Gatton Manor

First played at Gatton Manor in the early 1980's and had not visited for about 20 years. Booked for a one night stay and 3 rounds. Course on the whole was in good condition, greens were 'patchy' and 'bobbly' in places but otherwise okay. Looked after very well by the staff. This course always was, and still is, tough and tight. Heavily wooded and lots of 'in play' water hazards. This is a tough test for average hackers but is obviously popular with them due to good deals offered by the club. So the rounds were very slow. The course would really benefit from a 2 Tee start. Separating 2 balls from 3&4 balls. 1st and 10th tees are next to clubhouse, so surprised they haven't implemented. It would cut 5 to 51/2 hour rounds by at least an hour. Our 2-ball had a mixture of 2, 3 and 4 balls in front of varying standards who alternated between yellow and white tees whenever they felt like it. So course needs marshaling just to help keep the pace of play moving. I liked the course and it's a great test of your game but probably won't return unless speed and etiquette improves.

Very nice course in good condition. We played off the back tees and it's a decent 6600 yards. Greens were very slow, but expected as we've had a lot of rain recently. I'd say the first 9 are more interesting, as the back 9 has a few quite featureless holes. Friendly staff, and overall a good expereince.We will come back. Excellent value.

We played here in a charity golf day on a beautifully sunny March day. The course was in great nick, fairways lush and green. The greens were fast and true despite having been tined recently. The greens are incredibly undulating and make for some very uncomfortable short puts, not for the faint hearted! There are a good few holes where there is no need to take driver and in fact to do so would be foolish! These are interspersed with some where driver is essential making for an interesting round. The only criticism I had was the couple of tee mats in play, these were in places where there was work going on on the tee boxes. I would say that the stand out hole was the stroke index 1, 6th hole. A picturesque hole where position is everything and danger lurks everywhere! Another memorable hole is the par 5, 17th, this hole was named Tipperary by our host, as in his words it's an "effing long way" 645 yards from the back tees! The staff and members were very friendly and accommodating. I would whole heatedly recommend this and am already planning the return trip.

Found the golf course to be quite quirky. The front nine is especially "interesting" with irons required off the tee. The back nine is better with a strong finish of at 17 and 18. Although it has been a bit wet of late the greens were fast and good to putt on. It is well sign posted from Dorking and the clubhouse was friendly.

Stunning course. Every hole was a gem. Members were very friendly and cant fault anything about our weekend break. Look forward to coming back.

Just had a golf weekend at Gatton Manor and thpught the whole set up was superb. The hotel and faciliteis may not be the biggest but the attitude of all the staff more than makes up for it. From the fella in the pro-shop to the waitesses and the course marshll, everyone was a pleasure. The course was in superb condition and had some cracking holes. The greens were immaculate but I couldn't get my head around the contours...done me up good n proper! Breakfast was good and the fillet steak dinner was top drawer. All in all excellent venue and would recommend to anyone.

GM is a challenging course with a number of blind and thought provoking tee shots alike. Fairways were in very good condition and greens would have been too if they hadn't been holed and heavily sanded on the morning we played, making the putting difficult to say the least. The drive to the course through the small villages punctuating the North Downs is also a treat and would make you forget your anywhere near our nations capital. The only reminder of our location, Mr Branson's fleet of iron birds. Excellent VFM and hope to return someday soon.

We played 10 different courses in Surrey this summer and this was the last and the best course we played. Beautifully set up with each hole well separated. Everything is well maintained and very challenging. It is better than any parkland course in Northern Ireland bar Lough Erne and good value for money given the quality.

Last played here on a saturday about 4 years ago and remember it taking over 5 hours for the round during a very busy summers day...today, had a fantastic round of less than 4 hours with hardly a soul in sight. This is a beautiful course, challenging in all the right places with great greens and fairways. Hit a bucket of good balls on the range prior to teeing off, at a reasonable price, then shot a thoroughly enjoyable 35 points, aided by a perfect birdie on the lovely 17th. Staff wonderful and friendly, food good and reasonably priced - job done, will be back later this year for sure.

