Manchester Golf Club Course Review
This glorious escape to the country at Manchester Golf Club is a beautiful and rewarding test of golf


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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
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 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 over 1,250 courses in almost 50 countries. In 2021, he played all 21 courses in East Lothian in 13 days. Last year, his tally was 78, exactly half 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 he is missing two in Scotland and two in Ireland. He has been a member of Tandridge for over 30 years where his handicap hovers around 15. You can contact him at r.smith896@btinternet.com.
-
This Scarily Tight Fairway On The Asian Tour This Week Will Give Average Golfers Nightmares
If a video from commentator Timmy Constantine Low is to go by, players at the Kolon Korea Open will have some incredibly narrow fairways to deal with this week
-
Forget Push Ups And Squats – Try 3 Simple Tips To Gain 10 Yards Off The Tee
Gain 10 yards off the tee without the need for tiresome workouts and lengthy gym sessions – Top 50 Coach John Jacobs has the perfect distance-boosting formula
-
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...
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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...
-
West Kilbride Golf Club Course Review
-
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
-
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