# Wokefield Park, nr Reading



## Piece (Jun 10, 2013)

Played this track on Sat, just after their Captain's day. Weather was sunny spells and windy. Yellow tees.

*First impressions driving in*: It's part of the DeVere group, merging golf with accommodation, spa, gym, etc. You drive through the course to park near the large complex, so you've a chance to check out some of the holes (or get boshed by a stray ball!). Course looks very open, minimal trees but some tasty rough. 

*Pro shop:* Its tiny - in fact too small IMHO. There's not a great deal there.

*Welcome:* OK.

*Practice Facilities:* Decent putting green near the first and for a change, reflective of the greens you play on. Outside range with uncovered bays hitting down to a raised fairway. Didn't partake in a warm-up thus no comment on balls (yellow Nikes) or mats.

*Course - front nine*: Slight easier 9 IMHO. Gentle opener, followed by a very short par 4 protected by a large bunker, small green and cabbage out the back. Easy par three next, next to the entrance road. A tight par 5 next, needing a straight first hit and good second shot management. Simple uphill par four follows and then another tight par 5, dogleg right - this needs care and should be seen as a three-shotter to the green for all standards. Another easy par 4 follows, sheltered by a green side oak. Simple par 3 next, leads into a risk-reward par 4 to complete the outward set - long carry over water to green for the big hitters, or the longer route left, leaving a very long second. Water is a common feature as well as big rough! Select your club carefully on some of these holes. Halfway hut is a simple affair - lets say no more.

*Course - back nine:* Probably slightly tougher overall. Starts off with a par four down hill, reachable for big hitters with some wind behind - don't go long though. After, a decent long straight par 4 is framed with long rough either side and water left of green. Next a nice par 3 all over water. Another dogleg par four comes up, needing course management to know where to hit off the tee to leave a manageable second up hill. A great long par 5 comes next, split into three shots for most - its a tough tee shot needing a cheeky draw, with water left and bunkers if you're too far right. The next is yet another semi-blind dogleg right - make the right choice off the tee! A shock (not) in that the next is another slight dogleg into a tight green - don't go left! The final hole is a well framed par 5, slightly up hill - there's a cheeky ditch to carry around 200y off the tee. The final green is receptive and a good birdie chance.

*Course condition overall: *Fairways were fine. Rough was savage - don't go in there otherwise its lost ball territory. Tee boxes were average at best. Layout flowed OK. Course management is paramount here. Bunkers seemed consistent. Lots of water and lateral ditches.

*Greens:* Undulating. Pins can be set easy or hard (as it was this day). They were consistent in pace and a bit bobbly in places. Not that quick though.

*Good points:* Holes were of consistent quality. Nicely presented course. Buggies were comfortable. Some easy holes and some difficult holes - pick your holes to attack.

*Bad points:* Internal out of bounds on the 4th. Stupidly slow play - take a book with you (e.g we were a three ball with two buggies and it took 5.5 hours). Savage rough was too long and didn't help some people's pace. 

*Tips: * Buy a course planner and study it, or have a DMD with hazard and carry locations. There are hidden bunkers, ditches and carries. Watch your ball intently for the line and hit a provision if in doubt. Try and play off-peak, otherwise you will be there for hours.

*Summary:* Not a bad course, with good greens and some interesting holes. The pace of play was a major no for me. Would I go back - yes, but not rushing back.


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## HomerJSimpson (Jun 10, 2013)

Played it a lot including a club match of the black's which was nothing other than a complete slog and soul destroying. Off the yellows its a playable course. The rough was knee high hay (they harvest it) and an instant lost ball. It isn't high on my list of favourites but it is worth a look


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## woody69 (Jun 27, 2013)

My home track. Funny, but I think the opposite in that the back 9 is slightly easier than the front. Agree that the rough is brutal and the course layout isn't particularly conducive for speedy play, particularly the bottle neck of the 7th, 8th and 9th and then the long walk to the 10th. I average about 4.5 hours a round there which is very slow, but if you are prepared for it then it's fine. Condition of the course has been getting better and better though and it looks great at the moment. Some really nice "golf" holes particularly the 4th, 6th, 12th and 14th. Off the blues it is brutal though and a touch shy of 7000 yards.


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## el marko (Mar 17, 2014)

Played this course yesterday for the first and last time - You'd have to pay me to return. 5+ hour round. The greens are the worst ive experienced, i think they are full of disease and every putt was a lottery with the ball getting airbourne and being pushed offline by moss patches and bobbles. Also absolutely shocking placement of the driving range having been almost hit on the 1st and 18th holes by people hitting at you!! To add to that the par 3 over water 13th? you have the walk almost down the fairway of the 15th whilst people are hitting there 2nd shots at you! 

The course itself does have some nice holes and wow do they love their bunkers!

