Golf in Gloucestershire/Bristol

[wjemather]

My Bristolian mate just said, if you're playing Tall Pines, based on location, play Woodspring instead.
Avon and Severn 9s.

Yikes. It wouldn't have been the case many years ago (I used to play there regularly), but now, Woodspring would be almost the last place in the area that I'd recommend.

It closed as a club a couple of years ago. Since then it's been operating as pay-and-play with minimal staffing and course maintenance (drainage is a big problem, except for some of the ponds with broken liners - they've drained out quite well) as they (& North Somerset council) hope to build houses on it soon. Also, (not verified) I heard recently that bar & catering facilities had been shuttered.

And the Brunel 9 is the best of the 3 nines there; the Avon 9 is the one to miss.

 

[IanM]

Oh crikey, I'm playing with this guy tomorrow, I'll check when he last went.

Tall Pines looks unexciting from the runway

 

[wjemather]

Tall Pines looks unexciting from the runway

Possibly not an ideal perspective from which to judge a golf course?

[Edit: Not that it would ever stop some people.]

 

[Kennysarmy]

Stinchcombe would fit your bill nicely BUT if the rough is up that course can be brutal in the warmer months once the long grass gets up just off the fairway.

I'd say my course Lilley Brook fits your criteria too and if you're staying in Cheltenham it's on your doorstep.

Old courses (around 100 yrs old) - tick
Affordable (under 60 UKP) - not sure but close I'd guess
Fun - tick
Views - yes on the back holes
Playable for our hcp's - yea, tick - but there back holes are up up up so you can need to be fit if you're not getting buggies.

View from our 12th green looking back to Cheltenham.

 

[IanM]

Possibly not an ideal perspective from which to judge a golf course?

Over an adjacent fence where you can see several holes just going up and down?

Add the aviation fuel fumes and aircraft noise, and yep, it sounds like a stonker!

 

[Klimski]

Update: I've made an executive decision (though it breaks my heart haha) that we won't be playing Painswick. Also Long Ashton and Bristol & Clifton are too dear.
So, the line up for three days is almost done, any input is narrowing down the Sunday options is really welcome;

Friday: Stinchcombe Hill
Saturday: Cleeve Hill
Sunday - any one of these:
- Henbury
- Filton
- Shirehampton Park
- Saltford

My question to the lovely members here: which is the best of those four for mid handicap players, also we may want to have a meal after the round, so we can take that into account also.

 

[D-S]

Update: I've made an executive decision (though it breaks my heart haha) that we won't be playing Painswick. Also Long Ashton and Bristol & Clifton are too dear.
So, the line up for three days is almost done, any input is narrowing down the Sunday options is really welcome;

Friday: Stinchcombe Hill
Saturday: Cleeve Hill
Sunday - any one of these:
- Henbury
- Filton
- Shirehampton Park
- Saltford

My question to the lovely members here: which is the best of those four for mid handicap players, also we may want to have a meal after the round, so we can take that into account also.

All much of a muchness really. Henbury and Shire are a bit fiddly but are the shorter of the four, the other two more straight forward, none of them are what you would call tough. Shire’s the friendliest, maybe worth checking whether they are booked up for Sunday lunches as this can cause an issue sometimes.

 

[wjemather]

Update: I've made an executive decision (though it breaks my heart haha) that we won't be playing Painswick. Also Long Ashton and Bristol & Clifton are too dear.
So, the line up for three days is almost done, any input is narrowing down the Sunday options is really welcome;

Friday: Stinchcombe Hill
Saturday: Cleeve Hill
Sunday - any one of these:
- Henbury
- Filton
- Shirehampton Park
- Saltford

My question to the lovely members here: which is the best of those four for mid handicap players, also we may want to have a meal after the round, so we can take that into account also.

Wow, B+C & LA have really cranked up their green fees - that's almost a 20% increase from last year! I'd guess Henbury might be similar.
As D-S says, the courses are quite similar, and you'll need to check food & tee availability on your Sunday. Shirehampton will be the cheapest, and Saltford is a bit more of a detour.

My order of preference: Saltford - Filton - Henbury - Shirehampton.

 

[D-S]

Wow, B+C & LA have really cranked up their green fees - that's almost a 20% increase from last year! I'd guess Henbury might be similar.
As D-S says, the courses are quite similar, and you'll need to check food & tee availability on your Sunday. Shirehampton will be the cheapest, and Saltford is a bit more of a detour.

My order of preference: Saltford - Filton - Henbury - Shirehampton.

It’s because they don’t accept County Cards at weekends, you can still get on B&C during the week for £50.

