|
 |
 |
Sherwood Forest, England |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sherwood Forest Golf Club
Eakring Road
Mansfield
Notts
NG18 3EW
England |  | Harry Colt, James Braid |  | Ken Hall |
|
 | +44 (0) 1623 626689 |  | Leave M1 at Exit 27 take signs for Mansfield |
 |
Golf Club Website
|
 | Contact in advance |  | Gary Mason |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
| |
|
The royal hunting Forest of Sherwood in middle England is world famous as the legendary home of Robin Hood and his Merry Men. Sherwood Forest is also an important home to some of Europe’s finest trees and heathland. The Sherwood Forest Golf Club is now designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest because it contains the largest area of low-lying heathland in the Midlands.
But it wasn’t always this way. Life began in 1895 as the Mansfield Golf Club on the fields of Ravensdale – the area is now a housing estate. In 1911, the club became the Sherwood Forest Golf Club in readiness for a move to new heathland ground at Eakring Road. It’s unclear who originally designed the new course, but we do know that Harry Colt gave his blessing to the early design. James Braid, the great revisionist, was brought in to update the course in the mid 1920s and today’s layout bears his hallmark. Further minor changes – larger greens and new tees – were implemented in the early 1980s after recommendations made by Cotton, Pennink, Steel and Hawtree.
Today’s course looks very different to the original layout, but only because the trees have grown up over the years, creating an enclosed feeling. The back nine wends its way, each hole in isolation, through the trees. The first few holes possess a more open, heathland feel. But there’s no doubt that Sherwood Forest is set on superb golfing terrain and it’s also a supreme test of golf. The club has played host to Open Championship Regional Qualifying and even Gary Nicklaus, son of the great Jack, failed to qualify here, not only once, but twice.
Renowned for its fantastic greens and friendly welcome, Sherwood Forest is certainly a course to put on your itinerary when visiting the Midlands. Include it alongside Notts and Lindrick and you will have played three of the best inland courses in the country. | |
|
| |
If the above course review article is not accurate, let us know by clicking here |
|
|
|
|
|
 |  | | Average Reviewers Score: |   | | | From the moment you walk through from the car park toward the Pro Shop, putting green and 1st tee, you know you're in for something special. Looking out across at least 4 holes (1st tee, 4th green, 5th tee and 18th green), Sherwood Forest offers one of the finest views from any Clubhouse veranda, a view matched by the friendly nature of the staff and members. Despite a relatively gentle start on the uphill 1st, the course gives an idea of what is to come on the 2nd tee, a very well bunkered and tight driving hole. Strong bunkering remains a theme throughout the course, most notably on the front 9 at the testing Par 3 4th back toward the clubhouse, and the short Par 3 7th, where getting past the bunkers and onto the green can be the easy bit, as the long narrow green is very easy to 3 putt. However, it's on the back 9 that Sherwood Forest really shows its teeth, as you try to hang on to any score made on the front. The middle of the back 9 is a particularly tough stretch, with the 13th proving a very challenging SI 13 when played into a strong wind as we had on our visit, immediately followed by the dog-leg SI 1 14th. If you've survived these 2 holes, then the remaining 4 holes continue the test, with a 200 yard Par 3, a very well bunkered Par 5, and two 400 yard plus Par 4's to finish. Despite a strong wind and some rain on the day, Sherwood Forest still shone through as a great golf course, presented in great condition, with quick, true and subtle greens. I played Sherwood Forest in the same week as Notts Hollinwell and Lindrick, and it more than stood up to its more famous neighbours. |
|
|
| 23 August 2011
|
Reply
|
| | Sherwood is a fab course and is very easy on the eye. The first hole is pretty mundane and they could really do with pushing the tee right back on 18 to really finish with some teeth - but holes 2-17 are certainly very good. The greens are brisk and true and think the course is much more intimate than well renowned neighbour notts. Certainly one to play. |
|
|
| 24 July 2011
|
Reply
|
| | 11 of us played Sherwood Forest on 20th May 2011 having played Notts and Lindrick the previous couple of days. For welcome and enjoyment from start to finish this course wins hands down - as we said to Gary Mason the manager, if we were offered the chance to play one of the three courses again tomorrow it would be Sherwood. As a test of golf for our group (handicap 9-22) it was also probably a fairer and more enjoyable test than the other two, great as they also were. Go play. |
|
|
| 28 May 2011
