Course Review - Wollaton Park, Nottingham

For those in the vicinity of Nottingham and who are looking for a decent course to play (outside the obvious of Hollinwell & Sherwood Forest), I thought it might be good to write a review of my current home course of Wollaton Park.
The course is based in the ~500 acres of Wollaton Park on the edge of Nottingham city and was opened in 1927 (more info at: http://www.wollatonparkgolfclub.com/index.php/portfolio/history). The course is a classic parkland venue which tracks its way around the environs of Wollaton Hall on terrain which drains fantastically well meaning the course is almost never out of action due to heavy rains and it's unusual to see temporary greens in action even in the dead of Winter.
The current layout measures just over 6,200 yards off the yellow and 6,400 off the white tees. Recent work on the course over the last 3-4 years has meant that greens are consistently excellent and many of the holes have had extensive work on shaping of the fairways and rough to make the course both more picturesque and also a good challenge.
Most holes are surrounded, to a greater or lesser extent, by very mature trees ranging from oaks to limes with the occasional conifer dotted around. A number of holes have significant bracken on their peripheries (and occasionally making a hazard) and there is now significant rough once you get away from the 1st and 2nd cuts on many holes.
Photos taken on a phone, so apologies that some aren't as good as they should be.

1st Hole - Par 4, 412 yards (white), 403 (yellow)

A testing par 4 to kick off - index 5 but often harder! Prevailing wind is usually a left-to-right headwind and, given this is the first hole, a par up here is a very good start.  Slightly uphill all the way as well. Bunkers left and right at about 230 yards are well placed to catch slightly errant drives and OOB runs all the way up the right side of the hole. Fairway is reasonably generous and has a number of gentle undulations and depressions. The green angles slightly across the approach from left-to-right with a steep slope (and two bunkers) off the right side and a nasty little depression on the left. Green is quite deep but fairly narrow and generally rises from front-to-back but the front-left of the green is quite elevated with respect to the remainder so makes for a tricky pin when located here. The best drive is up the left side leaving the widest angle to approach from.

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2nd Hole - Par 3, 131 (white)/126 (yellow) yards

Index 18, this is allegedly the easiest hole on the course (I often mess it up!). It's short, but there's no real bailout and the green can't be hit by bumping in at the front. Slightly elevated green, it is heavily bunkered at the front, sides and rear. The green slopes from the back to the front albeit steadily and can be quite quick in the Summer months.

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3rd Hole - Par 4, 441 (white)/432 (yellow) yards

Another testing par 4 - index 3, and plays it. Often a little helped by the prevailing winds but still testing. Slightly downhill all the way. One of the holes whose fairway has been shaped by allowing the 1st and 2nd cut rough to encroach on the left of the hole making the fairway very tight at around the 260-270 yard mark. Heavier rough on the righthand side of the hole which is often lush. OOB all the way down the left side.
A good drive is aimed at the righthand fairway bunker at about 300 yards and shaped gently back, right-to-left. This bunker is out of range from the tee for all but the biggest hitters or in the driest of Summers. Even after a good drive, you are still left with a testing approach as the green is very deep but, except for the front section, quite narrow. A flag right on the back is a sod! The green is elevated with respect to the surrounding area and has a big drop off over the back. It is well bunkered on the righthand side both at the front and the side. To the left is the OOB but also a tricky little depression that's often left reasonably well grassed.
Depending on the existing weather conditions, even a very good drive will leave a mid- to long-iron approach and to this green, that's a tough challenge - only in the driest conditions will the bigger hitters leave themselves a short iron approach.
Once on the green, there's a slight slope back-to-front and borrows are subtle. If the flag is placed at the front or the back, you can find yourself faced with a very long putt.

