Stoneleigh Deer Park Golf Club
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18 Hole Tantara Course Gallery

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  • 1st Hole: The Tee -- An early test of accuracy is posed by the sentinel oaks which flank the throat of the fairway within driving distance. The trees on the right, with some dense undergrowth, pose the bigger threat whereas those on the left are sited in a broad swathe of rough which usually offers the option of a second shot back towards the fairway.

    1st Hole: The Tee

  • 1st Hole: The Approach -- Having successfully negotiated the "squeeze" between mature trees on either side, you are faced with a wide fairway that has veered slightly left past the oaks and slopes gently upwards towards the green. Although you will see the flag beckoning, take note - it plays longer than you might think!

    1st Hole: The Approach

  • 1st Hole: The Green -- The walk to the green is up a long gentle incline which forms the second part of the fairway. This, and the low mound which surrounds the green on all sides, obscures the putting surface until the last moment, when it will be seen to slope from left to right. Any approach shots too far right of the line will find rough or even the dense spinney which follows this hole all the way.

    1st Hole: The Green

  • 1st Hole: View back from The Green -- From a vantage point by the flag, the gradients of the land leading up to the green and the tasks already accomplished on this Par 4 are easy to appreciate.

    1st Hole: View back from The Green

  • 2nd Hole: The Tee -- The key here is to hit a drive past the fat chestnut tree in the centre-right of the fairway, so as to be able to take the dog-leg left into the green with the next shot. A clump of tall oaks to the left will punish any tee shot on that side which is too short.

    2nd Hole: The Tee

  • 2nd Hole: The Dog-Leg -- Having first dealt with the obstacle provided by the ancient chestnut tree in the foreground, your drive needs to be positioned beyond or right of the bare oak which creates the dog-leg left on this Par 4. From here the green lies a hundred yards or so ahead, presenting its narrowest side towards you.

    2nd Hole: The Dog-Leg

  • 2nd Hole: The Approach -- Once past the dog-leg, the shot into the green is usually straightforward for the accurate hitter. But the green itself is surrounded by a raised rim and is long and narrow with interesting borrows.

    2nd Hole: The Approach

  • 3rd Hole: The Tee -- An invitingly wide fairway awaits those who can avoid the trees which flank it left and right. The preferred line is slightly right, so as to set up a favourable position for the second shot where the fairway veers slightly left.

    3rd Hole: The Tee

  • 3rd Hole: The Approach -- As the fairway veers left to skirt the long bank, the elevated green comes into view. Approach shots invariably run right towards the rough and the spinney which borders this Par 5 throughout its length. Any over-compensation to the left may result in a tangle with the small copse on the upper part of the bank.

    3rd Hole: The Approach

  • 3rd Hole: The Green -- The position of the green, set into a left to right slope gives plenty of scope for error. To the right of the green the problem is a deep hollow but chipping on from above the green on the left is also fraught with danger. The putting surface itself is long and in two tiers with some frustrating gradients as well. Many an over-hit putt or chip from the left has departed the green into the valley on the right!

    3rd Hole: The Green

  • 3rd Hole: View back from The Green -- From the upper tier of the green, a quick glance back towards the curving and sloping fairway will confirm the potential difficulties which face the unwary golfer at this fascinating Par 5.

    3rd Hole: View back from The Green

  • 4th Hole: The Tee -- A stern test of straight driving, the teeing ground is positioned on top of a long ridge sloping steeply left. With the level section of the fairway obscured beyond the end of the bank, you are presented with a narrow target. Too far right and you could be in amongst the tall oaks, or in the rough with the next copse presenting a barrier to your second shot. Anything left of centre is sure to find trouble down the side of the bank, where the rough and a scattering of trees await.

    4th Hole: The Tee

  • 4th Hole: The Bank -- This aptly named Par 5 presents a generous flattish fairway, turning gently right– once you are past the end of "The Bank". Short drives holding on the slope mean a second shot with the ball played well above your feet. Higher back up the slope, you have the second dense copse of trees on the right to negotiate before you are safely in line for the distant green.

