Welcome to UK-GolfGuide's page which contains feedback from site users who have played at Painswick Golf Club.

Whilst UK-GolfGuide.com attempts to turf out the more unhelpful or just plain daft contributions, some may slip through. If you have played the course or hold a different opinion to those of the contributors, feel free to use the Add your Comments icon to provide a broader spread of views. If you have a gripe with the club then take it up with them directly - please don't use this facility for airing grievances!.

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'Young P' (England) 04/07/06

Bizarre. Eccentric. Frustrating. Mad.

I loved it.

As others have identified, the word unique barely begins to describe this place.

Blind par 3s. Shared fairways. Incredible views. Some of the smallest greens you will ever see – in fact, so small, you could almost struggle to find them...

Painswick makes even extraordinary layouts like Perranporth and Cruden Bay seem utterly conventional.

Even the course planner is a total oddity – it barely has any yardages in it. Instead, it's more of a map of how to get around, punctuated with strange initials like D.P. (Direction Post), M.U.P. (Made Up Path), Y&B (Yellow and Black Post) and so on.

The opening hole is a 224 yard par FOUR that plays up a hill so steep that even a mountain goat might get vertigo. Of course, there just happen to be twenty foot deep grass pits in front of the green as well...

There are so many fantastic holes, but I particularly loved the blind par 3 5th with the tee set back in the trees and the 312 yard par 4 14th, with a stunning tee shot over the old quarry.

The one gripe I had was that they hadn't been able to get any water to the greens recently, so they were hard as rock. Of course, anywhere else and you would have been spitting fire. Here you just have to smile and accept it's all part of the fun (although that's tricky when you five putt from 15 feet, as 'Young B' managed to do!)

We found in the summer that Painswick really played like a links with some of the fairways being very fast-running.

Overall, I read somewhere else words to the effect that, because it's short, "Painswick isn't a course you can judge by numbers" – how true – this place really is all about the experience.

8.25/10

'Young P'

Value for Money	8
Challenge	7
Off Course	6

Richard Davies (England) 30/08/05

Played in August 2005. Thoroughly enjoyable course that I would visit again. However the greens were is terrible condition which spoilt an otherwise little gem of a course. Hopefully the Club are going to rectify this. But using 2fore1 vouchers it worked out at only £11 for the day - fantastic value! I would have no difficulty in recommending this course.

Value for Money	10
Challenge	4
Off Course	4

Bill Mcbride (USA) 11/06/04

Since I played in a competition between US and UK architectural fiends at Painswick in May 2004, I am an unabashed fan of this seemingly little course, only 4900 yds and par 67. Yet the tiny, tricky greens and interesting approaches, and touches of antiquity such as shared fairways and walkers made this course so interesting that it was an absolute pleasure to play. The friendly membership of the club were delightful to we visitors, who will have great memories of Painswick for years to come. I am making plans to return with my wife next summer en route to St Andrews for the Open. Favorite holes: #2 stout blind second shot; #4 ditto; #5 and #10 blind wedges over the ramparts!; #6 super lengthy par 3; #7 600 sf green; #8 and #9, surprisingly difficult par 5's; #11 driveable par 4 but don't stray; #12, a downhill par 3 longer in yards than #11; #14 strong drive over the quarry; #15 beautiful par 3 into a dell; #17 dogleft around a cemetery. Fun course, highly recommended.

Adrian Stiff (England) 07/01/03

I absolutely love this golf course and first remember playing it as a boy in 1974, I did 83. I have played it many times since and often go there just to walk and get ideas for my work as a golf course architect, the land flows are simply fantastic, to me its a minature Gleneagles, okay theres no heather, but its one of the few places where scotch pine grow naturally. Its a shame that its not a bit longer and a bit less compact and there are walkers, but maybe that would take the appeal away. The course has some great holes, the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th,9th, 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th are my favourites. It has some bad ones too and those holes may well spoil it for some as a serious golf course. If you live in the area check it out for yourself.

Jak Haughton (UK) 21/06/01

The course is different and that's to say the least. It is well worth the trying but if you hit a reasonable length ball don't bother with a driver and on the blind par threes hit a scuffy ball! One of the par threes with the beacon behind you was voted one of Henry Longhurst's top par three holes. There are some very beautiful holes and the views are worth the green fee. The food and hospitality are outstanding but avoid the Greens Secretary at all costs! You'll never get away!!!!

Paul (England) 27/05/01

Very interesting!!!!!!! You start with a 220 yrd PAR 4 straight up a mountain with a gully on the top before the green. You need to play this course more than once to have ANY idea where you are going. You share fairways a few times, and the totally blind par 3's are, I think, totally unfair. If you are off line on these, and all the other blind holes, you aint got a clue where to start looking. The views on the course are fantastic, and its worth climbing a few more yards at the back of one of the par 3's to the beacon for a spectacular sight. Because of its beauty and the "right to roam" the Cotswolds, you share the course with walkers who dont even realise they are on a golf course, which puts you off somewhat. There was even a family sunbathing on a tee on one hole, and a group of girls sitting right where your ball would land on another!!!!! It seemed to us that this was originally a nine hole course that has been expanded, or possibly designed when hardly anyone played the game so the shared fairways wouldn't be a problem. There are some gorgeous holes though, the par 4 "gallows" being one of mine. It's worth playing this course for the novelty value.