History
The course at Stoneham is considered to be one of the best in Hampshire and is unusual in having 5 Par 5's and 5 Par 3's. Undulating through a beautiful heathland and parkland setting with views over the Itchen valley towards Winchester it is a course that rewards brain over brawn.

It was built in the old deer park of North Stoneham & was designed by Willie Park Junior, then the Professional at Sunningdale Golf Club and a leading designer of the day who personally supervised the construction which took place around 1907-1909.

He revelled in the opportunity offered by the rolling land and the stream that meandered through it. Swathes were cut through the trees for fairways, greens were built (the construction incorporating rafts of heather to ensure good drainage), and the final course, measuring 6,033yds, offering a satisfying challenge to golfers striking Haskell balls with hickory-shafted clubs. A formal match to open the course was played in 1909 between J.H. Taylor and James Braid even though course had been open for play since the previous year.

Changes were made to the course in 1912 on the advice of J.H. Taylor and as a result the course was extended to 6,244yds, with a SSS of 74. Since then other changes have taken place; tees have been lengthened and in once case shortened, bunkers repositioned and a stream has been created around the left side of the relocated 17th green. The greens are the generally same as when they were built except the 9th which was relaid and slightly banked at the back and the 13th which has been moved to the left.

Course Challenges
Stoneham has always been regarded as a good challenge and tests the best golfers as has been shown on many occasions. The undulating terrain that the course is laid out on means that there are not many flat lies to be found and the greens are fast and full of subtle borrows, so the course plays a lot harder than its 6400 yard length might suggest.

The course opens with a straight forward par 5 of 499 yards before the testing par 3 second which features a huge green. The short uphill par 4 third causes more than its fair share of high scores. The fourth is rightfully stroke index 1 due the sweeping fairway that slopes one way one side of the stream and the other way as you approach the green. The challenge continues when you reach the green which has big sweeping breaks. The fifth and sixth give a break from the extremes of the course, but care still needs to be taken. The seventh is a 230 yard uphill par 3 that generally plays in to the prevailing wind so par here is a great score. The short eighth is the second of 3 par 3s in 4 holes and generally plays one club longer than its length due to the wind swirling in the trees. The front nine is completed with a 383 yard par 4 where the drive from an elevated tee can reach the top of hill give a great view of the large green.

The back nine begins with a 182 yard par 3 and a green that slopes to the right. The eleventh is a good long par four and is one of the most picturesque holes on the course. The green is framed by rhododendrons at the back and a steep slope down to a stream at the front. A generous par 5 follows with only the 130 yard carry over a heather covered valley cause for concern. The 270 yard par 4 thirteenth with its blind drive offers birdies and bogies in equal measure. The remaining holes, with the exception of the short par 3 sixteenth, sweep up and down the undulating terrain offering a great variety of good holes. The best of these is probably the 17th which is a 380 yard par 4 that curves around to the right to a green that has a stream running around it. The climb up the par 5 eighteenth brings you back in sight of the Clubhouse where much appreciated refreshments are waiting.