|
Reply
|
| | I have had the pleaseue of playing this course on three occasions in the last 9 months. All I can say is what a wonderful golf course this is. The members of staff were very friendly and accomodating and the breakfast on arrival and soup and sandwiches after the round were very good. What can I say about the course. I am local to the North Notts area and I have been lucky enough to play local gems such as Lindrick, Worksop and Coxmoor fairly regularly. I had always considered Lindrick as the best local course but Sherwood Forest beats it hands down. It is a difficult course with long carries on a number of holes, tight, tree lined fairways and heavily bunkered fairways and greens. In spite of this the course is an absolute pleasure to play. There are no easy holes and it really does test your game. As soon as you have played it you will want to visit it again. It is a traditional layout, no artificial features and only short walks from green to tee, as it should be. You also get a feeling of total isolation from the outside world as the course boundary is well protected by mature trees and hedges. Superb course, the best inland course I have played (including Gleneagles). Visit it and enjoy! I played the course as part of a package so did not pay the full green fee. However I would pay the £55 green fee gladly. Some of the reviews here compare Sherwood Forest to Hollinwell. I have played Hollinwell only once in March 2010 when the weather was not so good. My impressions of Hollinwell were good, but not as good as Sherwood Forest, although I imagine in summer it would also be an outstanding course. |
|
|
| 06 July 2010
|
Reply
|
| | Very nice course but spoiled by Local louts riding motorbikes adjacent to the 18th fairway.
Front 9 is a little too easy but the back 9 is a real challenge ,some great long par 4s that are only just reachable into a stiffish breeze. Greens are very well manicured but a tad hard in summer.
Clubhouse staff very friendly , beer good . pro shop disappointing but overall a nice day out . |
|
|
| 14 May 2010
|
Reply
|
| How is this course not higher up the Top 100? Played yesterday on damp and dismal March day yet all four of us massively impressed and already planning a return in Summer. Comment was made that it reminded us of Woodhall Spa (high praise indeed) - in my opinion the only real difference is that the bunkers at Sherwood are not as devillishly difficult as they are at Woodhall. This is one of those rare courses where you are completely isolated from the outside world - no road noise or houses to spoil the view - in fact apart from the odd woodpecker hammering away there is no noise whatsoever.
The course itself was very well presented despite recent poor weather. Greens were on the slow side but that was to be expected given the wet conditions. That said they were true and you could tell from the quality of the surfaces that they will be fantacstic when the weather improves. The course has a fairly gentle start and finish, but there are many strong holes in between that will get your attention - the stretch from holes 10-13 in particular demand long straight shots to a sucession of very strong holes. Incidentally would love to understand how the 489 yard par 4 10th is only SI10 - can't believe many people make par on this brute. The short holes are also very good - the very short ninth which is only a flick with a short iron demands real accuracy to a very well bunkered and very small green - proves that holes don't need to be long to be tough.
All in all a fantastic track with very friendly members and staff and at £35 a real bargain. If you add this to the other courses nearby (Coxmoor, Hollinwell and Lindrick) then Nottingham should be the first choice for any golfing short break. |
|
|
| 30 March 2010
|
Reply
|
| Making a recommendation to go and play a course that will measure up to everyone’s expectation is a tough ask, but in recommending Sherwood Forest you will be guaranteed golf on one of our great inland courses, in a most idyllic setting and with the friendliest of welcomes from a club that is hugely proud of sharing their best kept secret.
Standing on the 1st tee, it was a measure of our anticipation that we were comfortable in being able to tick all of these boxes before a ball was even struck, for the panoramic view away from the clubhouse, that takes in the 1st, 4th, 5th and 18th was enough of a first impression of the courses undeniable quality and condition. The meticulous attention to its condition is the first element that grabs you for Sherwood Forest is built on a SSSI (site of special scientific interest) and therefore there is a vested interest to spend equal effort to what surrounds the course as well as the course itself. When we played there was an active programme of heather reseeding and you can see how successful this work has been as many holes have been completed and the heather is flourishing.