    4th Hole: The Bank

  • 4th Hole: The Green -- From the fairway this large green presents a reasonable target but the angle of the putting surface is severe and a greenside bunker awaits those whose choice of line is less than perfect. Viewed from the back of the green [as in this shot] the slope is all too clear

    4th Hole: The Green

  • 5th Hole: The Tee -- The extensive woodland running on the left of this hole presents an out-of-bounds risk for the whole length of this Par 5. The broad fairway veers left for the second shot but the safer line from the tee is slightly right, taking care not to get blocked by the copse in the middle distance if you hit a long ball

    5th Hole: The Tee

  • 5th Hole: The Approach -- As you swing left in a slight dog-leg around the wood, the prospect of the distant green is somewhat daunting. Cut out of the surrounding terrain on a severely sloping gradient, it presents a difficult target especially as a ball hit too short will tend to run away down the slope towards the rough on the left.

    5th Hole: The Approach

  • 5th Hole: View back from The Green -- From behind the green, when looking back up the fairway to the turn, the dangers occasioned by the sloping ground are obvious. Once on the green, beware of its tricky gradients which make judgement of pace vital.

    5th Hole: View back from The Green

  • 6th Hole: Tee to Green -- A masterpiece of treachery, the green of this longish Par 3 is steeply banked, very narrow and sloping in two tiers. With a cluster of greenside bunkers and positioned in a corner by dense woodland, it presents a real challenge. Even straight drives tend to run left, often providing an interesting second shot before the putting can commence

    6th Hole: Tee to Green

  • 6th Hole: The Green -- Finding this green from the tee is a small victory in itself. If the second shot is to be a pitch or chip from the side, the narrowness of the target and the waiting side bunkers demand full concentration. The putting surface slopes from back to front, making an approach from the front even more desirable

    6th Hole: The Green

  • 7th Hole: The Fairway -- The tree-lined River Avon to the left and a bund on the right, marking an out-of-bounds, are well clear of anything but the most reckless drive. The line of oaks marching diagonally across the fairway at driving distance presents much more of a problem. Negotiating the obvious gap in the middle is the key to a successful outcome on this fascinating Par 5.

    7th Hole: The Fairway

  • 7th Hole: The Approach to the Green -- The River Avon runs directly across the front of the green allowing little margin of error at this stage. Whether it be your second or third shot, access to the green requires a firm line between the two stands of trees at the water’s edge. But hit it too far and a long return could prove awkward as the green slopes back towards the water.

    7th Hole: The Approach to the Green

  • 7th Hole: The Green -- Having successfully negotiated the river to reach the two-tiered green, the work is almost done. However, look out for the gradient if forced to putt down the green towards the hazard.

    7th Hole: The Green

  • 8th Hole: The Tee -- Access to the fairway is narrowed by the trees alongside the river on the right and by the out-of-bounds along the left. A large oak on the left at driving distance restricts the options open to the long driver wishing to avoid the dangers of the river on the right hand side. But first… get it over the river, which is just in front of the ladies’ tee!

    8th Hole: The Tee

  • 8th Hole: The Green and the River -- The River Avon forms the right hand boundary for the whole length of this Par 4 and with its sloping bank and lush vegetation it is a magnet for off-target shots into the green. The green itself juts well out onto the river bank, whilst at its left side there are tall trees to punish those who, in avoiding the obvious dangers on the right, opt for an over-cautious line from the fairway.

    8th Hole: The Green and the River

  • 9th Hole: Tee to Green -- From the tee, this seemingly uncomplicated short Par 3 reveals little of the broad green with its subtle borrows. The gallery watching from the clubhouse will notice how good your judgement of distance and line really was!

    9th Hole: Tee to Green

  • 9th Hole: The Green -- This enormous double green is shared with the 18th but there is plenty of room for separation of the two flags! Playing in from the 9th Tee [on the right in this picture] the other section of green is obscured by small trees and a low bank.

