25 Must Play Golf Courses You Didn't Know About

The golf season is upon us - but where are you going to play this year? When you read through ranking lists and recommendations, you will typically see many of the same courses in a slightly different order, a significant number of whom are incredibly expensive and getting hold of a desired tee time can be difficult.

While those may be aspirational venues to experience, we reckon that this is a more realistic route to take. 

Showcasing a selection of layouts from our Alternative Top 100 - these golf courses are must plays that there is a fair chance you didn't know about in the first place. Imagine how fun it would be to describe an underappreciated gem to a friend.

Why not pick one or two of these and discover somewhere memorable for a fraction of the cost seen elsewhere?!

Strathmore Golf Centre

Location: Alyth, Perthshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.56

Highly Recommended Rating: 100%

Review Comment: "Set in undulating parkland, the Rannaleroch Course is a fair challenge for all skill levels. Invitingly wide fairways are flanked by punishing rough should you be way off-line, but hit a decent shot and you have a fair challenge. Greens are always in first class condition with some tricky rises and falls but always true and fairly fast. The golf is complemented by some great food in the clubhouse but can get very busy at the weekend between visiting parties and diners attending the restaurant. Not a course to be missed if you are in the area."

Leigh Golf Club

Location: Warrington, Cheshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.56

Highly Recommended Rating: 100%

Review Comment: "Fantastic test of golf management, no easy holes, which makes it a real test. And the greens are some of the best I've played on."

Heysham Golf Club

Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Golfshake Rating: 4.56

Highly Recommended Rating: 100%

Review Comment: "Very enjoyable round and a lovely course! Will be returning."

Churchill & Blakedown Golf Club

Location: Blakedown, Worcestershire

Golfshake Rating: 4.55

Highly Recommended Rating: 100%

Review Comment: "Worcestershire's best kept secret. Fantastic course layout, which is just getting better and better. From tee to green it presents challenges on every hole from 1-18, which really eliminates any idea of it being 'just' 9 holes. Such a warm welcome every time from the pro shop to the bar. Cannot recommend highly enough."

Bowood Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort

Location: Calne, Wiltshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.55

Highly Recommended Rating: 98%

Review Comment: "The conditions of the course were excellent and the hospitality of the staff was outstanding. The hole design was varied and larger and more difficult than my normal courses, which added a challenge. The practice facilities were great and the course was challenging yet well kept. The combined golf with an overnight stay was a great experience - the staff were fantastic, the food was first class, and the course was in perfect condition. The design was well thought out and challenging. All in all, an excellent course and fabulous accommodation."

Olton Golf Club

Location: Solihull, Warwickshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.55

Highly Recommended Rating: 100%

Review Comment: "Played this today for the first time. Beautiful and very scenic, but brutal if you don't hit the ball far off the tee. Several blind holes which are quite interesting. Would love to play it again now that I know where the blind holes are. Can be played a lot more strategically if you knew where you were aiming every hole. Well worth a visit and a bash."

Erewash Valley Golf Club

Location: Ilkeston, Derbyshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.55

Highly Recommended Rating: 100%

Review Comment: "The course was in excellent condition. Both the fairways and greens were clear of leaves. The weather was good when we played, however we have had some heavy rain in the area recently but the ground was firm. All holes were open. The greens were in excellent condition. A pleasure to play the course."

Purley Downs Golf Club

Location: South Croydon, London

Golfshake Rating: 4.55

Highly Recommended Rating: 100%

Review Comment: "This is a classic downland course with views over London. Absolutely superb condition and a nice variety of holes. Tranquil and quiet when I played, apart from the sound of the wind, it is well worth a visit. Not a long course but the greens are tough and you have to be precise with your shots."

Greetham Valley

Location: Oakham, Leicestershire

Golfshake Rating: 4.55

Highly Recommended Rating: 99%

Review Comment: "I highly recommend Greetham Valley. It's good value and easy to get to. Two good interesting golf courses. A lot of fun. Good food. Good service. Good rooms and practice facilities."

Cotswold Hills Golf Club

Location: Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

Golfshake Rating: 4.55

Highly Recommended Rating: 100%

Review Comment: "Excellent course, long fairways with some slopes so you need to place your ball in the right place to attack the greens. Having said that they are quite wide. Greens were immaculate, best I have seen them. Some challenging bunkers but with plenty of sand. Views all around. Pace of play was great."

Clacton on Sea Golf Club

Location: Clacton, Essex

Golfshake Rating: 4.55

Highly Recommended Rating: 100%

Review Comment: "Excellent course and setup. Front nine quite wooded, then becomes much more of a links style. Plenty of decisions to be made on the way round. Nice people run it too."

Kings Norton Golf Club

Location: Birmingham, Worcestershire

Golfshake Rating: 4.54

Highly Recommended Rating: 96%

Review Comment: "Played this course with a member and have played before. It's a lovely, well-kept private course and very nice to play if a little challenging in parts. Three 9 hole courses to choose from. Nice clubhouse, well stocked golf shop, excellent place to sit out after for a drink on a sunny day. Very rural setting."

