Brass Castle as Middlesbrough GC is also known, was a joy to play. Whilst the club dates back to 1908, the course on the site at Brass Castle was designed somewhat later when in 1937 the land was acquired and James Braid laid out an 18 hole course. Whilst not all of his original design remains, his fingerprints remain all over the course. 12 of the original holes remaining, although not in the original routing he laid out.

And interestingly, some of the best holes are not of his handiwork, holes 6 - 8, with the 8th being the signature hole and also a truly excellently designed hole. Holes 12 - 14 are also not Braids work with the 12th another excellent hole.

Out of Braids holes, the current 5th (Braids 12th) is in my view his best work, a downhill par 4, which dips out of view towards a brook that dissects the fairway (blind off the tee), before leaving an uphill approach to a small sloping green, protected left and right by 2 bunkers each side and a small tree blocking the approach from the right hand side.

The biggest complement I can make to the designers of the newer holes is that you cannot tell the difference in greensite design between Braids and the newer holes.

All greens are small with slopes; there is not a flat surface. They take many shapes but kidney, pear shaped, 3 leaf clover wouldn't be out of keeping in describing them. The dry Spring weather in the UK has firmed up all courses and Middlesbrough is no different. Small green targets were hard to hold even with well struck shots. To compound the challenge the green sites are well protected with strategic bunkering, another aspect of the design that impressed me. Both greens and fairways could do with much needed rain to stimulate growth but it would be unfair for the purposes of this review to score these negatively as this is an issue facing all clubs at the moment.

The holes laid out over the flatter higher ground are the least interesting architecturally wise (holes 1 - 4 and 17 - 18) but right from the start the greensites impress. A wide open fairway on the 1st may look a little uninteresting as you tee off but the kidney shaped small green on a slightly downhill approach immediately makes you realise that the courses highlights will be the greens.

A sweeping par 5 follows played in the opposite direction, and then once the 3rd tee a wide open fairway awaits. But upon reaching your ball to play the approach, another excellent greensite awaits, playing slightly downhill, again to a narrow neck of a green that slopes back to front. A medium length par 3 follows before the start of a run of holes 5 - 16 that are very good indeed, played over more undulating ground. In addition to the 5th, the 6th is stunning off the tee, a high tee sweeping dog leg right, playing downhill where your tee shot has to be played down the left hand side as the fairways feeds back to the right where trouble lurks in the form of woods and red staked areas. A downhill approach into a green, with sentry bunkers and a narrow neck awaits.

The 7th is an all carry, slightly downhill, mid length par 3. The carry is over a valley and anything short will end up on the bank. The green is also 2 tiered.

Then the signature hole. Visibly good looking it also has strong architectural credentials. A gentle fade off the tee sets up the approach, but mind the cross fairway brook, with the green perched uphill, trees left and right framing the green and a wicked back to front sloping green. With the greens running fast and a front pin, any putt from above the pin seriously risks being degreened.

Whilst the 9th again appears a wide open fairway, the positioning of the bunkers off the tee creates questions on shot shapes and the approach to the green is blind, again another small green with higher banking left and bunkers right. The semi blind nature of some tee shots played up slightly rising land or where the green is on a lower parcel) is a common theme i.e no visibility of the green (holes 1, 3, 6, 9, 17 and 18).

10th is a wonderful driveable par 4 to a small plateau green, before a sweeping dog leg left par 5. I'm not a big hitter but as long as you draw your tee shot around the copse of trees jutting in from the left hand side on the corner of the dog leg, it is reachable in 2. A brook running down the right hand side catches overhit tee shots and 2 ponds left add extra protection to a green perched on the valley side.

The 12th is an exceptional dog leg left, initially sweeping downhill, framed by pines and then an uphill approach to a long green with another wicked back to front slope.

The 3rd of the 4 par 3's is the best in my opinion, slightly downhill and heavily bunkered, asking the right questions in terms of club selection.

