Wickham Park Golf Club

What a shame. It used to be an expansive, fairly stategic course where you coild choose playingangles but now, in the same year the US Open returned to a thinking golfers course without any long grass in site, Crown Golf have decided to narrow the fairway, let the rough grow and generally make it look like something straight out of 1985. Idiots might confuse that with quality, intelligent golfers that really know the game need not bother with it.

I cant believe how much this course has changed! I played it last week and the greens were really good and even though the sun has burnt most fairways in the area, Wickham's were still grassy and fluffy even if a little yellow. It was a big surprise and I will be coming back as soon as the wifey lets me.

Why Wickham takes so much stick is beyond me, and this coming from a supposed golf snob. I can only assume the people that dismiss it are the type that fall for style over substances. Wickham isn't going to win any beauty contests but that not what good, enjoyable golf is about. Well, at least it isn't for real golfers. The par 3's in particular, with the possible exception of the somewhat ordinary 5th hole, are excellent. You can pay a lot more locally for eye candy courses which don't actually amount to much.

New Number 1 in my worst courses to play. The driving range is way too short - I put it out the back of the range with my 5-iron and I play of 20!. The course is no test of golf and the greens are in appalling condition. All this for £28 green fee. The staff are very friendly but that is the only thing going for it.

Rather surprised to say I liked it. No idea why really, but I did. I only played the course as I had a free afternoon and a free round voucher and I'm quite glad I bothered. On paper it's got very little going for it: it's immature, the greens aren't great, there's a lot of ordinary out there, nothing stands out and it has oh-so-annoying internal OOB (something which almost always stinks to me of an architect who's either run out creativity or money) but somehow, and I can't work out how, it struck me as all fitting together nicely. It has an SSS of one under par and, honestly, I have to say this seems to me to be at least one shot too generous. It isn't a course that I'd recommend if you're out for a serious game on a serious track but with a free afternoon on a sunny autumn day it was the right place at the right time. Very relaxed and friendly feel to the club - no golfing dinosaurs but no golf scum either. £12 for a round via the internet makes it work bothering with.

Played Wickham Park in August and was amazed!!! The course is in superb condition and has improved dramitically over the last 4 or so years. Greens were true and fairways nice and soft. Happy to pay the £25 green fee at weekend, even though I had a terrible round. Just seen they doing a twilight after 1pm for £12 which I think I will be aiming for next time. I just have to say.... Tom (below) its a parkland course so its bound to be open!

ok course ok greens. boring and very open. no character and nothing very interesting and not worth the green fees. crown golf over price there courses i think

Played Wickham Sunday 5th October 09 afternoon Have not played here for 5 years And will probably not play here again. Overpriced busy and slow. Course in poor condition. No great improvements since we last played here. Have to say Pro staff very friendly.

Having only taken up golf very recently I have been playing Wickham more than any other course. I find it a really challenging course with well placed bunkers and a couple of streams. It is a very hard playing surface and there is always the chance of an unlucky bounce but that just adds to the game for me. The rough is deceptive and I have never found it too harrowing and very rarely lose a ball. The back nine can wear you down and with a couple of long holes to end the day but it encourages game fitness. A very nice clubhouse with friendly staff and I personally fully encourage the dress code.

Hi, Played a Wickham this week for the first time. Being new to the game and only playng a few ronds of golf i felt that wickham would be a good course to play, how wrong I was. The rough was very rough!!! Teh afirways were fine a good length of grass except for it went from this to 1 foot deep rough, so even a good shot would normally end up in the rough with an unevenbounce. Kind of ruined the round although did make it a little more challenging. A nice range of different length holes ranging from very short to very long like 520yards! Would probably visit again although would rather play at Great Salterns due to it being local or Furzley as it helps improve my short game. It is a little way from where i live so is also hard for me to get there. Nice course, makes a change to play somewhere else.

