Middle England - suggestions

[Mark Pearce]

I'm looking to play three days golf with a couple of friends in mid-October.  Since they're based in London and I'm in Newcastle, somewhere in between would be ideal.  I'm thinking Notts or Woodhall Spa (both of which we've played before) and a couple of courses new to us.  Current thoughts include Seacroft (if we go to Woodhall Spa), Sherwood Forest (if its Notts) and maybe Lindrick.

I'd appreciate views and/or suggestions of where else might be interesting and within a reasonable drive of either Notts or WS.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Mark, I would try to play Beau Desert.  It is an unsung and underappreciated heathland course.  I playedit last spring and can't wait to go back when the ground is firm and fast.

Ask Mark Rowlinson.  He knows every course in Middle England.  He fortunately does not speak middle English.  At least very much.

[Tommy Williamsen]

I concur with Sean.  Whitting Heath is colse to Beau Desert.  I'd play WH first.  I think if you played it after BD you might be a little disappointed.  Whil it is very good and the greens complexes are first rate it is on flattish ground.

Little Aston is parkland but well worth the visit, if for nothing else than the greens.

[Joe Andriole]

Alwoodley and Moortown

[Mark Pearce]

Alwoodley and Moortown

Both fantastic courses and (with the deeply disappointing Moor Allerton) venues of a previous trip with the same crew.  North of Leeds I'm also keen to play Sand Moor and Pannal, neither of which I have yet visited.  However, for the purposes of this trip I'm looking for somewhere a little further South.

[Bob Jenkins]

Mark,

In the summer of 2005, my family and I spent a week in a cottage north east of Nottingham near a village called Wellow. Really neat little town. Just a mile or two away was Rufford Park which is an old abbey which is a tourist attraction and worth seeing. Next to it is an old course called Rufford Park which was a very pleasant surprise. I showed up one day looking for a game and they sent me out by myself and after 3 or 4 holes I joined up with a member and had a great day. One of those courses which you could play every day, good variety of holes, needs some money spent on conditioning but not bad, very friendly place where tourists from North America are not expected but welcomed for a very reasonable green fee. I thought the place was well worth it and I would go again.

For what its worth. We loved all of England and Scotland that summer.

Bob Jenkins

[Kevin Pallier]

Mark

I've stayed a couple of times at Nottingham and Woodhall Spa is hard to beat as the best course the area. I'd certainly recommend Notts and Lindrick.

From what I hear Beau Desert and Frilford Heath are decent courses as is the Mackenzie - Cavendish layout.

[Mark Pearce]

Mark

I've stayed a couple of times at Nottingham and Woodhall Spa is hard to beat as the best course the area. I'd certainly recommend Notts and Lindrick.

From what I hear Beau Desert and Frilford Heath are decent courses as is the Mackenzie - Cavendish layout.

Thanks for the reccomendation of Lindrick.  It's a famous course but seems little discussed on here. What type of course is it?  What are the features?

[Tony_Muldoon]

Mark I vote for the Woodhall, Seacroft combination. The latter is a real sleeper on here despite an enthusiastic review by Ran (see courses by country).  It reminds me of H'nston, but is not so slow to get going.   The standout for me is the choice of how to play the par 5 13th.  It’s made all the harder because you can't see the second fairway and choosing to lay up you have to hit a blind shot away from the line of play.  It's also a low key and friendly place to visit.
The traffic going into Skegness is a bore as all directions feed into one road but even so it's no more than 35minutes from Woodhall.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I played Woodhall Spa and Ganton this summer and think they are both world class. I think I would enjoy Ganton more day in and day out.

[Mark Pearce]

I played Woodhall Spa and Ganton this summer and think they are both world class. I think I would enjoy Ganton more day in and day out.

Ganton is fantastic.  I was lucky enough to play 72 holes there in July when it was as fast and firm as I could ever imagine it would be and the sun was baking hot.  Glorious.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

You don't want to spend hours on the road in October when light is precious so ai for courses which are close together.

If you want a third course to go with Woodhall Spa and Seacroft (both well worth playing) then I would suggest you consider Lincoln GC at Torksey 12 miles north of the city (which is also a must see) www.lincolngc.co.uk  You might also consider Blankney, which is south-east of lincoln and therefore closer to Woodhall Spa.  For that matter, why not give the Bracken Course at Woodhall a whirl and let us know what it is like.

As a third course to go with Notts and Sherwood Forest I'd suggest Coxmoor www.coxmoor.freeuk.com

I share Sean and Tom's enthusiasm for Beau Desert.  I also agree that it is good to play Whittington Heath before BD.  Using the M42, it's not a major journey from these to Notts.  

Somebody mentioned Frilford.  Take care!  It all depends on which course is in play for your number of players.  The Red is the course to play, but they alternate 2- and 4-ball play between it and the shorter Green Course daily.  The Green Course is not bad, but I don't think it is worth the journey in its own right.  I don't much care for the new course there.  Also Frilford is some way distant from beau Desert and out of the reckoning for Notts.  However, if you fancy a couple of nights in the Cotswolds (which can be gorgeousin autumn) you could combine Frilford with Huntercombe (vintage Park) and Broadway (great views, excellent drainage, some really fun holes) and/or Tadmarton Heath, a great little heathland course outside Banbury which seems not yet to have caught the attention of GCAers.  None of these is far from Woburn, either, which is always a delight.