Bath Golf Club Course Review
Enjoying a peaceful hilltop location, Bath Golf Club pleases greatly with its pastoral, Harry Colt design
Bath Golf Club Course Review
GF Round: £50 Sun-Fri, £60 Sat
Par 71, 6,464 yards
Slope 122
GM Verdict An attractive parkland/downland hybrid peacefully located high in the hills above the historic city
Favourite Hole The drive-and-pitch par-4 17th played alongside a drystone wall and over a collection of dips that will gather anything short
Bath Golf Club was once actually Bath & Kingsdown, but the two split in 1890 with the latter remaining at its own fine course three miles further east and Bath developing its site closer to the city. Bath’s excellent course at Sham Castle typifies the term hidden gem as it is unassuming, largely unheralded and comparatively little-known. It is a friendly club with a charming course that is great fun from your initial blows up the hill to the welcoming descent back down the 18th to the clubhouse. Located just outside the historic city, high up on Bathampton Down, there are panoramic views down over Bath and across the Avon Valley.
The course has benefited from the design genius of Tom Dunn, JH Taylor, James Braid and most significantly Harry Colt. It is one of strength in depth with typically interesting Colt signature features such as visual deceptions and subtly contoured greens. It opens with a pair of short par 4s to ease you into the round.
The 3rd is a lovely right-to-left two-shotter along the side of the hill, and this is followed by the first of just three short holes. The 5th is a super-tough par 4, maximum distance and with rewarding views once you reach the green.
The next two return you to close by the opening green at which point you head up onto the top of the downs. Up on more level ground, the 9th, 10th, 12th and 13th are all strong par 4s, and they lead you to the most unusual hole on the course, the short 14th. Just 150 yards from the back tee, you play over an ancient quarry and slightly uphill to a deceptively elusive green protected by sand.
You now head for home from the 15th, a three-shotter that eases you gently round to the left.
The 16th is a par 4 that is all about the approach as the green is protected by overhanging trees and a bunker either side.
Get the top Black Friday deals right in your inbox: Sign up now!
The hottest deals and product recommendations during deals season straight to your inbox plus all the best game-changing tips, in-depth features and the latest news and insights around the game.
The penultimate hole is a short dog-leg to the right that has a beautifully maintained drystone wall marking the boundary of the course. This also acts as a very strong magnet to many golfers. The closing hole works gently back down the slope and plays a little shorter than its yardage.
The peaceful setting at Bath Golf Club helps it to be among the best golf courses in Somerset. It is a lovely place for a tranquil, away-from-it-all game. It also offers fine value and is a hidden gem that deserves to be revealed.
Rob Smith has been playing golf for over 45 years and been a contributing editor for Golf Monthly since 2012. He specialises in course reviews and travel, and has played well over 1,200 courses in almost 50 countries. In 2021, he played all 21 courses in East Lothian in 13 days. Last year, his tally was 81, 32 of them for the first time. One of Rob's primary roles is helping to prepare the Top 100 Courses of the UK&I, of which he has played all, as well as the Next 100 where his count is now on 96. He has been a member of Tandridge for 30 years where his handicap hovers around 15. You can contact him at r.smith896@btinternet.com.
-
Here's 7 Things All Good Golfers Use And Where You Can Buy Them This Black Friday Weekend...
Equipment writer and +3 handicapper Sam De'Ath breaks down what deals he would take advantage of this Black Friday weekend
By Sam De'Ath Published
-
I Don't Understand How This $400 Off Driver Deal Hasn't Sold Out
Amazingly you can still get PXGs 0311 XF Driver with $400 off, which is a deal that somehow hasn't sold out yet
By Sam Tremlett Published
-
100 Best Cheap Golf Courses In UK And Ireland
Our list of 100 hidden gem golf courses everyone can play in the UK and Ireland...
By Elliott Heath Published
-
Rossmore Golf Club Course Review
Rossmore Golf Club's rollercoaster ride serves up big downhill drives, old stone walls, streams and views up into Northern Ireland
By Kevin Markham Published
-
Rolls of Monmouth Golf Club Course Review
The Rolls of Monmouth Golf Club's beautiful parkland course is laid out over the former estate of Charles Rolls of Rolls-Royce fame
By Kevin Markham Published
-
Rathcore Golf Club Course Review
Rathcore Golf Club in Co. Meath is a 21st-century gem adorned with water features and hillocks that enhance its beauty and challenge
By Kevin Markham Published
-
Portumna Golf Club Course Review
Portumna has one of the best courses in Co. Galway plus a 17th hole sometimes mentioned in 'best in Ireland' conversations...
By Kevin Markham Published
-
West Kilbride Golf Club Course Review
By Kevin Markham Published
-
North West Golf Club Course Review
One of Ireland’s founding fathers, North West Golf Club is home to a fabulous links in a lovely setting
By Kevin Markham Published
-
Tullamore Golf Club Course Review
Tullamore Golf Club is home to a James Braid creation with challenging doglegs aplenty in the beautiful Co. Offaly countryside
By Kevin Markham Published