Hadnt played Gatton for a few years so was very pleased with improvements in regards to drainage, this place used to be one to avoid in the winter but it has improved, its on clay so still wet but playable. The staff are very nice here as are the friendly members. I would have to single out the aussie guy in the pro shop a real personality and a very friendly guy. There are two ctiticisms though, firstly the tee's to call them not flat is an understatement, considering the investment that has taken place on this course I cant understand why they have not been sorted. Surely flat tees is not an expensive job. Secondly the clubhouse food. The standard was ok the pricing was outrageous. The special of the day was a steak and chips for £18. Yep £18 in surroundings that are similar to an ok pub nothing more, the rest of the menu was much the same, an omelette was over £5 quid !. Dont want to leave on a downer though as this is a really good venue and has a friendly feel and a very challenging course, (i might return in the night and cut down the tee to the left of the tee box at 12!). I am sure the tee boxes and the food prices will get sorted as the people that mange this place obviously know what they are doing. I will be back.

Played here in Mid June and have to say i was very impressed. It was my first visit for a number of years and I could see that a lot of effort had gone into improving and maintaining the course. The greens were fantastic, very slick and true, though some of the pin positions were near impossible. The course is interesting, no monotony of par 4 after par 4 all feeling the same. I believe you'd be hard pushed to find better value for money.

I played this course over 20 years ago when I first took up the game. The course was always challenging but a bit tatty. The course is much better looked after these days and the clubhouse and pro shop a big improvement. I like the fact that it is quite difficult to find - playing mid-week it's best to check that you're not following a society - I've always found the course pretty empty and the other golfers courteous in terms of letting players through. I find that every hole has it's challenge and also that the course seems to present a different set of challenges each time you play it. Invest in a course planner first time out or you will be caught out (the short par 4 after the mid-way hut is a case in point!) as is the stroke index 1 6th. You definitely need to think your way around this course to get a decent score. As an itinerant golfer who doesn't belong to a club I would rate this as one of the best courses in the region and I suffer withdrawal if I don't play here at least 2 or 3 times a year. We usually book this using 2 fore 1 or on teetimes.co.uk and if you do that it offers very good value for money. On principle I never pay the full green fee.

Played last week. Course surprising in good condition bearing in mind the recent snow and frost, greens quicker than we thought they would be. The course is quite a challenge, my pal and I both play off 12 and off the white tees found it hard work - particularly the 580 yard 17th. Some great holes the 6th, 11th and last come to mind. We liked it, very peaceful, nice scenery, well worth a visit and it was good value.

We played this course on a dry day..there had been a competition on the course that morning but when we tee'd off the course was almost empty. We used Open fariways 2-4-1 card so only paid £20.50 and i have to say, what fantastic value. The staff in the shop and the bar were very friendly and the bar drinks and food were very reasonable. The course is a bit tricky to find and could be better sign-posted, but that said, what a gem to find. Every hole presents its own challenge and you find youself thinking your way around the course. we'd never played there before and even with a course-guide, there were several holes where you just have to make a best guess of where to place your tee shot. This just helps the course to be even more interesting that it already is. There are some beautiful holes, the par 3's are all very different and the greens are lightening quick (by my standards anyway!). The signature 6th hole is a real gem and having played the course before would give you a real advantage on this and many other holes. We met a few members on the way round, as we were a fourball we let a few pairs go through, they were all very friendly and not in any way stuck up as i would expect them to be at such a lovely club...(based on experience as a nomadic golfer!). The system at the halfway hut is very good and keeps the flow of play moving. All in all, this club has moved to the top of my fav's list and we will definitely be playing there again soon. I would recommend it to anyone who loves a beautiful golf course based on my experience there although i would suggest that for a really high handcaipper some of the holes and especially the greens are very challenging indeed.

