Oxhey Park Golf Club - Hertfordshire

Oxhey Park is a public pay & play course that has a bit of a history it used to be an 18 hole course built on land owned by the Blackwell family in 1910, who then sold the estate to London County Council in 1946 who made it a municipal course in 1947 with a par of 78, but it was closed in 1954. Now just a 9 hole course it has got some nice features on it's layout.

Don't turn up here and expect carpet like greens and fairways but for the beginner just starting out or the experienced golfer wanting a bit of practice it is well worth the visit.

The terrain is great for a golf course there are loads of humps and bumps all over the place and if they could get the greens to a better standard this course would be a little gem.

We challenge anybody to go round here under par for your handicap as the holes are quite challenging, from the tight line off the tee at the 3rd to the huge bunker in front of the 5th and the bank in front of the 9th.

If you are local to this course and want to teach your kids golf or fancy a practice round before the weekend competition, go and visit Oxhey and you may help them increase their profits and provide better greens and facilities.

Kington Golf Club - Herefordshire

Kington is the highest 18 hole golf course in England has some amazing views and it turns out not too tiring on the legs. Having climbed most of the 1200 plus feet to reach the clubhouse the course finally appears in view spread across the top of Bradnor Hill, a National Trust site. The course looks amazing and with it's natural look is a very good test of golf, especially when the wind blows!

Downshire Golf Club - Wokingham, Berkshire

The Downshire is a picturesque mature parkland course, dotted with some good looking holes, with water coming into play on a few of them. It is quite a busy course, you can tell this by the condition of the tees, fairways and greens, which had just been spiked when I played, looking a little bare in some places.

Laleham Golf Club - Surrey

The course was in very good condition when we played it. I think it was because there was a vets competition in the morning but this resulted in the pin positions being quite difficult.

The fairways are tree-lined and a few have undulating bumps and hills across them. The rough along the fairways was not too long but there are some areas that if you end up in, it could take several shots to get out of. The greens are definitely not flat but the ball runs well on them. Tony thought all the holes were too straight as there are only 2 doglegs on the course, also the organisation of people playing on the course could be a little better. While we were playing our round we passed at least two groups of children (aged about 10-12) that seemed to be just playing any holes they wished and in any order.

Staverton Park Golf Club - Northamptonshire

Staverton Park is a very impressive golf resort located in the middle of England within 140 acres of beautiful Northamptonshire
countryside. This parkland layout provides a good test to golfers of all abilities with hazards including lakes and American-style bunkers along super greens that we were told drain so well they are playable all year round.

The first hole has a large tree about 100 yards from the tee making you choose what side of the fairway to play for or you could try to blast over the top of it. The second is a decent length par 5 with a triangular shaped green protected by three bunkers and a water feature sits to the right of the third green.

Belmont Lodge Golf Club - Herefordshire

Belmont has the River Wye running alongside it and enjoys a lovely parkland setting with views of the Black Mountains and Malvern Hills. It is very much a course of two nines with the front nine being up on the higher ground then dropping down to the valley and the river for the back nine.

Harewood Downs Golf Club - Amersham, Buckinghamshire

Harewood Downs is a very picturesque course on the side of a hill in the Misbourne Valley, it had a couple of temporary greens on it when I played there but apart from that it was in great condition.

After about six or seven holes the course has a notable similarity to Chiltern Forest with the undulating tree-lined fairways, this course is a good walk.

The staff were very friendly, the Clubhouse facilities, particularly the showers were great, overall I had a good days golf on this fine course.

Airlinks Golf Club - Middlesex

Airlinks is a parkland course that has recently had some landscape changes to make it more pleasing to the eye. This course is great for beginners as it is quite easy to score well on.

Huntswood Golf Club - Burnham, Buckinghamshire

Huntswood is a short but nice little course that now has 18 holes, it looks like it could get a little congested in the summer on the first tee but the round of golf was enjoyable. The teeing areas were fine for this time of year and the fairway's did not have one boggy patch on them.