GreenBoardroom at John O'Gaunt Golf Club.

GreenBoardroom travels to John O’Gaunt for the first time, notably Bedfordshire’s finest golf course. 

Course Information.

The John O'Gaunt Golf Club at Sandy in Bedfordshire was founded in 1948

The original design here, the John O’Gaunt, is regarded by many as the finest in the county. With the exception of the short sixteenth, the front nine loops round the back, and a real joy is that you constantly change direction facing new and attractive challenges all the way.

The course opens with three par 4s with the second and third skirting the southern edge of the property.

The second green with All Saint’s Church beyond

The fourth is a superb par 3 one of just three on the course, and it is worth noting that since my visit it has been made all the more dramatic by the addition of a lake in front of the green.

Looking back over the excellent par-3 fourth

Five and six are excellent two-shotters, stroke index four and two respectively, while the seventh is almost as tough due to its tight drive and change in elevation.

There is an uphill approach to the green at seven

You return to the clubhouse via the gently uphill par 5 ninth, and the back nine opens with another terrific short hole across a valley where it pays not to be short.

The tenth is a cracking short hole

A handful of varied par 4s follows, with thirteen perhaps the pick of the bunch, an extremely tough two shotter with the stream waiting off the tee and again by the green for anything less than a perfect strike.

The thirteenth green from beyond – stroke index one and 452 yards from the back tee

The penultimate hole is a really interesting short par 5 played to a green site that is surrounded by an old, dry moat.

The seventeenth green – miss it at your peril!

The round finishes with a testing par 4 played up to a well-protected green with the stylish clubhouse beyond.