- Course Type – Parkland
- Green Fees – £20-45
- Par – 72
- Length – Back 6650y, Middle 6298y and Front 5584y.
Overview:
Have you ever heard of the Goodwood racecourse or the annual Qatar Goodwood festival? Maybe you’ve heard of the Goodwood Festival of Speed motor racing event? What you might not know is that the Goodwood estate also has two championship golf courses…
Goodwood has it all! It’s even got an airport!
As you drive into the estate you instantly feel like you are transferred to a world of high quality and prestige. But don’t worry, whilst it may appear old and stuffy, Goodwood is quite the opposite.
It is modern and forward thinking with no dress code (hurray!), a ready golf policy and re-branded tee colours. The use of green, orange and purple avoid the old cliche of men’s and ladies’ tees.
Oh, and there is a bar with a patio overlooking the 18th green where you can watch the aircraft fly over! Pretty cool ay?
As Golf at Goodwood themselves admit, the Park Course is the friendlier and less challenging of their two courses (behind the members only Downs Course). In contrast to the Downs, it is largely flat and a nice length Par 72 at 6650y off the back tees.
Whilst it looks quite repetitive and doesn’t benefit from the stunning views seen on the Downs course, it is just as beautiful and well-manicured. Like a golf course equivalent of David Beckham… No doubt this is a benefit of being part of the wider Goodwood estate which prides itself on its appearance.
Consequently, the fairways are well defined, the rough is cut consistently and the heavy rough is thick and punishing. Just as it should be when you hit a 40y hook off the tee like I did!
Then there is the jewel in the crown… the Greens – they are brilliant! In fact, I’ll go as far as saying, I don’t think you will EVER play on better greens for £20.
Smooth, fast, consistent and with subtle slopes they are so much fun to putt on and just as enjoyable to hit approach shots into. Which given the length of many holes, means even the higher handicap golfer will find themselves hitting a lot of short irons and wedges into them. For example five of the Par 4’s are 352y or less off the middle tees whilst two of the Par 5’s easily reachable for mid to low handicappers.
This leads us onto why I really like this golf course. You can make good scores and not lose too many golf balls, regardless of your handicap. Just make sure you get through the first two holes without ruining your scorecard!
The Front 9:
The opening hole, the longest Par 4 on the course, is wide open with only a fairway bunker and single greenside bunker. This is followed by a 185y Par 3 which looks narrow on the tee, but does open up. Avoid the large greenside bunker to its right. Get through these without too much damage to the scorecard and the real fun can begin.
Holes 3 to 7 offer genuine Birdie and Par opportunities for the mid-handicap golfer. As a result, higher handicap golfers will also fancy themselves to make a par or two on this stretch. Comprising of four Par 4’s and the shortest Par 5 on the course, keep out of the bunkers and you’ll have a chance to make a score. You might even get an Eagle putt, like I did, on the 5th if you hit too good shots.
I took my Fiancee, an occasional golfer who plays off 36, with me and even she reached a few of these greens in regulation off the forward tees. The buzz this gave her was great and demonstrates how this course offers something for everyone. You might even get an Eagle putt, like I did, on the 5th if you hit two good shots. An equally great buzz for a mid-handicapper.
The 6th hole is a great risk/reward hole at under 300y, even off the Back Tees. Slightly downhill it is nearly drivable when the fairways are firm and fast. But taking it on requires a straight drive down the narrow fairway and anything left is out of bounds. Alternatively, the safe play is a mid-iron followed by a wedge into a long and thin green surrounded by a solitary bunker and drop-offs all around. Miss the green and its a difficult up and down but hit it and you should have a good Birdie opportunity.
The Back 9:
On the back 9 you are greeted with two of the toughest holes back to back in 11 and 12.
11 is a narrow tree lined downhill Par 3, usually into a strong breeze. It plays over 180y off the middle tees into a sloping back to front green. Miss left or right and you will almost certainly lose your ball, like I did!
This is followed by the second longest Par 4. Your drive needs to be straight to avoid the fairway bunker and leave a shot into the green. Then it gets tougher as the approach is one of the longest on the course. Often into the wind, the green is well-protected with large bunkers either side at the front. Once you are through these two you can relax again.
The run of friendly holes includes the short 16th, another genuine birdie opportunity for all golfers.
During this stretch watch out for the fairway bunker on the Par 5 14th… Situated in the middle of the fairway. It is only in play for the mid and high handicap player who can’t carry it. This means it forces most of us into a boring three shots. Or risk the punishment for hitting a drive straight down the middle.
The final hole is an uphill Par 5 back up towards the hotel. It’s long but offers a final chance to make an easy Par if you hit three sensible shots and avoid the greenside bunkers. By this point you will likely be protecting a good score and be happy to take the Par.
Overall:
The Park is a great golf course for players of all ages and abilities. If you want to feel like a Weekend Tour Pro on a high quality course where you can make a good score, then its well worth a visit.
My only criticisms are the Par 3’s are all long and challenging, but this is just a personal preference. Whilst some of the bunkers are still undergoing a course wide renovation project so aren’t as perfect as the rest of the course. But they are still better than most you’ll play!
If you want to book a round at Goodwood click here… Oh and just be sure to miss that fairway bunker on 14!
What did other members of the team think?
Neil (our single figure player):
“The Park isn’t going to blow you away yet it is far from boring. It’s in great condition, particularly the greens. There’s a nice balance of Par 3’s, 4’s and 5’s, however the Par 3’s are quite challenging.
The risk/reward 6th Hole is my favourite. If you want to gofor it there is trouble left and a tricky shot to the green from the right. Yet the layup isn’t straight forward either due to a well placed fairway bunker and a narrow approach”
Weekend Tour Pros Rating:
- Fun Factor: 6
- Quality of the Course: 8
- Value for Money: 8