Lives
Staffordshire, UK
Handicap
15-19
Age
55-64
Gender
Male
Skill
Intermediate
Plays
A few times a week

About

..................... if only I could drive, love the short game and putting. When I am driving well, I can plan to 10 / 12, but normally I let too many go with the driver, and I use all of my 19 h'cap

Review Statistics

Average Rating

3.9
3.9
Total 97 Reviews

Rating Breakdown

97 Reviews
5 Stars
29
4 Stars
42
3 Stars
20
2 Stars
4
1 Stars
2
Recommended Courses
83
Not Recommended Courses
13
Helpful Votes Count
218
Not Helpful Votes Count
7
First Review
06/02/2013
Last Review
03/24/2024

Reviews Map

Reviews

3.9
Advanced Filters
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Course Difficulty
First time playing this course
Recommended
Review has

Legends Golf & Country Club

Played On 03/24/2024
I Recommend This Course
2.0
Top 100 Contributor
Previously Played
Windy weather
Used cart

Potential to be so much better

Potential for a 4 star course.............. but...........
The layout is really interesting, plenty of elevation changes and some VERY tricky par 3's make for a good test of golf, so why the but ?
Some staff are surly to the point of being rude, certainly not individuals who should be in any customer facing role. ( the others were however excellent). The condition of the tee boxes was shockingly poor, having been lucky enough to play many many courses all over the world, these were without any doubt the worst I have ever had to play off. A common thread is the condition of the fairways, they are pretty awful. ( we decided to play "preferred lies", which did make life a bit better.) Greens were well paced if not a little firm.
Index 1 6th is a great hole, as is the par 3 13th which is 180+yards, all carry to hit the green.
In it's current state it is certainly not a $90 course

Conditions Fair
Value Poor
Layout Good
Friendliness Fair
Pace Poor
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate

Espiche Golf Course

Played On 03/01/2024
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 100 Contributor
First Time Playing
Windy weather
Used cart

need to play more than a few times

As a first time player on the course, it's a very tough track ! Club selection and placement from tee boxes is absolutely paramount, 8 of us played in early March and lost over 20 balls between us. Lots of blind tee shots with with sloping fairways can take a ball into all sorts of unplanned places, add to that narrow fairways and plenty of brush and scrub, and you can see why. The welcome at golf reception and from the starter was great. Course generally in good condition
The clubhouse is a very nice modern building, and there still seems lots of enabling work ongoing around the greater area around the course. The course is however a bit "out of the way", in terms of local towns of Lagos and Alvor.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging

Dom Pedro Golf - Old Course

Played On 02/29/2024
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 100 Contributor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

up there with the best that The Algarve has to offer

Oh what a great course !
We were welcomed by "Ana", with the best welcome we have ever received in our 10+ years of golfing on the Algarve. So polite and so professional. Pre golf practice facilities are superb. There is a "proper" starter, ( he pulled up people in front of us on dress code!)
The course itself was an absolute pleasure, everything you want, well paced and consistent greens, great well manicured tee boxes, and holes with both elevation change and some difficult to navigate around well placed trees.
A return for our group is assured !

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Top 100 Contributor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

OK

Nice course, decent enough layout, there are some quite tight holes, but also some very wide open ones. Must say that the par 3's are all really interesting, a final example of how short par 3's can still be a very good test. The shorter par 4's are equally as interesting.
The only REALLY disappointing element is that players dont seem to think they are responsible for raking bunkers, :-( we all were in a couple of bunkers ( 4 lower handicappers), and each bunker had footprints.
A much better test is the other Hardelot course, the Dunes.

Conditions Fair
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Moderate

Beau Desert Golf Club

Played On 08/14/2023
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 100 Contributor
First Time Playing
Wet weather
Walked

Gem of a course !

Is this in my top 5 Midlands courses ........ ??

