Manchester Golf Club Course Review

The beautiful par-3 fourth, the first short hole at this classic Harry Colt design

(Image credit: Rob Smith)

last updated 20 April 2022

Manchester Golf Club Course Review
GF Round: £40-£50wd, £50-£60we
Par 72, 6,491 yards
Slope 133
GM Verdict An expansive and undulating Colt design that embraces elements of moorland, heathland and parkland to create its very own character
Favourite Hole The not-so-short short 16th - a very strong one-shotter played over the Trub brook

Familiarly known as Hopwood after the park to which it relocated more than a century ago, Manchester Golf Club (opens in new tab) is blessed with a wonderful Harry Colt course that sprawls over a glorious expanse of gently undulating countryside. Just a few miles from the city centre and close by the M62, the contrast could not be greater as you work your way around eighteen distinct, testing and memorable holes, all in fine condition.

Manchester Golf Club - Hole 2 — The second is the first of back-to-back par 5s and is reachable for some

Opening with a short but beautifully framed and appealing par 4, it is then immediately time to put on your driving boots with back-to-back par 5s at two and three.

Manchester Golf Club - Hole 3 — The approach to the third with Hopwood Hall beyond

The 4th is a beautiful short hole in a natural dell beyond a stream, and the 6th is a belter, stroke index one with a blind drive over the hill to who-knows-what beyond.

The 8th is another photogenic par 3 before a downhill par 5 takes you to the turn.

Manchester Golf Club - Hole 12 — The twelfth is a strong par 4 with a hard-to-hit green

The back nine begins with two short but strategic and challenging par 4s, before another super-tough and very characterful two-shotter at the 12th.

Manchester Golf Club - Hole 13 — Played over a valley, the short thirteenth is the easiest hole on the card!

The 13th is another standout and memorable hole, a must-hit par 3, and the 14th a meandering par 5 round to the left and up the hill.

Manchester Golf Club - Hole 15 — Heading due east, the fifteenth is an excellent and very well-bunkered par 4

The finishing four holes are all very tough and provide a real sting in the tail. Into the wind, the par-3 sixteenth frequently requires a driver.

Whether the club is in Greater Manchester or Lancashire is academic… or geographic… but not too vital for golfers. Assuming the latter, then this extremely strong Colt design is an excellent alternative to the county’s historic links and is one of the best golf courses in Lancashire. It also offers terrific value for money, and fully deserves to be on the travelling golfer’s radar.

Rob Smith has been playing golf for more than 40 years and been a contributing editor for Golf Monthly for over ten years, specialising in course reviews and travel. He has now played more than 1,170 different courses in almost 50 countries. Despite lockdowns and travel restrictions in 2021, he still managed to play 80 different courses during the year, 43 of them for the first time. This included 21 in 13 days on a trip to East Lothian in October. One of Rob's primary roles is helping to prepare the Top 100 and Next 100 Courses of the UK&I, of which he has played all but nine. During the 2021-22 review period, Rob has played 34 of the Golf Monthly Top 200. He is a member of Tandridge Golf Club in Surrey where his handicap hovers around 16. You can contact him at r.smith896@btinternet.com.