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4th Hole - Par 5, 545 (white)/499 (yellow) yards

The first of the par 5s, it looks deceptively easy as it runs pretty much straight ahead - index 9. A big difference from the white tees vs. the yellows. The best drives want to favour the right of centre as there is a well placed bunker on the left edge of the rough running from about 240-270 yards from the (white) tee - a lot of people visit this. Drives too far to the right side find the second shot a bit more testing as a direct line to the green is often obstructed by the large tree on the edge of the right rough at about 275 from the (white) tee.
Assuming a good drive, the big hitters might be able to get home in two but conditions often don't favour this. If you're laying up, you need to consider that there's a bunker in the left side of the fairway at almost exactly 100 yards short of the green - this makes the fairway narrow at this point so do you try to lay up to this trap…or do you try to carry beyond it?
The entrance to the green is well bunkered left and right - if the flag is front right, it is well protected by the bunker. The putting surface itself is largely devoid of obvious borrows but there are a number of subtle ones and, again, there is a general slope back-to-front which can be quite slick in the Summer. Overall, a par is easily achievable here and birdies aren't unusual but it is still possible to run up a double-bogey or worse.

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5th Hole - Par 4, 431 (white)/421 (yellow) yards

The last of the testing opening stretch of holes - index 1. Wind is often off the left side so not really much help or hinderance where distance is concerned, it does make the fairway seem narrower. There are no hidden hazards here…but then there don't need to be. The best tee shot is straight down the centre and the fairway narrows significantly at about 240 yards where two unfriendly bunkers catch anything falling right off the fairway from about 230 to 250 yards. A dense copse of trees up the left side of the hole from about 200 to 270 yards, opposite the bunkers means the only safe place to be from the tee is in the middle of the fairway.
If you somehow avoid the traps having lost the tee shot to the right, you're now faced with a tough approach from distance with a stand of massive beech(?) trees impinging on the right side of the hole from about 90 yards out - either you have to hit it very high or hit a controlled cut around the trees from the semi rough. Not easy.
From the middle of the fairway, it is usually a good mid-iron (but can be longer or significantly shorter) to a green that's protected on the left side by a bunker and on the right by a shallow depression. The putting surface is fairly flat with no hidden problems and is reasonably generous in size.
If you walk off this green at your handicap, or better, for these first five holes, you're doing well.

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6th Hole - Par 4, 362 (white)/355 (yellow) yards

A relief…a par 4 that's less than 400 yards, index 11. However, all is not straight forward. This hole dog-legs right-to-left about 110 yards out from the green. That dense copse on the left of the 5th? It's on the left of this hole as well - if you're in it from the tee, you have no shot.
There are two very well placed bunkers on the right side of this fairway. The first is about 210 from the tee so if you elect for a long iron or hybrid from the tee, you need to be aware of this trap which isn't easy to spot from the tee as it's hidden by a roll in the fairway. The second bunker is easily visible from the tee and is a great line for the tee shot itself - the big hitters who choose driver will need to shape it slightly right-to-left to avoid catching this bunker, particularly in the Summer, at about 260 yards from the tee. The rough on the right of this hole is often not too bad so one play is to blast a driver right of the second bunker and open up the green from that direction - the downside is playing from the rough and there are also some tricky lumps and hollows in the rough lining the fairway on this side of the hole.
The green is protected on the approach from the left side by a bunker about 30 yards short of the green and one that butts up to the front, left edge of the green. There is a drop off on the left side of the green that often makes recovery chips from here quite tricky.
The green itself is one of the most sloped on the course and, again, runs from back-to-front. This green can be very slick in the Summer months. All-in-all, a thinking players par 4.

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7th Hole - Par 4, 352 (white)/345 (yellow) yards

Another dog-leg running from right-to-left. Index 7. From the tee you have a choice to make - a good driver can really open the hole up for birdies but the target is quite narrow whereas a solid long iron/hybrid leaves much more margin for error from the tee but, of necessity, leaves a longer approach.
The hole runs slightly uphill to the green and there is OOB down the left side although it's a big hook/pull that has to worry about this one. There's a nasty bunker situated at about 210 yards from the tee on the right side of the fairway, more or less on the elbow of the dog-leg; a slightly pushed drive needs to be well hit to carry this but even it does it is likely to finish in the trees that run up the right-hand side from about 150 yards out. There's a copse of trees on the left-hand side of the fairway from about 200 to 100 yards out - they aren't too dense so a tee shot finishing in here can sometimes still leave a shot to the green…if you can hit a low punch.
The green is well bunkered left and right with a narrow entrance and slopes generally back-to-front and left-to-right as you approach it. The rear of the green is much wider than the front third.