You sure bet it is !! As i have noted previously, it is not always just the course that makes a club good (or bad for that matter). Beau is a simply great course, backed up with friendly members, a good bar (always nice to get a pint of Enville), and good food.
As a course rater myself, you get to appreciate what makes a "difficult" course, Beau is not a long course, but the intriguing layout, lots of elevation changes, and the "trickiest" greens around, make it a stern and worthy test for its 133 / white and 131 / yellow slope index. The par 3's are all varied and are well protected both with bunkers, rise and fall and heavily sloping / contoured greens. Par 4's are long and testing, the 18th par 5 is a great finish, (i always liked the par 5 18th at Walsall as a closing hole, but that is a pale shadow of the par 5 18th at Beau
A real gem, you want to play again and again and again.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging

Shrewsbury Golf Club

Played On 08/01/2023
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 100 Contributor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Walked

Think your way around !

Really good track, nice and tight, treelined fairways,,and fast (VERY) fast greens, first time playing here but vertainly I hope not the last. Front 10 are on fairly level ground and a little "back and forth", but excellent nonetheless, the holes on the other side of the rail track (11 through 17) were phenominal, this is not a long course, but reuqires guile and good shot game skills, index 1 is a great hole, and already makes my all time top 18 holes. Food after the golf was fine. Company on the day was very good, cheers John and Pelli ! Managed a 3 and 2 win to boot!!

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging

Falcon's Fire Golf Club

Played On 06/05/2023
3.0
Top 100 Contributor
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Used cart

dissapoints

So.... finally got a game at FF after many years coming over to FL.
I must admit I was more than a little disappointed. The layout is fine ( I played Blue tee boxes), and even allowing for recent aeration the greens were quite poor and "tacky", the roll never seemed consistent from one green to the next. The blue tee boxes were in poor shape and I am guessing as not many people play the 6473 yards, they don't get much use so it's hard to see why they were so scrubby ?
Plenty of water but not always actually in play off the tee box, fairways were wide and generous but grass was on the longer side. Bunkers however were in really bad shape ( not easy to maintain on 2 fronts I understand,
(1. The heavy Florida rain storms 2. People playing but not even raking them or when they did rake them leaving mounds from incorrect raking)
Played with three good guys, Lester and Greig ( brothers ) and Will. They played white and explained that they play a different game with lots of mulligans and some of the most generous gimmies I have ever seen LOL. ( you keep playing your way guys !! golf ⛳️ should be what you make it in non comps). I played my game and found it after 5 hole's and ended up firing level handicap with a par on the last.
I would however play again.

Conditions Fair
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Fair
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate

Wrekin Golf Club

Played On 05/25/2023
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 100 Contributor
First Time Playing
Walked

Seniors AM/AM

There is so much to write about what a great day out we had at the Wrekin ! Golf is so much more than 18 holes, and Wrekin came up with a simply splendid day out for the Open 4BBB pairs.
Arrived to a warm welcome and a nice hot bacon bap, with a coffee.
Practice facilities are on the small side with a small putting green and a couple of netts. What then follows is 18 holes ( with no par 5's) of a really great test of any handicap golfers ability. Hardly any flat holes or flat LZ's including up / down slopes and cross slopes. Lots of green are cut into the sides of hill, lots and lots of elevation changes. (I think the total elevation change from high point to low point was 600ft). This is a course where you really have to think about shot placement and where the roll will take your ball when it lands.
The last 3 holes are all uphill, it's quite a push, and you certainly know youv'e had a stiff workout if your pushing a cart or carrying your clubs.
Upon finishing we were greeted with a good well stocked bar with very decent ale options, our meal included was a super chicken curry followed by a roulade with nice tarte fruits of the forest.
Did we win ? ...........no.......... Did we care ?....... not one bit, great course, great bar, great food and a warm welcome from the members.........BRAVO Wrekin........... a great day out.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate

Wrekin Golf Club

Played On 05/25/2023
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 100 Contributor
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Walked

