In August 2015, Steve B said:
We first ventured to Walmersley Golf Club in 2014 when the course, and even the area, were a complete unknown to the whole society. We made the choice after reading a fellow societies online review of the course. And the feeling amongst all players that day was equal, we were truly blown away by the place. From the moment the secretary came in on his day off just to meet us at breakfast for a chat and to explain about the history and strategy of the course, to the moment he returned many hours later with a booking form guaranteeing the same rates if we booked again in 2015, we just knew that this was a place that we will be coming to over and over again in future years.
For those who don't know where Walmersley is, and sadly most of you wont, its situated way up in the hills overlooking Bury. The M66 motorway cuts the course in half and you cross it to play a few holes. You would never just stumble on this course and that fact must cost it a lot of casual players and even members, because unless you had been told or looked on line you just wouldn't know it was there. Its up what seem like endless winding back roads and alleys.
The original 9 holes and clubhouse were built way back in 1906 to accommodate the overpopulation of Bury Golf Club. The clubhouse has that very similar feel to others from the same era, lots of little rooms surrounding one big main room. Throughout the years various additions and land purchases have been made to add holes along the way until in 2009, 103 years after it first opened, the course finished its construction to the fine 18 hole moorland layout that it is today.
Its not a long course by modern standards, but who would rather play long, bland and boring courses when places like Walmersley prove that its so much more interesting to play twelve 250-420 yard par 4's that are all totally unique and each pose different challenges?
Your spoilt for choice here when it comes to great holes, you could argue the case for each one of them, but I will pick out a few of the really good holes. The 1st is a par 3 played downhill from a very elevated tee box, the green looks further away than it actually is and for most players a 5 iron or crushed 6 iron will get you there. The 3rd is a gorgeous hole, the fairway falls away from the tee box sweeping downhill to the right then back uphill to the left. Your shot into the green needs to stay left or you will end up in the huge pond or bunker that are on the right side of the green.
The 9th hole is a real brain buster! Its a 220 yard par 4 played straight to the green with no elevation changes. Easy right? WRONG! This hole torments peoples souls! The tee shot is very intimidating as the hole is so tight due to being surrounded by huge trees on both sides, its like hitting one down an entry between two council houses! If you go into the trees, even slightly, then you have no shot at the green whatsoever, its a chip out and try again. Between our group I think every club in the bag was used off this tee, from Matty who was only 2 yards short of driving the green, right through to me who hit two pitching wedges! You feel really demoralised if you walk off here with anything worse than a par, but its so easy to not make one!
The 13th is a daunting tee shot on a dog leg hole. Anything that goes left and isn't long is swallowed up by the valley, and anything straight that is too long, like a well struck driver, will fly over the stone wall of the fairway and out of bounds. If you hit one successfully on to the fairway and are wondering where to play your next shot as you cant see the green, just aim for the windmill. You wont need to look very hard for this, its absolutely enormous, sounds like a Boeing 747 starting its take-off sequence and is literally at the foot of the 13th green!
The 14th is a great par 3. Again played from an elevated tee but from only 105 yards, there is nothing but junk in front of the tee box to swallow a top, water on the right, pot bunker in front of the green and long of the green is surrounded on all sides by a large bank. A really great par 3 hole and perfect for your nearest the pin competition!
I could go on and on, but that gives you a flavour of what the holes at Walmersley are about. Its not about driver, 3 wood, wedge on every hole, there are plenty where if you get a good tee shot away you can play in with anything from a 6 iron to a pitching wedge, this gives all players of any age and ability a chance here.
The greens are always immaculate and a good solid pace, neat flat tee boxes and links style lumpy, bumpy, slippy, slopey fairways that are cut neat and tight.
The place has a real genuine feel of warmth for its guests. So many golf course seem to just want to drain every penny from guests that they can, but everything is so reasonable here from the ale, to the buggies, even chocolate bars in the pro shop are priced at what you would pay in a paper shop. Let alone the price of the golf which is as good a value as you will get anywhere in the North West, and I can safely say that as I have played lots of them. As they did us a very special deal as returning customers Im going to break tradition and not say what we paid in this review as it would be a breach of trust with a course that we will be going back to many times, but get in touch with them and they will cut you a good deal I can guarantee that!
They are very active on twitter at @walmersleygc and always reply to tweets ( we tweeted them about a local rule that we were unsure about and they came straight back to us ).
Finally, if you do decide to visit Walmersley for a game ( in fact change that to when you decide to visit ) be sure to have a look at their website first www.walmersleygolfclub.co.uk. They have on their a fly over of each hole described by the one and only voice of golf Peter Alliss. Its brilliant and is exactly the same as a BBC course fly over of an Open Championship venue.
Get to Walmersley, tell them that the Royal Oak Society advised you to visit, and have a wonderful day. If you come back and say you didn't enjoy this place, your just a liar.
Course - 10
Greens - 9
Facilities - 6
Value - 10
Hospitality - 10
Source: thebestof.co.uk