Breadsall Priory – Moorlands

The Moorland course at Breadsall Priory was designed by architect Donald Steele back in 1991 and is viewed by many as the Priory’s little brother course. However, to the members this has always been the course of choice.

Why so? Well, there’s no doubt that visually the Priory is an outstanding golf course and a photographers dream, with its big green rolling fairways, huge undulations, beautiful water features and mature trees, it really does look spectacular. However, in the words of the Moorland creator, Donald Steele;

“Making courses impossible is easy. Spectacular holes undoubtedly lift any course but enjoyment is the watchword and golfers find little enjoyment in losing balls attempting long carries over water or in knee high rough. Too much modern architecture is the slave to colour, irrigation, power and the lob wedge” In short then, how spectacular a golf course looks comes second to how it actually plays.  And that is where the Moorland course wins with its members.

We had chosen the best day of the year so far, blazing sunshine and blue skies met us on our arrival.  As this was our first round of the year, we were keen to see if we had lost any of our sharpness from the previous year.

Test number one; we arrived at 10:30 and our tee time was 10:50, could we squeeze in a bacon cob, a Starbucks coffee, get our golf clubs together, our shoes on and be on the tee in time for our tee slot?  Absolutely! Last year we had virtually turned this into an art form, so it was nice to know that we hadn’t lost any of our sharpness.

Test number two; actually playing golf!

As I mentioned, we had chosen the most beautifully sunny day, it was perfect for golf.  We’d had quite a bit of rain in the previous few days, but as the Moorland course is based on sandstone, the drainage is excellent and keeps it from getting boggy. This is one of the reasons this course gets played a lot more than the Priory, especially during the winter months. With this in mind, I was expecting the course to look a little bit tired and well played. But this simply wasn’t the case.  The course looked fresh and well manicured throughout, with the greens in especially good condition.

You start with a short par-3 which in fairness was not all that inspiring, however, when you cross the road to the second hole the course really opens up in front of you and you start to see why it’s held in such high esteem. After a dodgy start by myself and Lefty on the first, the ground staff did us a real favour. As they’re currently finishing work on the second tee, this hole had been shortened to about 300 yards. A great opportunity for some pars and a birdie, but at its full 452 yards, it’s a real challenge so early on in the round.  

Onto the third fairway; firstly it drops away in front of you, then rises up over a brow, then drops away again, and then rises back up to the green! This makes it look great, however, none of it should really come into play.  A good drive on a dry day will leave you on the fringe of the green. I landed just a couple of yards short and the Badger landed just to the right.  A simple chip onto the two tiered green should leave you with a steady par.

The 4th tee gives you a great view across this city of Derby. As we stood in our short sleeve shirts and shorts looking at the city we took a minute to appreciate that there are far worse places we could have been on a Monday morning. Maybe this is how all Mondays should start! Myself and the Badger were pretty much trading blows for the first nine holes going out in 6 and 7 over respectively. The wide dry fairways really lending themselves to good drives, it’s amazing the extra carry you get on a dry well cut fairway, and the difference it makes to your approach shot.

The sixth hole is a beautiful little par 3, at just 118 yards it’s only a wedge, but with bunkers either side and rough behind you have to be accurate.  The tall trees wrap around the green and frame it beautifully. 3 shots on to the green, three pars, golf can be such a simple game sometimes! One of the big changes we noticed since our last visit was the reduction of the rough, if you miss the fairway you will still find your ball, but your next shot will be a challenge.  Again this goes back to the philosophy of Donald Steele, golf is all about enjoyment, not about loosing 10 balls a round. This course punishes you for a slightly wayward drive, but it doesn’t completely destroy you. It’s a great balance .

The back nine follow the flowing, lightly undulating nature of the first nine. It’s a very open course, which means you can see many of the holes from the elevated tees, and on a busy day many golfers too. But lines of trees, bushes and stonewalls keep you on your toes. Venture too far off the fairway and you will be struggling to get to the green with a chance of a respectable score.

The Moorland course isn’t the greatest challenge of golf, it’s nowhere near as challenging as the Priory, but it’s incredibly enjoyable to play, it’s in great condition, you will most likely (but you can’t hold me to this!) make one of your better scores here. I don’t know about you, but I play golf as a hobby, to help me relax, to enjoy myself, and you can’t help but enjoy yourself on the Moorland. In the end I shot my best score for a long time but it wasn’t quite enough to beat the Badger, who beat me by just the single shot….but it was a great tussle throughout. And as for Lefty…… well let’s just say he took some great photos!

