Forest of Arden

[AmandaJR]

Played The Arden course yesterday in howling winds. I did enjoy the quality of the course - no winter mats and lovely springy fairways and fast, true greens. Nailed a couple of long putts which I doubt I've managed all winter on our greens.

I thought a couple of the holes were memorable with shots over water and the deer on the back 9 were so cute.

Overall though it just didn't do much for me. Looking back I think it's a sign that I've developed as a player and such courses don't terrify me witless. It was helped that my drives - on the teetering edge between awesome and hooky - were of the awesome variety :thup:

Perhaps I need to start playing these courses looking for a score to really see the test? Stuffed up a couple on the front 9 but a handful of pars and bogeys on the back 9 saw me around handicap.

Or was I expecting too much from something described as "championship"? How do they get to call it that? What has it hosted...did look a heap tougher from those tees mind.

 

[Wayman]

Hi Amanda
I'm playing here on Saturday. Would you say it's a hard course?
Is it tight, thick rough, loads of trees, etc

 

[chrisd]

Many years ago I won a 2 day break there and went with my non golfing wife. There was a teachers conference there and non of them were golfing so I walked the front 9 on the Arden course on my own with HID joining me to walk the back 9. She kept telling me off for aiming at the deer and I had to keep reassuring her that they were fine so long as they stayed on the fairway and I was right, I never so much as scared one!

 

[Rory130911]

HI wayman - it is not tough providing that you treat it with respect and don't grab the driver on every tee. Rough can be thick but fairways are wide enough so you can avoid it by planning the tee shots. It is a great course.

 

[Bigfoot]

I'm due to play there on Monday. I have played the Alylsford before but this will be my first go at the Arden. From what I remember it is generally soft at this time of year so hopefully, it will be better as we have had a dry winter.

When I played the Aylesford ,my son and I played with my friend and his son. We played a match Old v Young. My friend and I had a great time watching the youngsters -both about 18 - getting more grumpy as we beat them. The sad part is that my friend hardly plays now after injuring his shoulder whilst walking his dog and his son who was off 5 or 6 does not play at all.

 

[golfsaint]

I am too looking to play there in april its either there , telford or belton woods, as we are going away for weekend , which one is best for a single golfer with wife?

 

[Aztecs27]

I am too looking to play there in april its either there , telford or belton woods, as we are going away for weekend , which one is best for a single golfer with wife?

Belton Woods is horribly over priced for what it is. Don't bother with that. Or...stay at Belton Woods (good leisure facilities) and hit up GB72 of this very forum and arrange a game at Belton Park (10 minute drive from Belton Woods) - MUCH better course and if you play with a member it's £20 a round. Worth every penny.

 

[golfsaint]

whats GB72? , Also the wife is after spa stuff and pool , so got to keep here sweet too

 

[ArnoldArmChewer]

I have played the Arden a few times, back in the good old days when my bank had corporate membership and the valued me as a customer (my how things change). Its a nice course, not great but enjoyable, I think they had the English open there a few years back. Would say its worth playing, go forth and enjoy.

PS from memory after the expensive HWH, the course gets much better.

 

[Aztecs27]

whats GB72? , Also the wife is after spa stuff and pool , so got to keep here sweet too

GB72 is a guy who posts on here who should be joining Belton Park this year.

If your wife is happy to book in for a spa treatment and spend the day lounging around while you go and play golf, this is very much the best option.

Leave her to it, hop in the car and drive round the corner (it's literally 10 minutes MAX in the car) to Belton Park (www.beltonpark.co.uk) and get a round in with Greg if he's available. The course is about 1 billion times better than Belton Woods and because it's a member's course, won't be full of weekend hackers that take 5+ hours to go round (Belton Woods is really busy at the weekends).

After your round, jump back in the car, back to the hotel and spend the evening with the wife. Happy days.

 

[Mungoscorner]

The Arden has hosted many big tournaments on the European Tour until 5 or 6 years ago,Dunlop Masters,Denovo Masters etc.
Not my favourite course to be honest,but its nearly always well manicured.Front 9 is flat and pretty boring,back 9 runs through the old deer park,its far more entertaining with lots of very old oak and chesnut trees and DEER !!
Off the whites it can play very long and off the championship tees it becomes a different beast altogether (especially the 11th) in summer the grass and bracken can be merciless and even the second cut although short can wrap around a ball and prevent a decent strike.
Decent enough track,but imo there are lots of better course's for much less money within 10 minutes drive

 

[AmandaJR]

Hi Amanda
I'm playing here on Saturday. Would you say it's a hard course?
Is it tight, thick rough, loads of trees, etc

It's not easy and some tee shots seem challenging but I was having one of those days when my driver was my best friend in the bag. The rough wasn't too thick which I'm guessing is the time of year although the bracken stuff wasn't a place to venture. They were re-sanding a number of bunkers which were marked as GUR but otherwise it was in good nick when you consider the rain we had all day on Sunday. The back 9, as has been said, is way more attractive with little Bambis trotting about as well as bigger ones with antlers. Oh - the golf holes on the back 9 have more interest too and more trees, water to carry etc. The 18th is a long Par 3 and none of us made the green but I mis-hit my 5 wood just short of the bunker - phew!

Prices in the clubhouse are very steep and half that in the half way house.

We also saw Ron Atkinson and Ricky Fowler. Ok so it was just Big Ron and some guy dressed EXACTLY like Ricky Fowler. Despite the strong winds I never saw Ron's wrapover move even a smidgen!

 

[G1BB0]

playing there on Saturday also (dont tell anyone but its a forum meet from another gm )

played the aylesford in November and it was a decent track, looking forward to it

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I have to say off the whites back in October it was a tough ask for me. I'm not the straightest driver or the longest and there was a lot of pressure to keep it in play. I wasn't a fan of the front nine and really had to grind the score out. The back nine is a much better proposition and I really got into the flow. It helpd that my two partners were on fire too and dragged me along and I had a decent day. It was a little breezy but not really even a one club wind and so it didn't make it too hard. A lot of the par 4's were out of reach off the whites and I deliberately played them all as 3 shotters. There were a couple where I got a good drive off and was tempted but stuck with the plan which did me ok.

I thought for a corporate venue it was pretty good. The staff were very courteous and the whole layout is clean and tidy. The greens were huge (compared to Ascot) which was challenging but all in all I enjoyed it

 

[quinn]

playing there saturday too, booked on the aylesford but hope we can upgrade to the arden ( will find out thursday if we can get a time)
£30 on the arden with a member = happy days

 

[Cheifi0]

The sad part is that my friend hardly plays now after injuring his shoulder whilst walking his dog and his son who was off 5 or 6 does not play at all.

It is sad to hear but I am intrigued to hear how? Does he have some kind of ceberus?