Hawkesyard Golf Club

I used to be a member of this golf club before it closed and reopenned as a pay and play course and I had forgotten just how difficult the course was. I arranged a 2 x four ball golf day with friends; four of whom had also previously been members and this gave us a chance to compare the conditions now with the conditions then. This turned out to be a thoroughly brilliant days golf. The course is in excelent condition and the changes that have been made do not detract from the charachter of the course, but make the layout much more sensible. I remember very long and wide areas of rough that just ate golf balls. These have been trimmed back to produce atractive little not so wide islands that if you land in them then you've been deliberately stupid and you do still stand a small chance of finding your ball. Some of the fairways have been made wider giving you a more reasonable oportunity to swing the driver. However the course is still the most difficult in Staffordshire! There is still not a single flat lie, every hole tempts you with glory shots that are more likely not to come off and sensible routes for the more considered player. Some moan about the blind holes - well you have to check before swinging and make decisions on where to put your ball. If you cant do that then this course isnt for you. I play off 27 and the group ranged from me down to a 9 handicapper. We all found it challenging and enjoyable and will definitely return. The only downside is that we saw some players turning up in tee shirts, which the staff are now trying to stop and will in future be much more strict on dress. If you want to test yourself on a course that is set out to force decisions and make you use every club in your bag, then step out of your comfort zone and play a round at this course.

Fantastic course, amazing how much better it is now than when I played here last year, granted its not the Brabazon but for £10 a round I think its unbeatable for value and its as good or better than any other courses I've played within 20 miles of here. Very friendly staff and I spoke with the owner who is really down to earth guy, I will certainly be back !

If you havent played the course for a while then you should come back and see the condition it is in now. Greens are fast, all bunkers are now in play and the fairways are excelent.you will not play a golf course of this quality any where in the country for £10. Bring your friends and try it.

Held a charity day to raise some funds for bedworth football club under 10's on 22/02/2015. A special thank you to Nigel for donating some wonderful prizes which everyone wanted to win. Special thanks to BOB & MATTY for all the work they put into getting the course in great shape and a warm welcome to our guests. Thanks also to Steve Wilson & andy parsons for the work they did thank you. A great day was had by all just a shame andy picked the wrong day has we had a little rain. The event was won by Craig's williams who came in with a score of 38 points, well done mate. We will try and arrange another one soon to keep the fund raising going. The prizes for the longest drives and nearest the pins were won by various golfers which is what we wanted to achieve to try and give everyone a chance of winning something. Once again thanks Nigel.

Course re-opened in July 2014 after being mothballed for several months. Now a pay as you go 18 hole 6000 yard course. £10 a round any time and golf buggy also £10 too. My review below still valid, although course rework is needed. After long period dormant the tees and greens need work, the bunkers are in need of new sand or filling in. The mix of par 3, 4 and 5 continues to offer a terrific golfing challenge. Work the club length for many above and below your feet lies. I used every club in my bag today and just love this course. If this reopens as a club I would be interested in membership. Clubhouse presently closed but hopefully will be back in service soon.

Played during an invitational weekend at the club. My first time on this course and I will return. A great challenge in many ways. Terrific hole variation, with plays over water, sloping fairways, some sloping greens and very unforgiving rough. The course is set on the now re-named Hawkesyard Estate, and the whole lay out, club house and practice facilities are excellent. The course is surrounded by terrific Staffordshire scenery, including forest and farmland. Views take in Rugeley power station and cooling towers, but rather strangely this is lost in the Trent valley and rolling greenery. The fairways and greens were very good. I liked hole 2 a par 3 playing down hill onto a lush sheltered green, hole 10 an up and downer behind the clubhouse, and 18 over water, with another up and downer returning to the club house. The walk around is tough but I managed, next time I may take a cheap rate buggy, which were numerous. I scored to handicap which was suprising given my first time. Friendly club house and members made this a day to remember.

I am a true beginner but despite the challenge of this course had a great day out. Buggy only £10-00 to hire so a must, course was great with many hidden gems. Staff very friendly and food great. Will return

Played this course as a guest on Saturday. One of the most challenging courses I have ever played. A true masterpiece. It is beautiful in design and the hills add an extra challenge as they generally slope off towards the rough. Greens were in fantastic condition although a bit inconsistent throughout. No two holes are alike. My advice to anybody playing would be; take plenty of balls and hire a buggy if you would class yourself as unfit. 'Perfect' shots can be misleading on some of the blind tee's. Didn't score my best score but judging from previous reviews, the first time playing can be exceptionally difficult. This honestly is one of the best courses i have ever played. Considering membership now. Staff were also excellent but bar/shop needs expanding.

