Maxstoke Park Golf Club Review

Located to the east of Birmingham and laid out across 100 acres of Warwickshire countryside within the extensive grounds of the medieval moated Maxstoke Castle, Maxstoke Park Golf Club is Highly Recommended on Golfshake and offers a superb and tranquil test of golf.

Golfshake Ambassador Mel Davies recently visited for a round and shares his thoughts in this new review.

Introduction

This is a par 71 course that measures 6,418 yards in length and features many mature trees. With a current rating on Golfshake of 4.50 out of 5.00 from 96 reviews, Maxstoke is a course I’ve been looking forward to visiting and reviewing for a good while. 

As soon as we arrived I could see straight away I wasn’t going to be disappointed. There is a lovely long drive towards the clubhouse with the first hole to the left, short game area to the right and a new driving range right of that.

The clubhouse looked very nice and very well maintained. There is a nice club shop to the side/rear stocked with some great items with a very friendly welcome from Neil McEwan - Head Pro.

There is an ample sized putting green to the side of the patio area with the first tee just past that.

The clubhouse was a very nice and airy. Everyone in there was very friendly and welcoming. Plenty of choices for both food and drinks also at very reasonable prices.

James Mills greeted us and gave us a quick brief on what to expect and also that the greens were running around 12 that day.

The Golf Course

Now onto the main part - the course. With a par of 71 and just under 6,200 yards off the yellows, Maxstoke only has two par 5s and they both come on the front nine and consecutively which for me is a new one.

The opening hole is a good test with out of bounds down the left and as with the whole course well positioned bunkers up by the green - par here is a great start (something I didn't achieve). A mid length par 3 follows again with all the trouble left. Two more par 4s follow once more with all the danger left but still trees awaiting anything off to the right - a great and challenging start to the round.

Up next is the 5th that’s less than 300 yards but don’t be fooled as the green is protected by water in front. 

Water is also in play on the 6th as there is a large pond in driving distance so club selection is important off the tee here as is a well struck approach over the water to a green that again is well protected by a bunker and trees.

Next up are the two par 5s and both are reachable for some, but as is the story here, you need well struck tee shots to keep in play and avoid bunkers that really are in play all the way down the holes. The end to the front nine is a great par 3 of just under 200 yards over water - once more to a green protected by a bunker to the front. A great end to the first nine holes.

The back nine commences with a mid length par 4 with a well positioned ditch to catch the longer drives - a really great hole to start the homeward stretch.

11, 12 and 13 are all par 4s that like pretty much every hole require a well positioned drive to set you up for your approaches. All three have great bunkering ready to catch any wayward shots into the green. 

14 and 15 are relatively short par 4s that like every hole have been well designed with bunkers at driving distance, a pond short of 14 and bunkers front of 15 - these really prove that not every hole has to be long to be a challenge. The 16th is the last par 3 here and at 160 yards a par is not a given as the green has four really well placed bunkers at all four corners of the green. 

Next up for me is the signature hole playing over 400 yards with danger left, trees right, water all round the front half of the green and the castle itself as the backdrop to the green. Has to be one of the best looking holes I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing. It really is special on the eye yet also a tough hole to get your par or better.

The round finished with another great par 4 that demands accuracy and correct club selection off the tee as water pinches in on the left at driving distance making the fairway probably as narrow as you will find - and the final approach of the day is to a green once more protected by bunkers and well designed as it looks long but actually is shallow as the angle and bunkers make it quite deceiving. With the lovely clubhouse behind it really was a great finish to a wonderful day's golfing at one of the best venues I’ve had the pleasure to play and review. 

Verdict

I must comment on how well the course not only flows but also the design as it really tests all facets of your game but at the same time can be playable for all levels of golfer. Definitely a course I will be returning to. 

The greens were some of the best and fastest I’ve played on and the bunkers were so well placed. You really can tell that a lot of effort goes into making Maxstoke a truly great golfing venue. 

The added bonus of the castle that is in view from a few holes, especially the 17th, makes it a great experience, especially if like me you like to take a good few pictures when out.

Overall Rating - 9

Course (Conditions) - 9

Course (Hole Variety/Layout) - 10

Course (Green Condition) - 10

Course (Challenge/Difficulty) - 9

Club Facilities & Clubhouse - 10

Practice Facilities - 10

Friendliness/Hospitality - 10

Value For Money - 10

Pace of Play - 10