Stockport

I recently played here in an open competition and as you would expect it was set-up perfectly. The greens were superb and the entire course was presented exceptionally well.

There are many fine holes on this 100+ year old course that has a par of 71 and yardage of 6,373. The first five holes are a real test; the 463-yard par four opener and the stroke-index one fourth in particular. The middle section of the layout provides the best opportunity to improve your scorecard with three par fives (holes 6, 9 and 12) in the space of just six holes. However, in this mix you also have the treacherous par-three eighth and the demanding tenth.

The eighth hole is worthy of special mention. Played slightly downhill I wouldn’t normally be a fan of a par-three that is closely bordered by out-of-bounds at both sides and behind the green but it actually works really well here. However, it is the sloping green that falls from front-to-back and left-to-right, in an almost reverse-redan fashion, that makes it so good. Despite maxing out at 201 yards it is effectively a par 3 ½ hole!

There are some excellent holes in the closing stretch too. Length isn’t so much of a factor over the final six holes, five two-shotters under 400 yards and a medium-length par three, but placing your ball in the correct position off the tee is very important.

The approach to the 13th is as pretty as a picture with a large valley that dips down before the green and then raises back up. The putting surface itself is framed beautifully by bunkers, in a similar manner to a number of holes at nearby Sandiway, whilst avoiding the steep downslope of the swale is important because from here the approach is much tougher.

The 14th is perhaps the most visually appealing hole on the entire property as it sweeps undulating to the right through tall trees with a large bunker on the corner of the dog-leg to avoid. The 17th is only 334 yards but also well-bunkered and the 18th has a grassy dip to negotiate before you play to another green particularly well defended by sand pits.

In terms of comparing it to its Cheshire counterparts it doesn’t quite have the scale of Delamere Forest, the charm of Prestbury or the strength in depth of Sandiway but it certainly hangs on to their coattails in terms of enjoyment and as a test of golf.

The real strength of Stockport lies in the options it presents from the tee; on a number of occasions you can chose to play safe to a wider part of the fairway or risk a longer club but risk flirting with bunkers or trees. The greens are also really well protected by bunkers and with glassy greens all departments of your game need to be in good working order to score well at this delightful Cheshire course.