Oh and a pint was Â£4.20! :sbox:


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## dufferman (Apr 7, 2014)

I spent a night at Wokefield Park last Friday, with a round booked for 10.14am Saturday. 

I have been to Wokefield Park a couple of times before - the hotel is big & quite nice (BMW have a training facility there, so the main hotel reception has both a top of the range Mini & BMW CC (4 series maybe?) in it - very nice. 

The hotel was good, rooms a tad dated but up until 1am playing pool in the reception bar, as well as good food.

The course was looking good, the rough rough, the fairways well kept. The greens however, were awful. They were more sand than grass, and bobbled and jumped and had very inconsistent speeds.

We're no professionals, 4 of us going round in 93, 94, 99 & 110. However, the way the greens were meant short 2 footers were almost guess work in places, with a solid no break putt jumping off left or right due to the terrible green conditions.

The round was quite quick, for a long course we took just over 4 hours. 

I had read the previous reviews here last month, and was really hoping the greens would have grown / sorted themselves out by the time we got there on Saturday, but obviously they hadn't. It didn't take the shine off a great night and day, but knowing some putts didn't drop through no fault of our own did leave a slightly bitter taste in our mouth.

Shame.


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## Foxholer (Apr 7, 2014)

dufferman said:



			The course was looking good, the rough rough, the fairways well kept. *The greens however, were awful. They were more sand than grass*, and bobbled and jumped and had very inconsistent speeds.
		
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This is where I believe courses should provide some sort of compensation - reduction in rate Pro Shop/Return Offer Voucher etc. I've seen this implemented as a Policy at a couple of places and it really does make for a much better experience! Everyone knows that the work has to be done, but to be lumbered with it for 'full price' can leave a bad taste! Some 'US Values and Service' wouldn't go amiss imo!


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## dufferman (Apr 7, 2014)

Foxholer said:



			This is where I believe courses should provide some sort of compensation - reduction in rate Pro Shop/Return Offer Voucher etc. I've seen this implemented as a Policy at a couple of places and it really does make for a much better experience! Everyone knows that the work has to be done, but to be lumbered with it for 'full price' can leave a bad taste! Some 'US Values and Service' wouldn't go amiss imo!
		
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It would have been nice to be given a free sleeve of balls or something to say 'sorry' for the bad condition of the greens, rather than perhaps a partial refund as that could be a bit of a faff. 

I just know to ask about the condition of the greens next time, and maybe take a look at the course before booking a stay & play for 4 next time!!


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## Foxholer (Apr 7, 2014)

dufferman said:



			It would have been nice to be given a free sleeve of balls or something to say 'sorry' for the bad condition of the greens, rather than perhaps a partial refund as that could be a bit of a faff. 

I just know to ask about the condition of the greens next time, and maybe take a look at the course before booking a stay & play for 4 next time!!
		
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Actually, it makes sense to simply ask if there's 'any maintenance being done/scheduled that might adversely affect your enjoyment of the course'. 

Partial Refunds/Vouchers etc should be no more hassle than a free sleeve of balls. That's what Accounting systems are for!


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## G1BB0 (Apr 7, 2014)

why not email them and lodge your dissatisfaction?

Unless they get feedback they wont be able to address issues in future.


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## dufferman (Apr 8, 2014)

Ironically, I received an email today asking for just that - feedback. I'll be sending the email later today!


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## woody69 (Apr 18, 2014)

They have been undertaking the green maintenance so you unfortunately just played it at the wrong time. It needs to be done unfortunately. Think you were both unlucky


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## woody69 (Apr 18, 2014)

el marko said:



			Played this course yesterday for the first and last time - You'd have to pay me to return. 5+ hour round. The greens are the worst ive experienced, i think they are full of disease and every putt was a lottery with the ball getting airbourne and being pushed offline by moss patches and bobbles. Also absolutely shocking placement of the driving range having been almost hit on the 1st and 18th holes by people hitting at you!! To add to that the par 3 over water 13th? you have the walk almost down the fairway of the 15th whilst people are hitting there 2nd shots at you! 

The course itself does have some nice holes and wow do they love their bunkers!

Oh and a pint was Â£4.20! :sbox:
		
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Not full of disease, just being worked on. You should have been entitled to some kind of reduction in rate though.

I've never had a problem with the position of the driving range with balls hitting, or even getting close to hitting me, so again perhaps you were unlucky. You're talking about the 12th over the water, and it's a big old wide fairway on the 14th and you're walking right down the edge, so not really a problem with people coming down the 14th, but again I guess you could be unlucky if someone had a wild shot, but I think that's a problem at 100's of courses all over the country.

5 hours is about standard though and it does my head in. The layout is not contusive to fast play, but it is a long old course


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## Piece (Jun 16, 2014)

Played this last w/e, around a year after my original review. My thoughts a year on? No change really, except the rough is just comical - even trickling in, its a certain lost ball. That is the sole reason for slow rounds there. CUT THE ROUGH.


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