Value golf courses in GB&I: North West England

We've reviewed some excellent value golf courses in an effort to prove that the recession needn't mean you have to cut down on your golf. From Canterbury in the south east to Kirkistown Castle in Northern Ireland, take at look at these 50 value tracks.

Ellesmere

GF: £30 STATS: par 70, sss 70, 6,246 yards T: 0161 7902122 W: ellesmeregolfclub.co.uk

Just ten minutes from the centre of Manchester, Ellesmere is an attractive parkland layout lined by mature trees. The course delivers an interesting mix of holes from the driveable par-4 5th to the long par-5 15th. It’s a track where course management is at a premium with trees, streams and strategic bunkering to be negotiated. After a game you can keep the competition going with a game on the club’s excellent snooker table.

Crewe

GF: £30 STATS: par 71, sss 71, 6,414 yards T: 01270 585032 W: crewegolfclub.co.uk

Set in 150 acres of rolling Cheshire countryside, the course at Crewe is marked by an interesting use of the natural contouring. A number of holes travel either up or downhill, placing a premium on club selection as well as skill and judgement. The number of high- quality golfers that the club has produced over the years is confirmation of the truly tough challenge that the course poses. Roy Smethurst, who has been four times English Seniors Amateur Champion and has won the Amateur Medal at the Senior British Open on four occasions, is but one of Crewe’s products.

Heswall

GF: £40 STATS: par 72, sss 74, 6,882 yards T: 0151 3427431 W: heswallgolfclub.com

An illustrious group of course architects have added their touches to Heswall. The original course was designed in 1902 by Jack Morris, nephew of Old Tom, and since then the layout has been lengthened and altered a number of times with Harry Vardon, Frank Pennink and Donald Steel all making a contribution. In 2006 Donald Steel began work to incorporate an area of land acquired by the club in 2000 and the ‘new course’ was ready to play in July 2007. Heswall hosted the English Seniors Championship in 2002 and the Junior Open Championships in 2006.

Jeremy Ellwood
Contributing Editor

Jeremy Ellwood has worked in the golf industry since 1993 and for Golf Monthly since 2002 when he started out as equipment editor. He is now a freelance journalist writing mainly for Golf Monthly. He is an expert on the Rules of Golf having qualified through an R&A course to become a golf referee. He is a senior panelist for Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK & Ireland Course Rankings and has played all of the Top 100 plus 91 of the Next 100, making him well-qualified when it comes to assessing and comparing our premier golf courses. He has now played 1,000 golf courses worldwide in 35 countries, from the humblest of nine-holers in the Scottish Highlands to the very grandest of international golf resorts. He reached the 1,000 mark on his 60th birthday in October 2023 on Vale do Lobo's Ocean course. Put him on a links course anywhere and he will be blissfully content.

Jezz can be contacted via Twitter - @JezzEllwoodGolf

Jeremy is currently playing...

Driver: Ping G425 LST 10.5˚ (draw setting), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 55 S shaft

3 wood: Srixon ZX, EvenFlow Riptide 6.0 S 50g shaft

Hybrid: Ping G425 17˚, Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Orange 80 S shaft

Irons 3- to 8-iron: Ping i525, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Irons 9-iron and PW: Honma TWorld TW747Vx, Nippon NS Pro regular shaft

Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 50˚ and 54˚, 12˚ bounce, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Putter: Kramski HPP 325

Ball: Any premium ball I can find in a charity shop or similar (or out on the course!)