Cottesmore Golf & Country Club

Started life as a nine-holer, the Griffin quickly took shape and another nine followed almost immediately.

Rewarding to the thinker rather than the bomber, the Griffin course at Cottesmore Golf Club is landscaped round two lakes and requires a number of tricky shots over the water.

That, of course, also demands accuracy from the tee and precision is preferred over length on the Griffin.

Don’t be misled by the lack of sand traps however, the tight fairways and small greens more than make up for the lack of that specific hazard.

The first hole offers a great opportunity to begin your round with a birdie. A short par-5 of 485 yards, two good shots are more than capable of finding the green and set up a two putt four.

But the soft start is quickly forgotten once you reach the second tee where the water is at the forefront of your club choice. Other facilities at the club include conference and banquet rooms, a health and fitness suite and a restaurant open to all.