Played this course in April this year and was pleasantly surprised. The last time was a wet and miserable experience. drainage, greens and pathways improved enormously.although my ball plugged on the apron of the 5th (very damp here) Having had my first experience of golf here 6 years ago I feel very comfortable on the course the fact that it's improving all the time is a bonus; especially at the price. Buggies could be cheaper then I could play 36!! The only thing that spoiled our day was catching up with another 2 ball on the 6th they were fed up with a four ball in front of them and by the 9th they gave up. We soon caught the fourball and were dismayed to wait 5 mins on every tee, watch one of them take four shots to get 150 yds, another staying on the greens to mark the card and the other 2 driving their buggy as far away from the exits of the greens as they could possibly get!!! Footmarks in bunkers etc etc.( this group were part of a society that tee'd off on the Morning of Wed 15th April) you know who you are, take up bowls!! Is it time for handicap requirements or more marshalling.The course is great don't let it get a bad name Alexander Dowds

I play here alot; And what amazing course,!! I discovered this course around two years ago again after i finish my golf experience as a kid and then took it up again In the years between the gap i have seen such a vast improvement and money well spent making the course a pleasure to play! It challenges you every time you hit the 1st tee and finish at the 18th, The course is not like others in surrey as i have played a few and been a member of Cranleigh and Slinfold, and i think this is going to be my next!! The only thing that i will agree on is that the tee on the yellows could do with a bit of levelling! The course is set in such an amazing location with the course being in brilliant condition as it is set i believe on clay, the drainage is alot better then other courses on the same soil type, The staff are faultless, I may be a regular now and on first name basis with most of them but it was the same when i first entered the pro shop and played my first round, The driving range i have to mention, one of the only ones in Surrey i believe that has facilites for astro-turf and grass, this allows you to practice like being on a fairway instead of a living room!! The practice putting green is a little bit to level but for those few practice putts before a game allows you to have confidence, The Chipping green is also a rare feature nowadays and is one of the most vital parts of the game, The feedback above where the gentlemen had a bad experience i think can happen at any golf course, but let me assure him this is very rare at this course and out of the many times that i have played there i have only encountered a couple of rude golfers that didn't know etiquette, but i think this is a rising problem for many golf courses and feel that each one would benefit from stricter policing of rules and reinforcing!! I would just like to add a thank you to the Patrick and the other staff of which i would like to name Patrick and Dan for such a warm welcome and feel from the golf course and sad to see Dan go, The ground staff as well for doing such a fine job and having brilliant courtesy when working around us golfers, making sure they stop the machine to let us play up (even though a distraction to blame for a bad shot is always nice!!) Thanks Again,

I play here alot; And what amazing course,!! I discovered this course around two years ago again after i finish my golf experience as a kid and then took it up again In the years between the gap i have seen such a vast improvement and money well spent making the course a pleasure to play! It challenges you every time you hit the 1st tee and finish at the 18th, The course is not like others in surrey as i have played a few and been a member of Cranleigh and Slinfold, and i think this is going to be my next!! The only thing that i will agree on is that the tee on the yellows could do with a bit of levelling! The course is set in such an amazing location with the course being in brilliant condition as it is set i believe on clay, the drainage is alot better then other courses on the same soil type, The staff are faultless, I may be a regular now and on first name basis with most of them but it was the same when i first entered the pro shop and played my first round, The driving range i have to mention, one of the only ones in Surrey i believe that has facilites for astro-turf and grass, this allows you to practice like being on a fairway instead of a living room!! The practice putting green is a little bit to level but for those few practice putts before a game allows you to have confidence, The Chipping green is also a rare feature nowadays and is one of the most vital parts of the game, The feedback above where the gentlemen had a bad experience i think can happen at any golf course, but let me assure him this is very rare at this course and out of the many times that i have played there i have only encountered a couple of rude golfers that didn't know etiquette, but i think this is a rising problem for many golf courses and feel that each one would benefit from stricter policing of rules and reinforcing!! I would just like to add a thank you to the Patrick and the other staff of which i would like to name Patrick and Dan for such a warm welcome and feel from the golf course and sad to see Dan go, The ground staff as well for doing such a fine job and having brilliant courtesy when working around us golfers, making sure they stop the machine to let us play up (even though a distraction to blame for a bad shot is always nice!!) Thanks Again,

Played here with 7 friends for the second time last week..It is one of the few courses that seems better each time it's played..Great condition and a good variety of holes..Nice to find a course at a very reasonable price where you cant just stand on the tee and bang away with a driver on every hole except par 3s..As stated previously £25 for a buggy is too steep by todays standards but at £14 with a 2fore1 voucher it all levels out..Most of us actually walked and it's not that hard a walk and very interesting..Take a peek over to the right after the 18th as you go back to the clubhouse, theres a fantastic over-run magical ornamental garden there complete with stone mushrooms!!!

