Dunham Forest

In summary; the course makes a more than promising start, loses its way a little during the middle part of the round and then recovers well for a fine finish.

There is a certain tightness to the opening holes at Dunham Forest with all of them tree-lined to some extent of the other; the second, fourth and sixth being particularly narrow in places. It works really well here and coupled with excellent green sites the opening stretch is very impressive and has a lovely secluded feel to it. I particularly enjoyed the approach shots to these early holes, all offering something different and their own unique challenge.

It’s actually very easy to split Dunham Forest up into three thirds. The first six holes wend their way through beautiful, mature woodland with delightfully undulating terrain. The next third of the course is on the lower part of the property and is positively parkland in comparison to the opening stretch. There’s a short par three at the end of the flatness that is perhaps the pick of the bunch where a false fronted green and a couple of potentially tight pin positions add interest. The green complex at the 11th, one of four par fives, also has a bit more going on than the rest of this part of the course.

For the final third you return to the more secluded part of the course and play a number of strong holes. The downhill par three 13th is a nice tee-shot whilst the green setting at the next is exceptional. The shelf green at the 14th is perhaps a tad severe when played from its maximum yardage of 205 yards but is fascinating none-the-less. And then you have three impressive two-shotters to end your round; the 16th interestingly plays over an underground reservoir.

If the entire course lived up to the very high standard of the opening and closing thirds Dunham Forest would be one of my personal favourites in the North-West. As it is, the middle section means that it just stays behind the likes of Delamere Forest, Sandiway, Prestbury and Wilmslow. Well worth a visit though.