 

[wjemather]

It’s because they don’t accept County Cards at weekends, you can still get on B&C during the week for £50.

Standard summer green fee rates have gone from £70 to £85 weekdays and £80 to £95 weekends. That's quite a hike in one year (and the same as in the previous half dozen or so years combined).
The rise at LA is even more dramatic as they've gone from £65 to £85 weekdays and £75 to £95 weekends, matching B+C rates (and more than doubling from 4-5 years ago).

Edit: the increase at Burnham on the back of finally hosting OFQ is something else - £150 up to £195.

 

[D-S]

Standard summer green fee rates have gone from £70 to £85 weekdays and £80 to £95 weekends. That's quite a hike in one year (and the same as in the previous half dozen or so years combined).
The rise at LA is even more dramatic as they've gone from £65 to £85 weekdays and £75 to £95 weekends, matching B+C rates (and more than doubling from 4-5 years ago).

The vast majority of green fees come from County Cards holders, they are free as part of your affiliation in the County. Both courses have recently held quite prestigious Amateur comps, B&C has hosted the England Boys under 14 (Reid Trophy), English Women’s Open, English Seniors Open and the England Boys Open (Carris Trophy) in the past 10 years.
£50 on a County card weekdays is, I believe, good value.

 

[wjemather]

The vast majority of green fees come from County Cards holders, they are free as part of your affiliation in the County. Both courses have recently held quite prestigious Amateur comps, B&C has hosted the England Boys under 14 (Reid Trophy), English Women’s Open, English Seniors Open and the England Boys Open (Carris Trophy) in the past 10 years.
£50 on a County card weekdays is, I believe, good value.

I'm aware of all of that (and more) but it's of no relevance to the big increase in their standard summer green fee rates this year.

 

[Klimski]

By the by, I am from the Netherlands so I don't have a county card I did see that the greenfees of the four courses mentioned are all between 35-55 quid for a Sunday. So all within budget. B&C and Long Ashton are both in the 95 range. Even Clevedon is 'only' 75 pounds.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I'm coming down in the summer and am planning on playing Kingsdown and Saltford. I'm lucky in that I have family down there and so can stay with them rather than hotels. That leaves a bit more in the budget for courses, although they still aren't crazy. Those two were well recommended.

@Klimski hopefully you are planning a night in Bristol at some point. It's a cracking city and I'm sure you'll appreciate the waterways running through the city .

 

[IanM]

Bristol is a cracking city if you keep away from the bits which are not!

 

[SocketRocket]

Update: I've made an executive decision (though it breaks my heart haha) that we won't be playing Painswick. Also Long Ashton and Bristol & Clifton are too dear.
So, the line up for three days is almost done, any input is narrowing down the Sunday options is really welcome;

Friday: Stinchcombe Hill
Saturday: Cleeve Hill
Sunday - any one of these:
- Henbury
- Filton
- Shirehampton Park
- Saltford

My question to the lovely members here: which is the best of those four for mid handicap players, also we may want to have a meal after the round, so we can take that into account also.

It's not on your list but The Bristol is a good course, not too expensive and right by the side of the M5 by Cribs Causeway retail Mall.

 

[Klimski]

As always, the best laid plans etc. So, Cleeve Hill is booked for the Saturday. Stinchcombe Hill can't accomodate us on the Friday as the Duke of Beaufort is hosting his golf day (true!). So I've moved that to Sunday (if they can accomodate) and have decided to spend a few more of our hard earned Euro's and try to get a time at Clevedon - which it turns out is only a 25 minute drive from Bristol airport!

 

[apj0524]

Or Mendip Spring.

In my view Mendip Spring is nightmare too corporate which makes it a very slow round

 

[apj0524]

It's not on your list but The Bristol is a good course, not too expensive and right by the side of the M5 by Cribs Causeway retail Mall.

Of these in my only Henbury & Saltford are worth a shot

 

[Klimski]

Stinchcombe would fit your bill nicely BUT if the rough is up that course can be brutal in the warmer months once the long grass gets up just off the fairway.

I'd say my course Lilley Brook fits your criteria too and if you're staying in Cheltenham it's on your doorstep.

Old courses (around 100 yrs old) - tick
Affordable (under 60 UKP) - not sure but close I'd guess
Fun - tick
Views - yes on the back holes
Playable for our hcp's - yea, tick - but there back holes are up up up so you can need to be fit if you're not getting buggies.

View from our 12th green looking back to Cheltenham.

View attachment 56949

I will contact Lilly Brook tomorrow to see whether I can book for the Friday in May