The Brabazon @ The Belfry

Back in May 2014 yours truly Lefty, Newby and Spence were invited to the relaunch of The Belfry and when I say relaunch I mean 22 million pounds of investment to turn this once tired hotel and course back to the prestigious place it used to be, in fact the paint on the walls was still drying and the smell of fresh carpets filled the air.

Did this investment pay off? Have the businessmen returned to impress their clients? Have the golfers returned to once again do battle with the Brabazon? Well we decided it was time to return to see for ourselves, if these questions had been answered.

As you would expect from this huge investment the hotel interior looks stunning, in fact they have gone for a ‘Great Gatsby’ feel in the lobby; sweeping into the breakfast lounge, which was full of business people  on sofas with laptops on tables, creating a buzz in the air. The pro shop has also benefited from the investment. The changing rooms feel that you have arrived somewhere special. It beats the time we came here  7 years ago when myself, Newby and two putt Plant were literally the only 3 people staying in the 200 plus room hotel!

We though were here today for the golf.  The Belfry has three courses, the PGA, The Derby and the one we all want to play – The Brabazon. This too has benefited from the revamp, a course that was, back in 2010, looking tired and to be honest scruffy, has been brought back to its former glory befitting a course that held the Ryder Cup more than any other venue in the world.

The welcome we got on the first tee from the starter put us all at ease. The first is a relatively easy hole with an open fairway to forgive a wayward shot. Both Spence and I got away clean, Newby on the other hand decide he would take the pictures as he had pulled his back the night before at his Zumba class! The one thing you cannot stop thinking about is the golfing legends who have walked these fairways. You start to think about Seve’s drive onto the 10th green, Sam Torrance’s famous putt that won the 1985 Ryder cup match or Christy O’Connor Jnr with the most brilliant shot on the 18th hole using his trusty 2 iron.

This does heighten your playing experience, the course itself despite the very damp winter we have had, played well and the greens were playing true. I played steady golf on the first 5 holes and even got a couple of pars but then came the 6th and 7th – on these holes you will find the large expanse of water comes into play. Basically you are teeing over it. I must have lost 6 balls and  at one point I had taken a drop then managed to hit it straight back in the water only 3 feet away!

But my moment of glory followed shortly after these two holes, strangely enough on a stroke index 1.

The 8th is 409 yards par 4 with the water running down the left side of the fairway. What makes this hole tough is that the fairway is narrow and the front of the green is protected by a water filled ditch. I managed to avoid all of these hazards and got on the green for 3, but I was still 26 feet from the hole and NOW my moment had arrived as I sank the putt!! Where are all the cameras when you need them? It would have made great television.

One hole on the course that people love is the 10th as you can attack with your driver or lay up short for the shot over the water. Walking onto this green can send shivers down your spine, so take your time and enjoy it. Even though the course is primarily flat you really appreciate the different undulations you get on the greens. It was an enjoyable change not to do the 3 putt walk of shame! We must mention the par 3’s on the course. There are three of them,  one on the front nine the other two on the back. These are a real challenge and my favourite was the 12th.

The green keepers were working on the yellow and white tees so we had to play off the blues. Now we were playing Ryder Cup style which took the hole from a respectable 179 yards to a “which club do I use?” 226 yards. Just to make it extra hard the whole front of the green is protected by a large pond. I shouted over to the green staff “You really don’t like us do you” to which they replied “You will be fine, Seve always hit the green from there!” Thanks for that!

Newby risking his dodgy back went first with a wood, and came up short straight into the water, Spence did the same, I don’t have a wood in my bag so I opted for my driver which turned out to be the right choice as it sailed over the water and landed about 6 foot from the hole! A clap from the green staff, a bow from me, and some mumbled words from Spence and Newby which we can’t print here. I got a solid par.

Spence was still waiting for his ‘moment’. He waited, I would say, until one of the greatest finishing holes you can play – the 418 yard par 4 18th. ‘A daunting drive followed by a daunting approach,’ is how this hole has been described and I would agree with that. As you stand on the tee you are looking at a dogleg left over water. Once you have negotiated this you have another long shot over more water to an elevated green that slopes towards you. If you don’t get a tee shot with just the right amount of draw and distance, your second shot will have to be the shot of your life as you will still be miles away from the green with  the water coming very much in play. In fact you will have to re-enact  the brilliant shot from Christy O’Connor Jnr,  on the 18th hole.

