The Addington

The tree-lined, heathland course is a tough test throughout but makes its mark during a three-hole stretch from the par-3 7th. Get your thinking cap on because you'll need a sensible approach to come through unscathed. The 7th features beautifully contoured bunkers crafted out of the hillside and a fast green not to be messed with. On the 8th you're faced with a blind teeshot over a hill topped by a strange latin-enscribed memorial ? a dedication to George III from the Archbishop of Canterbury who used to stay at nearby Addington Palace. Fair enough. But the real treat is the par-4 9th which requires two carries over gullies traversed by magnificent timber bridges - there's certainly no room for a duff strike.

The 13th is an excellent par-3 requiring a good 190-yard carry over a valley and yet another bridge. When the rhododendron are out in summer you can see why the great Henry Longhurst described it as ?with the exception of the 5th at Pine Valley near Philadephia, the greatest one-shot hole in inland golf?.

Despite being only five minutes from central Croydon the course offers excellent views of the Addington Valley and, having only 200 playing members, is remarkably quiet. At £85 the weekend green fee is expensive but if you fancy a couple of rounds on a mature, difficult layout full of old-word character it?s a wise investment.

Best Hole: Sorry Mr Lonhurst, we'd have to go for the 9th - it requires pure ball striking and deadly accuracy.