Mannings Heath Golf Club

I visited Mannings Heath having booked a stay and play deak with Your Golf Travel.com and the value for money for what is on offer at Mannings Heath was out of this world. Two rounds of golf, a night in the hotel and a cooked breakfast in the morning all for £100! We loved the Waterfall course but thought the Kingfisher was better than people give it credit for. Dont pay attention to the negative cooments on here...go and play the courses fir yourself because they are both a good test of golf. Both courses were very well kept and the greens were almost perfect. The hotel was really nice as was our cooked breakfast. We had dinner at the Camellia restaurant and although it was pricey, the quality of the food was outstanding. All in all Mannings Heath was superb and we thought it was the perfect place for a weekend golf break.

If you are looking for a golf course well away from the hustle and bustle then this is it. The Waterfall course is excellent, lots of undulating holes and in superb condition. The clubhouse is a real treat offering views across the course and home to one of the best club sandwiches I've ever had. We stayed here as part of a golf break with 1 Night at the South Lodge Hotel and another round on the sister Kingfisher course. For £109 each this is an unbeatable deal and would recommend to anyone. We booked with a company called your golf travel - link to deal here - http://www.yourgolftravel.com/south-lodge-hotel-and-mannings-heath.html

I absolutely love this place. After playing the Waterfall course, I could easily memorize the whole course, because every hole stands out. The Kingfisher is a much easier course, but I think these two courses blends in perfectly. The food and the service at the clubhouse is just first class. Stayed for a weekend in September, and is coming back this year too for a longer stay. Recommended!!

I had a very enjoyable round at the Kingfisher course last weekend (18/04/10) despite poor experiences in the past, I found the course to be in excellent condition. The greens were superb, the fairways almost as good and I was unfortunate enough to notice that the bunkers may possibly have had some sand put in them which did make a nice change. Overall...it does lack some of the delights of other local courses...there's nothing spectacular on the Kingfisher....but what's there is more than just playable....its great condition and is a bargain off peak.

I played the Kingfisher today. This course is not packed with memorable holes and the par 3's are particularly weak. It was also very slippery underfoot and some bunkers had large puddles -all after 2 months of excellent autumn weather. On the plus side the greens were excellent and difficult to read. The best holes are perhaps 6,7,8,10 . I didn't use the off-course facilities so will rate them as average. I don't know the full green fee but anything more than the £10 I paid would have felt expensive. I'm glad I played for the rate I was charged but won't be going back.

Finally. Finally I've got to play the Waterfall after 18 months of watching from a distance in the shadows of the Kingfisher. I'd heard the reviews, the mutterings of locals who had played there, seen the photo's on the website, of the punchbowl in particular, and finally here was my chance, my opportunity to try the course before joining the club. The gods were kind to us as, at the end of October, it was a very pleasant day. Game on. I can honestly say that it has been well worth the wait. We (my regular playing partner and I), were lucky enough to be accompanied on the round by a couple of seasoned veterans of the club who, well, really new how to play, and, how to play the course well (read low single figure handicappers). They (Brian and Doug) shared intimate knowledge of the course and history dating back 30 years since they have been members. It was a real pleasure despite the fact I truly hacked around the course as if I'd never picked up a club in my life. There were plenty of memorable holes. The famed Punchbowl took my breath away. The photo's on the site do not do any kind of justice to either the length of the course or the height of the tee box relative to the green. It seems almost impossible to find the green and if you don't find it, boy are you in trouble. But find it I did, shame about not finding the fairways though as you are well and truly punished on several of the holes. Other holes that stand out, for me, are the 9th, 10th, 11th, etc. Being totally honest, there are a few plain holes but whether that's because they live in the shadow of some amazing holes I don't know. The half-way house (well it would be if it wasn't located after the 10th - any mathematicians here?) is great and relaxes you when you need it the least with the 11th being a total beast with a stream meandering its way down the entire length of the hole and rough down the right. If you find my pro V1 with a red line through it (how imaginative) in the stream, send me a mail and I'll collect it! The history here is unbelievable with a plaque on a tree near the final par 3 commemorating the 'Halifax' aircraft that came down near the end of the second world war claiming the lives of two of the seven onboard. Part of the propellor is mounted in the clubhouse above the fireplace. Class. It's things like this that I feel other clubs just couldn't match. The very 'Britishness' of the place. Seven remaining stamps on my 'Passport To Membership', one acquired per visit to the Kingfisher, and the club waive the joining fee, should I achieve this (which I will) by the end of December, and then subscriptions are not due until April 2010. I, for one won't be missing out on this offer. Then you consider the second course puts many a clubs first course to shame. Then of course you have fellow members like '7 holes-in-one' Doug and the very talented Brian, who offered us both a great welcome and the delightful Julie (membership secretary) who left no question unanswered, even the 'how many bunkers on the Waterfall' one.

