Barry Hill

27 of us turned up for a golf society outing to be met with locked doors at 0845. Not a great start to the day! Once we got in, the clubhouse itself was almost devoid of furniture (not even enough seats for us all to sit down) and tea/coffee did not arrive for 30 minutes. AFter play the hospitality was even worse with insufficent quantity of food provided for us all to eat which resulted in numerous complaints to the management. As for the course itself...well, you can expect to hear almost continuous shouts of 'fore' as you navigate the cramped 9 holes. The greens were heavily pock-marked and made of iron, bunkers were in poor condition with overhanging edges and lots of stones. £15 for the round wasn't too bad, but don't expect much for your money. £8-50 for porr quality sandwhiches and chips was dreadful. Never shall I return.

Set in the grounds of Stowe School and the National Trust Gardens this, 'small but perfectly formed' golf course of 9 tiny greens and 18 tees winds its way between trees, statues and wandering tourists. With perfectly manicured undulating greens at the end of generally very-short fairways this is a test of accuracy and an experience to be enjoyed. The clubhouse is a small wooden construction that miraculously provides superb food from a tiny kitchen and is hosted by warm and welcoming staff. Difficult to book a round as the club operates to a strictly limited timetable so you may need to be invited by a member.

Silverstone golf course is located withn a stones throw of the racetrack so take the back route if playing during a race meeting. Today it was quiet, cuckoo's heard all round the course, but the strong wind and rain made for a challenging round. Trees still young so the course is fairly open and trouble-free, but there are some barely noticeable water hazards tucked away so take a good look from the tee. Course is fairly flat, but quite long from the White Tees. Bring along your big clubs and save some energy for the 18th.

A pleasant enough course, quite challenging in places and the much publicised warm bacon baguettes were indeed very good. Lovely view of the Abbey down one of the par 5's. Greens are very quick and undulating. Thoroughly enjoyed the company of our merry band on the day. However, I personally found a few niggly issues with the Club:

1. If you arrive after a long drive you cannot get into the building to use the facilities until you have checked in at the pro-shop to get the door entry code.
2. The car park is signposted Members, Ladies & Visitors. In this day and age Ladies should be fully acknowledged as Members.
3. The high quantity of rail traffic on the Midland Main Line thunders past a number of the holes. Add to that the nearby busy roads and many of the holes are a less than pleasant experience.
4. The 'Over the Road' hole is a bit of gimmicky nonsense. Check your golf insurance is up to date before you play this course!
5. A significant number of tees are very close to the preceeding green and some are positioned directly behind the greens. This is off-putting when playing into some greens and rather dangerous while standing on the tee. Our closest call was about 20 feet away as a ball whistled in from the group behind.

Stock Brook Manor provided us with a warm welcome and good food - it was just a shame that on the day the course was a let down. A night of heavy rain had turned parts of the course into a bog and most of the round was spent hunting around for golf balls lost in the overly-long semi rough or trying to find a dropping place to avoid casual water. Apparently it is much better in the summer.

Playing Royal Epping is like hacking about across the local sports fields - but with more people and dogs wandering about. Constant disturbances from yapping animals, chatting mothers and shouting kids coupled with the mindless wanderings of the locals across any part of the course they feel like makes for a really bad day out. And the clubhouse - no lights on and looked deserted. The cafe over the road serves a decent cup of tea, but they knock off pretty early so don't expect a warm welcome and a pint after your round.
The putting green by the first tee was dismal, no other practice facilities were spotted. The course itself was already muddy underfoot despite the dry autumn, had virtually no signs to point you in the right direction, was dangerous in places due to the proximity of tees & greens and not a single greenkeeper hove into view.
Absolutely awful. I will not be returning.

Played the Valley Course and it certainly earns its name - up and down hill nearly all the way. Superbly manicured overall and couldn't fault it. Tee boxes were as good as some greens I have played this year. Fantastic value at £20. Lovely clubhouse in a great setting overlooking the valley. Will be going back again to try the other course.

Some long par 4's and a generous helping of trees make for some challenging holes on this well kept course. A lovely walk over the rolling hills makes for a pleasant days golf without it being too taxing. Good clubhouse facilities let down by lack of bar-staff, too much emphasis on 'functions' (particularly at the weekends - we had two groups and a wedding in the space of 6 hours!) and an abysmally constructed car park that is far too small and narrow. Small putting green next to the 1st tee. No driving range - just a couple of nets. Would certainly visit again, despite the downsides.

The entire course is well looked after with the big exception of the bunkers. Very little sand and lots of stones. Same problem that has been present for the last 7 years (that I know of). If you can keep away from the stones you will have a very good value day out.

The winding climb over the hills of Vilamoura makes for a challenging, interesting and scenic round. You cannot take it easy on any hole - plan your distances and shots carefully. Club house was also very pleasant and offered the best and cheapest golf club menu I experienced during a week in the Algarve. However, it is not cheap. Average price of a round is in the order of €80 and a buggy will cost you an additional €40.

A much warmer welcome than last time. Pro gave us all the information we needed and we were able to tee-off early. Course very quiet which made for a speedy and pleasant round. Fairways were in very good nick and lots of work had been done to remove a number of untidy areas around the course. Greens extremely firm and will not hold so game needed to be adjusted to cater.

Friendly welcome from young lad behind the bar on return to the clubhouse capped a fine afternoon.

A tranquil oasis amid the bustle of Enfield. Challenging course that was excellently manicured and offers a test for all handicaps. Great value for money deal - we paid £20 - and will certainly visit again when the opportunity arises.

Tight course where your iron play needs to be straight and up to scratch - mine wasn't and consequently spent most of my time in the trees. I will go back again on a value deal, but full visitor price is a bit high. Course really let down by the most unfriendly welcome by the club pro that I have so far received in Essex.

Good value for money course that was in extremely good condition given the appalling weather in the UK for the last few months. Even playing the round in snow did not dampen the spirits of our group.

Looking forward to going back.