Spence played this like a pro – a great tee shot with just the right amount of draw and a second that landed on the green, he missed the birdie but got a respectable par on this potential card wrecker. That hole really made his day. That’s the beauty of the Brabazon, when you sink a par or even a birdie you almost find yourself waving at an invisible crowd pretending that you are playing in the Ryder Cup. The investment that has been made to the hotel and course has brought back the glamour and prestige it once held.  The Belfry is  once again living up to its name and the expectation you would associate with a place that calls itself the ‘spiritual home of the Ryder Cup’.

Cavendish Golf Club – Buxton

If I met Dr Alister MacKenzie…

…which is unlikely, since he sadly died in 1934, I would buy him a pint of beer and tell him that I played golf like him! MacKenzie was self-described as a “good putter, but a mediocre ball striker”, the latter bit I know my golfing partners will argue with because on a bad day I can be rubbish. On the greens however I’m happy just like MacKenzie.

Now, following in the footsteps of MacKenzie at the only original MacKenzie course left untouched in the world, Cavendish Golf Club Buxton, I would go as far as to say I would add a wee dram or two to the aforementioned beer.

As we set out for Buxton the sun shone brilliantly on a March day. The temperature dropped slowly as we approached Buxton and then rose steadily to be the most glorious day with blue sky, moving white clouds and a brisk wind gusting at times. A perfect golfing day for us.

We were greeted, and given our scorecards, by Rachel a very chirpy person indeed who bemoaned the fact she hadn’t had her hair done for us coming. Fortunately as it was a windy day ours didn’t look great! So she beat us hands down.

I have to say that the all round welcome we received was an improvement from my last visit more than ten years ago. That may sound a bit critical but attitudes have had to change in the world of golf due to economic pressure and the rise in people who play on a more ad hoc basis. Clubs have to be more open to visitors and view them as a lifeline to financial stability. Membership at Buxton though still provides great value for money for the weekly golfer.

Secretary Mike Watson  and club Professional Simon Townend were the perfect hosts and we sat together enjoying breakfast, discussing the course which they are rightly proud of.

Cavendish Golf Club have got together with nine other  imaginatively designed MacKenzie courses all within easy reach of Buxton to form an ‘alliance’, so that you are encouraged to play them all.  The first to play is naturally Buxton as it is the most authentic MacKenzie course to survive and MacKenzie’s inspiration for Augusta, which, among other courses, has altered beyond recognition to accommodate the modern game and TV thereby losing it’s complete authenticity, I would be so bold to say. When Ford stopped producing the Cortina and introduced the Sierra to keep up with modern demands the Cortina was dead and buried. If you change a golf course to accommodate current trends the ‘Old Course’ has sadly gone. I can now put the soap box back in the cupboard!

We smiled as Mike showed us a book that he had been reading about a MacKenzie golf course in Ireland, which I will not name here, whose members thought the MacKenzie course wasn’t hard enough so changed it all round. So much for history Eh?

I read with interest the Cavendish Golf Club’s web page before we arrived. It states “Cavendish is thought by some to be Dr MacKenzie’s most accomplished work in the UK and quite possibly the best layout in the world under 6000 yards. It illustrates how skilfully and creatively he blended the layout of the golf course into the surrounding landscape. Nothing jars the eye, nor distracts from the beauty of the natural setting. Those outstanding course design skills, which brought Alister MacKenzie international acclaim when he created the magnificent Augusta National course, in association with Bobby Jones, were developed and honed during his formative years in Great Britain. Cavendish exemplifies MacKenzie’s belief that “length has nothing to do with the quality of a hole”. I couldn’t beat that description so I won’t try because I agreed with it all even on a March day.

With all this rattling in my brain Simon, Lefty and myself headed out onto the course. We were a man down as Newby hurt his back chopping a tree down on Sunday and then attempted  to play the Brabazon two days later and did more damage, so I decided to play along with Simon and Lefty, whilst I took photographs and wrote about my experience. Not the ideal way  to concentrate on your next shot  but nothing could take away the classy style of this course. I think MacKenzie was a typical Yorkshire man (we could be invaded soon!)  “give nowt away” and this course doesn’t. Bunkers are placed to deceive the eye. You think they protect the green only to find the green another fifty yards or so further on. I considered withdrawing my offer of the wee dram at times… but it still stands.

