Reader James Halpin was recently kitted out by FootJoy to cater for all the conditions our unpredictable weather can throw at a golfer. Here he describes his home course at Selby in Yorkshire.
Selby Golf Club Course Review
No matter the time of year, the weather conditions or your ability, you will always be made to feel welcome at my home course at Selby Golf Club. An understated hidden gem just outside the bustling market town of Selby, the club celebrated its centenary not long ago in 2007.
Weather Conditions
Mild but windy
A fair test of golf has been cultivated over this time, and the course itself is one of the most playable in the area thanks to the fact that it sits on sand. With a Par of 71 and only 6,374 yards off the whites, it can lull you into a false sense of hope.
What awaits you from the off is three successive, tight, tree-lined fairways with out of bounds lurking to the right and natural hazards waiting to swallow errant shots. If you can make it past these with your score intact, you’ve got a chance of making a good card.
Keep battling away, and by the 5th and 6th holes the course is giving you chances to make some shots back before you hit the 7th, a straight-up par 4 that can play long even downwind, which it often is not.
The next three give you a chance to relax, before two difficult tee shots on 11 and 12.
Thirteen and fourteen are great birdie chances, but only with well placed tee shots.
You then need to try and hold onto your score through the next three, a long par 3 that plays over 200 yards usually into the wind, a real 2-shot par 4 that requires a pure drive followed by another solid shot into a difficult green, and finally another tricky and well-bunkered uphill par 3.
The last and by no means least is my favourite hole on the course. It is a reachable par 5 for the long hitters but suits smart play to take advantage of a large green.
An aerial view of the course doesn’t portray the arsenal of shots required, and due to its position in the local area, your round will nearly always be played with a wind that can make each nine play very differently day to day. Therein lies the difficulty of the course; it’s a true test of golf without any added water hazards or internal OOB.
There are plentiful practice facilities with a covered driving range, grass driving range, practice bunkers and a large putting green. You will always be made to feel welcome in the traditional clubhouse, with a well-stocked Pro’ Shop and a varied and diverse membership.
There is plenty of great golf in Yorkshire, and although it's not so well known, I am very happy to be a member at Selby.
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