So - I played here in a mini society of 12 recently, having only played the course once before a few years ago. Overall - it was a pleasant experience - the greens were in great nick, although the putting green bore no resemblence to the speed of the greens on the course. My only real grips are: 1. Cost of a buggy at £25 is just a bit steep these days really. 2. Being made to play off the yellow tees - 6026 yards, is way too short to be a real test of golf. Hitting driver 8 iron into the short par 5 5th hole is a joke. If you like a nice, interesting course, that's not too taxing on your game, then this is worth a look. Food and staff were more than helpful, so ignore previous comments below.

What a beautiful course! Greens were true, well-manicured and very fast; what a pleasure! The fairways were also in good condition encouraging you to take good divots. Been in 1 x bunker only and that was like I like them - fluffy sand and NO stones. Play at some stages was a bit slow, but not too bad at all. I can actually not wait to play there again... A final note on the staff: EXTREMELY friendly and helpful.

Played there early in July on a Sunday. The course lay-out and the maintenance of the course is very good. However my playing partner and i were stuck behind a group os six mates playing in two groups, who were very very slow and had no idea of golfing etiquette. We were held up for five minutes on every tee and fairway. The two groups in front met on the greens several times to talk to one another. In all it took us 4 1/4 hours to play 18 which is very slow. From 16 onwards, groups behind us were walking off of the course. Complained and received two complimentary rounds and had a similar experience. Played on a Saturday afternoon and had to have a group of four who had missed their tee-time tee of in-front of us. Yet again there was no real knowledge of golfing etiquette and we were behind them for the whole 4 1/2 hours of the round. Another arae which desperately needs addressing is the tee's. Virtually none are level. They are all sloping left to right or front to back. Travelled an houir to get there and wouldn't recomend it.

Had the pleasure of playing this gorgeous and superbly maintained course today. It's an excellent layout that encourages thought with plenty of risk-reward holes, and doglegs and hazards that mean you aren;t just trying to blast it as far as you can off the the tee with a driver. Can't believe the negative feedback I read below because this is one of the nicest courses I have experienced and the staff could only be described as utterly helpful and polite. I can only deduce that whoever 'complained' liked it so much when they played here that they are making a cack-handed attempt and putting others off so they have it to themselves.

played here on the 7/6/07. Just driving to the club through 5 miles of winding, country road, you know that this is going to be a good course (and probably one of the rare times i can say that i didn't hear a car or see a road on all 18 holes)at a cost of £14 with a 2 fore 1 voucher. There was in fact 3 of us but the guy let us all pay £14. What a result, what a nice guy (things like that really stick in the memory) Straight away the look of the course was in championship standard and im saying that after playing walton heath the week that the US open qualifying was played on the 4/6/07. The greens were tough and fast, but very true. The rough was hard and unforgiving. The course layout is so natural and lovely that i still couldn't get the smile off my face that i had paid just £14. The holes are different, exciting fun. Long par 5's, short par 3's, carry of water this has the lot. One of the best courses on the greenfree and 2 fore 1 vouchers, along with old thorns and mannings heath. Top that off with a lovely pint and superb burger and chips. Playing there again today. Recommended.

I was also very surprised at some of the negative feedback on this page. I played the course today for the first time. The staff were helpful and pleasant and I had a very enjoyable round of golf. The course was in great condition, particularly the greens. The added bonus was the sausage and bacon bap at the halfway hut, using local butcher's sausages, delicious! - I was 9 strokes less on the back 9 entirely due to the bap! I will be here in a few weeks time with a society and I am looking forward to it already. Thoroughly recommended.

Very surprised at some of the negative feedback on this page. I played the course today in a society of 12 players and had a fantastic day from start to finish. We arrived and enjoyed a full English breakfast which was produced within five minutes of our arrival. Good start to the day. Onto the golf, the friendly course marshall introduced himself and wished us an enjoyable round. The course was in excellent condition, particularly the greens which were smooth and fast. There are several very interesting holes, not least the 18th which is a great finisher. We didn't experience any snobbery from the members, but if this does exist, i'm sure it is not any worse than any other course. After another good experience, we will be returning for a 4th time next year. Recommended.