The Craythorne

Played two rounds at the course on a Friday. We were amazed that hardly anyone else was there. We probably saw less than 10 other players all day. The course is very much a 9-hole course with the extra holes added on and as such is very tight, with wayward shots ending up two or three fairways away at times. On a busy day it could be a nightmare. Most of the longer holes have banks down the side of the fairway to protect the neighbouring holes, which can make for some interesting lies if you are a little off course. There is a lot of OOB and deep rough, so take plenty of balls if you are a wayward hitter. Many of the par 4 holes are up and down and not that memorable. The greens were very poor compared to most other clubs I've played. Admittedly it has been dry recently, but they looked bare and diseased to me. Memorable holes were the par 3 11th, with an elevated tee and green, with a narrow entry, and the 15th, a sharp dog-leg to the left, with a risk-reward option if you take on the corner. The food was good and the clubhouse very friendly. The whole days golf only cost £30, so in that respect it was very good value for money. However, it is not a course I would be in a hurry to play again.

As I turned into the golf club car park I was struck how good the course looked.The pro was helpful,the golf not too expensive and the clubhouse in general was in a good state.We teed off the 1st which is a par 3 slightly uphill with a bunker at the front which foreshortens the hole somewhat.The green was large and in fairly good condition but,I must say this,not great.This applied to the whole course,fairways as well. I asked in the pro shop if mowers were in use and to be fair ,the guys told us that things were in a changing state at the club.I really enjoyed the course as a whole and,having reviewed over 50 courses for different mags and online golf sites,it is a tight,tough little bugger of a course desperateley in need of a cut.If this is done before the course gets out of hand growth wise,it will be a fantastic test for any golfer.

As the owner of The Craythorne I feel that I should have the right of reply to the comments made by the review made 10/03/07. Firstly we told the management of 2 Fore 1 within the stipulated contract time that we no longer wished to be part of the scheme and gave adequate time and information to post this on the relevant web sites. Secondly we have reduced our prices accordingly and the respondent paid £15 for the round.Thirdly we play off mats during the winter to protect the course from players who fail to replace divots.Funnily enough we had a complaint about your correspondent that day in respect of time taken,incorrect etiquette and "did they have a handicap" was also memntioned. The number of positive comments in respect of course condition and friendliness we have received from proper golfers this season vastly outweighs the negative perspective of the few. Give it a try and if you would like to make a comment personally I am available to be contacted. A A Wright Managing Director

Played this course in March 07. What a mistake not to heed the warnings of other reports below. Only 13 holes open due to the wet conditions and the Pro wouldn't accept 2FORE1 vouchers, as advertised on this, and the 2F1 websites. The other 5 holes must have been like a swamp because the 13 that were open were not much better. And having to play off the little mats, well, I've never seen anything like it. All the reports considering the course to be too small for 18 holes are true. Plenty of narrow fairways just so that the designer can squeeze in 18 ! Off to the pub, maybe the cinema, heavens, I'll be off shopping with the wife, before I make the same mistake again.

The Craythorne, somewhere to practice your shout of fore! 18 holes on a piece of land that should only accomodate 12 at maximum. Simply dangerous in places. Not the best of courses for the money you'll pay. One or Two good holes but generally it's driver and wedge golf for the average hitter. Greens seem to have a lot of moss in the grass making them very springy, this makes it difficult to stop a ball that pitches onto the green, this is a place for chip and run. Off course facilities are on the better side.

I played this course at the weekend. There are some good holes with water involved on the 12th in particular but the course is very tight , with many shots played on or around adjacent fairways. The price is expensive for the experience and if you are going to fork out I would recommend waiting for the summer when the course will dry out. At present it is very wet and there would appear to be some drainage issues on the back 9 in particular.Bring some waterproofs to cover the trousers whatever the weather at present. You will also have to play ALL shots from a plastic mat which is really not a good indication of the commitment to the quality of the round.

How can I best describe The Craythorne ? Having played it yesterday I can only describe a number of holes as dangerous. There is about 5 or 6 fairways that are very close together and the number of wayward shots that had players ducking from shouts of Fore was numerous. Having said that there are some good holes on this course with the par 3 11th and short par 4 12th being the pick. The condition of the course was good and the greens were fine. There is a dress code and soft spike requirement that are enforced. Probably just about worth playing with a 2for1 voucher. I think the full green fee would be vastly over priced for this course.