An Open for Everyone: Woodhall Spa provides a fitting end to the biggest iGolf season yet

There are few courses in the UK quite as daunting as Woodhall Spa’s Hotchkin Course. By some measures, it’s the hardest course in the Kingdom. But as GolfMagic arrives in this tranquil part of Lincolnshire on a warm summer’s day, the course, baked dry by an historic summer of drought and heat, is a particularly gnarly beast.

The fairways, scorched and hard as concrete, run a mile, bringing boundless fescue and every one of the course’s 140+ bunkers into play. It would be a serious test for the pros, let alone your everyday amateur. Which is why here, as the spiritual home of England golf, feels so fitting as the final for an England Golf initiative that, now in its fourth year, has captured the imagination of England’s everyday golfers.

The day we arrive, dozens of amateurs are checking in at the clubhouse with a sense of anticipation. They’ve arrived from all four corners of the country, having qualified for the iGolf Open final by playing iGolf Open events earlier on in the year. Open to anyone with an iGolf handicap, the iGolf Open series is designed to give everyday players the chance to play events that feel just that little more special, with elevated stakes and the chance to go down as a genuine England Golf tournament winner.

No prize money is offered, but winners and placeholders in the male and female categories were awarded Caddy Comps vouchers, FootJoy MyJoys shoes, and a selection of Titleist accessories. The stableford format ensures that golfers of all handicaps, whether they’re playing their first tournament or not, have a puncher’s chance of taking home the title.

Extra touches add to the sense that the iGolf Open Finalists are playing in an event that’s a little more elevated than your standard weekend comp.

The players have their names announced on the tee before hitting off on the first, a small yet important moment of recognition for the efforts that have got them to the Final, while a prizegiving dinner is laid on at the Woodhall Spa clubhouse afterwards.

The golf, naturally, is frenetic, the crucible of the Hotchkin separating those who really thrive under the added pressure of competition play.

As we navigate the course ourselves, in a group behind the actual tournament players, we ponder what a winning score might be with the course playing so firm and fast. As it turns out, the winner, Brad Carter, prevails with a score of 42 points – a true round of a lifetime, played out in a worthy scenario.

Already, the keen eyes of iGolf subscribers are looking forward to what the 2027 iGolf Open series will bring. England Golf are hopeful of delivering a schedule that’s bigger and bolder than ever, taking in more of England’s most underrated and accessible courses, and taking the series from strength to strength – once again with the promise of that fateful showdown at Woodhall Spa waiting at the end. If you’re an iGolf Handicap holder, you’d be mad not to get involved. 

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