Course Info: Hanbury Manor Hotel and Country Club

 

The original 9-hole golf course at Hanbury Manor was built by golf legend, and World Golf Hall of Fame member, Harry Vardon. Having won the Open Championship a record 6 times, the initial course was in very capable hands. Updated to an 18-hole course, it was remodelled by Jack Nicklaus II becoming the superb lay-out golfers from across the country enjoy today.
 
From 1997 to 1999, Hanbury Manor Golf Club played host to the English Open and the stars of the European Tour. The likes of Lee Westwood (1998) and Darren Clarke (1999) have won on this challenging course which will now play host to the Willow Senior Golf Classic.

 

 

However, there are a host of players from the Senior Tour who have graced the fairways of Hanbury Manor before. Winner of the Prostate Cancer UK Scottish Senior Open, Paul Eales, Dennis Edlund (1997 runner-up), Pedro Linhart, David Howell, record European Senior Tour winner Carl Mason and two-time Senior Major Championship winner Roger Chapman have all played at Hanbury Manor during the years that the English Open was played there.

 

 

From the championship tees, the course measures 7,052 yards and is a well-balanced par-72. Nicklaus II has picked up many of his father’s ideas, and the use of double fairways and threatening water throughout the course sets a real challenge for players. Scoring well on this demanding course is easier said than done.

 

 

What is different about Hanbury Manor, compared to other parkland courses, is the difference between the front and back nine. The front is very much a modern American layout with exposure to the elements and subtle undulations. The back is slightly more conventional for this area of England, with tree-lined fairways and a true parkland feel. Both present a significant test of course management and concentration. Come Sunday, only the pros with all elements of their game intact will be strolling up the fairway with a chance at victory.