Blakes Golf Club

The location of the course on the TSH web page map is wrong. Also be aware that your sat nav and some road signs could take you to Blake's Hall wedding venue which is about 1k away from the golf course.
I did not have time to use the practice or clubhouse facilities. The course is wide open. Grass on the fairways was a bit long, probably left due to the lack rain. Bunkers were in need of some sand. Greens were in good shape.

Blake’s was in great condition - fairways and greens were brilliant given the time of year and recent weather - with the exception of the bunkers which are dreadful. Great value for money.

I like the course layout, but it is in a very bad state. There was one green that was ok, the rest were extremely slow and bumpy. The fringe was like quick sand, killed the ball dead. Bunker sand like builders sand, full of stones. Fairways were generally ok though.

An interesting round as I have never played a links style course.the ground was very hard causing strange bounces. The only real complaint is the bunkers could do with being turned over,but overall a pleasant way to spend a morning

I played this course once, about ten years ago and if was neglected, unloved, deserted and unpleasant. I thought I’d never return.

Anyway, I’m delighted that significant investment is being made and greens were all playing well, fairways well looked after and tee boxes very adequate. It was also very a very busy Sunday for the course.

Work is underway to improve the bunkers and it’s easy to see the new smooth sand. Quite a lot of bunkers were GUR but hopefully they will get the required TLC as well.

Well worth a visit.

Very much improved may be something to do with Woolston Manor now the new owner’s for the last couple of years?
Still get muddy in the winter.
My advice play it from Late May to Late September you should be alright?

Probably not a fair reflection due to the time of year but the course was so muddy, in poor condition and I suspect getting worse by the day. Incredibly busy but guess that goes with the current environment. Didn’t like the close proximity of fairways and never once did I hear a call of fore despite balls flying all over the place. Getting a drink afterwards was so difficult, can’t say I’ll be rushing back. That said the green fee was incredibly reasonable given some of the rates being quoted elsewhere.

Shame that this course is in such a poor state. Picturesque lanscape and that is whe the positives end!!!!!!!

How do I best sum up Blakes Golf Club. When you first arrive you're greeted with a dozen prestige cars all neatly lined up in the car park, like a car showroom and then half a dozen cars in the visitors part. We paid our green fees and were greeted by a very nice lady but no one else, no pro (on holiday), no catering staff and most surprisingly, no golfers, not a single person in the bar !! Onto the course, which has a good layout, I especially loved the Par 3 8th which has an island green, great fun. The tee boxes and fairways are all fine but the greens were very poor, all suffering from some sort of disease which made them very bobbly; I could imagine if they were all in good condition, they would run very true and then this would be a superb course. It all just feels a little unloved not only by the staff, which there weren't any of, but also by the lack of golfers, which I really don't understand as it was £10 for 18 holes and £10 for the buggy, Cheap As Chips. I will be back in the Summer, so long as they have sorted the greens out by then :-)

Blakes was built to be a championship course, it was going to outshine its neighbour Toot Hill but ended up the ugly sister. This is the third time I have played Blakes in 9 years. It was possibly in the best condition I have seen it yet. The Club house is a nice three story building but no lift! The pro shop and toilets are in the basement which is really annoying as the bar is on the third floor! The milk provided for the teas and coffees was sour but the bacon/sausage rolls were excellent. I did not use the practise facilities as it was raining.
Blakes is long very long, some of the holes are 500 yards apart, so if your going to walk you need to be aware this is a very long track. There is a buggy path around the whole course so buggies are never banned, which is a plus as I need one. The course was designed to be an inland links so no trees just a few bushes. The fairways are wide but undulating, you need to be big off the tee as most of the par fours are well over 400yds and the par 3's are far from short other than the 8th which is the courses feature hole, a 120 yard pitch into a green surrounded by water.
Blakes back nine is more challenging but lack of signage makes navigating a tad difficult, although following the trolley path is the safest bet. Be careful not to set off in the wrong direction as that can be really annoying on such a large course.
The greens leave a lot to be desired and let the course down badly. They are slow and bobbly with crowned pins which makes the shortest of putts a challenge. In summary Blakes could/should be an outstanding course, but its not. Membership is £500 per annum which is so cheap, buggies are only £10 a round, our deal with a steak pie meal was £25 so very good value. If Blakes was a little more local I might join it....but I think the greens would drive me crazy, they need so much work. For a cheap golf day Blakes is a great package but for quality Toot Hill is only five minutes away!

Seems neglected, would not go back but hey, it's my opinion

Blakes is a beautifully designed challenging layout for golf which has been allowed to deteriorate by lack of proper maintenance to the fairways, bunkers and greens. A shameful approach by the club ownership/management. I concur with David's comment about the scrambled eggs.

