Best Municipal?

[papyt]

I can't really agree;
My first game of golf was at SHERDLEY PARK and although I’m a member of another club’ I still play regularly at Sherdley. I have been playing it for years and if anything it has improved over the last few years. My biggest criticism of Sherdley is it’s not marshalled enough, like a lot of muni’s, you do get a few knobheads from time to time

I’d always said Sherdley was the best muni I’d played on, until I played PANSANGER at Welwyn Garden City. A lovely course and very well marshalled. Knocks all other muni’s I've personally played into a cocked hat

sherdley park do you think it was a better course when it was the other way round before the road was built and they had a proper pro,the last time i played was 4 years ago and was stuck behind a 4 ball with 2 bags in footy tops and leaving cans of fosters all over the place there is another course near there is it eccleston park like a flat field that is a turn up and play course ok if you are starting out or the legs are a bit iffy.

 

[Doh]

A lot of this is subjective. Use to play in a society from work. Used the Muni's in the northwest. Never really rated Walton Park. The best I have played is Heaton Park. But then again its just a personal view.

I agree Walton Hall could be a very good course but needs some investment. Heaton Park voted the best in the country in 2005, super course.

 

[Karl102]

+1 for Walton Hall. Rumour has it private buyers have tried to buy it a few times. They have also invested in it quite a bit lately with a few new greens. I have never really rated Sherdley for the reasons said above, also the guys that work here in my opinion are not welcoming at all. Narckey at best!
Aid tree 9 hole course is worth a look, although it is long. North Liverpool Muni is very good, but always very busy! Greens were good last time I played there as well.
I have never played Allerton Road in Liverpool, but have heard good things about it!

 

[Mungoscorner]

Peterborough (Thorpe Wood),Tamworth,and Coventry (Brandon Wood),are on a par with most private courses costing 2 or 3 times more imo.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Downshire just outside Wokingham. Owned by Bracknell Forest council and a true muni. Excellent course and always in good condition.

 

[Shaunmg]

sherdley park do you think it was a better course when it was the other way round before the road was built and they had a proper pro,the last time i played was 4 years ago and was stuck behind a 4 ball with 2 bags in footy tops and leaving cans of fosters all over the place there is another course near there is it eccleston park like a flat field that is a turn up and play course ok if you are starting out or the legs are a bit iffy.

You're going back a few years. I think the present layout has been like that for at least 15 years. The points you make about behavior and etiquette is precisely the point I was making, although I used another term to describe them. Poor marshaling is an issue at Sherdley. I was in a two ball this year playing behind a six ball. I have also witnessed carts being dragged across greens. To be fair this kind of behavior is quite rare, but only ever seen it at Sherdley

 

[BTatHome]

I have never played Allerton Road in Liverpool, but have heard good things about it!

I was brought up just down the road and so Allerton was effectively my local muni. never remember anything bad about it all (apart from having to get the bus to get there and then 60 mins of waiting on the first tee only to top it down the fairway), of course last time I played it was probably 25 years ago and literally the only hole I remember is the 8th (??) short par 3 over a huge dip in the ground (right next to the bus stop). I can certainly remember being at the bottom of the dip most of the time

Must get around to playing again when I get back "home" :smirk:

 

[HickoryShaft]

In my neck of the woods I would put forward Normanby Hall as a great Muni.

Fantastic course and usually in great shape all year round. Very affordable.

We always head there for a couple fo games a year at least.

 

[GB72]

I would agree with Thorpe Wood, the only problem is that it can get extremely busy. At one stage earlier in the year they were booking tee times at 4 minute intervals. The first hole is a par 3 that is going to take most groups 10 minutes or more so you have an almost permanent log jam on the first tee at busy times.

 

[Bratty]

Played Queens Park once. On a Saturday. Gave up after 5 hours and 13 holes.....

It's funny, as I didn't find it that difficult. Did you run out of balls or something, Smiffy?

Best muni near me would have to be High Elms. Great course, with some really standout holes. Apparently has the hardest par 3 in the South East!

 

[Robobum]

We have Broome Manor near me, decent 27 hole muni, no restrictions on who can play.

They have some damn good players there too, the course record either goes or is equalled nearly every week. A lot of wiltshire players who took the champion county title this year.

 

[TerryA]

I see there are a few votes for Thorpe Wood (Peteborough)
I played this a couple of months ago and was decidedly unimpressed. It was quite tatty, the greens were poor, the tee boxes scruffy and there was quite a lot of rubbish about the course. It was in need of some TLC. The actual layout, in my view, was fairly ordinary, I certainly wouldn't pay a return visit.

 

[white_feather]

Heaton Park in Prestwich, Manchester.

One of the best par 3s in England.

 

[bozza]

Stressholme in Darlington used to be good but not been there for a few years.

I'm a member and it's been in good condition all year, one or two of the fairways had a little problem with bare patches in the summer but the greens were amazing for a muni course.

The council are also spending a lot of money on it over the next year or so by putting new drainage in, short game practice area opening early next year, changing the sand in all the bunkers so it's the same as the sand they use on the greens to prevent sand splash and balding and trailing the way the rough is cut round the greens to toughen it up a little.

A lot of members from Blackwell GC across the road are switching to Stressholme as the course is suffering condition wise and it didn't help that someone that worked there stole over £20,000 not long ago, allegedly as he ain't been proven guilty yet

 

[full_throttle]

Normandy Hall (Scunthorpe) was a great course imo.

Ammington (Tamworth) played well at the weekend, lots of work still being done on the course but the greens were in good condition for a muni.

 

[rosecott]

Third vote for Normanby Hall - haven't played it for a few years but remember it as a well-kept, well run course with some very good holes, and a bargain to boot.

 

[Karl102]

I was brought up just down the road and so Allerton was effectively my local muni. never remember anything bad about it all (apart from having to get the bus to get there and then 60 mins of waiting on the first tee only to top it down the fairway), of course last time I played it was probably 25 years ago and literally the only hole I remember is the 8th (??) short par 3 over a huge dip in the ground (right next to the bus stop). I can certainly remember being at the bottom of the dip most of the time



Must get around to playing again when I get back "home" :smirk:

Well if you fancy a knock give us a shout. Maybe at a quieter time though as i mentioned it to a mate at work today who played it in the Summer and he said it took over 5 hours to get around!

 

[papyt]

You're going back a few years. I think the present layout has been like that for at least 15 years. The points you make about behavior and etiquette is precisely the point I was making, although I used another term to describe them. Poor marshaling is an issue at Sherdley. I was in a two ball this year playing behind a six ball. I have also witnessed carts being dragged across greens. To be fair this kind of behavior is quite rare, but only ever seen it at Sherdley

its that slog up suicide hill that gets me ok when it was first hole not the 12th. lol

 

[Whereditgo]

Third vote for Normanby Hall - haven't played it for a few years but remember it as a well-kept, well run course with some very good holes, and a bargain to boot.

Normanby has improved a fair bit over the last couple of years, levelled the tee boxes which was one of the main criticisms, returfed a couple of fairways that had suffered with 2 consecutive dry summers and improved the bunkers.

If you ever fancy re-aquainting yourself give me a shout

 

[Captainron]

Been reminded by a friend that we Temple Newsome here in Leeds which has 2 courses, one of which is pretty damn good.