The Clubhouse is light and airy but Mike said that a revamp is long overdue, so it is due for a complete overhaul. The plans are on display as you walk into the Mackintosh style entrance.  Budgets have been set and work was due to commence two days after our departure. From what we saw it will be a great improvement.

I read one report recently on Cavendish which said it was a bit wet underfoot! It’s Buxton we are talking about here, you get what you get. I lived in Buxton fifty years ago and you accept that it has it’ own climate. Even a Derbyshire Cricket Club match was abandoned here in 1975 due to a heavy snow storm. Some say it was only hail but I was putting a tent up in a friend’s garden in Fairfield that day and I say it was snow as the pictures taken can prove!

Time for golf

At 5721 yards off the yellows this isn’t the longest course you will play but then MacKenzie didn’t worry about that as his idea was to give the golfer a challenge and Cavendish certainly does. He used the natural contours of the land, no earth-movers, just hard hand labour to make a course that blends in and weaves through the  countryside. Nothing is forced it’s just natural, but really tricky to play.

We all got away nicely on the first hole including me! Simon, who has been the Professional here for 18 years went a bit to the left which surprised me! Not really, he was a great sport showing me and Lefty the way and having lots of banter all the way round. The first is a nice par four that slopes a little right to left. Avoiding the trees to the right is important.

It was great to go round with the professional pointing out the features of the course and advising on shots. He got us chipping onto the green at the 15th to see if any of us, including himself, could get near the hole from the back of the green. Even on a green that was a bit wet we couldn’t stop the ball rolling away. He was pointing out the importance of getting the tee shot right on this hole to give you a chance of a decent score. MacKenzie was sadistic!

Take the 122 yard par 3 4th for instance. The pin looks miles away, somewhere  down there over the small stream. Simon, annoyingly,  hit the green, Lefty went right into a bush and I completely over-hit and went across the road into a ditch. On the plus side I missed the stream, lake, bunkers and bush! 122 yards, that’s putting distance nearly.

The sloping third green is great, especially if you end up topside of the hole.  I went into the bunker – great! If you put the ball to the right of the green –  that’s so wrong. Stay left and the putt will be easy on the very quick level green. I think this was my best hole, I went a bit downhill from there!

I loved the 8th. We rounded the corner from the 7th and the sun shone down beautifully as the wind just hit us in the face. Simon’s tee shot held up in the air and dropped nicely on the fairway. A big hit but the wind affected distance. My tee shot went off left down the slope leaving a very tricky ‘back up the hill’ shot. The rewards of approaching the green are the most amazing views of the Derbyshire countryside and you become master of all you survey. I do have to admit that one of the attractions of golf for me is the chance to be in the countryside. Perhaps that is why I don’t play too well as I am easily distracted by a beautiful view.  I just can’t help admiring what I see. While some rush to the next shot I want to take in where I am. On the 10th it is vital to get the first shot right, making the second over the plateau below and small stream, and up to the green a massive chance of getting a par. This should be the signature hole I feel.

During the winter some of the self planted trees have been cleared, opening up views to the clubhouse and allowing the wind and sun to dry out the course naturally. The 14th is the only par 5 shot on the course and being stroke index 7 is quite a challenge, in contrast the 5th is stroke index one. But then again that’s an uphill haul and presents a real challenge not just in hitting the ball but getting your breath!

Playing the 18th through the tunnel of trees provided the final challenge of getting across the ravine onto the plateau beyond after which it’s a good run to the green. Lefty and I both failed and so Simon said “try that again”. I told you he was fun at the start of this article didn’t I? We did as we were told and hit our shots high and long landing on the fairway, perfectly positioned for  our second shot. (If you believe that twaddle you’ve had far too many pints of Thwaites bitter). My balls are still down there. I’ll be pleased if you find them because it means you’re down there too. Two can play this sadistic game.

Simon has been the `professional at Buxton for eighteen years and despite other job offers from this country and Europe, has stayed put, and I can see why. Lets face it, he’s quite unique being  one in seventy two worldwide as there are only seventy two MacKenzie clubs left and Buxton is an original. As he went off happily to give a lesson to someone he said “anytime you fancy teeing off early this summer lads, give me a call and I’d love to play another round with you”. That’s an offer we will definitely take up as long as he plays off yellows this time!

