One of Hampshire’s hidden gems – Blackmoor Golf Club is one of the best courses you can play for under £100.
Short, narrow and stunningly beautiful – Blackmoor offers a serious test of golf for all levels of players and is one that shouldn’t be missed if you’re in the area.
Let’s get into it a find out a little more about Blackmoor Golf Club.
Blackmoor Golf Club Reviews
Our Rating
| Overall [4.7/5] |    |
| Course Design/Layout | |
| Course Difficulty | |
| Course Conditions | |
| Green Conditions | |
| Pace Of Play | |
| Facilities | |
| Hospitality | |
| Practice Facilities | |
| Food & Drink | |
| Value For Money | |
Course Information
Bordon, Hampshire. Opened in 1913.
18 Holes Course | Par 69 | 6164 Yards | Heathland
blackmoorgolf.co.uk
Location
Just off the A3, Blackmoor Golf Club is based in the heathland area of Bordon, Hampshire.
One of Hampshire’s hidden gems, it sits basically between Petersfield and Liphook.
Blackmoor Golf Club Green Fees
| Weekdays Monday – Thursday only | |
| Adult Visitor (From 1st November – 31st March 2022) | £65 |
| Adult Visitor (From 1st April – 31st October 2022) | £95 |
Pre-round Thoughts
When you think about top golf in Hampshire, the likes of Liphook Golf Club, Hayling Golf Club and Stoneham Golf Club come to mind. Perhaps one that doesn’t always get a mention is Blackmoor Golf Club.
Having said that, it was once a course used for Open Championship qualifying which doesn’t get handed out to any old course. Plus each Spring it plays host to some of the top amateurs in the game during the Selborne Salver tournament, previous winners including Matt Fitzpatrick and Andy Sullivan.
A Harry Colt designed course, you know it’s going to have some very interesting holes with sloping greens and tricky designs. A quick look at the scorecard shows it’s not the longest course in the world. At just over 6000 yards, it seems pretty accessible to the shorter hitters.
We’re playing on a Wednesday (visitors are only allowed Mon-Thurs) and the sun is shining, it just feels like a perfect day for golf.
The pro shop is well stocked and the staff are very friendly. Despite the £95 green fee, it doesn’t feel stuffy at all, with everyone making us feel very welcome indeed.
The range is a little walk from the car park, however, there is an overflow car park that sits on the range if you don’t fancy the 2-minute walk down there.
A quick putt on the putting green which overlooks the 1st tee and we’re ready to go, with anticipation high for what will be a really great day of golf.
Image source: Blackmoor Golf Club
The Course
Tree-lined, full of heather, and plenty of undulations to test your game, Blackmoor has a lot on offer that can be really enjoyed. I really love a heathland layout for many reasons. The heather in full bloom adds wonderful colour, but also an immense challenge, especially for any wayward shots.
Fairways are in immaculate condition and the rough has a brilliant uncared-for feel to it as you would expect from any good heathland layout.
Tight run-offs and sharp aprons, means your short game from around the green needs to be working. Greens are smooth and quick, although I sense they could be much quicker if required, and are kept at a slower level to keep golfers from struggling too much. The severe undulations of many of the greens prove a great challenge and it very much felt that getting to the green was only half the battle.
The card has a great mix of holes, all of which present a unique test of golf. The trees give the course plenty of protection and trying to work out the wind directions and strengths proved problematic.
As a low single-figure handicap, I looked at the card and thought it would be scoreable due to its shorter length. As the round went on I would realise this wasn’t the case. Playing your way around is the key to a good score. Positioning yourself in good spots, avoiding well-placed bunkers, and leaving yourself below the holes on the greens. Fairways are narrow and are lined with thick heather on either side. Once you’re in the heather, getting out is far from an easy task.
Front Nine
Par 3s – 6th, 9th
In my opinion, Blackmoor is home to some of the best and toughest par 3s in Hampshire.
The 6th hole is easily one of the toughest greens to hit. At just under 200 yards off the backs, you’re hitting a long club into a green which is basically an upturned saucer. Anything short will be halted by the large front slope, which feeds into a deep bunker. Right or left will kick off into the rough and long will fall away down a back slope. If you hit this green in regulation, you can give yourself a pat on the back.
Next up we’ve got the shorter 9th. 150 yards, uphill to a two-tiered green which is narrow and once again surrounded by trouble. Anything right gets swallowed up by a bunker and left takes you away down into a cavern. We played the pin right at the back which was very difficult to get it all the way back there.
Image source: Blackmoor Golf Club
Par 4s – 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th
If you can, making a first start is essential for a good score. 1, 2 and 3 are all holes that you can make a birdie on. All under 400 yards, they give you a chance to get ahead early if you hit some good shots.