Played St Thomas Priory for the first time yesterday afternoon with 2 of my friends. I have to say that it is one of the hardest courses to go low on I have ever played. A lot of shots are played blind so don't expect to be in the perfect spot many times on your first round here. I lost 2 balls hitting perfect drives because the fairways take every shot down into the rough, very frustrating! Greens were small in the most part and very testing with quite a few dips and slopes, well maintained though. Bunkers were rock solid, lucky I only went in 2! All in all it was difficult to enjoy the experience having no faith in the rolling fairways keeping me in play. An absolute nightmare for beginners and I would expect most good golfers to struggle round here too. I would not recommend it unless you intend to play it regularly enough to know it's more forgiving spots. Very nice signature 18th hole. Looks very daunting on the tee!

Played the course today with my usual playing partner and we both thoroughly enjoyed the experience although the scores were not to our liking on some holes but you can't blame the course for that. The greens were in excellent condition (some quicker than others but work was ongoing on them) and the course is certainly a real challenge. Try this course but do not expect to be proficient on your first visit, a lot of thought needs to go into how you play many of the holes, this place is golfing chess. The staff and members we met during the course of the round were very friendly and helpful, making it an all round good day. It is very hilly and if you have a rubbish electric trolley like mine, hire a buggy for the extra tenner (or get a really good electric trolley, anybody got any ideas?) I cannot agree with the previous review, just because a course layout and conditions isn't to your liking doesn't make it a bad one.

i played st Thomas priory g.c today and to be honest the golf course was shocking.Both layout and greens were sub standard alot of work and money needs to be spent to bring it up to a standard! go and play the chase golf club instead.

St Thomas's Priory lies near Rugeley,Staffs.The members are friendly,the course has big plans,it's driving range,pro and all the staff are 1st class.My impression of the course is that it's a little gem,actually I went there as a guest and ended up joining,it's a class act.

St Thomas priory G.C is a fantastic course in Armitage,Staffs.I played there today and found the hospitality,members and facilities outstanding.The course is medium distance,with a signature 18th hole where you have to drive over 3 large lakes to the fairway beyond.It's a real tingler stood on the tee.My thanks go to Les Churchman who played with me and showed me around.This course has a 5 * rating in my books and will be going back soon.

after reading the feedbacks of other golfers ibooked a 4 ball,maybe i am use to playing good golf courses i dont know ,it was to short ,greens in very good condition but they were postage stamps ,that must be the courses defense,the course was in good condition but when i hit the ball down the middle i dont expect to lose it ,sloping fairways to say the least your ball just runs off into rough and because of the amount of blind shots you have ,you dont know.sorry but i wont be coming back again even though the staff were nice ,it drove me crazy

I recently played St. Thomas's Priory, using an internet tee time booking site to get an excellent discount on the usual green fee. We also paid for a buggy (which was a good decision), and at less than £20 each for a round of golf and a buggy this represents outstanding value. The course itself was in excellent condition, especially given the amount of rain that has fallen recently. The fairways were cut tight, and the greens were in excellent condition - extremely fast and undulating, making them a real test to putt on. There are lots of blind tee shots, and being the first time we had played there, it was difficult to judge where to hit. A jog down the fairway to see what lurked beyond was necessary on a few occassions (luckily no-one was playing behind). A course planner, or better information on the scorecards would be a massive help. The staff and fellow players at the club were extremely friendly and helpful. I would definitely play here again, even if that meant paying the full green fee.

As a fairly new course, and having played it twice now, I'm not quite sure where the management are taking this club. It's lovely course, well layed out and plenty of variety, but the rough is a killer. If you are not on your game, it's not much fun. Take plenty of balls with you, and shag bag balls at that, otherwise you'll be losing sleeve after sleeve. And if you can afford a buggy, you won't regret it. On the plus side, the staff were friendly, and the food and beer were good. But you'll need to play this course a few times before you start to really enjoy it.

After looking at all the reviews for Golf Courses in the Staffordshire area on this web site it was obvious which course was raising its profile more than any of the others, St Thomas's Priory. This course had the most reviews for 2008 to date and each review seemed to improve. I had no choice but to visit the course myself on my recent visit to the area and I was not disappointed. I was concerned about reports that the club had no pro shop but my fears were cut short as soon as I entered the Clubhouse. The Golf desk was easily identifiable and led naturally to the changing rooms. The Golf area was stocked well, with everything that I needed and I was met by the club professional Mike Beaumont who showed me around the clubhouse whilst chatting about the course and the challenges that lay ahead for me. The course prooved a challenge, an enjoyable one. The website of the club shows many images around the course which describes it better than I could do here. Suffice to say that I will play here again and would highly recommend it. I would defintely suffer the cost of a buggy.

