Collingtree Park Golf Club Course Review

The distinctive design on the southern fringes of Northampton is designed by two-time major champion Johnny Miller…

Collingtree Park Golf Club Course Review

Johnny Miller won the 1976 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale by a margin of six shots from no lesser lights than Jack Nicklaus and Seve Ballesteros.

As a player, he had a reputation as something of a firebrand and he made his first foray into golf course design while still winning on Tour.

Related: Johnny Miller: A sort of golfing Nirvana

His only creation in Europe, Collingtree Park, opened in 1990 and is a testing, parkland course with an American twist that offers a real challenge as well as excellent value.

Its strengths were recognised early on and it has twice hosted the British Masters in the mid-90s, attracting strong fields and winners of the calibre of Sam Torrance and Robert Allenby.

The course has recently hosted European Tour Qualifying School events and returning this year in August is the PGA EuroPro Tour Jessie May Grust World Snooker Golf Championship which will be televised later in the year on Sky Sports.

It follows the industry standard design template with a par of 72 including four par 5s, ten par 4s and four par 3s.

From the tips it can be stretched to almost 7,000 yards, but everyday play is a far more appealing 6,227 yards.

There are two distinct loops of nine with the front half running clockwise to the west of the clubhouse, and with the first three holes separated from holes four to nine by Turnberry Lane and Belfry Lane.

Related: Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK&I golf courses

The highlights here are the long and tough par-4 3rd, the short 5th where anything right will find one of the lakes, and the par-5 9th where the approach is an intimidating shot over water, much like the one that awaits on the closing hole.

The back nine also provides plenty of variety, with water again waiting for anything short at the 11th or pulled left at the par-3 12th.

The 15th is the final short hole, this time with no sand for protection, and the 17th is a very attractive and well bunkered dogleg left.

It is finally time for the heart-stopping closing hole, a genuine three-shotter with the approach is to an island green where the surrounding sand is marginally more appealing than the water.

This provides a truly thrilling climax to a very interesting and varied course with testing greens that are kept in pristine condition.

Related: How far do you walk in a round of golf?

Collingtree Park Golf Club offers a collection of varied membership packages that suits all abilities and ages including corporate membership.

Enter the Colingtree Park Corporate Masters

On May 10, Collingtree Park is staging a Corporate Masters event for local businesses.

The day consists of a four-ball better ball team stableford competition with a 10am shotgun start, preceded by registration, buffet breakfast and ending with a two-course meal with prize presentation.

The entry cost is £199 per team. For further details email enquiries@collingtreeparkgolf.com or telephone Brenda Scott on 01604 700000 ext. 205.