Sinfin Golf Course

On Thursday the 2nd June, Fame Tate travelled to Sinfin/Derby Golf Course to carry out a course report. Here is her thoughts.

I had never played the course before so I was really keen to see what it was like, particularly as it is no longer council run and has been managed by Seven Hills Leisure Trust since July 2015.

I was informed that since that time, many improvements have been made to the course by the grounds maintenance team. They have worked relentlessly in order to improve the playability of the course with new maintenance equipment, a revised cutting regime and enhanced fine turf.  The playing season has been lengthened with improved winter tee mats, in order to make the course playable for longer periods throughout the winter months.  A “no close policy” has also been introduced, keeping the course open whatever the weather.

Our day didn’t get off to a perfect start due to an accident and closure of the A38 so we were running extremely late for our booked tee time.par-5-3rd-hole

However, on entering the professionals shop, we were made to feel very welcome and at ease by Andy Foulds, the head professional and Mike Johnson, the shop assistant, who were very helpful. The clubhouse had a very nice to feel to it and seems very popular for lunch.  It was lovely to see a group of seniors enjoying the home cooked roast dinners and curries.  Steve, the steward was friendly  and made us two lovely sandwiches to take out onto the course as we were late.

Needless to say we didn’t get off to the best start however, after three holes we had both started to settle down.  The third hole is a 366 yard par 5 which is a slight dog leg to the left, followed by a 165 yard par 3, where we were greeted by a very friendly member of the greens staff.  The front nine was very nice with some lovely yet testing holes.  One of my favourites on the front nine was the 368 yard, par 4 eighth hole.  The ninth hole was a testing dog legged par 5, stroke index 1 off the red tees, which brought you back to the clubhouse.

Chatting to some of the members in the clubhouse before our round, they were keen to tell me that the front nine is one of the toughest in Derbyshire.

Off the red tees, the back nine starts with a fairly straight forward 366 yard par 4 followed by two nice consecutive par 3’s, which is quite unusual, but a refreshing change.

Mum found the par 5, 497 yard, 13th hole one of the hardest as she found the right hand rough off the tee and then continued to play down the right hand side.  It did seem quite a long slog for the average lady golfer.

I found the 17th hole particularly pleasant, despite losing my ball off the tee in the right hand rough.

The short 18th hole was a nice way to finish despite it being quite difficult to negotiate our tee shots through the small gap of over hanging trees down either side of the fairway.

For me it was a nice change to play off the red tees however, we both certainly found some of the holes quite tough.

There has clearly been the removal of some trees, which was quite noticeable on some of the holes as the marked stumps were visible.  This has without a doubt increased the playability of the course and helped the overall aesthetics.

There are still plans for 2016.Fame-approach-to-the-8th-green

Green Renovation: A powerful aeration process and 90 tons of kiln dried sand will enhance root growth and drainage, allowing the course to remain drier for longer.

Course Maintenance: Once recovered, the greens will be cut shorter and scarified regularly to improve speed and promote a smoother roll.  As well as improving the greens, their chemical and fertiliser programmes will also increase the durability of the tees and approaches.

Increased Participation: The Seven Hills Leisure Trust aim to work jointly with Derby Golf Club to develop new initiatives encouraging participation from the local community, sharing their passion for golf with local schools and organisations.

There are a number of fantastic membership packages available, catering for everyone’s needs, which include Golfit, Junior, Under 25’s, ‘Play Later’ and a 20 round ‘week day’ pass.

All of the packages give you additional access to Beauchief, Birley Wood and Tinsley Park which are located in Sheffield and Tapton Park which is located in Chesterfield.

For more information visit www.sivltd.com/golf or call 01332 766462

All in all, we both had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon and the course was an absolute pleasure to play.  It is a fair and good test of golf for any golfer of any ability, with beautiful and mature tree lined fairways.  It was also a lovely change to play somewhere flat but testing.  I would most definitely look forward to playing it again and recommend it to anyone.approach-shot-to-8th-green

Chevin Golf Course

When I meet people who live a long way from the Midlands and I say “I’m from Derbyshire” they all respond in mostly the same way,  “Ah, what a lovely part of England”, and they are right as a  whole, although that all depends on what part of Derbyshire they are thinking about.

