The grand red-brick hall that forms the centrepiece to this sprawling 543-acre home counties estate dates back to 1760, with the ‘broadwater’ created by a damming of the River Lea coming ten years later as part of a major landscaping project. It features prominently on the 1st, 2nd and 18th holes of the Melbourne layout, which was the first of the estate’s two courses to open in 1992. The handiwork of Peter Alliss and Clive Clark, your round here famously concludes with a short ferry ride to the green across the broadwater.
Par is a good score on the long par 5 13th hole
(Image credit: Kevin Murray)
The Palmerston course arrived at the turn of the century, with Donald Steel and Martin Ebert the architects. They painted a majestic rolling layout on an expansive canvas, with holes that rise and fall over the natural landscape, passing many a fine arboreal specimen along the way. It is one of England’s grandest parkland creations of the past quarter of a century, with holes that catch your eye at every turn, including five par 5s, several of which decent hitters will be eyeing with relish. Not so the 13th, though, where narrowness and length combine to temper ambition a little.
The 9th is one of five par 5s on the Palmerston layout
(Image credit: Kevin Murray)
The club at Brocket Hall is now known as The Melbourne Club, with recent investment in the courses and their conditioning sparking renewed interest in membership. In addition to the two courses, the impressive practice facilities include a large academy and practice ground as well as various chipping greens, practice bunkers and putting greens, with a large one close to the Palmerston course’s 1st tee.
The green on the long par three 8th is tucked away amongst trees, adding to the difficulty
(Image credit: Kevin Murray)
The two downhill par 3s at 5 and 14 are an exhilarating prospect from the tee as you seek to factor in all the variables dictating the perfect club choice. The 8th, conversely, plays uphill, with its steep front encouraging you to club up to avoid trundling back down the slope. There’s a welcome feeling of openness as you gaze out over lovely rolling fields left of the par-5 10th and you’ll remember the par-4 12th, where your approach must be fired over a deep grassy pit.
The finishing hole on the Palmerston course at Brocket Hall is both challenging and dramatic
(Image credit: Kevin Murray)
You will leave the 18th green of the Palmerston course feeling content, regardless of…
..
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Golf Monthly…