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8th Hole - Par 3, 134 (white)/126 (yellow) yards

A good little par 3. Index 17. All uphill to a green with a deep bunker front right, another front left and one more through the left side of the green for tee shots that're too strong/pulled. Often into the prevailing wind which is difficult to measure as the tee is well below the green and somewhat sheltered while the green is situated on the brow at the high point of the course and therefore experiences the strongest winds.
An interesting green with two distinct levels and heavily sloped, again from back to front. The green is angled across the player from front left to back right and nestles up against the OOB fencing for the course. Pins situated on the back right of the green are testing. The green is one of the longest on the course, is often very slick in the Summer and clubbing can vary by a couple of clubs from the front to the back. Index 17 but not a gimme par.

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9th Hole - Par 5, 526 (white)/514 (yellow) yards

The last hole on the front 9 - the second of the par 5s and index 13. Looks easy from the tee but very easy to make a mess of it! The prevailing wind is often off the right side and helping a bit. The driving area is guarded by two bunkers on the right side of the fairway, both of which are a particular hazard for the longer hitters - the second trap is at about 260 yards. A warm day and the biggest hitters can fly this second trap which usually yields the biggest drives and is the best line if it can be pulled off.
Various trees guard the left side of the hole all the way down. Not enough to cause lost balls but they will prevent maximum gains to be made from shots taken from within them.
Assuming a good drive, the second shot might be taken from maybe 250-260 yards out. Immediately a birdie is in the mind and this is often a problem. The fairway slopes right-to-left and there are many hollows and uneven lies to be had with the ball almost always above the feet to varying amounts. The hole falls downhill to the green so good second shots can be rewarded by eagle putts but the approach is quite narrow. A deep bunker guards the front left of the green and going for the green in two requires a shot starting just right of the green allowing for natural draw due to the stance. Too far right and you're often stymied by a bunker on the right of the green while over-drawn or hooked second shots end up amongst a stand of big oaks meaning the aerial route to the green is blocked and the bump-and-run improvisation is blocked by that bunker at the front of the green. Additional bunkers flank the left and rear left parts of the green.
Slopes on the putting surface tend to be right-to-left and the putts are often slick. A good par 5 that can give good rewards but can equally leave you wondering what went wrong.

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10th Hole - Par 5, 518 (white)/512 (yellow) yards

A second, consecutive par 5, index 10. Usually into the prevailing breeze off the tee, it's mainly about the drive. A dog-leg running left-to-right at about 250 yards from the tee. The prevailing wind is always trying to push your drive into a copse of trees on the right which is accompanied by some heavy rough. To the left are three bunkers running up the edge of the fairway backed up by some terminal bracken - if you're in here, it's re-load time. The hole runs slightly uphill to the dogleg and then turns slightly downhill to the green in the distance. A really strong drive will put this green in range of two shots.
A bunker about 100 yards out on the right side of the fairway is a sometime menace but shouldn't really pose too many problems. The green is well bunkered left and right and the terrain drops away outside the left hand bunker leaving a difficult pitch up if you're this wide. A big green is the target with little significant sloping although there are dozens of subtle borrows throughout making this surface a difficult one to master. In addition, it's often very quick in the Summer being at the higher part of the course where wind dries the surface more than most.

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11th Hole - Par 3, 176 (white)/167 (yellow) yards

The first par 3 of the back nine it's index 16 but it requires a good tee shot to hit this one. Often into the breeze, it usually requires a decent mid- to long-iron/hybrid and the course OOB gets quite close to the right-hand side of the hole near the green. The green slopes quite strongly from right-to-left, is quick in the Summer and is protected by bunkers on both left and right. Quite a deep green as well.
There's nothing hidden here but 3 is a decent result.