Played the Kingfisher Course Saturday gone...and having played around the country and abroad on many fine courses, the belfry, pennia, san lorenzo etc etc....i would say don't listen to the many negative reports posted by some people on here...go and play it yourself and make up your own mind....in my opinion, the course plays well and in its own way has an interesting layout...not long, but some holes are tricky. Staff were helpful and breakfast in the bar was nice....also they stock a good selection of real ales from the pump.... As a venue, i'll be returning and look forward to playing the waterfall and KINGFISHER again. On a 2-4-1 £20pp : peak tee time of 09.00am on a Saturday i think is good value....these people who want to play weekend golf for £15 a round need to take a reality check and realise peak time golf now costs a bit of money. So in my mind £20rnd is good value.....

We played both courses on the weekend 27/28 Sep, 2009. The Kingfisher was in good condition including the greens and pleased to say i didn't go in any bunkers to test the sand. The setting is lovely but as recorded none of the holes are particularly memorable. I wouldn't travel to play it but it's a good second course. The Waterfall is much more interesting with many distinctive holes esp the par threes and the 11th which i made a total mess of. Certainly worth playing and the total package price we got from Mannings Heath was great value. Have to say bar staff in club house very pleasant and kindly served us our dinner in the bar so we could watch the end of the Eng v SA cricket. The beer was good and £3.50 seems normal now. Certainly preferable to Marriot hotels we have used before. Beware drink prices back at South Lodge though, £4 for half a bottle of pride!

What a difference a month makes. Aside from parched fairways, brought about by the seemingly constant sunshine in this neck of the woods, the greens are now in good condition and finally, they have replaced the sand in the bunkers. It was actually a joy to end up in them and end up in them I did. Several times! Also, we were very kindly treat to a complementary round (still to be redeemed) for our previous inconvenience (see earlier post). So, credit where credits due. The club does listen and at upon criticism. Fair play. Now my final gripe about this place, and it costs absolutely zero money to put it right, is to get the bar staff to stop chatting and a) clear the empties from the tables and b) push the seats back in. We just returned from a golf weekend in Spain where we played La Cala and El Chaparral and the service is exemplorary. I'd love for Mannings Heath to provide a similar level of service.

Played the kingfisher course yesterday and can only agree with previous comments, £15 was about right, clubhouse was top notch, very classy, although £3.50 for a foster seemed excessive, course was just ok, lot of holes seemed very similar to me especially middle part of course, greens were bobbly, bunkers empty, tee boxes naff, could be a great course butlooked like it was designed by a "c" pass gcse student when really needs a degree in art. As somoene previously said, looks like its a business course and a golf loving course.

Regrettably I feel the need to add another negative review for the Kingfisher. It wasn’t until having paid for our round that we noticed a sign in the pro-shop informing us that we would be playing on temporary greens. At no time when we booked the round were we informed of this and had we been ,there is no way we would have played the course. Two of our four-ball had travelled a considerable distance for the ‘privilege’ so not playing was not an option, though in many respects we wish we hadn’t. The greens were absolutely impossible and when we eventually found one or two that had not been ruined we were putting well past the hole due to the contrast. We are not greenkeepers but keen players and cannot recall a single instance where greens have been prepared for winter in the middle of summer. In fact, being regulars on the Kingfisher, it is only the last month or so that the greens have become playable. It would be laughable if isn’t wasn’t so ridiculous. Also, the bunkers on the Kingfisher are and always have been a joke with the quality of the sand at times resembling screed and after rain are always flooded. Is it too much to ask to tend to the bunkers? Regrettably some of us find our way into them far too often! I've stated before that a couple of us were considering joining the club next year but I'm beginning to question why I'd do this. They let you down on the Kingfisher, they let you down with the service in the bar. What's to suggest they won't let you down with the Waterfall course? Very disgruntled.