The course itself is a great championship test and measures nearly 7000 yards of the back tees. Even playing from the white tees it is a very comfortable 6700 yards and (unlike other top courses) has not had to squeeze the length in to combat the onset of club technology - the holes fit perfectly the yardage with green and tee blocks in close proximity as you like to see. A view of the aerial photo in the clubhouse gives you an impression of how well the course flows from one hole to the next.
Sherwood Forest does not really have a signature hole, but what a joy it is to play a course that has no weak holes. Even with those holes that are on flatter terrain they are all intricately designed and cared for with the right shaped fairways and bunkers strategically positioned. In fact the craft of perfecting or maximising this course has become a real labour of love for the head green keeper (Kim Kirkham) who has been applying his trade at Sherwood for over 30 years (Kim - we did not meet on the day but a great job that you and your team do!). A mark of how they have looked to improve or evolve this course is the fact that only two of the original James Braid bunkers are left in play!
The greens as well have a fierce reputation for being fast and true and whilst we caught them on a day when they were in need of a cut they were predictably true. To talk about specific holes it almost unfair to those that don’t get a mention as every hole is strong, but the sequence from the 8th to home is where Sherwood gains its reputation. If you have not made your score early you will find it hard through the back nine with its extended sequence of plus 400 yard par 4’s and 2 par 3’s measuring circa 200 yards. The only exceptions are the 17th and 18th (and neither is short), but both are great finishing holes which benefit from elevation change (more so than any other area of the course which overall is flatter than Notts G.C). Being balanced, it is shame perhaps that the par 5’s are not quite as frightening as the sequence of long par 4’s and although good birdie chances the choice to play them as good 3 shot holes of the back tee is not there.
The debate of which course is better, Notts or Sherwood is inevitably a local talking point as both clubs enjoy a fierce rivalry which I am sure is founded as much on local inter club competition as it is about bragging rights on which course is best! For me both courses are in the “A” league of inland tracks and frankly both deserve higher ranking than they have. IMO they rate favourably alongside anything Surrey or Berkshire has to offer (and there in is your answer regarding ranking – they would be higher if based in the London Home Counties). Don’t try and decide, take a two day break and play both and you may well be surprised to experience one of the best 36 hole combinations anywhere in the UK. Ian Henley |
|
|
| 01 November 2009
|
Reply
|
| | played this course today after a big thunderstorm.course very well presented,great greens and bunkering and a good test of your golfing skills.staff friendly and helpfull.i have played quite a few courses in the top 100 and this deserves a place ahead of a few of them.probably missing a stand out hole but all of the holes are good.worth the green fee. |
|
|
| 01 September 2009
|
Reply
|
| | Played in a charity day at the weekend, and even after finishing a lot closer to last than first!!! had a great day, Superb greens even after a downpour the day before, superb scenery and although not a long course a tough one it is, the Hospitality was fantastic and food cheap and very good (£3.40 for a breakfast!!!) all in all ( apart from playing like a 26 rather than 6 handicap) wonderful day. Top marks |
|
|
| 06 August 2009
|
Reply
|
| | I can't begin to describe how much my two friends and I enjoyed our visit to Sherwood forest, from our first entering the Pro shop at 9am in the morning, to leaving the bar at 7.30 in the evening every body was so friendy and helpfull.
As for the course it was truly one of the best we have ever played, greens were excellent, although a little hard to read at times, the Fairways were in excelent condition, with really great turf. al bunker sand was consistant ( as Steve found out).
we Stayed Locally at the Excellent value for money Mansfield Lodge Hotel, and Played Coxmoor, and Bredsall Priory. |
|
|
| 20 May 2009
|
Reply
|
| | Played Sherwood Forest today. It's a lovely course, great setting and some great holes. However it was a shame it was spoilt by the firmness of the greens. This course seems to have a reputation for fast greens. If you can only get them fast by making them so firm you can't stop a wedge from 120 yards going over the back there is something wrong. The course doesn't seem to be designed with this in mind - some of the greens are heavily bunkered so you can't always drop it 20 yards short and allow a run-up onto the green. Hollinwell (Notts) down the road is much better. |
|
|
| 29 August 2008
|
Reply
|
| Response: | | | moreski | 04 September 2008 | | Nobody would disagree that Sherwood is in the shadow of Hollinwell however I am not sure that giving Sherwood a 3/6 and saying Hollinwell is MUCH better is accurate.
