Usually, having a succession of planes taking off and landing right over your head would give a golf course a bad name. However, this is the Isle of Wight airport we?re talking about here not Heathrow, so rather than 747?s roaring by it?s light aircraft going about their relatively quiet business and it makes for a pleasant backdrop to this mature heath and woodland layout.
The outward nine is an excellent mixture of holes with the two par-3?s in particular providing a lot of enjoyment. At the 5th you must play up to a green where you can?t see the bottom of the flag. The 9th by contrast lays all its trickery in front of you. First you must play over a feature pond, then carry a necklace of bunkers and, as if that wasn?t enough, try to stop the ball on a quick three tier green.
Shanklin and Sandown finishes well with two par-5s sandwiching a 22-yard par 3 which although played downhill still requires a good thwack to get it on the green.
The only proper way to finish off your round here is a drink in the 19th, if the weather is good you can sit on the roof terrace, look over the treacherous 9th and watch other golfers try to master its multi-putt-inducing green.
Best Hole: the par 4 10th requires a soft fade off the tee to leave you with you with a mid-iron into a very picturesque green.
Location: The Fairway, Lake sandown, Isle of Wight
Tel: 01983 404424
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