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12th Hole - Par 4, 376 (white)/363 (yellow) yards

An interesting par 4, index 4. For whatever reason, I find it a frequent birdie hole and not worth it's index but it regularly ranks about right in competitions.
The tee is significantly elevated above the distant green and and sits in front of the elegant Wollaton Hall. OOB is strongly present all down the right side of the hole and the prevailing wind is usually off the right side so tends to make the OOB a lot less of a worry than it could be.
While OOB is a problem down the right, you might be forgiven for thinking it's an easier miss left from the tee…it's not. In recent years, the rough to the left of this hole has been absolutely brutal. The semi-rough on the left is not so bad but isn't a very wide band before you hit the deep stuff. The fairway here is nicely shaped with the semi-rough being allowed to shape in from both sides at about 260 yards from the tee. A solid long iron/hybrid will leave a mid- to short-iron in while if you're brave enough (and pull it off), a good drive will leave a short iron. Driver off the tee is complicated by the fact that your ball will almost always leave you in a transverse hollow running across the fairway at about 270-280 yards from the tee and from here, you can't see the flag at all. A long iron/hybrid, while leaving a longer approach usually finishes far enough back that the flag can easily be seen.
The green is reasonably flat but its right edge is scarily close to the OOB. It is well protected by bunkering to the front, left and right and is a fairly deep green. Flags at the back present quite a narrow target as the width of the green at the back is not great.

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13th Hole - Par 3, 173 (white)/165 (yellow) yards

A second par 3 within three holes. Index 14. Usually requires a good mid- to long-iron/hybrid. The green here is very deep and your eye-line from the tee is on a perfect level with the front of the green so you can't see any of the putting surface which makes depth perception difficult. The green angles across the player slightly from front-left to back-right and there is a small tier in the centre of the green. The green is protected by bunkers front, left and right.
The putting surface is basically two different areas separated by the tier. The front section is very flat but the rear portion of the green has some subtle sloping which makes putting interesting.

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14th Hole - Par 4, 423 (white)/414 (yellow) yards

I'd argue this is the signature hole for the whole course. An elegant par 4 which is a tough challenge and index 2. The hole rises uphill all the way from the tee and if you're playing this on a sunlit evening with the shadows encroaching from the left of the hole and the sun illuminating Wollaton Hall, it's a wonderful hole.
The drive is relatively straight forward but the fairway is protected on the left by two well-placed bunkers from about 220 to 250 yards out. Further left than the two bunkers, there is a small copse of trees and some very heavy rough - you don't want to be in this. On the right side, a large beech(?) tree is an occasional pain if you have pushed your drive as it interferes with your approach from that side. The large bunker seen from the tee on the centre-right of the fairway might be in range on drier days for the very biggest hitters but also makes for an ideal target to set your tee shot towards.
The approach rises quite steeply towards the green, the front of which is sharply sloped. The front of the green is bunkered both left and right with the right bunker being located in a hollow which gathers many approach shots which are under-clubbed and pushed. The approach is difficult to judge for distance and, essentially, you almost always need at least one more club than you'd imagine. A ball failing to carry the front slope of the green sufficiently will always tend to fall back off the putting surface.
Once on the putting surface, the green is essentially flat but the whole is inclined from back-to-front. This green can be very slick in the Summer and if you're putting from the back to a front flag you can easily find yourself back down the fairway.
Overall, an excellent par 4.

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15th Hole - Par 5, 494 (white)/488 (yellow) yards

The last of the par 5s and a great matchplay hole. Index 8. A sharp dog-leg (left-to-right) hole with the elbow located only about 120 yards from the green. The tee is elevated with respect to the majority of the hole and this hole can be well within many golfers' compass for reaching in two shots but is seriously complicated by the dog-leg.
The ideal drive is down the left-hand side on the distant left fairway bunker. This line will open up the green for a (relatively) straight forward long approach. Too far left in the Summer months from the tee, however, will land you in some heavy rough. Tee shots leaked a bit right will tend to kick down further right taking the green out of the reckoning for all but the bravest/most foolhardy.
The second shot depends on the drive. If you've hit the perfect left sided tee shot and you're long enough, you may be able to see the left of the green and it's a good risk/reward. If you're in the centre of the fairway, you have a choice - hit a sensible lay-up down the middle of the hole to about 80 yards out or you have the option of a brave shot over the large oak/beech trees that make up a copse on the elbow of the dog-leg. If you take the latter route, you need to be able to hit the ball with good elevation - hitting the trees almost always makes for a high score here. The big trees here are cunningly placed - the bigger the drive, the nearer to the trees and the shorter the iron needed to get over them meaning you may not have enough club to reach the green. Further away and there is obviously more time to get the ball airborne but requires more control with a longer iron/hybrid/wood. In addition to the elevation, to really attack the green, the ball must be shaped left-to-right. It's a real pressure shot but makes for some good matchplay situations - death or glory.
The green is severely angled across, due to the dog-leg, from front-left to back-right making the effective depth for almost any approach shot very shallow.
Once on the green, the putting surface has plenty of borrows and slopes and in one of the most difficult greens on the course.
A par can be easily gained here but many people take on the trees and walk off regretting it.