Played here August 09 . Luckily ,i had a freebie on the Waterfall course. Twisty & winding course with many elevation changes which results in several interesting holes .Tucked away down a country lane there's a feeling of seclusion in pleasant surroundings here . The back 9 is more open in nature with a few parallel running holes . Holes 10 & 11 (Waterfall & Valley) have been well documented but i thought the 11th (Valley) was unfair ,verging on being silly.Probably one of the hardest holes i've played the hole is too restrictive .Off the very back tee the margins for error are too fine.One slightly misdirected shot here can ruin your card. Still ,it's a hole that stays in the memory . This was one of quite a few tee shots where it looks tight as you hit through narrowish openings . Impressive clubhouse (although predictably expensive ) & overall course condition was good .Greens were decent & had a newish , firm feel to them as it was hard to find a pitchmark . As i mentioned ,there are a lot of undulations here & allied to a lot of walking between greens & tees i found it a tiring course to play .For these reasons ,although i'm glad to have marked it off & played it ,i'm not sure that i'd want to play it on a regular basis . Kevin B.

We had a very enjoyable society day on the Kingfisher Course. The pro shop staff were as helpful as always and the facilities fantastic. The course was in great condition, except one thing : PLEASE PUT SOME SAND IN THE BUNKERS!!!! i know that the course and the bunkers will have suffered greatly from the huge downpours and storms we have had in the previous week, however, some of them as suggested by other reviews, were no more than concrete in a ditch!!! On the whole, a fantastic day out tho. The price of the buggys had gone up by another £5 since our last visit...i strongly feel that £30 for a buggy for 18 holes is way over the top...how can you possibly justify the buggy being more expensive than the green fee...this is however quite consistent with the clubs constantly changing and confusing prices. Only other little complaint, the bar staff in the spike bar afer the round really weren't up to much. They were not very friendly and it took ages to get a drink because there were two of them serving lots of customers, and one of them had to go off and make sandwiches! On the whole, a great venue but lets itself down in the daftest of areas..good value golf but extortionate buggies, great greens but naff bunkers, lovely club house but no decent beer (ale) and understaffed!

Have just played both courses last week and have to say it was an absolute pleasure. Great contrast between the two courses (Kingfisher & Waterfall) and despite the feedback previously can say that these greens and bunkers are now in great condition? We stayed in the newly refurbished cottage on site which was fantastic and so convenient to both Clubhouse (it's food!) and golf courses. Thoroughly recommended!

Needless to say everyone is entitled to their opinion - but, in the interests of impartiality, I do think the review below needs to be seen in the context of the fact that Ms Pillinger is 'Guest Relations Manager' of a sister hotel to Mannings Heath GC. 'Young P'

I recently played with a member on the Waterfal course of which I was told is the only way to play the course apart from corporate groups or South Lodge guests. I was alittle worried about my trip there considering the negative reviews below. However I was pleasently surprised, yes the greens werent in their peak condition but then we have to remember that it is still early in the season and we had Snow in February! I did not see the Kingfisher Course but can only imagine this has come on leaps and bound in the last week or so. The Waterfall had some stunning signature holes my favourites were 5th, 10th, 11th & 13th. The clubhouse is magnificent and I was very impressed to find all the staff wearing smart suits and uniforms - something you rarely get at golf clubs. A touch of class and played very nicely indeed. Peter Barber

Played both courses at the end of April. As previous reports over the last few weeks state the greens are appalling. If the Kingfisher greens rate 2/10 the Waterfall greens only rate 3/10. As we have had plenty of sun/rain can only assume there is something seriously wrong here. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY.

