North Hants Golf Club

Overview: North Hants is an 18-hole heathland course on the edge of Fleet, with a sandy base, heather and stands of pine giving the holes a distinctly inland character. The fairways move between wooded corridors and more open ground, while bunkers and the contours around the greens make approach position important. The result is a course that asks for thoughtful placement from the tee and a clear plan into the putting surfaces, without relying on length alone.

History: The club opened in 1904, with Princess Alexander of Teck present at the opening. James Braid laid out the original course; Harry Colt undertook a substantial redesign in 1913, followed by further work from Tom Simpson in 1930. Donald Steel added three new holes in 2001. These successive contributions are part of the course’s design record, rather than a single unchanged layout attributed to one architect.

Did You Know? North Hants’ Hampshire Hog amateur event dates to 1957. The course has also continued to adjust its routing: work beginning in 2018 reshaped the former par-five third into alternative holes 3a and 3b, with the new hole opening in May 2019. That modern change sits alongside a longer design history involving Braid, Colt, Simpson and Steel.