I have been playing wickham park for the past two years, as a beginner without a handicapp it is the perfect course to boost confidence with open fairways and fairly even greens it will be a very good course in a year or so if they let the rough grow, i do find this course very enjoyable to play during the summer nights. But not in the winter when they charge full price for winter greens. my mate said that the burnt out car on the 7th fairway was quality if you where playing crazy golf, looked in the rule book to see if it was a moveable object but the car was just to heavy.

I played this course today 23/7/03 at Wickham and the golf club had an offer of a round of golf for £10. The last time i played the course was in the winter and it was more like playing pitch and putt. Today's game was different the ball wouldn't hold on the green and the green's hadn't been looked after. They had massive brown patch of mud. If i hadn't know better i would have thought that the greens were G.U.R Don't think i will play there again for a while

Well i thought that i was going to have a nice round at Wickham park but i was very wrong. when i arrived i paid my Fifteen Pounds and wasn't told that some of the holes were on temporary greens. I wouldn't have minded but you would have thought some discount would be offered. I mean who puts a temporary green on a middle of a fairway on the 11th on the downhill slope. not only that the 3rd was 106yrds it was like playing pitch and putt in southsea. The only good thing is that the club house was very nice and the staff were friendly. I think i shall give this course a miss until the summer months.

A much improving course. On the face of it a dull and easy looking course, however, dont be deceived. Two holes have water hazards and most other holes have very well placed bunkers. These in themselves are not the things that make the course most challanging. The rough is a nightmare. It is long and is down most sides of the fairways and will catch any missed placed tee shots and you can forget finding your ball!! No great views but very well kept greens and is good all year round. Buggies are also available if you dont fancy the walk. The 17th is hard work after a long round being a par 5 this is then followed by the par 4 last which gives you a fair chance of a par or if you are lucky a birdie right in front of the club house!

I play this course quite often and find it to be a good test( my handicap is 18).There are some challanging holes and some that make you want to try and rip your tee shot.The 17th is a real killer long and up hill.The course is always well maintanied and the greens run true.All in all a good course for beginners and mid-handicapers.

Ignoring the comments already made by persons back in 1999, I have recently taken golf backup in a serious way and Wickham provides all that both a novice and improving golfer could require. The welcome at the clubhouse is friendly for a start as are the members. The course itself is very improving. There is a distinct lack of trees and hazards however there is some challenging holes if not in length but in the positioning of some very deep rough. All in all a well maintained course that is ever improving and if you do play, well you will shoot a good score, which is always good for the confidence and enjoyment; which is what we all play for hopefully!

Ignoring the comments already made by persons back in 1999, I have recently taken golf backup in a serious way and Wickham provides all that both a novice and improving golfer could require. The welcome at the clubhouse is friendly for a start as are the members. The course itself is very improving. There is a distinct lack of trees and hazards however there is some challenging holes if not in length but in the positioning of some very deep rough. All in all a well maintained course that is ever improving and if you do play well, you will shoot a good score, which is always good for the confidence and enjoyment; which is what we all play for hopefully!

The course is Parkland, rather straight fairways with not to many hazards to catch you out. There are a couple of duck ponds on holes 3 and thirteen just waiting to catch you out. The course has just been taken over by another golfing group and improvements are under way. New trees have been planted (the originals were destroyed by balls knocking the tops off and the lack of rainfall at the wrong time. This lack of trees has given the course a rather open look There is a new lady Professional in house now. For keeping the golf swing going, beginners, vets ladies, nothing could be easier than Wickham Park, except when the wind blows, which catches even the best golfer out up here.

I played this course in July 99. The course is very boring, it is basically a couple of fields that the farmer has decided he could make some easy money with. The holes are uninteresting and featureless with little thought having been put into the layout. On a couple of holes I even noticed manhole covers in the middle the fairways!!. The whole course is in pretty poor condition, greens & tees looked unkempt & tees patchy & bald. There is even a sign outside the clubhouse which states that " No jeans allowed & tailored shorts & golf shoes must be worn" I think they have ideas above thier station!!!. All in all, don't bother.