I played the course as a visitor last wednesday and thought it was in superb condition. Heather in bloom and the greens were very fast, however I found they were lush enough to stop the ball on, albeit requiring careful judgement. Are you using a decent ball (ie pro v?). | | | Dave | 14 March 2009 | | All througout 2008 the greens at Sherwood Forest where receptive. If yo expect a fat wedge and pinnicle to stop you need to play elsewhere. | | | Dave Wilko | 26 July 2009 | | I suggest you have a few lessons in how to strike the ball clean , then you will stop a wedge very easy on Sherwood greens just as we members do every week | | | sminkypinky | 03 March 2010 | | Typical of Sherwood members if anyone dare to criticize their course I'm afraid. I am a very clean ballstriker playing off six and still struggle to hold greens at Sherwood. Its the truth Im afraid. Dont take it personal all you Sherwood boys !! |
| | | I have been privilleged to play at Sherwood Forest on a few occasions (most recently in the snow!) as a visitor and it is my second favourite course in the country after Ganton in East Yorkshire. When the heather is in bloom the course looks stunning yet the beauty of the heather making up the rough is somewhat ironic as whilst you'll tend to find your ball in the short heather, there won't be a club in your bag that will give you an easy shot out. On one occasion when I landed myself in the rough a member I was playing with offered me his prayer mat! The bunkers are excellent and challenging to get out of and the greens are lightning fast. The undulating ground can lead to some testing unsighted secondshots whilst adding to the beauty of the course. Deserves a higher ranking than 112. |
|
|
| 28 June 2007
|
Reply
|
| | This course simply has to be one of the finest in the Midlands; it really is a hidden gem. The course can be somewhat tough to find however I am sure your perseverance will be well rewarded. The course is in fantastic condition and although it may be a brave statement, I have never played another course with better greens than these. There are two other great courses within a few miles (Coxmoor & Hollinwell) however after playing all three I believe as a test of golf Sherwood Forest shines brightest. I must however say that Hollinwell has a setting, a presence that is not rivalled. The friendly greeting we received from the Golf Professional and members finished off a great experience. |
|
|
| 15 December 2006
|
Reply
|
| | Played this course yesterday and have got to say that it was in truly excellent condition. From the fairly gentle opening hole this course proved a treat. It wasn't until the back 9 where the course really bared it's teeth with a brutal stretch of 4 pars 4s of over 400 yards each which rapidly reduced my scorecard to rubble. This course is a really great test of your golf game in a lovely setting (although it can be difficult to find!). One of a trio of great heathland courses in Notts (along with Hollinwell and Coxmoor) this course is definitely worth a visit. At £50 a round it's not cheap however the sheer quality of the course and the friendliness of the members make it well worth the money. Highly recommended! |
|
|
| 02 July 2005
|
Reply
|
| | This has to be the most under rated course in the country. The greens are truly outstanding, and although the fairways are reasonably generous heather, gorse and trees await any errors. I have played quite a few of the best courses in the country, and although this course doesn't rank up there with Royal Dornoch, Royal Porthcawl and the like it should surely be in the top 100. It is a very similar course to Notts (Hollinwell) - ranked 51st - and whilst I slightly prefer the overall architecture of that course the greens at Sherwood seemed to be far better. Definitely worth playing. |
|
|
| 19 June 2005
|
Reply
|
| | Vastly underrated course. Bold statement but the greens at Sherwood are currently the best I have ever played and the course is in outstanding condition. It makes a mockery of the rating of local rivals. Excellent and fair test of golf, a course worth making a trip for. |
|
|
| 13 September 2004
|
Reply
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