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16th Hole - Par 4, 348 (white)/338 (yellow) yards

An interesting dog-leg par 4, index 12. The first half of the hole rises onto a plateau at the gentle elbow of the right-to-left dog-leg and then the hole falls gently down to the green. A big push or cut from the tee will find some small trees and heavy rough protecting the right side of the hole whereas a pull or hook will find the rough between the 16th and the previous hole. There is a nastily-placed bunker, at about 230 yards, on the left side of the fairway towards the crest of the hole and this catches many-a-drive that is not long enough to carry this trap or is not wide enough to avoid being gathered into it.
From a good drive, the approach is often not more than a short iron but this is often complicated by the wind which, when off the right side, can sweep many approaches into the left bunkers guarding the green or, even worse, into the extremely heavy rough to the left of the green. There is also bunker protection guarding the right side of the putting surface.
The green itself has a number of subtle borrows, is often difficult to read accurately and is deeper than it seems when you're standing over your approach.

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17th Hole - Par 3, 183 (white)/172 (yellow) yards

The last of the par 3s and, along with the 11th, probably the most difficult. Index 15. The prevailing wind is often off the right side here although the hole is often played with a slight headwind from the left side in the Autumn/Winter months. Uphill all the way, it plays its full yardage and, ideally, the savvy player will always take at least one club more than the yardage suggests. Only the biggest hitters will ever contemplate anything remotely described as a 'short iron' here.
The green is guarded at both the front left and right sides by relatively deep bunkers and once on the putting surface, this hole (along with the 6th, 8th and 11th greens) has arguably the most sloped surface on the course. Significantly sloped from back-to-front, it is often very quick in the Summer months and putting from the rear to a front flag is a test of nerve. The front of the green is significantly more sloped that the rest, which plays a part in tee shots that are just under-clubbed…they fall back off the putting surface.

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18th Hole - Par 4, 420 (white)/411 (yellow) yards

The last hole, a testing par 4 which can play either downwind (prevailing) or into a stiff headwind (Autumn/Winter). Index 7. This hole is really all about the tee shot from the elevated tee. The hole has a very subtle right-to-left dog-leg and on the left side of the fairway at the elbow (~260 yards) is a nasty bunker cut at an angle to the fairway. While not a problem for the shorter hitters, this is extremely well placed for the longer drivers - it can be carried by the bigger hitters but only the best strikes will clear it. The right side of the hole is fairly well protected by heavy rough and the odd patch of bracken - a block/cut from bigger hitters will find this terrain if a driver is used from the tee, particularly in the Summer. OOB follows the hole on the right-hand side although this is not really an issue from the tee.
Once on the fairway, it's a straight-forward approach to the green although it is often easy to under club. The green is protected by a bunker right about 30 yards from the green and a bunker cut into the front left. Any approach that's pulled left is best if it catches the left trap as anything that goes left and misses this, will find itself bounding down the hillside on the left of the green towards the 9th green and clubhouse. There's a depression that parallels the right side of the green which can make chipping a pain if the green is missed on this side.
The putting surface is long and generous although some of the most subtle breaks on the course can be found here - many putts might seem straight but you'll often find them taking an inch or three of borrow and missing the hole.

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Once finished, you can retire to the quaint clubhouse and celebrate your outstanding round with a drink or two.

