Value golf courses in GB&I: West Midlands

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.

Kings Norton

GF: £35 STATS: Weatheroak par 72, sss 74, 7,021 yards; Brockhill par 72, sss 73, 6,853 yards; Wythall par 72, sss 73, 6,782 yards T: 01564 826789 W: kingsnortongolfclub.co.uk

Set in 300 acres of parkland, Kings Norton offers three excellent loops of nine holes giving three 18-hole options – Weatheroak, Brockhill and Wythall. Weatheroak delivers the sternest test. Made up of the blue and red loops it stretches to 7,021 yards from the back tees. In the early 1970s the club played host to three European Tour events: Tony Jacklin, Tom Weiskopf, Seve Ballesteros and Brian Barnes all competed around the course.

Kington

GF: £22 STATS: par 70, sss 69, 5,961 yards T: 01544 231 320 W: kingtongolf.co.uk

At 1,284ft above sea level, Kington is the highest golf club in England. With panoramic views from the course encompassing the Brecon Beacons National Park, the Black Mountains, the Radnorshire Hills, Hergest Ridge as well as the Malvern and Clee Hills, there are few more spectacular settings for golf anywhere in England. The layout has the playing characteristics of a links – firm and fast-running fairways, heather and gorse and tricky undulating greens. Church Stretton

GF: £20 STATS: par 66, sss 65, 5,024 yards T: 01694 722281 W: churchstrettongolfclub.co.uk

It appears that Church Stretton in Shropshire is one of relatively few courses the Great Triumvirate of Vardon, Braid and Taylor have all played. Indeed the first two also made alterations to the original 1898 layout at some stage. To say the opening holes are quirky would be an understatement. All are par 3s – the 1st is just downright hard, the 2nd may see an understruck ball return to your feet such is the severity of the slope, and the blind 3rd may require a wing and a prayer first time out. But once you’ve made your way up into the hills, the views are simply magnificent.

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: Ping G425 Max 15˚ (set to flat +1), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 65 S shaft

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

Irons 3-PW: Ping i525, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

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

Putter: Ping Fetch 2021 model, 33in shaft (set flat 2)

Ball: Varies but mostly now TaylorMade Tour Response