The 1st has a small ditch running across the fairway, so requires either a layup to about 200 yards or the bigger hitters can carry it with the driver. Uphill to a green guarded with two bunkers, that are large and sloping.
The 2nd and 3rd are both dog-leg tee shots, left and right respectively. A tee shot to a given position will give you a short iron into the green.
4 and 5 are where it starts to get serious. The 5th is an incredibly tough hole that makes you lay up off the tee because the dog-leg right is so severe that you cannot hit the driver. Then you’re left with a second shot over 200 yards to a green sloped from front to back.
Par 5s – 8th
With only two par 5s on the course, you have to make a score on both of them if you want to finish with a good number.
The first of the two is the 8th which sits at just 479 yards and is very gettable in two for good players. The tee shot is very narrow, with trouble left and out-of-bounds on the right very much in your mind standing on the tee. Anything right-side of the fairway will be blocked out by the large trees on the right for your second.
Back Nine
Par 3s – 12th, 15th, 17th
Three more amazing par 3s await you on the back nine.
12 is short but tricky, surrounded by bunkers and run-off areas at 360 degrees. 17 is an uphill hole 164-yard par 3 that has more slopes than you can imagine.
You’ve also got the 15th. Now I’ve played a lot of golf courses and par 3s in my time, and I have to say this is one of, if not the toughest par 3s I’ve ever played. On paper, it seems like just another of your standard 200-yard par 3s. However, finding the putting surface on this hole is somewhat of a miracle. The day we played, I stood there with the wind into off the left, a 3 iron in hand, staring at a green that sits on top of this tiny mound of earth.
Anything pulled slightly will crash into the big tree on the left. Or if you manage to miss that, one of the deepest bunkers you will see will swallow it up. Miss it a yard to the right, the tiny pot bunker will eat you up. I looked at the hole videos before playing and it really didn’t do it justice just how difficult and sloped this green is. Walking off with a 4 felt like a really good score!
Par 4s – 10th, 11th, 14th, 16th, 18th
Five par 4s on the back nine, give a good variety of long and short holes.
The 10th is the toughest hole in my opinion and with good reason. The tee shot is fraught with danger, with OOB right. If you can get a longer driver away tight to the right side, it will shorten the second shot to a green that is uphill from the fairway. The green is large and features a heavy undulation from back to front.
My favourite of the par 4s is the fabulous 18th to wind up your round. A narrow tee shot that has heather on both sides. Finding the fairway is the easy part of this hole as the next shot is where the fun really starts. The clubhouse and onlooking spectators down the left, a green that has about three tiers, and a bomb crater a yard to the right. If you’re going to miss the green it has to either be just short or slightly left. Anything short will stay short and get shorter. A miss to the left, if far enough up will fall down onto the green and into a pretty good position.
The 18th at Blackmoor is one of the great finishing holes in the game of golf!
Par 5s – 13th
The second of the scoreable par 5s on the card. The 13th is a slight dog leg to the right and demands a long drive over a couple of fairway bunkers. Then you’ve got a green which has one of the most vicious two-tiered greens I’ve ever played. The 13th green is a really fun test of your putting skills.
Image source: Blackmoor Golf Club
Post-round
Coming down the 18th at Blackmoor (my favourite of the 18 holes), you’ve got the magnificent clubhouse high up on the left which overlooks and gives a brilliant panoramic view across the course. The sun is shining and I’ve just played some of my best golf to shoot a respectable 72.
All I can think about is how good this golf course is. There isn’t a hole in this layout that feels the same. Each hole has its own style and not one is forgettable.
Straight holes over ponds, big dog-leg rights, short fiddly par 3s surrounded by bunkers – it’s got it all.
The conditions were fantastic, with wonderfully manicured fairways and greens rolling fast and smooth. A delicious sausage roll at the halfway house. A well-earned pint at the 19th hole afterwards.
Reflecting on the £95 green fee – it is a lot of money for a lot of people. However, I still think it’s value for money. For that £95 you’re getting an ex-Open qualifying golf club, that’s easily in the top 3 golf courses in Hampshire (Hampshire has a LOT of good golf). I would’ve really thought that they could be charging more than they are, so it does feel like excellent value.
It’s challenging, memorable and most importantly, thoroughly enjoyable. I honestly could play this course every single week for the rest of my life. It was a privilege and I really hope to be back soon!
Final Thoughts
So there we have it, a detailed look at the marvellous Blackmoor Golf Club. One definitely that should be on your list of courses to play.
If you get the chance or you’re in the area, get yourself a green fee – you won’t regret it!
If you’re looking for something a little more beginner friendly, have a look at our Clandon Golf Review.
Founder, Editor
Ed is the founder and editor at EEE Golf. He’s been playing golf for over 20 years, competing in many top amateur events. He’s played courses all over the world and played with some of the best players in the game. His aim is to help educate people about the game of golf and give insights into the sport he loves most.
