Seckford

Par 67s have a reputation for being afterthoughts — short loops that apologize for themselves. Seckford, on the edge of Woodbridge in Suffolk, is not that. A predominantly par-3 and par-4 layout, it demands accurate ball-striking and course management over raw power, rewarding the thinking golfer who works the ball rather than the one who simply reaches for the driver.

Woodbridge sits in a corner of Suffolk that punches well above its weight for golf. The Deben estuary is just down the road, and the gently rolling, heathland-tinged countryside of this part of East Anglia gives courses here a distinct character — firm fairways, open skies, and an ever-present breeze that can quietly add several shots to a complacent scorecard. It is proper English golf country.

As a club course serving a market town with a proud local identity, Seckford carries the feel of a place where members genuinely know each other, competition is taken seriously, and visitors are welcomed without fuss. A useful, enjoyable test — and an honest one.