They’re clearly not thinking of Derby city centre or Alfreton Industrial estate! (with the greatest respect to them both). When you say ‘Derbyshire’ people instantly think of rolling green hills, beautiful lush greenery, meandering streams and fantastic views. What they imagine is the view you get on the 13th tee at Chevin; green trees, fantastic scenery with rolling hills, it’s just stunning! Having only played there once many, many moons ago, my memory was a little hazy to say the least. I remember enjoying it, but other than that, it was pretty much like I was playing for the first time.

A LITTLE HISTORY

Like many courses, it was originally a 9 hole course when it was first opened back in 1894, designed by William Lowe a professional from Buxton. Clearly a man who was used to hills then! The clubs existing course of 18 holes covers both parkland and moorland terrain with magnificent views over 5 counties from the Chevin Ridge. The history surrounding the site includes, Paleolithic to Bronze and Iron Age people and later Roman Legionnaires. The course was first conceived at the ‘Court House Farm’ where the Old Court (now a private residence) houses a lock-up where prisoners were kept until their demise, this is close to the 13 hole which is aptly named The Gibbet.

A COURSE THAT PRODUCES TALENT

Back in 1951 Chevin could pride themselves on producing the best talent in the country. Joan Gee member of and production of Chevin Golf Course became the champion of England. In 2007, another member Melisa Reid turned professional, later playing for Team Europe in the 2011 Solheim Cup and at the point of going to press is ranked no.3 in England.

Chevin-CR-3-Jun16FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Pride and attention to detail is what clearly drives those involved with the club.

The pro shop and clubhouse sit either side of the putting green, and along with the first tee and the 18th green, create a grassy quadrangle of golf.

When you see 4 people attending to the flowers around the putting green and the perfect condition of the area, you know the course is going to be well manicured.

Chevin-CR-5-Jun16THE COURSE

We couldn’t have picked a better day to play, blue skies and blazing sunshine, the kind of day that was designed for golf.

The first 2 holes are pretty flat par 4’s, not without their challenges but they give you the opportunity go get swinging before the real challenge begins. Then comes the 3rd! Par 4, 407 yards, up hill, stroke index 1. No mater how good your tee shot is the second is always still tough. The dogleg isn’t ‘cut-able’   because of trees to the left.

Then the climb starts and doesn’t stop until the 11th. It makes for some really challenging golf.

The back to back par 3s at the 6th and the 7th holes are a beautiful little area, the blind tee shot on the 6th is a little hit and hope, especially if you haven’t played the hole in the past. At 288 yards it’s a big par 3, and being uphill requires a wood, accuracy and a slice of luck. I thought I’d hit it pretty well, but found myself in the green moat around the hole.

The 7th is only 124 yards, comparatively short compared to the 6th, but this time over a wall, a big bunker and dangers all behind the green. Two par 3s that are as different as chalk and cheese!

TRIBULATION!

Most golfers have heard this name, regarded as one of the hardest hole I’s in the County. A big uphill par 4 that needs some decent striking to reach the green in 2. The size is one thing, the gradient another, but add both of these to a fairway which is arched so that it runs off both sides into dangerous rough unless you hit right down the middle. Not the sort of hole Lefty and I were really looking forward to, as our accuracy so far in the round left a little to be desired! We both needless to say ended up in the rough.

The views all the way back down the hill from the 12th to the 17th are nothing short of spectacular. The green keepers have a real challenge on their hands as a course with such a spectacular setting and layout require a condition that matches. They don’t disappoint. The greens ran true and the fairways were in spectacular condition. The heavy rain we’d had leading up to the round hadn’t had any effect on the course, partly down to the green keepers hard work and partly down to natural drainage.

The 17th is a mixed bag of a hole, personally I liked it and judging from visitors reviews of the course they seem to as well, although the members seem to be divided. The fact that it’s a spectacular tee is not in any doubt. You play down a huge hill to a brook, then uphill to the green. It’s the newest hole on the course and you can tell. Not that that’s a bad thing. Personally I liked it…. maybe the birdie helped.

Chevin-CR-4-Jun16THE 19TH HOLE!

The clubhouse’s large conservatory has recently been refurbished and is a beautiful place to sit and enjoy a post round pint and food. Looking out over the 18th green and beautifully manicured putting green, you can watch those walking off the course. If they’ve had a good round it’s nothing but smiles. If you’ve had a bit of an off day though the course has the ability to destroy you. Those golfers are easy to spot, they’ll be the ones looking like they’d had a beating!

I can highly recommend the new chefs food, in particular the rhubarb and custard which finished the day of really well.