Mowsbury Golf Course (Cambs)

[AmandaJR]

Played here yesterday as our course had a 120 strong society taking up both tees for most of the day!

Checked the website and they had a great deal - 18 holes plus Chef's Special meal and a pint all for the princely sum of £16.80 :thup:

The course is council owned and to be honest the shop and changing rooms etc are a little bit "worn" but more than adequate. Hit a basket on the range beforehand and the mats etc all in good condition although a weird, severe left to right slope you hit onto and any s**nks end up on the 18th fairway. Not that I hit any but finding your ball on the 18th isn't easy. Price was £1.00 for 25 balls and they looked fairly new and still had dimples!

We have had a lot of rain but the course stood up to that really well with just the walkways between holes suffering and some aprons of the greens a bit damp. The course is a fairly easy track with nice wide fairways and not too many hazards. Bunkers were in good condition despite the rain and a pleasant surprise throughout in terms of quality of fairways and greens. For flat Cambridgshire there were some pleasing undulations and at times you can see for miles - which also means it gets very windy and the 200yd dash for my cartwheeling brolly was - sort of - amusing

Lunch afterwards saw a choice of baked pasta or steak pie and chips and a pint of diet coke for me and David had a Ruddles Smooth :cheers:

All in all one of those "how do they do it for the money" moments and well worth a visit if you're in the area.

Amanda

 

[G1BB0]

sounds like a proper bargain. steak pie and chips + a pint would swing it for me

 

[MKDave]

Is this Mowsbury in Bedford??? Their driving range is alongside the 18th fairway and the place is cheap as chips??

 

[bobmac]

Played here yesterday as our course had a 120 strong society taking up both tees for most of the day!

Does that happen often?

 

[AmandaJR]

Is this Mowsbury in Bedford??? Their driving range is alongside the 18th fairway and the place is cheap as chips??

Yes - that's the one.

Does that happen often?

Too often if you ask me and all members. Last year there were at least 4 such occasions and today the morning was taken up from 9am to 11am with societies. All 4 balls and the majority just happy to make it as far as the ladies tees on their tee shots!

 

[G1BB0]

thats what put me off a course I was interested in joining. Not good

 

[AmandaJR]

thats what put me off a course I was interested in joining. Not good

It really is the main (only) downside to the club. It is privately owned on a large complex with hotel, bar, conference facilities and the golf club itself separate. So you buy a season ticket for golf and then join the club if you choose to. Last year we got to the point of considering another club but then it seems the economic "crisis" for many means they'll take the society money if it's offered regardless of members. We have no priority apart from competition days and then they have to be booked before 9.30am.

The positives are that it is apparent how much is invested back into the course in terms of upkeep and improvements.

This week however forget playing Wed, Thur and Friday unless you want a 5 hour round and spend every green repairing pitchmarks galore. Oh - and today there were still buggies allowed out.

 

[In_The_Rough]

Unfortunately without societies using the course it spells one thing for members and that is higher annual subs and then the members moan at that. Catch 22 situation if you ask me whilst it may be annoying it is sometimes a necessary evil particually while the economy is in the mess it is in.