Another sweeping downhill dog leg right par 4 follows, where favouring the left hand side off the tee, opens up your approach.

The run of good holes follows. The 15th, whilst straight is long, played into the prevailing wind and whilst not visually striking is a good driving hole.

The last of the par 3s is again slightly downhill and with the wind behind it was difficult to find a club selection that would hold the green. A minor criticism given the dry conditions for the last 4 weeks. Banking at the rear of the green will try and hold the ball up albeit not totally successfully. Again, if being slightly critical all 4 par 3s play mid length and 3 of them are slightly downhill. A little more variety would have been welcomed.

And then down the 17th with a slightly blind tee shot, the green opening up slightly downhill as you reach the rise in the fairway, with a similar situation facing you on the 18th. On the latter, a sneaky bunker is hidden off the tee, further into the fairway than the 2 bunkers you can see. Whilst I'm a fan of raised bunkers so that you can see them off the tee, adding visual appeal as well spelling out the challenge you are about to face, the sneaky hidden bunker actually was a nice touch.

The club has spent significant money on drainage in recent years and also putting in new gravel pathways throughout the entire course, the latter helping guide you around the course but also adding some definition and framing to some of the holes.

This is a proper members club. The welcome very friendly, the clubhouse impressive. But it was the charm of the course and the variety of holes on offer that could see me quite happily playing here every week if I lived close by.

Must have been a challenge to rout a course through the hilly terrain of Millersburg, Ohio.

As mentioned in previous reviews, the land is somewhat extreme in spots featuring severe uphill approaches and slopes that make even the most well struct tee balls roll off the intended landing area. Couple the slopes with some narrow fairways and you wind up with a hand full of holes that are downright unpleasant to look at from the tee.

Walking the course is reserved for Ironmen triathletes in training as there are numerous uphill treks between greens and the next tee box.

Overall conditions give the impression that Black Diamond is in economic distress. Cart paths have deteriorated to the point that all terrain buggies might be the only option to negotiate the rough trail.

On the positive side, the long views of the course and the surrounding countryside are stellar. Many of the holes are downright beautiful. My favorite was hole 11, a longish downhill par 3 over a pond to a green that sits tight to a wonderful old barn. Blending the heritage of this region into the course was a good move.

Stoneham isn’t a showy course but it’s a place that exceeded my expectations, and I’d return in a heartbeat.

Tucked quietly to the north of Southampton, just a sharp turn and a bridge away from the M3 and M27, lies Stoneham Golf Club, a course that’s more than worth the slightly confusing final turn off the sat-nav. Once you arrive, a sense of tradition and natural beauty greets you—subtle, mature, and full of character. Designed in 1908 by the legendary Willie Park Jr., Stoneham has a pedigree and architectural significance to match its historic roots, having once hosted the British Masters.

Set across an old deer park, the course makes full use of the natural terrain. The site is a striking example of land working in harmony with architecture—rolling hills, ditches, furrows, and subtle elevation changes throughout. While it aligns itself with the heathland style, Stoneham doesn’t quite share the sandy-soiled, hollow feel of its Surrey cousins. Instead, it blends woodland and heath beautifully. Gorse in golden bloom lines fairways in spring, heather erupts in roughs and bunker edges, and the removal of trees in recent years has opened up sightlines and airflow, enhancing the rugged feel.

The soil, firm and free-draining, supports excellent year-round playability. You get firmness underfoot without the spongy, soft feel often associated with inland courses. The vegetation, primarily pine and silver birch with occasional deciduous interjections, contributes to a calming, enveloping atmosphere, where birdsong and hawks circling overhead more than offset the distant hum of the motorway.

The clubhouse has a traditional but polished charm. Wood-panelled locker rooms are clean and well-appointed, and though I didn’t eat there, the large glass windows overlooking the 18th green and short game area make the dining space feel open and inviting. The pro shop, housed separately next to the first tee, is very well stocked, with knowledgeable, friendly staff that made a strong first impression.

