Welcome to UK-GolfGuide's page which contains feedback from site users who have played at Minchinhampton Golf Club (New Courses).

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STEVE BENNETT (England) 10/04/08

My brother and I played the first of our 2008 seasonal series in vary late March on the Cherington Course which is perched between 160 and 170 metres (about 525 to 550 feet in “old money”) on the plateau of the Cotswolds Hills. This provides one of the key elements of our late winter choice of venue, a free-draining course and two days after some very heavy and prolonged rain the course was a pleasure to play. The high elevation and the limestone bedrock are an ideal combination and although this isn’t by any stretch of the imagination a links-style layout it does share the key characteristic of all-year playability. Unlucky for us the greens had just been heavily top-dressed so can’t really add anything to previous comments apart from they were in places very heavily contoured; rather at odds with the general lay of the land.

Of the several courses reviewed so far this one had by far the best facilities; the locker rooms were splendid and the “equal-opportunities” lockers a first. Overall, the general classiness of the clubhouse put many others in the vicinity to shame and the bacon baps were good value too. We paid £40 which was ok, in the London area where I play and am a member this would be a snip. Nice driving range but as usual they charge for the balls which I think is just plain mean-spirited … they don’t at my home club in Surrey.

On the day we played the yellow tees were pretty much the same as the whites with one or two exceptions so felt we got a fair deal on this front. The golf is fine, nothing to rave about perhaps and I couldn’t quite get the stunning views claim although the constant birdsong accompanying us was nice and there were some very interesting holes; particularly those where the dry-stone walls come into play like the 9th, 11th, 12th and 13th. The wall should not come into play on the 16th but alas it did for me with a snap-hook. The 18th is a fine finish on the Cherington, don’t go in the left hand pot-bunker as I did, had no option but to play sideways and away from the hole. I guess we were unlucky as contrary to Peter Allis and other slow-play bores we don’t want to whizz around somewhere when we will only play there once but we had too as we were pressed from behind the whole time and we waited on every tee-shot and approach. We played on a weekday and unfortunately for us we were the first singles behind a stream of four-balls and behind us were all singles. Yes, we did get one offer of a play through but we would have gone nowhere fast. In short, check if you book (as we did) and if our day was anything to go by after lunch looked better than the morning.

Overall, well worth considering if you are in the area and the converted barn clubhouse is a gem in that glorious golden Cotswold Limestone.

Value for Money	6
Challenge	5
Off Course	8

George Thomas (England) 16/06/07

There are two 18 hole courses here at the Minchinhampton New Club, The Avening and The Cherington. Both set in glorious Cotswold countyside, the Avening Course is parkland style while the Cherington is a newer one with a links feel about it. The idea is that each day, one course is for 2-balls only and the other is for 3-balls & 4-balls. After a slight mix-up and minor confrontation with a disgruntled member, we established which was which and set about our 36 hole Society Championship.

This is not an easy club to find, so allow enough time. How the pro's manage to get here for Open Qualifying I'll never know, but it is well worth the trip when you eventually find it. Whilst both courses are in a sense different, the main thing about playing here is to putt well. The greens are regularly up at around 11 or 12 on the stimpmetre (In laymans terms, that's lightning quick, US Open speed!) so bear that in mind.

The course lends itself to mini-breaks and society days. We stayed in a local country inn, a typical Cotswold type place - it all makes for a much more enjoyable (and cheaper) weekend than going to a big hotel chain with a golf club attached. You can even stay an extra night and go over to the Common to play the Old Course if your really feeling brave!

Everything around the clubhouse is excellent, from the pro-shop, the huge locker rooms and the bar/restaurant upstairs. The catering is good too. They say that the best time to come is in September, when the sun is still shining but the leaves on the trees have started to turn. It all adds to the spectacle apparently.

If you only have time for one round, I would be hard pressed to suggest which course to play. They are both excellent. This was a major cause for debate amongst the 8 of us as to which course was tougher and which was the more scenic. Frankly it makes no difference, even the members seem split on this one - they are both great courses!

Value for Money	8
Challenge	7
Off Course	9

Jonathan (England) 02/09/04

I must just say it was a pleasure to play here today. Right from the start everybody was helpful, the course guide and pin positions guide were useful and the course was in superb condition. The Cherrington course had tight fairways that made me concentrate a lit more than usual, the greens were fast and the bacon sandwiches tasty. A great day out!

O.Hand (England) 09/06/03

I've played this course many times as it's quite local to me. Now, I've played nearly all of the courses on this list of Gloucestershire, and this course really sticks out from the crowd. Great course design, wonderful service, great pro shop and relatively cheap compared to most places in the Glos area. Excellent value for money, a definite must for beginners and experts alike.

MH (UK) 09/06/03

The Cherrington is a testament to good design and greenkeeping. On paper this shouldn’t be much of a course, what with only 90 acres to play with and prohibitive planning restrictions but Martin Hawtree has a done a great job of creating a true inland links, if that’s not a contradiction in terms. Cleverly placed bunkers, delightfully subtle rolling contours and the brilliant use of wispy but long rough go to make this a challenging course that fits beautifully into the surrounding landscape. Other course designers need to get their backsides down here and have a look at how to produce an enjoyable classic course that doesn’t rely on gimmicks and doesn’t cost the earth.

MH
UK*SE* (UK) 30/05/03

I have played both courses with the Cherrington being my favourite. This is a testament to good design and greenkeeping. The course itself on paper is not that great being built on a relatively small site and with restrictive planning regulations in place but inspired design (Martin Hawtree I believe) has made this into a bit of a gem. It is a true inland links (if that's not a contradiction in terms) with the quality of the course being made in the subtle contouring and clever use of rough, which turns it into a thinking, mans course. It sits perfectly into the landscape as well. The greens are in excellent shape thanks to Paul Worster their long standing course manager and I love the way they maintain the bunkers to give a natural look. Hit it straight, shape your shots a bit and study those greens for a really enjoyable days golf.