Little Aston has long been one of the shining stars of Midlands golf, from its origins in 1908 right through to the present day. Set in the leafier suburbs to the north of Birmingham, the layout benefited from the design mind of Harry Vardon initially, with later enhancements by Harry Colt.
It offers a very pleasant but not too hilly test, easing you in via a fairly gentle downhiller playing away from the well-appointed clubhouse, though the green is not to be messed with, sloping deceptively away from you.
A lavishly bunkered layout
As you play back up close to the clubhouse on the tough long par-4 2nd, it quickly becomes apparent that the bunkers here are unlike those on most mature, parkland courses. Not only are they invariably well (or inconveniently!) positioned, but they also have very prominent faces, meaning they are very much in your eye, especially if you have strayed a little from the ideal line.
Water is an occasional foe, most prominently on the excellent par-5 12th and par-4 17th, where only a fool – or very fine player – will mess too closely with left-hand pins.
As for those bunkers, which are getting on towards 100 in number, much refurbishing and reshaping has taken place in recent years, with just a handful of holes yet to enjoy a facelift. In several instances, reshaping work has sought to return them to the Colt style, including the three a little way short of the 16th green, which have undergone a dramatic transformation.
A view of the attractive bunkering short of Little Aston's 16th green
A challenging two-shotter
As at many courses in recent times, tree removal has also taken place, with the superb long par-4 10th one of the chief beneficiaries. Here, the work has allowed the hole to be played as less of a double dogleg than previously, with more people now able to take on the preferred left side a little more confidently with their drive, depending on ability and tee choice.
The 10th hole still presents a strong challenge despite a little more room to manoeuvre on the left off the tee now
Elsewhere, things have been thinned out between the two strong par 3s and 9 and 13. The former is a long, tough hole with a narrow green, and don’t celebrate too soon if you clear the steep-faced, right-hand bunker on 13, for others lurk behind it.
No visit to Little Aston, which has long been a feature of Golf Monthly's Next 100 in the UK&I list is complete without a circuit of the unique, florally ornate putting green right beside the terrace.
The putting green at Little Aston has a one-of-a-kind look
Essentials
Little Aston Golf Club, Roman Road, Streetly, B74 3AN
Stats: par 72, 6,663 yards
Green fees: round: £180 May-Oct; £140 April; £85-£95 Nov-Mar (includes full English breakfast)
(Prices correct at time of publication in December 2025)
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