What's Your Hidden Gem UK Edition? Submit your favourite "hidden gem" golf courses (less than £40)

[Divot License]

 

 

This is a shameless rip off from atursky's post except I thought the UK gems needed some attention also.

 

(http://www.golfwrx.c...4#entry17941464)

 

There are golf courses around the country that offer amazing scenery and intriguing layouts without burning through your wallet. These are the diamonds in the rough, the "hidden gems." They’re the hole-in-the-wall pizzerias that have way better food than the over-priced, sit-down Italian restaurant with the long wait and pretentious vibes.

 

In order to compile a helpful list of these hidden gem golf courses throughout the country, we need the help of the UK GolfWRX Members. To qualify, the course must cost less than £40, and it must be a fully public golf course.

 

In the thread below, please post the following information to submit your favorite course(s):

• Course Name:
  
• Town/City, County:
  
• Price Range:
  
• Course Website:
  
• A brief description of why you think it's a hidden gem (and please include a photo if you have one!):
  

[North Butte]

Fully public in most of the UK either means a resort (not going to be under 40 quid) or it’s a pay and play in which case the “gems” are going to be few and far between.

[Superbrit]

Fully public in most of the UK either means a resort (not going to be under 40 quid) or it's a pay and play in which case the "gems" are going to be few and far between.

 

Im a member of Portal, which has 2 really good courses, and is a resort

 

Ive never played a decent municipal, unless you count the Old course? so with you on that

[North Butte]

Fully public in most of the UK either means a resort (not going to be under 40 quid) or it's a pay and play in which case the "gems" are going to be few and far between.

 

Im a member of Portal, which has 2 really good courses, and is a resort

 

But nowhere near 40 pounds for a walk-up green fee, I'm guessing.

[Superbrit]

Fully public in most of the UK either means a resort (not going to be under 40 quid) or it's a pay and play in which case the "gems" are going to be few and far between.

 

Im a member of Portal, which has 2 really good courses, and is a resort

 

But nowhere near 40 pounds for a walk-up green fee, I'm guessing.

 

Im not sure about walk up, but you could easily get it for under £40 on Teeofftimes, thats how i found out about the place, and its open virtually all year round, on proper greens

 

I prefer the championship course, but i know a lot of people who prefer the Premier course

[North Butte]

Sounds like a hidden gem!

[Superbrit]

Macdonald Portal (my home course, both courses)

 

Marriott Worsley

 

Mottram Hall

 

Hawkestone Park (Hawkestone course)

 

Blundells Hill (difficult to play at the weekend)

 

Houghwood

 

All really nice course's around the Cheshire area (where i'm from) and all available for less than £40, either booked through Teeofftimes or through there respective websites, and yes i have played all these courses at least once

[Hawkeye77]

Edit.

[Shrinkwr4p]

Cullen £25

 

http://www.cullenlinksgolf.co.uk/home-cullen-links-gc/

 

or Dunaverty £28

 

http://www.dunavertygolfclub.com/index.htm

 

Best holiday golf of my life was a week spent playing greensomes with my boys then 8, 10 and 12 over Dunaverty. Those of you who take the time and trouble to go to Machrihanish should put aside half a day for the joy that is Dunaverty

[thecraw]

I'll echo the shout for Dunaverty.

 

Boat of Garten just outside Aviemore is fantastic.

 

https://www.boatgolf.com/cms/

 

Largs Golf Club in Ayrshire is also worth a mention.

 

http://www.largsgolfclub.co.uk/

[macdowa]

Another vote for Boat of Garten. Fantastic wee club.

 

Fortrose and Golspie are both worth a look if you enjoy links golf. Fortrose might not be long but catches the wind. It looks straight across the water to Castle Stuart.

[scunny]

If you want value and gem's of course id put forward the home town of golfing legend Tony Jacklin, Scunthorpe

Normanby Hall you have a muni that's too good a layout to be one sitting in David Camerons father in laws deer park. Great risk reward par 5's, Par 3's with distinct different feel and directio and par 4's with great use of bunkers and mature tree's

Suffered of late with council politics but in good nick off the white's more than worth it

Holme Hall has probably the best turf in the area so great smooth subtle green's and lot's intelligent holes that ask different things

Elsham is a real test inside lots of mature tree's and like Holme Hall great putting surfaces

On top of that you've Scunthorpe GC (Ashby Decoy) Jacklins holme club where they still play for the Jacklin trophy and a modern resort course in Forest Pines.

