with your second shot, and in so doing leave yourself a shorter and easier approach. The further you get with your second, the more open the green becomes, because the collection of bunkers at the front-right are taken out of play. The green slopes slightly towards you, so in softer conditions you can attack the flag to set up that birdie opportunity.

171 Yards, Par 3

What a view! But don't get distracted. Length judgement is everything on this picturesque par 3. The green is considerably below the tee so taking a club less makes sense. But this hole faces directly into the prevailing wind, and on a blustery day with the wind from the west, you will need a few clubs more, not less. Our deepest bunker, 8 yards short of the front edge, awaits those who under-club. Don't worry though, the bunker has steps and is easy to get into and out of. Into a stiff westerly wind, golfers who hit the ball hard with a long iron may see their ball set new altitude records, and still land a little short! But those who get both line and length right are rewarded with a spectacular view of the ball landing from a great height, and stopping next to the pitchmark to set up that birdie opportunity.

356 Yards, Par 4

A relatively short Par 4 with a picturesque green, and a tough approach. The 12th is one of only two bunker-less holes at Retford. The right-to-left sloping fairway can kick weaker tee shots into the trees. Very long drives can get close, but don't try too hard, as the uphill slope towards the green will cut you short anyway. Very long drives that fade right will find trouble in "Scotland." A well-placed tee shot opens up an excellent view of the green, which is our smallest, and is relatively flat despite being perched on the side of a hill. Your approach may be complicated by the sloping fairway, which can leave you with a downhill lie, or place the ball well above your feet. Or both! Missing the green typically leaves a tricky chip, up or down a steep slope. But if your approach game is working well and you can land on target, a birdie opportunity awaits.

349 Yards, Par 4

Accuracy is the key to this hole. The tee shot is complicated by a large tree approximately halfway to the hole. You should seek to take your tee shot past this tree, and ideally into the centre of the fairway. Longer hitters will be able to go over the tree, but don't be too ambitious with your tee shot. The green is protected at the front by a pond and two further trees. If you get too close, and you're not in the centre of the fairway, the trees and the pond will conspire to make your approach shot very awkward. The sensible option is to take a club to reach the centre of the landing area, ensuring a clear view on approach. The green is quite narrow and closely protected by a bunker at either side. It slopes slightly towards you, so in appropriate conditions you can go pinseeking with a lofted club. Do take note of flag colour when choosing your club, as this is a deep green at 37 yards long. Its subtle gradients cause many to three put if the approach leaves a 20+ yard putt.

436 Yards, Par 4

For longer hitters, the drive on this challenging par 4 is complicated by a large and awkward fairway bunker, which together with out-of-bounds down the left, creates a relatively narrow target area if the bunker is within your range. Much of the fairway is undulating, in the style of a Scottish links course, so regardless of how well you hit your tee shot, your approach may not be from a flat lie. On approach, left-side pin positions bring the green-side bunker into play, especially if you are positioned to the left of the fairway. There are a number of subtle gradients to cope with when you reach the green. So all-in-all, the fourteenth deserves its low stroke index (1 for Gents, 3 for Ladies).

390 Yards, Par 4

From the back tee, the drive at the 15th looks intimidating and quite narrow. However, once you are over the first hill, the fairway opens up and provides a generous landing area. The hole turns to the right after the first hill, so long hitters should favour the right-side - but don't try to cut too much off or the tree at the summit will bring you down and leave you with a long approach shot from a tough lie. The approach climbs a second hill, and it is sometimes a little windy at the summit around the green. So think carefully about club selection. Anything short is likely to dig in and stop. The Sheffield to Lincoln railway line runs up the left side of this hole, and it is out-of-bounds. An impressive and challenging uphill par 4 to test your stamina.

182 Yards, Par 3

Club choice is critical on our new 16th hole (opened in 2016). There's a steep hill behind the green which magnifies any wind, and the club selection challenge is compounded by the shallowness of the green. In addition, high shots landing short are likely to stop quickly on the slightly uphill approach. A great test of your distance judgement.

307 Yards, Par 4

Don't be too intimidated by the view from the tee. Although the gap is narrow, the carry over the deep valley in front of the tee is short enough that most club golfers can make it to the fairway. Very long hitters can reach the green, but that is a risky strategy as the green entrance is narrow and well protected by bunkers. The sensible strategy is to select a club to lay up on the fairway, and then pitch in close for a birdie opportunity. Note that the green slopes slightly away from you. Beware of the slope to the right side of the fairway, which can kick pushed tee shots into trouble beneath the overhanging branches of large trees. Long hitters who draw or pull too far left will similarly find that their approach is compromised by overhanging tree branches.

503 Yards, Par 5

Another well-designed hole to finish the round. From the tee, beware of the out-of-bounds all of the way down the right-side. Longer hitters will be in range of the fairway bunker to the left, so their landing zone is quite narrow. But the green is reachable in two if your drive is long enough. For some people, the second fairway bunker comes into play for the second shot. The entrance to the green is also narrow and protected by bunkers. The Captain's Charity bunker is on the left, and it is overlooked by the main clubroom. A 50p donation in the box on the bar please! The risk / reward nature of our closing hole is a perfect finish in matchplay, especially if you're all square after seventeen.