Crosland Heath

It has commanding views of the town and down through the Colne Valley and as its name suggests this is a pure heathland golf course.

It's made all the more special by no less than five holes that are played over old quarries.

'The Heath' is one of my personal favourite courses because you have to conjure up a wide variety of shots, especially when the wind blows, which it often does. Some of the recovery shots you are faced with can be quite daunting and as a result many of the holes are played on edge, something I like and what few courses can do. The property is also well draining and thus makes it playable 12 months of the year.

The first hole is a par five and the quarry, which we are immediately introduced to, comes into play for the approach whether it be your second, third or fourth shot! The favourable option is often to lay up short of the quarry to leave a 80-100 yard pitch onto the plateau green but if you choose to do this you must make sure you don't try to get too close because if you tip-toe over the edge it is likely your ball will be irretrievable from the heathery quarry wall.

A delightful par three follows, again over a deep depression, where if you miss the green you are in real trouble.

The fourth, played tight alongside the out-of-bounds practice ground, and the fifth are both strong par fours. The former has an extremely quick green from back to front whilst the latter relies on length as its main defence at 457 yards and is usually into a strong head wind.

The next three holes are shorter par fours and whilst all are tricky they offer the opportunity to improve your score. The 7th is driveable in length but requires you to thread the eye of the needle through a narrow fairway flanked by heather and a deep bunker just shy of the green.

The front nine ends in dramatic fashion with a par three that is virtually an island green as it is surrounded by the quarries, heather and bushes. A good shot will set up a birdie putt but miss and you are likely to take four or more. In a cross wind this can be a terrifying shot.

The stretch of holes from the 10th to the 15th is played over less interesting ground and it is this middle part of the course that is the weakest but still doesn't disappoint. The 10th and 11th are played in opposite directions, firstly down the hill to an excellent green protected by a small pond before returning upwards. Birdie opportunities arise at the 13th, 14th and 15th thanks to two par fives that sandwich a very short par three. The greens on each of these holes can be difficult to judge with the 15th standing out as the most interestingly contoured.

Undoubtedly the best hole on the entire course is the 16th. It has a fairway that slopes and angles slightly left to right and is played uphill to a narrow green hidden between two large hummocks. Setting up a birdie chance here requires two of your best shots on a hole that has wrecked many a scorecard.

The round closes with another par three over the quarry, albeit a much larger target this time, before a downhill hole with a blind drive but an inviting green surrounded by bunkers.

If your golf ever takes you to the Huddersfield area this is certainly a course you should play.