Chuck in constant wind off the north sea Humber estuary and you've got a great place to play although i am biased as i turned pro at Normanby Hall but still go back now 20 years later

Outside of that id check out

Oakdale (Harrogate) Prototype for augusta where they play an awesome low am event the Acorn. Just full of charcater holes that use the land incredibly

Duff House Royal . Just stunning only one par 5 with a bizarre green but incredible use of the land and design

 

[babyfade]

Pitlochry in Pertshire.

[Chanceman]

Windermere in the Lake District is fab

[Divot License]

Macdonald Portal (my home course, both courses)

 

Marriott Worsley

 

Mottram Hall

 

Hawkestone Park (Hawkestone course)

 

Blundells Hill (difficult to play at the weekend)

 

Houghwood

 

All really nice course's around the Cheshire area (where i'm from) and all available for less than £40, either booked through Teeofftimes or through there respective websites, and yes i have played all these courses at least once

 

I've played both Hawkestone and Houghwood and agree both would qualify as "hidden gems". Can't be played for a small green fee if at the right time and are both incredibly enjoyable golf courses.

[Superbrit]

Macdonald Portal (my home course, both courses)

 

Marriott Worsley

 

Mottram Hall

 

Hawkestone Park (Hawkestone course)

 

Blundells Hill (difficult to play at the weekend)

 

Houghwood

 

All really nice course's around the Cheshire area (where i'm from) and all available for less than £40, either booked through Teeofftimes or through there respective websites, and yes i have played all these courses at least once

 

I've played both Hawkestone and Houghwood and agree both would qualify as "hidden gems". Can't be played for a small green fee if at the right time and are both incredibly enjoyable golf courses.

 

And if you stay at the Hawkestone hotel you get to know what it would have been like to stay at Faulty Towers in the 70's

[Chanceman]

Windermere

 

 

 

[imakaveli]

Stonehaven

[scott_Donald]

Stonehaven

 

lol.

 

I can't stand there, oh I have hit a great shot and the ball has run sideways 30 yards!

 

Montrose! great fun course that I used to play when I was a kid.

[Shrinkwr4p]

Anybody mention Forfar?

 

"Forfar Golf Club has the 4th oldest 18 hole course in the world and is the very first Club to have an 18 hole course from inception and inauguration. In 1871, Founding member James Brodie invited Tom Morris Snr to Forfar where he laid out an 18-hole golf course. This was the very first 18-hole course built from inception anywhere in the world. Tom Morris Snr was bestowed as an Honorary Member of the Forfar Golf Club and visited many times to play on the course that he designed based on the template of the 18 hole layout of the Old Course. The course underwent a redesign in 1926 by James Braid, however 13 of the original 1871 greens and holes are in the same if not very similar locations today."

 

It's a joy to play. Half an hour up the road from Carnoustie. £36 a round and £10 less if you are a senior.

 

https://www.forfargolfclub.co.uk/

[Hawkeye77]

LOL, no idea, but "substantial" sounds more fun than "advanced"!

[El Gringo]

I will offer a few, but none are fully public. That said, all will take visitors at certain times and days.

 

1. Kington...Herefordshire (very close to Wales)...£34 weekend fee: A course gaining some notoriety because Doak gave it a 7 in his latest CG edition of GB&I...he isn't wrong.

 

2. Cavendish...Derbyshire...£35 top fee: A wonderful little course by Dr Mac which plays far harder than the card suggests.

 

3. Welshpool...Powys (Wales)...£30 weekend fee: Another hilltop course with outstanding greensites/greens...this time by James Braid.

 

There are more, but this should do for now.

 

Ciao

Edited December 15, 2020 by El Gringo

[Malvern]

Stonehaven

 

Peaked my interest given the Australian Open is called the Stonehaven Cup

 

https://www.golf.org.au/site/_content/document/00010364-source.pdf

[milesgiles]

Some good lists here..

 

I’ll add :

 

Powfoot, near Gretna. Well above average links, rivetted bunkers, decent views. Complete bargain especially by Scottish standards.

 

Portpatrick along the coast, similar price, friendly and charming, great views.

 

Dunstanburgh, clifftop Northumberland, better course than the more famous Bamburgh, views nearly as good, and much cheaper.

 

Crews Hill, north London. Recent discovery very close to me, plays like a heathland, it’s actually a better layout than the nearby (Open qualifying..) Old Fold Manor. Best cheap course in the area IMO.

 

Seaford Head, East Sussex, hopefully the cliff doesn’t go much further back or it will be losing holes.. several spectacular holes, certainly some weak ones as well, but it’s good fun and absolute nonsense cheap.

[El Gringo]

Some good lists here..

 

I’ll add :

 

Powfoot, near Gretna. Well above average links, rivetted bunkers, decent views. Complete bargain especially by Scottish standards.

