‘No two holes are the same but every one is a great challenge for a mid-handicapper’

The Twenty Ten’s greens were the quickest, truest and most immaculate I’ve ever played on. The tees were also well presented, though I missed the ball cleaners and bins which had been removed due to the pandemic. The general condition of the course was awesome. Bearing in mind the time of year and the bad weather we’d had prior to our trip, I couldn’t fault it.

Every hole is a challenge for a player of my midhandicap calibre, but with the amount of water around, the Twenty Ten was extremely demanding. No two holes were the same and in playing the course for the first time, there was general excitement – and trepidation – to see what was in store on the next tee.

To be honest, owing to a lack of time pre-round, I didn’t make full use of the practice facilities though the range looked impressive. Although it’s easy to find next to the M4, we did lose our way a little once in the resort, so a larger/clearer sign pointing us to the Twenty Ten would have been helpful.

We had a quick bite to eat in Rafters beforehand and I was a little disappointed that the burger was overcooked and a little chewy. But they did serve us in a timely manner, having informed the staff we were tight for time.

Due to Covid, we arrived ready to play so didn’t use the locker rooms. However, the clubhouse itself was very impressive and occupied a magnificent spot overlooking the 18th green. Our stay-and-play package was a great deal and, considering what a regular green fee cost, has to be the cheapest way of playing such a legendary course.