Photo: Alex McGregor · CC BY-SA 2.0
Lincolnshire, England
Woodhall Spa — Hotchkin Course
The National Golf Centre's flagship heathland course, consistently ranked England's best inland test.
Course overview
The Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa opened in 1905, designed by Harry Vardon and substantially reworked by Harry Colt between 1911 and 1914. Colonel Stafford Vere Hotchkin remodelled much of the course through the 1920s and gave it his name, adding many of its famously deep bunkers. Now the home of England Golf's National Golf Centre, the course underwent a restoration led by Tom Doak, completed in 2019. Visitors can book tee times directly online, with discounted rates for members of England Golf-affiliated clubs.
The essentials
- Architect
- Harry Vardon; Harry Colt (redesign 1911–14); Stafford Vere Hotchkin (remodel, 1920s)
- Established
- 1905
- Type
- Heathland
- Par
- 73
- Length
- 6,423 m
- Location
- Lincolnshire, England
Character & atmosphere
A heathland course through pine and birch on sandy Lincolnshire soil, famous for having some of the deepest and most punishing bunkers in Britain. Flowing, tree-lined fairways demand precise positioning, with Hotchkin's bunkering punishing anything less.
Highlights
Why play here
- Designed by Harry Vardon; Harry Colt (redesign 1911–14); Stafford Vere Hotchkin (remodel, 1920s), opened in 1905.
Practical guidance
Plan your visit
How to get there
East Midlands Airport (EMA) is approximately 52 miles away and offers the broadest international network; Humberside Airport (HUY), around 30 miles, is closer but more limited. Visitor tee times can be booked directly online, with discounted rates for members of England Golf-affiliated clubs.
Where to stay
Woodhall Spa village is the natural base, putting the National Golf Centre and the Hotchkin Course within walking distance of most accommodation. It's a quiet, old-fashioned English spa town rather than a developed golf resort, suited to golfers who want the course to be the focus of the trip.
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England
Explore Lincolnshire
The home of England Golf's National Golf Centre, anchored by the Hotchkin Course — consistently ranked England's best inland test.