Golf at The Grove

In the immediate aftermath of the government relaxing the lockdown restrictions, there was a rush to get straight out onto the golf courses. As play was restricted to two-balls, most traditional clubs elected to limit access to members only. This meant that there were limited options for those who were not a member, and even now it is quite difficult to secure a tee time anywhere. It also meant that there were no real options if you wanted to play with a friend and you were members of different clubs. This is where The Grove comes in …

The Grove is, however, a different proposition. It is the only club in the Top 100 in England that is not a members club and it is set-up to service the hotel guests and corporate events. You can also play it as a non-resident, but the prices are expensive (£220 for peak season at the weekend). You do, however, get the “member for a day” treatment.

The course is as good as any – it has hosted both WGC and European Tour events and was described by Colin Montgomerie as the “best conditioned” in Europe. As they could not offer their normal packages (and had no guests staying), they set out revised rates to encourage people to come and play. Don’t get me wrong, it is still not cheap, but with tee times available at £99 it is substantially cheaper than many other comparable courses.

I have played the course three times since the government relaxed the lock-down and the courses re-opened. This is quality operation. From the moment you arrive, you are made to feel very welcome and the staff genuinely want you to have a good day. Even the course marshals effortlessly put you at your ease rather than hurrying you on and making you feel harassed.

The Course

Kyle Phillips designed the course and it was opened for play in 2003. There are four sets of tees, which means that anyone can have a good game here. The main features of the course are its well placed bunkers and elevation changes. Very few of the holes feel enclosed and that sense of space occasionally lulls you into a false sense of security. It is very easy to think that you can hit driver off every tee, but the course requires a bit more strategy than that (as I have found to my cost!). As it is quite open, the wind has can play a big role in shot and club selection as well.

It is a standard par 72 lay-out, with 4 par 5s and 4 par 3s. The short holes are particularly memorable, and the glorious 13th is very much the stand-out hole on the course. As you may have seen, this made it into my Dream 18 Holes. Both the 13th and the 12th make it into the 1001 Holes You Must Play Before You Die.

Holes 1 & 2

It is a gentle opening and there are good scoring opportunities on the 1st and the 2nd. Both par 4s, the 1st is a short hole with a dog-leg to the left. There is no need for any more than a 3-wood or iron off the tee here. The green has run-off areas at the back and front right, but is large and you should just play to the middle.

The 2nd plays down hill and moves gently from left to right. The camber of the fairway, however, takes the ball from right to left, meaning you should aim down the right side off the tee. The green has a false front, with bunkers on the left and a grassy collection area on the right.

Holes 3 to 5

The course comes alive over the next 3 holes. Both the 3rd and the 4th have water in play and, whilst it shouldn’t be an issue, it really plays on your mind. The 3rd is a long par 4, which requires a good tee shot to give you confidence to go for the green in 2. The pond runs diagonally from right to left and there is a bail-out area if you choose the shorter route.

The par 3 4th has the tiniest of streams running in front of the green. The green is much bigger than it appears and there is plenty of space. If the flag is at the front, don’t get drawn in. I did not play this hole well on any of the last 3 occasions (2 visits to the stream and one “heavy” tee shot which came up short). Take an extra club and get the ball on the green.

The par 4 5th is a really well designed hole. It turns gently from left to right, with bunkers protecting the left side of the fairway. You need to be left or centre off the tee, as you will be blocked by the large tree on the corner if you are too far right. The green has a false front and steep run-offs all around the front. Bunkers will collect any approach which is out to the right.

Holes 6 to 8

The 6th is the first par 5. It plays back towards the lake, although you have to be very wayward to bring the water into play. The fairway narrows at the landing area for a driver and there are two bunkers on the right. You should aim for the right side of the fairway if you lay-up. This will allow you to play straight down the green. Beware of the bunkers on the right – the green slopes away and down towards the lake.

The 7th is a beautiful par 3 and there is a super view of the hotel on top of the hill. The tee box is well below the hole, so make sure you take enough club. There is no merit being short and the shot from the cavernous bunker at the front is very difficult. Once on the green, there are plenty of undulations to deal with.

After you have made the climb to the 8th tee box, take a moment to enjoy the view across the estate. This is another hole which looks easier than it is. The fairway lies well below the tee box and it is easy to run out of room if you hit too straight. Don’t go right – it looks like the ball will funnel down off the hill, but it is really thick up there! If you have avoided the bunkers and found the fairway, the approach is to a raised plateau green with a bunker at the front and collection area at the back. A miss to the right is probably the best spot, but you will still be left with a down-hill chip.