Thanks NVB any chance of a bit more detail.Happy place for me re a girlfriend who worked there,
pretty sure DJ Russell and Paul Wesselingh were pros there.Super course considering its nearly in Nottingham town centre , Thanks again

Thanks nbs,
There are so many great golf courses, here but especially there, that are relatively unsung yet most enjoyable and demanding to play.
Thanks for sharing . . . . .

Very nice write up navy.

It was a surprise to read that the course is very central within the city as the setting looks very peaceful, what with the deer an all.

It does not look as if the tree's are as pervasive as many clubs have let them become which is always a positive for any course. Having said that the location of some of the younger trees would be a concern for me if I were a member. In some cases it seems one well placed tree might have been a better idea, if indeed any tree was needed at all. eg 5 and 14.

although it seems to be a relatively flat property what elevation change there is seems to be tackled on the par 3's? Is this correct?

how interesting do you find the greens compared to some of your favorite sets of greens?

Dyna

More detail???


Mac

Yeah. Much of the elevation change that really comes into play on holes is on par 3s.
Re. the trees. Some of the younger copses are, I think, kept pretty small and the trees there tend to be smaller varieties as well I think. There are a few holes (4, 5, 14 for example) where one or two specific large trees come into play but only if you're offline with a tee shot etc. The trees on 15 are a decent cluster and huge but then it's a more or less downhill par 5 of <500 yards so I guess they're a decent trade-off.

Re. the deer. They're cute (except this time of year when the stags are let loose and they can be quite aggressive) but they make your lie in bunkers quite interesting sometimes!

Mac

Re. the greens. I find them a right pain in the backside cf. many other places. The surfaces, especially recently, have only been bettered in this area by Sherwood's in the last few years but, with the exception, of the 6th, 8th, 11th and 17th, there aren't really any massive slopes on any of them and quite often the borrows are subtle and not that big. Often very difficult to read if a putt is straight or maybe has a few inches from either side so you might compromise on straight and find it went ~3" in either direction and miss. I think it'd take a long time playing the course to really learn all the vagaries of the greens.

kwinigolfer wrote:Thanks nbs,
There are so many great golf courses, here but especially there, that are relatively unsung yet most enjoyable and demanding to play.
Thanks for sharing . . . . .

No problem Kwini. Quite fun to write up actually.

Navy

Just been up your way for an Autumn Tour. Played Notts, Sherwood Forest and Coxmoor. Three exceptional courses, but it seems you are spoiled for quality in that part of the country

Played coxmoor last year - terrific! Used to play a lot with the pro there when he were a lad

Navy - Wonderful write up ... I really enjoyed it and thanks for sharing.

Fully agree with Kwini. There are SO many terrific courses that fly under most people's radar.

I played Plainfield yesterday (site of the Barclay's a couple years ago, and will host it again in 2015). Outstanding course and it was playing firm and VERY hard. If the conditions are anything like that when the professionals come to town, you won't see anything close to 19 under in 3 days (like last time).

Excellent write up Navy, your club should pay you a fee for some very good marketting

JAS

Maybe they'll give me a discount on my membership fee? Or maybe not.

MM

Coxmoor is a really good course. I kind of blanked that one as the pro shop and membership appear to be bankers...if you know what I mean. They treated a Society I play with like runny merde. I don't care how good the course can be - I won't be going back or recommending it to anyone.

Joking mate-All three mentioned class courses Holllinwell just has that history about it pics of the john player years back when cigs were acceptable.Starter has an incredible memory.
Be a good three days out for sure,didnt oliver Wilson used to be at coxmoor

navyblueshorts wrote:JAS

Maybe they'll give me a discount on my membership fee? Or maybe not.

MM

Coxmoor is a really good course. I kind of blanked that one as the pro shop and membership appear to be bankers...if you know what I mean. They treated a Society I play with like runny merde. I don't care how good the course can be - I won't be going back or recommending it to anyone.

Thats a shame NBS. I agree tho, a shoite welcome can really put you off a place, and does nothing for the club in long run. lose/lose situation. Won some comp at my club and got to play there in a virgin sponsored thingy with our pro. topped it off the first tee with a 5 wood - bout 250 yards! (straight down hill) Came in at 4 under to be 2nd to last. think 22 under won it!