Lutterworth Golf Club

fascinating and attractive course which challenges club selection and course management. certainly not long but the four par 3s defend its standard scratch well. greens are smallish, difficult to read but rewardingly true, many being undulating and a couple severely sloped...9th crazily so! two inherent weaknesses to the layout: many fairways are only separated by short area of trees/rough and therefore very wayward drives are too often not punished... the green can still be hit from the adjacent fairway; and three tees are clustered together resulting in congestion induced slow play. overall. an well presented, interesting couse with idiosyncracies that split split opinion in our group. clubhouse and pro shop are excellent in all ways...members friendly.

Having played most of the courses in Leicestershire over the last 12 months, I have to say that Lutterworth is in the top 3 for condition of the greens and fairways. They tell me thay have just installed a new irrigation system this year which probably accounts for the superb greens in spite of the recent drought. Not a long course, but a good test of golf. Good food too, and a warm welcome, but avoid Wednesday mornings as it can be busy, and bit slow.

One of the best courses I have ever played at, as a junior myself I have very high standards but this is very challenging and a very well laid out course. The greens are fast and true and the course is in top condition, therefore I belive this course is the best in Leicestershire and that maybe one day it could become even bigger and maybe host a challenge tour event. Also the food and staff our brilliant, The pro shop is well stocked and the pro's know there stuff. Well worth a visit.

Lutterworth has the POTENTIAL to be well worth a visit, but still has some failings which I find very off-putting. From a course point of view, by and large it is pretty good. Generally in really good condition, with true, quick greens and well cared for fairways, tees and bunkers, and some strategically placed hazards. My only complaints would be the back nine, which can be pretty claustrophobic, and the lack of yardgage marker posts. In addition, one or two holes need a re-think. The 16th would be a classic risk/reward hole, being a dog leg par 4 which is within range if you choose to cut the corner, were it not for a large tree smack in front of the daily tee. If the club aren't trying to discourage players taking the corner on, this is a tree which should have gone years ago, because it turns the hole into a bit of a Micky Mouse affair. The clubhouse is excellent, and the staff both there and in the pro shop are unfailingly welcoming BUT I'm afraid the same really cannot be said of the membership, and it is this reason the club only has the potential to be worth a visit, rather than being at the top of my list. During the week the course gets extremely busy with senior members which, in itself, is not an issue. What is an issue is their insular, selfish attitude towards visitors which is all too common at many private clubs. Despite many being well in their 70's and clearly high handicap golfers they insist on playing off the back tees, the result being most of the par 3's are out of range and the par 4's become minimum three shotters. Combine this with a tendency only to let quicker groups through when it suits, and not when they clearly should be doing so, and this can all add up to some agonisingly slow rounds. Their snooty attitude can also be in evidence in the clubhouse, where some of their manners towards visitors are appalling. Shame, really - if any of them cared to get an up to date R & A rule book and brush up on their etiquette the place would be one of the top venues in Leicestershire.

Played here for the first time in their Seniors open on June 11th. A very accessible course being just off the M1 at junction 20, so very central for anyone in the Midlands, or like us from Bedfordshire, but considering the closeness of the motorway, the noise was hardly noticeable. The event was well organised from a very nice club house with good facilities and a very friendly Pro shop that was very well stocked. Whilst not a long course, it is not easy, many holes are well protected with trees and strategically placed bunkers, together with ponds to make you consider the right club selection. Several dog legs, but marker posts gave a reasonable guide to drive towards. The 15th, a long par 3 at 199 yards is typical of the danger that good course design can create, down hill to a sloping green protected by a tree on the left, a pond short and right, and bunker catching anything off line, and this is index 14. The course was in excellent condition, perhaps the greens were a trifle slow, but that might have been due to recent rain fall. An excellent halfway hut with good choices of food and drink. Any criticisms, well just a couple, my usual one, no marker posts at 150yds, just discs on the fairway at 200,150, and 100, I believe this slows the game for visitors when they have to seek them out from other players in the group, I really cant understand why clubs choose to omit them. Some holes have internal out of bounds stakes, and whilst the card does advise this, when taking your shot many players just see them and naturally try to play away from them on holes where they do not apply! Solution;-paint them green on the side facing fairways where they don’t apply. And lastly, some additional signage would be helpful to indicate the next tee, especially at the latter stages in the round where several tees are in close proximity, and it’s quite easy and time wasting searching out the correct tee. But those points aside, lovely course, worth a visit by anyone in the area. Will definitely enter again next year.

November 2005. Played on a cold but sunny day. Course in excellent condition, and the greens still very good. Not a long course, but plenty of enjoyable holes, and very enjoyable for the average club golfer. Thoroughly enjoyed and recommended.