Grand day out ! (Gromit)

There is so much to write about what a great day out we had at the Wrekin ! Golf is so much more than 18 holes, and Wrekin came up with a simply splendid day out for the Open 4BBB pairs.
Arrived to a warm welcome and a nice hot bacon bap, with a coffee.
Practice facilities are on the small side with a small putting green and a couple of netts. What then follows is 18 holes ( with no par 5's) of a really great test of any handicap golfers ability. Hardly any flat holes or flat LZ's including up / down slopes and cross slopes. Lots of green are cut into the sides of hill, lots and lots of elevation changes. (I think the total elevation change from high point to low point was 600ft). This is a course where you really have to think about shot placement and where the roll will take your ball when it lands.
The last 3 holes are all uphill, it's quite a push, and you certainly know youv'e had a stiff workout if your pushing a cart or carrying your clubs.
Upon finishing we were greeted with a good well stocked bar with very decent ale options, our meal included was a super chicken curry followed by a roulade with nice tarte fruits of the forest.
Did we win ? ...........no.......... Did we care ?....... not one bit, great course, great bar, great food and a warm welcome from the members.........BRAVO Wrekin........... a great day out.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging

Shifnal Golf Club

Played On 04/28/2023
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 100 Contributor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked

super greens

5 star greens... easily the best I have played on in a very long time, even though it was late April, they were quick and true, probably stimping around 10.5 / 11. Generally a very good layout, quite open and wide, fairways were still a bit on the heavy side post the winter season and I can see why people say the course plays very wet in winter.
some stand out holes, are 5 and 6, the wonderfull 13th (par 3) over a large pond, and 18th, a really good finisheing hole.
Food and drink apres golf was also very good, locker rooms were a little on the old and tired side, but still perfectly functional. Its a good long walk... and the pace was slow ( 4:41... mainly due i guess to a society of very mixed ability in front of us)

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
3.0
Top 100 Contributor
First Time Playing
Windy weather
Walked

I may revise my review......if i tried playing in the summer.
It is a really interesting layout (in places)....... shortish holes but very tight in places....... equally in places it's open and has a very back and forth feel, and to be frank, it's quite boring, that said there are some real stand out holes.... 4th and 17th of most note.
My issue was that I played late April, and the ground was wet and very heavy, even on the fairways (allowing for lift clean and place), never .quite seemed to be able to get a good clean contact with the ball.
Bunkers were quite dissapointing in places, very heavy sand / sand and mud combination? (RH approach bunker of 5 was exceptionally heavy with some huge stones)
I would like to play again in the summer and see better conditions ?

Conditions Fair
Value Good
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Difficulty Fairly Easy

Alto Golf & Country Club

Played On 03/07/2023
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 100 Contributor
First Time Playing
Wet weather
Used cart

9 holes then rain

we only managed the front 9 of this course, so I am looking forwards already to a return next year.
The course is shortish, but VERY tight narrow fairways and treelined. Greens are small and quick, it's a really accurate test of your clubbing.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 100 Contributor
Previously Played
Wet weather
Used cart

2nd time

I have always been a little pesemistic about the Pestana courses. At times i feel its golf for the mass market..... Gramacho was a really nice course to play, not overly long, but some very tidy thought provoking holes, plenty of elevation changes and good greens, sadly the elements that do disappoint are from that mass market element, no raking of bunkes and no pitch mark repairs.
Definately a course to play again

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 100 Contributor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

a good track

Really enjoyed this course. First time playing it, wide ish fairways but plenty of water in play and well placed bunkering and water crossing. Greens in good condition quick and true, a must return.

The only very poor experience was with a damaged buggy which was not damaged by ourselves, We had a second round booked on the sister Faldo course, and we were DENIED the buggies we had prepaid for until we paid a "charge" on the buggy we allegedly damaged.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging

Llandrindod Wells Golf Club

Played On 02/05/2023
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 100 Contributor
First Time Playing
Cold weather
Walked

oh those hills !!!