But the star of the show is undoubtedly the routing and architectural flow. The course dances with the terrain. Every hole reveals a different nuance—blind tee shots, elevated greens, table tops, ditches, and deceptive run-offs. There’s always something to puzzle through. It's not just a round of golf; it's a lesson in strategy, restraint, and local knowledge. And with a slope rating of just 119 and a modest 5,900 yards from the yellows, Stoneham dares you to underestimate it. I did. I won’t make that mistake again.

• 2nd (Par 3 – 182 yards) A long, early test framed by woodland. The green sits like an island on a tabletop, guarded by mounding left and bunkers short. It’s a beautiful yet demanding par 3.
• 4th (Par 4 – 447 yards) The blind tee shot offers only a glimpse of the green in the distance. From the crest, the fairway drops to a stream, crossed by charming wooden bridges, before climbing again toward a broad, green amphitheatre surrounded by tall pines. One of the best visuals on the course.
• 5th (Par 4 – 291 yards) A tempting short par 4, slightly doglegging right. Fade one down the centre, avoid the fairway bunkers, and you’re rewarded with an inviting approach to a large green. One of the few scoring chances.
• 8th (Par 3 – 145 yards) My favourite, the signature hole. A charming bridge crosses a ditch to a green perched atop a steep slope, surrounded by four bunkers and a swaying frame of pine. The wind whips here—club choice is everything.
• 9th (Par 4 – 332 yards) Uphill drive, then downhill roll—another scoring hole if you manage your approach. A nice touch: WhatsApp your food order from the tee, and it’s ready at the halfway hut beside the green. A lovely wooden shack with benches and shade.
• 11th (Par 4) Completely blind off the tee. But the approach—carrying a ditch, sweeping downhill and back up to a green carved into the side of a hill—is one of the most dynamic on the course.
• 12th (Par 5 – 494 yards) A true strategy test. Another blind drive, then downhill into a narrow corridor guarded by a thin, steep fairway bunker draped in heather. A bad second shot here is punished.
• 13th (Par 4 – 250 yards) A drivable par 4 over a hill to a lightbulb-shaped green. Another blind tee shot, but high reward if you trust the line. Only one bunker guards the right—play smart or go bold.
• 14th (Par 5 – 458 yards) Short but intimidating. The fairway is a landscape of humps, dips, and ditches—like a wave rolling through heathland. A satisfying challenge of positioning over power.
• 17th (Par 4 – 354 yards) Another favourite. A downhill drive must stop short of a brook that splits the fairway. Then a delicate approach to a secluded green nestled beneath the man-made dunes of the range. A green guarded by stream left, bunker right—delightfully framed and full of drama.
• 18th (Par 5 - 460 yards) A final uphill battle. The fairway invites with width, then the approach steeply climbs to a green beneath the clubhouse terrace. Some construction work currently mars the backdrop, but once the new reservoirs are in and the earth is settled, it will make for a brilliant finish.

The greens are outstanding—true, quick, and full of subtle breaks. The fairways are varied and well-groomed. Bunkers are generally consistent, though the occasional small stone was found. Importantly, the course is not over-manicured. There’s a beautiful roughness to the natural areas, which have been carefully blended into the design by a greenkeeping team that deserves praise—not just for the work, but for their courtesy, patience, and warm manner.

Practice facilities include a modern driving range architecturally disguised as a dune system—blending effortlessly with the site. Two nets, a putting green, and a short game area round out the warm-up options.

At £85 on a County Card, Stoneham delivers value through intelligent architecture, memorable routing, and thoughtful conditioning. But beyond the layout, there’s a sense of soul here—found in the welcome from members, the laughter by the tee boxes, the subtle sound of the wind pushing through cleared trees, the buzz of nature.

Stoneham isn’t a showy course. It doesn’t try to wow you with extravagant holes or views beyond the site. Instead, it offers a cohesive, characterful, and challenging golf experience, one that rewards repeat visits and careful play.