Why you need to play Drayton Park Golf Club

Situated a short drive from the M42, Drayton Park Golf Club, near Birmingham, is easily accessible from all directions. 

For a little background on the venue, let's take a look at what their website says:

"Drayton Park is a mature flat parkland formerly part of the Drayton Manor estate, the seat of the Peel family - of which Sir Robert Peel, the founder of the police force, was the most famous - the course was designed and set out by James Braid, five times winner of the Open Championship.

"A member of the 'Famous Triumvirate' of Braid, Taylor and Vardon who between them had won several Opens, Braid also had a hand in the design of Gleneagles, Carnoustie and Royal Troon, amongst many others

"Whilst retaining the character of the original James Braid design the greens were re-laid to USGA standards in 2001 and are slick and true. With continued improvements to the course including drainage, it is playable all year round with barely any winter tees or temporary greens.

"Drayton Park GC has many features typical of a James Braid course:

• "It is not overlong - 6,442 yards off the white tees
• "It has two testing par 5s
• "Three par 3s - difficult to hit and always a challenge
• "Narrow tree-lined fairways with strategically placed bunkers and well protected greens

"No matter what golf course you play, if it is a James Braid course, it will be recognisable from these characteristics."

That all sounds exciting. Now it's time for my description of the layout.

What it's like to play Drayton Park Golf Club

The round starts with a couple of gentle par 4s (length-wise, anyway). From the off you can see that accuracy over distance will be of the upmost importance here. 

Next up is a 420-yard par 4 and then a par 3 of 170 yards. Another easily noticeable feature here are the number of bunkers you need to avoid both off the tee and on the approach shots. What I will say is that the bunkers were as good as you’re ever likely to see and play from. 

Another shorter par 4 and mid-iron par 3 follows before the first par 5 of the round on the 7th.

Two longer par 4s finish off the front 9 and what a great 9 holes it was. No two holes felt the same and every aspect of our game was challenged. 

10 is probably the signature hole for me with a tee shot over water and a green perched by the pond that is currently being improved, once done it will be one of the best holes you will see and play in my eyes.

You then have a par 3, par 4 and par 5 that once more show off all the great things the course has on offer for all levels of golfer. 

A drivable par 4 is up next (for the longer hitters at least) but as usual don’t be fooled as anything off-line will be swallowed up by the abundance of trees that Drayton has.

Drayton then gets to show you what a great mix of holes it has with a long par 4 and then a mid-length one before presenting a reachable one for nearly all. This for me shows that you don’t need a course to be full of long holes to be a challenge. The 17th is one of the tightest tee shots you’ll probably see anywhere - it looks like a tree-lined tunnel when teeing off.

The round is completed by a great par 4 where a straight, well-positioned drive is required favouring the right to even get a glimpse of the green. Once more bunkers await off the tee and the approach. This is a great feature here and one that keeps you thinking on every shot. 

One thing I’ve saved for the end are the greens. We all said how fantastic the greens were. Quick, tricky and not a single blemish on them. For me they are right up there for the best greens I’ve had the pleasure of putting on. 

A wonderful layout. Well designed and very well looked after. Drayton Park is a course to be proud of for sure. It's a golf course for all abilities.

The whole course was presented in excellent condition, with true USGA-standard greens that are arguably its strongest feature.

It really was great getting to play with Gaz, the head greenkeeper, as he told me what he and his team had achieved since his arrival in January and what plans he had going forward, which is always great to see and hear from a club.

Work that has been completed

• Rebuilt, lined and China clay sand into 12 holes worth of bunkers - another six to complete.
• Introduced and installed five high-quality winter mats.
• Irrigation tank refurb whilst looking into new storage tanks and upgrades.
• Copse clearing, tree and bramble removal. 
• Began work on pathway renovations.
• Increased sand injection work into the greens and brown top bent incorporation. 
• Upgrades to course furniture for presentation value. 
• Upgrades to short game practice facilities including practice bunker and upgrading green condition to match the course. 

What is planned for this winter 

• Three additional holes of bunkers, drainage added, liner and China clay sand. 
• Drainage and pond clearance improvements. Rebuild of the 10th lake with sleeper wall feature. 
• Continue work on driving range area adding a practice mat and yardage signs along with fairway practice bunker. 
• Vast tree work in line with regulations.

As you will see from above Drayton Park is certainly not a venue resting on its laurels. For me this is always a pleasing sign. 

Why you should play golf at Drayton Park

There's a good variety of holes throughout the round, with several doglegs, a couple of driveable par 4s for the big hitters and three excellent par 3s, the 6th being the standout. The 15th and 17th in particular demand nerve from the tee, requiring some of the straightest drives on the course.

If you're confident with the driver and enjoy plotting your way around a course, then Drayton Park is the perfect course for you.

Drayton Park is a well-conditioned, traditional parkland layout that has superb bunkering surrounding the awesome greens and an emphasis on accuracy from the tee.

For more information, please visit https://www.draytonparkgc.co.uk/.