We played the first weekend in Feb, and were really lucky with the weather..it was truly a perfect day for golf.
What a great shame this course is 2 hours from home (in the Black Country), I would certainly play it much more often if it was a hour away. There are three great things about this track.
1. Greens are really / really superb.
2. Elevation changes are immense, a really great test for your work off the tee and fairway shots, you really do have to think about club selection.
3 The par 3's.... some really REALLY great par 3's, we played off the back tees(White), and three of them were 200 yard+ holes. 4th is a gem, playing 220 UPHILL. Walked off with a 4 feeling very satisfied. (only to watch the lads behind us play up and one of them missing an ace being 6" short of the pin !).

A warm welcome from club staff and members, rounded off a super day out.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging

Aberdovey Golf Club

Played On 08/27/2022
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 100 Contributor
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Walked

Great

What a great course and all around experience. Starting with the warm welcome from Andy the club pro. The course is not the hardest links test, but the overall experience is great, some links courses beat you up so much they are not enjoyable for an average golfer, but Aberdovey is a good test without being way too hard.
I enjoyed all the par 3's, none of which were similar, the 12th however is a real gem, there is no way anyone could "fluke" a ball onto the green, it needs a very well judged proper golf shot, that takes into account wind direction distance and elevation, and once on the green there are np flat putts. (we played 2 days running and wind was in opposite directions each day, so I was happy to come off one under for both days)
16th is a really interesting short par 4, bigger hitters may go for the green, but a lay up is no easy option either, its a hard green to hit.
Off course facilities are really good food and accomodation is ideal for golfers.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging

Trentham Golf Club

Played On 07/20/2022
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 100 Contributor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Walked

Perfect days golf

Wonderful course.... some really interesting holes, I thougherly enjoyed the layout, first 9 in a loop around the periphery, the back 9 inside. There really were no two holes alike. The par 3's are all different as are the par 5's, personally I like the run of holes 13 14 and 15, 13 is a great par 4, not long, but a really strong index 2 hole. 14 will rank as one of my favourite par 5's anywhere, downhill dogleg left to right to a well guarded green. 15 is an uphill 175 yard par 3, a real challenge to hit the tiered green.
We ate in the bar afterwards ( seniors league match), and the food was excellent.
Add two really frienldy members to play against and you have a perfect days golf !

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 100 Contributor
Previously Played
Hot weather
Walked

One of the Midlands finest

Course great.... facilities wonderful .. bar great .........food not so great
Played the HIGHGATE course on a sunny July day in a seniors match. The course was immaculate, there are so many memorable holes. but 12 through 16 is a cracking run of holes.
Enville fully deserves its reputation as one of the Midlands finest courses ( South Staffs / Edgbaston / Enville are my top 3) NEVER turn down an oppertunity to tee it up on either the Lodge or Highgate.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging

Lilleshall Hall Golf Club

Played On 07/11/2022
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 100 Contributor
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Walked

Tough pin placement

Really interesting and very well presented course. We played a seniors match the day after the club championship, and the pins had been left in the same positions. There were some really REALLY tough pin locations (argghhhh 16th), and 17th was also a very clever placement. Everything about this golf course was first class, the greens all had a lovely roll, if a little slow. The layout really uses the local topography to the max.
Bravo Lilleshall..... we will return.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging

Bloxwich Golf Club

Played On 06/08/2022
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 100 Contributor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Walked

a fine days golf

A fine days golf !
Indeed... a very fine days golf......... course in very good confition, greens on the slower side, but with a really consistent roll. The card suggests that it is not the longest course, however it plays longer than it reads. There are several very clever holes, make you think about where to be off the tee box.
We had a dinner afterwards ( B team match), this was a very good carvery followed by a generoues desert. Definately worth returning to . Cheers to Chris and Dave who played with us.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
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