Marland Golf Course

Played marland quite a few times this season and still find it quite challanging.Greens are in good nick but does lack a 19th.Good place too eat and drink is on the right hand side on the way into heywood called Albany Hotel. Good cheap food.

Played last week (beginning of September). Found the course condition to be much much worse than when we played last year. 3 holes were on winter greens/matt tees. No mention of this was made in the shop when paying, or on the course condition board. One of these 'winter holes' was completely away from the main hole it replaced, with no signs or other indication of where to go. Only other players pointing it out led us to the location. The normal tees and greens that were in play were in AWFUL condition. Truly the worst greens I've seen this year. Elsewhere on the course, lots of areas that should be GUR but not marked as such.
Shop, car park, changing rooms etc - disgraceful.
After a couple of seasons where the course has been good and it looked like money was being spent - it looks like the recession has hit the private operators and, like Regent Park in Bolton, they've decided to pocket the green fees and not spend anything on the course.
Avoid.

A goood test of golf, although quite short by todays standards theres quite a few blind shots and sloping fairways.
The course was in great condition especially the greens which were perfect and required confident puts as several of the greens were on two levels.
The par 3's are all wonderful except one which at 229 yards and a blind green is for me not what par 3's are about.
The only downside to this fantastic course was that in the week there is no booking system and even on the monday i played there were waits on several tees.
Ovarall a fantastic course and if only they implemented tee times to remove congestion would become a perfect days golf for only £12.80 each

Gem....Gem....Gem....Why I haven't stumbled across this golf course before I do not know, Hidden Away behind Springfield Park this is certainly a jewel in the crown for Rochdale.
18 holes of interest, granted not the longest course you will ever play however the greens are by far and away the best 'muni' greens I have ever played on (especially in late November)
After a bit of noseing about we found that the course is now being run by a private company called Link4life while still being owned by the council. It became perfectly clear that although they don't own the land itself Link4life and their staff are solely to blame for the supposed miraculous improvement in ground conditions all over the course. £130'000 worth of brand new Toro machinery is a prime example of the efforts of said company.
Without going on it's fair to say I will be back to Marland in the near future and may even cosider membership for the new year.!

This is the best muni i've played on.The greens are fantistic for a council owned facility.I understand a substantial amount of money has been put into the course which can only benefit an already great site.The only minus is a lack of a conventional clubhouse but there are some fine local hostelries on exiting the park not least of which is the "Success to the plough" opposite the park gates and the "Harrows" a short pitching wedge away.You could do a lot worse than play this course.

This is a par 67, 18 hole parkland course which is not very difficult once you come to terms with the fact that almost half of the holes are "blind". Anyone who "hooks" the ball from the tee can expect difficulty on several holes where trees and shrubbery populate the left side. The front 9 (par 36) is fairly standard with one par 4 and one par 5. The back 9, however, (par 31) contains 5 par threes though one is in excess of 200 yards.
For a Municipal course, it is quite well maintained with excellent greens. The downside is that there is no club house and the toilet facilities are disgusting! There is, however, a golf shop with some bargains to be found.