Brokenhurst Manor is the second golf club to be featured in Bob Brunskell's tour of 50 courses in Hampshire.

We'll feature a course every week for a year to bring all golf enthusiasts an in-depth look at where they can play.

This week Bob moves into the New Forest to have a look at this historic club.

Britain's Ryder Cup team used to practise on the testing fairways of Brokenhurst Manor before heading across the Atlantic by boat for their bi-annual contest.

It was no coincidence that they chose this delightful course deep in the heart of the New Forest. It was designed by Henry Cole, one of the leading golf course designers of his day, and demanded accurate driving and intricate iron play.

Today the challenge of the course depends on what tee you go off. The club have sensibly created tee placing to suit your handicap.

One thing is for sure. The course that evolved from 12 to 18 holes in 1915, has never been in better condition.

The problem of being in the New Forest where ground can often be on, or even below, sea level, is obvious. When the rains come with a vengeance, so do the floods.

Brok have combated that with a major programme of drainage and irrigation work funded by private membership schemes. Two dams have been built to stop water coming in and there are even ditches on the boundaries of the course to keep it at bay.

The end product is play all year round. Club manager Paul Clifford smiled: "When Henry Cole designed the course, he conformed with the theory that golf was a game played between May and September.

"So like everyone else in the Forest we had more than our fair share of problems. Now the course has never been in better condition although the work has actually added to the difficulty factor with lateral ditches affecting a couple of holes on the back nine."

Brokenhurst Manor embraces many of the game's more attractive traditional qualities, right down to its clubhouse which hasn't changed too much over the years.

It's reputation as one of the finest clubs in the area is borne out by the quality of its top players - like the current Hampshire captain Kevin Weeks and European tour campaigner Martin Le Mesurier, who were both products of Brok's innovative junior coaching programmes.

Many clubs place great importance on junior development but Brok were one of the first, and many more fine players have come through their junior ranks like current Hampshire players Martin and Jonathan Young and the current county youth champion Jonathan Watt.

The most celebrated member of all is perhaps John Jacobs, founder of the European Tour and teacher supreme. He's in good company at Brok where former Hampshire president John Nettell and the Hampshire PGA secretary David Wheeler are long-established members.

One of the strong features of the 6,222-yard course, which hosted the Hampshire Women's Championships earlier in the year, is the four par threes, all different, all delightful and all difficult in their own way.

Under the watchful eye of course manager Ed McCabe, Brokenhurst Manor exudes quality and the good news is they have room for new members

BROKENHURST MANOR FACTFILE:

LOCATION: Sway Road, Brockenhurst. One mile from Brockenhurst village centre on Sway Road.

COURSE: Forest.

YARDAGE: 18-hole 6,222 yards. Par 70. SS 70.

GREEN FEES: Weekdays £48, £58 for two rounds. Weekends £58, £73 for two rounds.

CLUB MEMBERSHIP: Joining fee £1,500, full membership £795, junior membership £160. There are vacancies.

COURSE AVAILABILITY: On application (for gents up to 24 handicap and ladies up to 36). Club handicap certificates necessary.

SOCIETIES: Thursdays only on application.

FACILITIES: Practice ground, bar, full catering.

CLUB PROFESSIONAL: Bruce Parker.

CLUB MANAGER: Paul Clifford.

TELEPHONE: 01590 623332.