 

Portpatrick along the coast, similar price, friendly and charming, great views.

 

Dunstanburgh, clifftop Northumberland, better course than the more famous Bamburgh, views nearly as good, and much cheaper.

 

Crews Hill, north London. Recent discovery very close to me, plays like a heathland, it’s actually a better layout than the nearby (Open qualifying..) Old Fold Manor. Best cheap course in the area IMO.

 

Seaford Head, East Sussex, hopefully the cliff doesn’t go much further back or it will be losing holes.. several spectacular holes, certainly some weak ones as well, but it’s good fun and absolute nonsense cheap.

 

Miles

Do you have any photos of Crews Hill? This is a Colt course pretty much intact so far as I can tell. I am willing to play just about any Colt design unless photos show the course has slipped too far away from the original conceptsCiao

[milesgiles]

Some good lists here..

 

I’ll add :

 

Powfoot, near Gretna. Well above average links, rivetted bunkers, decent views. Complete bargain especially by Scottish standards.

 

Portpatrick along the coast, similar price, friendly and charming, great views.

 

Dunstanburgh, clifftop Northumberland, better course than the more famous Bamburgh, views nearly as good, and much cheaper.

 

Crews Hill, north London. Recent discovery very close to me, plays like a heathland, it’s actually a better layout than the nearby (Open qualifying..) Old Fold Manor. Best cheap course in the area IMO.

 

Seaford Head, East Sussex, hopefully the cliff doesn’t go much further back or it will be losing holes.. several spectacular holes, certainly some weak ones as well, but it’s good fun and absolute nonsense cheap.

 

Miles

 

Do you have any photos of Crews Hill? This is a Colt course pretty much intact so far as I can tell. I am willing to play just about any Colt design unless photos show the course has slipped too far away from the original concepts.

 

Ciao

 

Didn’t take any so only what’s available on the web..no expert but I would say it was highly original, just let down by an ugly clubhouse/car park lol. It’s rumoured to be in serious financial trouble, and at least two other courses in the area are shut/shutting so I’d knock it off sooner than later..

[El Gringo]

Some good lists here..

 

I’ll add :

 

Powfoot, near Gretna. Well above average links, rivetted bunkers, decent views. Complete bargain especially by Scottish standards.

 

Portpatrick along the coast, similar price, friendly and charming, great views.

 

Dunstanburgh, clifftop Northumberland, better course than the more famous Bamburgh, views nearly as good, and much cheaper.

 

Crews Hill, north London. Recent discovery very close to me, plays like a heathland, it’s actually a better layout than the nearby (Open qualifying..) Old Fold Manor. Best cheap course in the area IMO.

 

Seaford Head, East Sussex, hopefully the cliff doesn’t go much further back or it will be losing holes.. several spectacular holes, certainly some weak ones as well, but it’s good fun and absolute nonsense cheap.

 

Miles

 

Do you have any photos of Crews Hill? This is a Colt course pretty much intact so far as I can tell. I am willing to play just about any Colt design unless photos show the course has slipped too far away from the original concepts.

 

Ciao

 

Didn’t take any so only what’s available on the web..no expert but I would say it was highly original, just let down by an ugly clubhouse/car park lol. It’s rumoured to be in serious financial trouble, and at least two other courses in the area are shut/shutting so I’d knock it off sooner than later..

 

Cheers Miles. A few other people I know said Crews Hill is worth a go if one isn't too far away. Its in a damn awkward spot though...I don't like risking the M25!

 

Ciao

[milesgiles]

Where are you coming from? Golden rule on the M25 only travel between 9.30 and 3.30, or after 7pm. Completely fudged up from 6am these days, and basically all day at Heathrow lol

[El Gringo]

Where are you coming from? Golden rule on the M25 only travel between 9.30 and 3.30, or after 7pm. Completely fudged up from 6am these days, and basically all day at Heathrow lol

 

I am in the Midlands. The older I get the more I dread using motorways in England. It seems there can be bad traffic anytime, anywhere. At the end of the month I am heading to Bournemouth. I normally first think of a detour to Surrey for a game on the way down. I think this time I will avoid the M25 and head for either Hockley or Stoneham. I like both courses and each have done some good tree clearing work since I last visited.

 

Ciao

[jonnymc44]

Winter and spring rates at Silloth are £30 and £40. Make the trip on a sunny winter's day and you won't regret it. Even at £55 summer rates you are getting a top quality course at a great price. I've just commented on the 'Prices' thread and said pretty much the same thing!

https://www.sillothgolfclub.co.uk/