6, 884 yards • Par 71

There are few better places to play golf than Ganton. The course is laid out on quiet undulating heathland which with a sandy subsoil is very freedraining. Impenetrable gorse abounds within the open nature of the heathland. There are few trees other than those on the boundaries; with plenty of space the original open character of the terrain has been retained. As to the bunkers, Ganton has few peers; the player who is bunkered is punished for his error. In an age when golf designers are making bunkers less penal, this is a welcome feature. The wind is always a factor at Ganton with the varying direction of the holes. The finest hole is possibly the eighteenth, requiring an accurately placed drive to give a clear shot to the sloping, well bunkered green. Championships have been won and lost on this hole for it sums up the principle of the whole Ganton layout; you are forced all the time to a choice of risks, if you are to achieve par. Gary Player once said that Ganton is the only inland course worthy of holding the Open Championship. It provides a relentless test for those aspiring to the greatest achievements in the game; the fast running fairways and the firm true greens require the highest quality of shot making and control.

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