For Mr David Jacobs

I have always liked the layout at Blakes, like a lot of value for money courses could be in better condition, is very much an inland links. The length of the holes does not always suit the not so big hitters, the greens were pretty good and true, all in all i will definitely be going back. The par 3 8th the island green is worth the visit alone

£16 golf and buggy what more could there be to say...... Great holes and love the island hole. A good, honest golf course providing a good honest challenge

Blakes is a links type course that I like despite its rugged appearance and maybe lack of TLC. Some previous reviews present Blakes as unappealing but it has some very fine holes. The layout is good and flowing, the deep bunkers, sometimes lined with sleepers can be a real threat to your scorecard if you land in them. There are fine views of the surrounding Essex fields still being farmed. A nice place to blow the cobwebs away & get refreshed with clean air after a hard week's work.

Fairways have bumps & mounds as to be expected from a Links type course, rough deep and will hide the little white ball, even with your name on it!!!! A few blind holes (always quite exciting if you don't know the course) with guiding posts. Water comes into play as well and it provides some of the finest holes on the course.

So here are my favourites:

8th (Par 3) island green: How can one not like this hole ? Accuracy and nerves of steel can provide a Birdie of Par, if no wind in the air. There is a dropping zone for the unlucky.

17th (Par 3), over a pond, with sloping & rough bit of fairway.

A special mention for the 16th, with OOB on the Left hand side where I found some lovely stray golf balls.

18th (Par 5), with 2 or 3 ponds to negotiate, depending on the colour of your Tee, uphill most of the time with sloping fairways and bushes and one more pond before you
reach the green.

The greens were good and surprisingly fast but interesting. There were a few missed "easy" putts on the day.Large

Car Park with Open air driving range adjacent to it. Clubhouse is quite attractive, modern, the Proshop/Golf Bar is now upstairs, very large room with lots of natural light and lovely views of the golf course and Essex. NO food was available on the day (3.8.2013), but directly opposite there is a very nice eating place whose name I don't remember (sort of garden centre, children play ground), and where one can have a delicious breakfast made with local organic produce, very popular with families on a Sunday morning... I recommend you pay a visit. There is a gym, spa etc on the premises, it seems a rather a busy & pleasant place.

Today we had an "Ed's special", so excellent value for a pleasant 4 balls even if the course is not in tip-top condition, a great time was had by all. Photos were posted a few weeks ago.

That is THE END...

the main problem with blakes is the condition of the course,the fairways need to be cut properly as do the greens,which wooly and slow.but for the price you pay it good value

A Interesting course but a bit tatty, fairways are ok but need a cut,Bunkers looked ok, Greens are in good nick and very fast.But as only payed £7.50 cant complain.

We paid £20 for a round at 10:00 on Sunday. When I booked the tee-time, only fours day ahead, I could have had any time I wanted. This was a warning sign.

Having played Blakes before we knew about the quirky club house that seems to be designed for the restaurant rather than golfers with the changing rooms and pro shop in the basement. It seems that Blakes now do a Sunday carvery, which looked very good and popular with the locals, but unusual for a golf club?

Anyway, from past experience, Blakes is quick draining and stands up well to the winter weather, we made our way to the first tee, stopping off at the practise green. The putting green was in poor condition. It had been vandalized by someone pouring petrol or weed killer leaving patches of blackened grass.

The tees at Blakes are excellent, large, very flat and well maintained. After a few holes it became clear that the vandals had not stopped at the practise green, many of the greens had severe damage, all from something like liquid weed killer.

The course at Blakes has always been a quixotic attempt to recreate an authentic links course in Essex. The use of exotic (to Essex anyway) grasses was always going to be a tilt at a greenkeeping windmill when the course is surrounded by fields containing native grasses.

Said grasses are reclaiming Blakes and that is not the end of the world. The more immediate concern is the vandalism of the greens. They do not detract much from the putting in winter conditions but are not pleasant to look at! It will be a different story in summer.

I have always enjoyed the course at Blakes. Where else can you find a Sawgrass 17th Island green replica hole on on inland links?

I wish the greekeepers every success in returning this course to the condition it deserves.

The practice facilities are very good with a chipping green with practice bunker as well as a range.
I have given Blakes a 4/5 for VFM as even in current condition, £20 for a teetime on Sunday at 10:00, is good value.

If You like Oil on your Greens then this is the place for you !!!!!!

Nice track, very long walks between many tees. Bring water!

Played this course just after it opened 4/5 years ago, so was keen to see how it had developed. Sadly, not very well! Whilst open and long, the course has little character and is in dire need of some TLC. The fairways looked like they could do with a good cut, there is little directional help (handy, if you dont know where the next tee is!) and the greens need a good soaking. All in all, a bit of a disappointment but I cant complain too much as it was only £12 to play - however, I guess that confirms the saying 'you get what you pay for'! Wont be rushing back.

i have played Blakes several time and to be honest the greens were always fairly good but last Monday they were nearly all dead.i know we have not had much rain lately but they need to invest in some watering of the greens, also put some sand in the bunkers played one shot out of the greenside bunker front left of the ninth and pulled up the plastic liner underneath. this is not a rant just and observation the course is an inland links at its best dry but water the greens please

Well from the time you drive through the gates you know your going to enjoy the course, regardless of what you may or may not score....The course has all the facilities and with all the rain we've had the course was about 85% in perfect condition and the greens were fast and god help us all in the summer....I will go back hopefully before the march open game...Ps top inland links course