Firstly I would like to say how friendly everyone at St Thomas's GC are, I had a great days golf and enjoyed every minute of the match there. Secondly I don't agree at all with most of the reviews that have been posted here, this is a great course, the condition is good the holes are varied and all are a good challenge. Yes the 10th is a tough hole, perhaps one of the best holes I have ever played ! but if you hit two good shots you will be on or near the green in regulation. The 18th tee shot is one of the most imtimidating I have ever played, but what a great finishing hole ! The staff are friendly, the cook is excellent and decent beer to boot. Fully recomended - try it for yourself, don't be put off. Jon Staton ( Past Captain of Reaseheath GC)

There is one thing that this course has in abundance and that is the potential to be a great course. There are, however one or two things that need to be done in order for it to be achieved.Firstly though,the layout of the 18 holes is very good .Each hole is different, unlike some courses where you can somtimes get the feeling that its up and down and you have played a hole on the front nine like the one on the back nine , no ,this course has been thought out well and I think credit must go to the designer. With this in mind you feel a little let down that there are no course planners available in the spike bar. Yes, strange I know but the pro shop is nothing more than a couple of shelves in the bar.(Maybe this is down to pro shop prices being far too high to compete with the golf discount stores).Now back to the nitty gritty.The main areas of any course must be tees, greens and fairways.The tees are fine,however, the greens and the fairways are not .We played in the late afternoon and I am not sure if this was the problem but they needed cutting. Bobbles everytime you had a putt.Fairways were below standard causing good tee shots to be the ones that hit the fist cut of rough allowing the ball to sit up nicely rather than lie inconsistantly on the fairway.Get these right and this would be a cracking course.A good range of par 4s and 3s. The 10th is a classic reason why (if youre playing it for the first time)you need a planner. With a blind tee shot over the brough of a hill you can loose you ball in the woods on the right or as i nearly did loose it in the thick stuff waiting for you at the bottom of the hill.Two days after playing here we played at a local course whose layout is no way as good as this but greens and fairways were top quality.If only St.thomas had these greens and fairways we both said ....One last point ,small greens! This was critised on the day but with some reflection I can see the reason .The course is a fair one and though not massive in length its not short and with the hills can be hard going on the old legs (get a buggy if your athletic days are behind you )the size of the greens give this course the bite that lets you know its not going to be that easy. Hope to go again and see some improvements .

We played the course in july and it was in good condition,i think it was one of the best courses i have ever played on,but with that we had a couple of things to say about the course,that being the greens were very small for a big course and the fairways werent very lush,apart from that a true challenge to any golfer,i will be coming back shortly.

Glad I paid a discounted green fee as the course was definately not worth full price, green speed inconsistent, lacked definition and couldn't tell where the fairways started and the rough began. I would recommend this course if your a beginner and have a supply of cheap golf balls for when they get lost on the fairway or was that the rough. If your a single figure player try somewhere else!!! Clubhouse was interesting with spike bar and pro shop sorry that should be pro shelf. Food was good and the young staff friendly however the manager couldn't be found when I wanted to discuss my less than enthralling experience on the course. Perhaps he went missing with the mowers that day.

Decided to try another course in the Midlands to continue our nomadic golfing. Checked out the website and the reports and it seemed like a great option especially as they took 2fore1 on the weekends. We paid £14 each and it was a good job. Unfortunately my enduring memory of this course will be long grass, clover and dandelion heads. Not a problem you would think, if you are daft enough to hit it in that stuff you deserve all you get. The only problem was this was the fairway and first cut. I saved £14 using 2fore1 but lost £15 worth of balls normally just off the fairways. Our 4 ball was searching for at least one 'errant' shot on most holes and not just off the tee. To put some balance on this it was a shame that the course management was so poor, perhaps we caught them on a bad week, the track itself has the potential to be really good. Lots of sloping fairways, blind tee shots, dog legs, decent length par 3's and tiered greens made you think about the course rather than just mash it as far as you can. The best thing I can say about this course is that it left you frustrated. If this was maintained to a high standard then the £28 full price would be a Midlands bargain, which you would recommend to friends and go back to play yourself. We will be back, it could be fantastic, but a phone call to find out when the mowers last went round will be made. Shame, could be really good.

Played the course a year ago and was in terrible condition heard change of ownership and a lot of money spent on course decided to make a return visit and was more than pleasently suprised with the condition of the course and greens. Now it is a real gem and a pleasure to play. The only complaint was the lack of choice of food available in the club house which I feel was over priced also the cost of having a drink was far to expensive in comparison with most of all other golf club clubs within the region of St. Thomas's hopefully this problem will be adressed in due course.

Dire, this course had greens like carpets, shagpile carpets. The some bunkers had holes in the faces big enough for the largest family of trogladites and all were in a poor condition. Why were they digging a lake on the 13th when the bunkers were this bad? Definition was markedly absent. The worst holes were the 5th and the 10th. The 5th was 235yds par 4 dogleg, 9 iron off the tee to a fairway sloping away from you. This hole would have made a great uphill par three but they must have been desperate for a par of 70. The 10th was a double blind par 4 of 400yds with the marker post directing you into the adjacent woods. Best driving hole was the 18th (apart from being the last) over 2 lakes and through an avenue of trees.