Woodhall Spa and Golf Club

The Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa occupies a distinctive position in English inland golf, set on sandy heathland in the Lincolnshire countryside. While Harry Vardon's name is associated with the original layout from 1905, the course underwent significant redesign work by Harry Colt in the 1920s, and later revisions by Colt's partner Charles Alison and by S.V. Hotchkin himself, after whom the course is named. The property's naturally sandy, well-drained soil is unusual for this part of England and provides firm playing conditions more typical of heathland courses near London. The routing moves through mature pine and birch woodland, with heather and gorse framing the fairways. The course is particularly known for its deep, revetted bunkers—some of the most severe in British golf—which require careful navigation and often demand backward or sideways recovery shots. These dramatic hazards, many with steep faces and considerable depth, define the strategic character of the layout and create a distinctive visual and competitive challenge. Woodhall Spa serves as the home of the English Golf Union and has hosted numerous national amateur championships, including multiple English Amateur Championships and the Brabazon Trophy. The club maintains a traditional members' culture while welcoming visitors, and the course regularly appears in rankings of England's top inland layouts. A second course, the Bracken, provides an additional eighteen holes on the property.