
The Woods Course
Sandford Springs Hotel & Golf Club

About this course
The Woods at Sandford Springs Hotel & Golf Club occupies a secluded site in the Hampshire countryside near Kingsclere, approximately midway between Newbury and Basingstoke. Designed by Martin Hawtree and opened in 2008, the course represents a modern addition to England's parkland golf tradition. Hawtree, known for his work on links courses and championship venues across Britain, created a layout here that works with the natural topography and mature woodland that defines the property. The routing moves through mixed terrain of rolling farmland and established trees, with the woodland corridors providing definition and shelter to many holes. Water features appear on several holes, adding strategic interest to what is primarily a parkland design. The course measures over 6,700 yards from the back tees and presents a balanced test with variety in hole length and direction. Elevation changes are moderate but sufficient to create visual interest and affect club selection. Sandford Springs operates as a hotel and golf resort, offering accommodation alongside the golf facilities. The setting in rural Hampshire provides a quiet environment removed from urban areas, with the North Wessex Downs nearby contributing to the landscape character. The course serves both hotel guests and members, functioning as a destination venue in a region with relatively few modern championship-length courses. The design emphasizes playability for a range of abilities while maintaining enough length and challenge for accomplished players.
Quick facts
- Location
- Kingsclere, Hampshire, England
- Access
- Public
- Year built
- 1989
- Designer
- Martin Hawtree
- Holes
- 9
- Par
- 36
- Length
- 3,148 yards
- Difficulty
- 38.6/145
Getting there
The journey to Sandford Springs Hotel & Golf Club begins at London Heathrow, roughly an hour's drive west into the gently rolling Hampshire countryside. The route threads through the M4 and A34 corridors before peeling off into quieter lanes that wind past thatched villages and ancient hedgerows, the landscape softening into the pastoral folds of the North Wessex Downs. As the final approach narrows through Kingsclere's market-town streets, the transition feels deliberate - a shedding of the capital's urgency in favor of the secluded, wooded estate that has quietly anchored this corner of Hampshire since the early 1990s.

FAQ
Common questions about The Woods at Sandford Springs Hotel & Golf Club
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
The Woods was designed by Martin Hawtree.
Yes. The Woods at Sandford Springs Hotel & Golf Club is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at The Woods is 36.
The Woods plays 3,148 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at The Woods is 145.
The Woods is a 9-hole course.



