Which are the UK's best public golf courses?

[LisaK83]

Hi everyone, I'm writing an article about the UK's Best Public Golf Courses and would be very grateful for any tips! I am looking for the most popular public golf courses all over England, Scotland and wAles. Please feel free to email me: lisa(dot)kjellsson(at)haymarket(dot)com
Many thanks!
Lisa

 

[Snelly]

St Andrews.

 

[Hattersuk]

From all the true public courses i have played (mostly in Scotland) i would say Troon Darley is up there.

The problem with most is the amount of play they get. The fairways can take a beating.

 

[Bratty]

Round my way you can't beat High Elms. Council-owned and so VERY much a public pay and play course.

Cut through a forest, it's properly established, with some massive trees in the middle of some fairways, it's got proper holes (including the hardest par 3 in Kent by some people's reckoning), it's attractive and makes you think about shots, and it's not flat!

 

[Adi2Dassler]

In Edinburgh, the Braids...which used to be better until they butchered it.
In Scotland (ergo the UK ) St. Andrews.

 

[19thagain]

St Andrews I would agree with.

Carnoustie Iwould also rate.

Nairn Dunbar is excellent.

Aberdeen Hazlehead No 1 has a superb pedigree.

 

[CliveW]

I would definately agree with St. Andrews Old Course and Carnoustie Championship.

 

[Peteg]

Much much different to the above but Thorpe Wood in Peterborough is a cracking public course.

 

[quinn]

Brandon wood in coventry, cracking course for a municipal

 

[thecraw]

Ayr Bellisle is a decent track.

 

[sweatysock41]

Agree with you on Brandon - in the summer -not so good if there has been a lot of rain - gets waterlogged around 9 & 10.

Pype Hayes and Lickey Hills in Birmingham are also decent muni's.

 

[Leftie]

Round my way you can't beat High Elms. Council-owned and so VERY much a public pay and play course.

Cut through a forest, it's properly established, with some massive trees in the middle of some fairways, it's got proper holes (including the hardest par 3 in Kent by some people's reckoning), it's attractive and makes you think about shots, and it's not flat!

^
^
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Wot he said.

The layout is better than many other clubs in the area.

JustOne would love that par3. Unless you are very confident of being long enough and straight enough to hit the very sloping green, you have to play it as a dogleg.

 

[rickg]

Panshangar, Welwyn Garden City

 

[Ronnoc1980]

In the summer months this liitle bad boy is worth a look.


http://www.crookhillpark.co.uk/index.html

 

[RGDave]

Pype Hayes and Lickey Hills in Birmingham are also decent muni's.

I'll give these two a shout. Pype Hayes and Thorpe Wood swapped places at the top back in the late 1990s. Different type courses, but good. I know the Pro at Pype Hayes from when he was at the Lickey Hills.
I actually popped into Lickey Hills on Wednesday for the first time in a decade. That's a coincidence.

Batchwood (St Albans) used to come and go in the listings.

Important to make the distinction between a public and a muni if you ask me. There are lots of P&P courses around that are hardly munis...and vice versa.

I'd wouldn't be surprised if the absolute BEST council run courses are all north of the border.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Downshire near Bracknell was voted in the top 10 pay and plays. Great council owned course

 

[Qwerty]

I used to play a lot of muni's when I first started out, 3 worth a mention are Heaton Park, Manchester. Duxbury Park, Chorley and Walton Hall, Warrington.
All 3 are better than most private courses in the area.

 

[grumpyjock]

Hi everyone, I'm writing an article about the UK's Best Public Golf Courses and would be very grateful for any tips! I am looking for the most popular public golf courses all over England, Scotland and wAles. Please feel free to email me: lisa(dot)kjellsson(at)haymarket(dot)com
Many thanks!
Lisa

Bradley Park at Huddersfield run by Kirklees council.
Opened in 1978 and a fine upstanding course with Parnell Reily as the resident pro( just been the president of the PGA for the Ryder cup win)

 

[Karl102]

Here here for Walton Hall in Warrington !

 

[AndyPGG]

*bump*

Anyone know of an updated list as this thread is from 2011?