    9th Hole: The Green

  • 10th Hole: Tee to Fairway -- At this interesting Par 4, the River Avon separates the long teeing area from the broad fairway beyond. From the back tee this poses an interesting challenge, especially in windy conditions. As would be expected on this course there are trees to punish wayward drives on either side. Once the fairway has been reached, the hole becomes much more straightforward

    10th Hole: Tee to Fairway

  • 10th Hole: The Green -- Two bunkers guard the front entrance to this round, level green which is surrounded by a continuous low bank around the sides and back.

    10th Hole: The Green

  • 11th Hole: Tee to Green -- The backdrop of oaks behind the green is thought to give a false impression of distance, whereby the hole may play longer than expected. Club selection is important, as is accuracy, because the surrounding mounds throw all off-line drives away from the target leaving a delicate chip or pitch for the second shot.

    11th Hole: Tee to Green

  • 11th Hole: Approaching the Green -- Slightly domed and sloping towards the front, this green may not be as straightforward as it appeared from the tee. There are low banks on three sides requiring a delicate chip if your tee shot was wide of the target. Partial shade from the tall trees at the back may add to the complications of judging the pace of your putt.

    11th Hole: Approaching the Green

  • 12th Hole: The Tee -- The drive is blind over the hill with the fairway always taking the ball left towards the rough or, even worse, to drop behind the oaks for a tricky second shot. From the back tee the aim has to be very precise to avoid trouble on either side.

    12th Hole: The Tee

  • 12th Hole: The Green -- Once over the brow of the hill, the fairway drops gently to a fairly small round green defended in front by two awkward low mounds which can spoil the line of incoming shots. The putting surface itself has a slight slope towards the back, so a high approach shot yields the best chance of holding the green.

    12th Hole: The Green

  • 13th Hole: Tee to Green -- A lovely Par 3 with a twist in the tail, the green curves away left behind a sentinel oak on the low bank which almost encircles the green. There are plenty of other trees equally intent on dealing with wayward shots and, once on the green, you will realise that it has big surprises in terms of borrows and speed.

    13th Hole: Tee to Green

  • 13th Hole: The Green -- Curving away from the entrance to be almost hidden by the trees which surround it on three sides, this narrow green will only be found from the tee by a solid straight shot, ideally with a little draw. A miss could mean coming in by a most difficult chip over the side banking. Finally, the surface is bowed and runs away from the centre to the back, so putting demands your full concentration on line and pace.

    13th Hole: The Green

  • 14th Hole: From the Tee to the Hill -- The first task on this tasty Par 5 is to drive up the slope, missing the large oak on the left, and to drop onto the plateau beyond, where the fairway is at its widest. Too far right, and the second shot will be out from the rough and possibly with a difficult line to regain the best approach to the green.

    14th Hole: From the Tee to the Hill

  • 14th Hole: The Approach -- The ideal approach to the green is through the gap where the fairway narrows between mature oaks on the right and the copse of small pines to the left. The green is dead centre in the far distance in this view, taken from the left-hand side of the main stretch of fairway.

    14th Hole: The Approach

  • 14th Hole: The Green -- Viewed from the back of the green, the obvious gap between the tall oaks and the copse of pines shows the way in from the main band of fairway. The exposed green is spacious with some teasing undulations.

    14th Hole: The Green

  • 15th Hole: View from the Tee -- This classic Par 3 offers a shot at a huge kidney-shaped green from high above on the “Hill Top”. The wind can be an issue in this elevated position and club selection is important, although the pond beyond poses less of a threat than the newcomer may imagine. From the back tee the gap between the foreground trees may seem uncomfortably narrow when a cross-wind blows.

    15th Hole: View from the Tee

  • 15th Hole: The Green -- Finding the 15th green from the elevated tee requires good club selection as the green may be somewhat sheltered from any winds higher up. In this picture, taken near the pond at the back of the green, the tee position can be glimpsed in the break in the trees to the right of the buggy track down to the green

    15th Hole: The Green

  • 16th Hole: The Tee -- The flag on the distant green is barely visible beyond the last pair of oaks as you prepare your drive on this long Par 4, but there is plenty of fairway to work with either side of the centre line. Later, trees on both sides crowd in on the fairway and can play a part in determining how your second shot is to be played.

    16th Hole: The Tee

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