‘Sheringham’s beauty disguises the fact you can be punished without doing much wrong’
As a first-time visitor, the drive over a railway line into Sheringham’s car park was an early sign that this wouldn’t be a normal round on an average golf course. And so it proved. It was something straight out of the Monty Python ‘Now for Something Completely Different’ mantra.
With the sea, beach and distant offshore wind farm a stunning backdrop, the big question was whether my golf would be able to match up to the glorious surroundings.
The weather did its best to aid the cause. The sun was shining and there was barely a breeze, so in theory – on a relatively short course – Sheringham was there for the taking.
Alas, clifftop-heathland golf is never quite that straightforward, let alone easy, and Sheringham’s beauty disguises the fact that, without a player doing too much wrong, a scorecard can be ruined with one slightly offline shot or a lapse in concentration.
With all the holes running parallel to the coastline, the fairways are shaped in both directions so the key to success is persistently hitting accurate tee shots and keeping it on the short stuff, otherwise you’re in for a long day. Well-placed, deep bunkers often with thick rough surrounding them are positioned to collect slightly wayward approaches, and while most of the greens have subtle borrows on them, they’re not as super-fast as you might think.
Alongside partner Dominic, it was good to claim the win, but the best indication of how enjoyable a day we had was that we completely forgot to grab a bite to eat and refuel at the halfway house.