Bearwood Lakes

Reading, Berkshire.

Par 72, 6,850 yards.

Designer: Martin Hawtree.
Green fees: £100 day membership Mon-Thurs.
Tel: 0118 979 7900.

A significant rise for this relatively new course, which continues to improve as part of a two-year plan led by Guy Hockley, who worked closely with Martin Hawtree on the original design. Since the course opened in 1996 no modifications had been made until work began in November 2011. A number of new bunkers have been added and some modified to improve the visibility of some holes from the tee and to ‘future proof’ the course. Mature trees have been moved to improve the overall look of some holes. A heather restoration programme has been implemented and areas conducive to heather growing have been given new plantations.

A new elevated tee has been built on the par-5 16th to enable a view down the hole while two new fairway bunkers were added to make the drive more challenging and aesthetically pleasing. A further bunker was added to the green. A small pond used to sit between the 8th and 9th and this has now been dramatically extended and clad with railways sleepers to create a feature par-3 (9th). The green has been extended to the back left to provide a challenging pin position and there is now a run-off area front right which has replaced a bunker. Standing on the 8th tee the water can now clearly be seen and is designed to catch the golfer’s eye. Gorse has been removed from the right, and heather planted. A small drainage ditch used to run across the 10th fairway and the area to the right of the green was often wet. The ditch has been removed and the ‘wet’ area excavated into two ponds that join the Upper Bearwood Lake which sits in front of the 11th tee. It is better visually as well as improving the drainage.