St Audry'S

Par 60 layouts ask a different question than a full-length test: can you actually score? St Audry's in Melton, a quiet village on the edge of Woodbridge in Suffolk's Deben Valley, is that kind of honest, unpretentious challenge — a course where iron play and short-game precision matter more than power, and where a wandering mind will cost you more than a wayward drive.

Suffolk is fine golf country, a county of heathland, river estuaries, and coastal light that has produced serious tracks without ever making too much noise about them. Melton sits just inland from the Deben, in gently rolling East Anglian countryside where the skies are wide and the turf tends to firm up quickly in the summer months. It's the kind of setting that rewards players who pay attention to conditions rather than length.

At 18 holes and par 60, St Audry's suits beginners finding their feet, seasoned players keeping their games sharp, and anyone who just wants to get out and play without a 5-hour commitment.