I play this course (Kingfisher) often and the previous post by Adam Scott could have been written word-for-word by me. My experience were exactly the same, even down to the 'frozen' food. All they have done is introduce a starters hut and some flashy tee box dressing but the greens are a joke and the bunkers even worse. Grass growing out of the sand on the 3rd in particular was appalling. Actually, I'm surprised it managed to get through the sand because my experience is that I have a problem getting through some of the bunker sand with my wedges! Some of them represent little more than screed. I love Mannings Heath but I'm becoming increasingly disillusioned with the quality of the Kingfisher which is a shame as I'd really like to become a member of the club so that I can get my hands on the Waterfall. However, that said, I know a member who says the greens aren't up to much on that course either which I find alarming. Because of the above I'm considering joining a different club instead but there is something rather exclusive about Mannings Heath that prevents me drom doing just that. I'd always be hankering for that club house, those diamond cut fairways on the Waterfall and the signature holes, one of which I drive past on my way to the course. Here's to hoping they sort out the quality issues on and off the course.

KINGFISHER COURSE: We played this course a lot last summer, the price was a bargain (£15 weekdays and £20 weekends, with £5 discount after 1pm). They launched their new season this weekend with some 'improvements' to the course. The clubhouse is fantastic, a large imposing building which ouzes class and luxury. The pro-shop is well stocked and the staff are very friendly. Sadly, thats where the good stuff ends!! The course is not in great condition, you would expect some works to be going ahead at this time of year, but it looks lilke they've finished their improvments and to be honest, not much has changed. There are new signs on the tee boxes, and a starter hut, presumably to prevent people from walking on without paying. The greens were simply awful, bobbly and varying in speed. The bunkers had little sand in them, some of them even have grass growing up through them. The fariways were still showing signs of suffering from the bad winter, which I assume will get better in time. The paths are poorly maintained, you cant help feeling that with a bit of TLC, the course could be lovely, but I guess that the majority of care taken up on the members course. We used the spike bar after our round and this was not pleasant. The view is great, as a visitor, you can sit and watch the members tee off on the first hole of the Waterfall Course, which does look great. The service in the bar was very slow, the food was terrible and even after we had eaten, complained (about the frozen sandwich) and got up to leave, they still hadn't cleared away the empty glasses which were on our table when we arrived. We also had a drink in the main bar upstairs, which again, provides lovely surroundings but fails to deliver on the level of service. We were among 8 people waiting at the bar whilst one person served, nervously! In summary, I get the feeling that this course is more of a business venutre than a golfers passion. The staff (not pro-shop) are all very young and dont seem very interested in providing a good service. The Kingfisher Course is absolutely average and the price increase implemented this year makes it one I wont bother with anymore.

i'll keep it short. some parts were hilly, heart patient needs a buggy, excellent course designs, but too many divots n the green conditions were appalling.

I played here on a coporate day on a Thursday in October, on the Waterfall course. This is a class establishment and we were well looked after from the minute we arrived. The course is lovely with the only gripe being that the greens were a bit scruffy in places there are apart from that the course was in fantastic condition. Some very picturesque par 3's, maybe one too many short par 4's. The carrot cake at the half way house deserves a special mention! Overall an excellent track that i would highly recommend.