Winter Hill Golf Club

Location: Maidenhead, Berkshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.54

Highly Recommended Rating: 98%

Review Comment: "Gem of a course. Hard to find better views in Berkshire looking down onto the Thames and the course doesn't disappoint either. Tremendous value on a weekend afternoon, especially."

East Herts Golf Club

Location: Buntingford, Hertfordshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.54

Highly Recommended Rating: 97%

Review Comment: "Heard good things about the club so decided to give it a go and loved it! The setting is stunning with mature trees and a mansion as the backdrop. The presentation as you drive in is first class and all staff made you feel very welcome. The service and food in the bar were first class and the view from the balcony is as good as you will find. The course is stunning, presentation was of the highest standard and the greens were as good as I have played on. Paid £60 which is exceptional value. I will be back!"

New Woll Estate - Woll Golf Club

Location: Selkirkshire, Borders

Golfshake Rating: 4.54

Highly Recommended Rating: 97%

Review Comment: "We spend three nights here every year. What an amazing golf course. It protects itself on every hole. Watch out for the ball leaking to the right with every bounce."

The Astbury

Location: Bridgnorth, Shropshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.54

Highly Recommended Rating: 98%

Review Comment: "The Astbury is an amazing course in fantastic condition. It’s the best parkland course I’ve played. The clubhouse and staff are brilliant."

Horsley Lodge Golf Club

Location: Derby, Derbyshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.53

Highly Recommended Rating: 98%

Review Comment: "Immaculate condition, the course sits in the triangle of three clubs, Horsley, Morley Hayes, Breadsall Priory, and this is the cheapest (only by a couple of quid) and also the best in terms of course layout, condition and greens. The ninth up to the clubhouse balcony where the green is surrounded by five or six bunkers is a magnificent par 3."

Reddish Vale Golf Club

Location: Stockport, Cheshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.53

Highly Recommended Rating: 97%

Review Comment: "This was my first time playing the course. I found it a lovely setup with some interesting holes. The greens were in very good condition."

Boyce Hill Golf & Country Club

Location: South Benfleet, Essex

Golfshake Rating: 4.53

Highly Recommended Rating: 100%

Review Comment: "This is a lovely course. The tee boxes are in great condition, fairways were in good form and the greens were true and fast! The practice putting green was immaculate. Showing great signs for the course to come. The course was the best kept course I've played all year and worthy of a visit. The condition is down to a small army working on the course. Repairing divots, cutting the fairways, etc. It is a true credit to the staff and the pride they take in their work."

Aldersey Green Golf Club

Location: Chester, Cheshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.53

Highly Recommended Rating: 100%

Review Comment: "Aldersey Green is a little gem of a course. Very tight, tree-lined with its fair share of water hazards scattered about. Both the course and the greens were in very good condition, and how nice to see both the 9th and the 18th finishing by the clubhouse. Good facilities with very friendly staff. Will definitely be returning."

Romiley Golf Club

Location: Stockport, Cheshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.53

Highly Recommended Rating: 100%

Review Comment: "Friendly welcome at clubhouse. Good practice facilities. Course in good condition considering the recent hot weather, greens true and a joy to putt on. Nice walk around, a few ups and downs but not too hard on the old legs. Worth a round in anyone's books this one."

Portlethen Golf Club

Location: Portlethen, Aberdeenshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.53

Highly Recommended Rating: 100%

Review Comment: "Really good course. Some cracking holes. Greens are fantastic. Looking to play again soon and possibly join Portlethen."

Rotherham Golf Club

Location: Rotherham, South Yorkshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.53

Highly Recommended Rating: 100%

Review Comment: "Such a nice atmosphere around the place. The holes are laid out well, challenging but not punitive and nicely thought through cuts off the fairway. The greens were super fast and immaculate meaning staying on some greens was a difficult challenge."

Beamish Park Golf Club

Location: Stanley, County Durham

Golfshake Rating: 4.52

Highly Recommended Rating: 100%

Review Comment: "Haven't played Beamish for a while, but again reminds me why I need to play it more. Beautiful course, tricky and tight, and long on occasion, but a great test of golf, and fantastic views from the course."

Blackwell Golf Club

Location: Worcester, Worcestershire

Golfshake Rating: 4.52

Highly Recommended Rating: 100%

Review Comment: "The course was in superb condition and the greens something else again. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day and many congratulation to the members, staff and especially the greenkeepers. Highly recommended."

Belton Park Golf Club

Location: Grantham, Lincolnshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.52

Highly Recommended Rating: 100%

Review Comment: "We played 10-27 (The Belmont Course) and it's an excellent challenge. Despite the constant drizzle the greens were in good shape and continued to roll. Beautiful scenery and would love to go back."

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