Hole 9

The 9th is a long par 5 that plays back up the hill from right to left. It is a daunting tee shot and is often played into the wind. For the second shot, take care to avoid the mound of thick rough in the middle of the fairway. Ideally, aim left of this so that you can play your approach straight up the green. Coming in from the right hand side is fine, but you are playing slightly blind. There are also bunkers in play on the right hand side.

For major competitions, the organisers often reverse the two 9s, so that this is the 18th. It looks quite impressive when it is surrounded by the grand stands. There is a plaque in the middle of the fairway that commemorates the shots Tiger Woods played to reach the green in two in the first two rounds. His tee shot ran out to about 320 yards on both days, leaving him 245 yards to the flag. He hit the green again in the third round and made eagle each time. He closed out the WGC American Express Championship with a birdie to win by 8 shots (over Ian Poulter and Adam Scott).

More recently, the course hosted The British Masters (hosted by Luke Donald). For this, they again reversed the order and the course played as a par 71 (with the 17th reduced from par 5 to par 4). Alex Noren beat the field, with back-to-back 65s on Friday and Saturday and a closing 69 to win by 2.

Holes 10 & 11

Hole 10 is a bit of an out-lier and feels a little bit as if it was something of an after-thought. It is separated from the rest of the course by the road coming in from the service entrance and is a long walk from the 9th green. The hole itself can really only be played one way – aim your drive 200-220 down the left centre of the fairway to unlock the sharp (90 degree) dogleg to the left.

Once you turn the corner, the hole is back in keeping with the remainder of the course. The approach requires precision to avoid the four bunkers guarding the front of the green and one at the back. There are run-off areas at the front, left and right. Don’t go long – the trees are dense and unforgiving!

The 11th is a par 5 that gives you an opportunity to go for the green in two. Take off as much of the corner on the left as you dare, but don’t go too far, as. you will end up on the practice ground and out of bounds.

Again, the green is well-protected by bunkers. If you are going to lay-up, the right hand side of the fairway gives the best angle to approach. The green is widest on the right, so don’t go for the pin if it is hidden top-left!

Holes 12 & 13

This is a great section of the course. Hole 12 is stroke index 2 and measures 419 from the Gold Tees (it’s a full 460 yards from the tournament tees). Longer hitters can take on the bunker on the right and take advantage of the down-slope on the far side. If you can get your tee shot over the ridge, then the ball will run out an extra 30-40 yards. The green is long and thin, slopes back to front and has steep drop-offs on all sides. If the pin is at the back, don’t go long as there will be no chance stopping the ball anywhere near the hole.

The 13th is a down-hill par 3, with a green that is framed by bunkers. There is a narrow entrance to the green and it gives two options for the tee shot. Either fly the ball all the way to the hole and make sure you get enough height to stop it quickly, or run the ball from right to left through the opening. The green is larger than it looks from the tee-box!

Holes 14-16

Hole 14 is a bit of a disappointment after the previous 2 holes. It is a short par-4, but you can ruin your scorecard if you don’t take it seriously. Think carefully about the tee shot – if you put the bunkers on the right in play, you will not be going for the green in two. The sensible play here is an iron off the tee, leaving a 7 or 8-iron for the approach. It should not be in play, but be aware that there is a river running behind the green and not much to stop an over-hit approach!

The 15th again requires a strategic tee shot. It is tempting to try and cut the corner, but the rough on the left is really thick. Even if you find your ball over there, it is unlikely you can advance it. The sensible play is 3-wood off the tee and take it straight over the bunkers. The green has a false front which funnels anything short into a collection area.

Hole 16 is the last of the par 3s and stroke index 18. The green is slightly above the tee box and has bunkers protecting the front right edge. The safe play is to the left side of the green, as the slope should push the ball down towards the putting surface.

Holes 17 & 18

The 17th is another gettable par 5 at around 470-480 yards. There is more space to the left than it would appear and you are much better off being there than on the right (unless you get lucky among the trees!). The approach is semi-blind and it is worth checking your lines before you hit. The first time back I thought I had hit a great second shot down the centre of the fairway, but I eventually found it on the right of the path by the 1st green. The green is on a raised plateau, that has a steep drop off running along the left edge diagonally from front to back.

We finish with another strong par 4. It is often into the wind and at 416 yards from the Gold Tees requires two really good hits. There are fairway bunkers on the right hand side which are in play (about 230 yards from the Golf Tees). The ideal tee shot is just to the left of these. The green is large and has a ridge that runs across the middle. Check the flag position before you hit your approach and make sure you have enough club!