Good directions from Pro Shop staff, who directed me to the club. Quite impressive pulling into the car park, and once I had my Trolley and Bag sorted my first impressions of the clubhouse were very good indeed, and it certainly had a feel of class about it, without the stuffiness. Went straight into the pro shop and booked in. Shop looked very well stocked, but I was running a little late so didn't get a chance to see how competitive their prices were. I would suggest a Course Planner as some of the holes have 'Blind' shots. Popped down into changing rooms and they were spacious and of very smart apperance with plenty of soft white fluffy towels dotted about, for your shower after the round. 1st T nerves !!!! The clubhouse and patio are just behind you and I can imagine on a sunny summers day you will have a good few people admiring your 1st shot of the day!! Mind you, that said the view is very special. There is a HUGE drop, down to the fairway, which had been diamond cut by the greenkeepers. I do like courses that take care in their apperance as I feel it makes you want to play your 'A' game. This continued for the whole round and the fairway's and approaches were very also nicely striped. Of the 2 bunkers I visited the sand was nice and 'fluffy' which made for good shots out, although this did also mean my 8 Iron on the Par 3 14th 'Plugged', but that is what happens if you miss the flat green thing ;-) I did notice a few of the bunkers were quite deep with steep faces, another good reason for avoiding them !!!! My only slight dissapointment were the greens. They appeared a bit wooly and were a little on the slow side, but considering the rain that had fallen in the previous 24hrs they had drained very well indeed. They did however have a true roll (I holed out for an Eagle on 17th, and 3 Birdies on 2nd, 8th and 18th), and as far as pitchmarks go I struggled to find more than a handfull of un-repaired ones over the 18 greens - IMPRESSIVE !!!! Considering I T'd of @ 4.30pm so a whole days play had been in front of me I found this amazing. The greenkeepers maybe keep the greens a bit longer due to the ammount of traffic the course gets, as this helps protect them. It is a very hilly course, but like I mentioned previously, this does make for some very nice holes. Ones that stick out in my mind were the 5th (Downhill Par-3 to a green with steep banking behind and to the right) 8th (Par-5 with out of bounds off the T on the Left and Right, with your approach shot needing to be pin-point accurate) 9th (Raised T shot, with the green round to the left and up above you for the shot in) 11th (One of the most daunting T shots I have faced for a while. Lateral water hazard on your left and lots of trees on your right !!!! If you go to far of the T you could run into the stream off the fairway. The fairway does open out to the right more than you can see, but it is still a tight shot all the same. Shot into the green, again with water left and behind) 13th (Par-5, again raised T shot playing down into a valley. If you are long of the T you have a chance of going for the green in 2, but it will have to be a mighty shot as the green is up the otherside of the valley, and it is a long way up....) 18th (Raised T shot, where from the back T's you can't see the fairway below, but you do have a lovely view of the clubhouse and the fields etc in the distance. 2nd shot to the green is slightly uphill, over a dip. The green is fairly wide but not very deep, but it looks safer to be long rather than shot and in the dip.... 16th & 17th play up and down and some people could deem them as un-interesting, but with 16 being a Par-4 at 472yds it will take 2 big shots to get the green in regualtion. I hit a 'Sunday Best' Drive around 290yds and a 5 Iron and just got the front left edge and 17 is a Par-5 @ 498. In a Matchplay situation the final 3 holes could be deadly, espicailly as you could be a little tired after the previous 15 holes. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the course and highly recommend it. I am looking forward to a return visit very soon. If they could firm up the greens a little and add a bit of pace to them this would be an even better course than it already is. Go have some fun on a very well cared for course The Golfing Greenkeeper ;-)

Played the Waterfall on a weekend break on May 19/20 2008. I read many reports from this site before deciding to visit Mannings Heath and the genral consensus is pretty accurate. Namely; - Very picturesque course in lovely setting. - Good design with a good balance of long / short 4's, 3 good Par 5's and 3 good Par 3's. - General condition tee to green okay except for things like paths etc which were poorly maintained. - Greens very poor. Different types of grass, very bumpy, all different speeds. The 3rd green needs to be replaced altogether. The greens were obviously a disappointment and I would suspect that they are only really decent in late summer after a season of growth. However, the layout and scenery makes this worth of a one off visit. Lastly, it's very hilly so get a buggy if the old legs won;t stand up to a tough walk Cheers Mick

Having played the impressive Waterfall a couple of times a few years ago I thought I'd give the Kingfisher a go. You can see where all the investment at Mannings Heath goes as the green staff were working furiously on the Waterfall (it was closed) and the Kingfisher was in generally poor condition. The bunkers had little sand in them and most did not have rakes. The fairways and greens were patchy which could be understandable during early March, but the design of the course was uninspiring. A couple of good holes and that is it. The nadir is two virtually identical dull as ditchwater par 3's (12th and 16th) which are along side each other,pointing the same way. Overall, not worth the green fee.

Some stunning holes but some very boring ones, overhyped in my opinion. Greens that a municipal course would be ashamed of never mind a course in this price bracket. Shame as I was expecting big things from the Waterfall course but I left very underwhelmed.