Marriott Forest of Arden Hotel and Country Club

We had a one night golf break and played the Arden course. It was in excellent condition and the starter/marshall was very efficient in keeping the games moving on time. The hotel staff were very friendly and the food was excellent.

Played both courses here over a weekend the main course was a challenge but the other course was poor in standard. The greens on both courses were patchy and scruffy this is an overpriced venue in my opinion

Played both courses recently and think they are both gems. I love cracking a drive down the centre of a fairway and some of the tee shots here are delightful. Once on the greens, my partner and I enjoyed the smooth, undulating surface. Stayed in the hotel and the rooms were top class. Food was perfectly acceptable and the whole hotel complex was great. Send me to Coventry!

Played the Championship course mid-week and its by far the best course I have played to date. Greens were fast and in excellent condition and the fairways equally as good as they have sprinklers for them. Quite a testing start with some severe dog-legs and some heavy ferns and rough if you go too wide which would be hard to do as I found the course in general very comfortable to recover after a slice or hook. The back 9 was my favourite with shots over water and deer's & stag's running around freely. Not sure if the Zest was the clubhouse so couldn't mix with fellow golfers in a "clubhouse" environment but OK all the same. Pro shop was OK but expensive. I think its good value at £40-£60 but wouldn't pay more than that.

Stopped over night and played the aylesford the first day, greens in good condition and a few nice holes. Found it a fairly easy course to score on five par threes and several par fours under 330 yards, 18th nice finishing hole. However do think if you pay more than 20 pound to play you'd be disapointed. Second day the arden course, I've played the belfry and slaley hall in the last few months and would say it'd somewhere inbetween the two on ratings. The greens are great and there are several holes you can score on namely front nine. Back nine more diffficult. All in all good course and enjoyed the experience however a couple of miner concerns. One we tied off at 3pm on a hot summer day so was in need of refreshments etc at the halfway house, which it said was open only to find at 5.40 it wasn't it was then too late to go back to hotel to stock up. We also found that a four ball had suddenly started on the 10th which slowed play dramatically. This rather spoiled the round somewhat.

Played with my society here and overall I rate this as a very good golf experience, especially for the reasonable price they charged us for the day which included 27 holes of golf, bacon roll & coffee, sandwiches & chips for lunch and a two course meal in the evening. We played our usual Texas Scramble on the Aylesford Course. The greens were pretty average but some very interesting holes. However, the Arden course was in excellent condition, the greens running very true and fast and plenty of bunkers and water hazards to make you have to think your way round. Like other reviewers, I would say the back 9 is more challenging than the front but a great test of golf. I did find the 150 yard markers to be quite inaccurate on some holes and this messed up my approach shots several times as they caused me to take the wrong club so I would suggest a GPS system or course guide if you don't know the layout. The clubhouse facilities were top notch and the staff were very friendly too. I would STRONGLY recommend a day out at the Forest of Arden.

I have played here 3 times now and while I agree about the Ardens greens being excellent, I am afraid the rest of the course was below par it is very good compared to most courses but was a bit of a let down ...Maybe I expected too much ....its a nice track but £100 nope sorry

Our society Played both the Arden and the Aylsford courses on 5th & 6th July. After checking in to the hotel and a little practice we teed off on the Arden,what can i say about this course that hasn't been said before, a true test of golf, the greens were fast and true and the fairways were immaculate. Although i didn't play that well i did manage to get over the water on the 12th with my second shot 5 iron but ended up taking another 3 shots to get it in the hole! You can't just let rip with the driver round this course, you have to be straight and think about what shot your playing. Played the Aylsford course the following morning and although shorter it was still a good course, a few straight forward holes but quite a few tricky ones too. Although this is a Golf course website i'd just like to say that the hotel was great, the food was fantastic and the twin double beds were comfy. My only complaint would be the price of the drinks and bar snacks. but all in all a fantastic experience and at £120 for 2 rounds of golf bed, breakfast and evening meal it was an absolute bargain !!! the Arden is a must play course. *ratings for the Arden*

I played the Arden course in early June and I have to say it was one of the best golfing expreiences I have had for a long time; this depsite me not playing that well. The course was in great nick and the greens were true and fast. I must say that the course itself was top notch with contrasting front and back nines. My only gripes were that the clubhouse was a little sterile and also £100 a round is a bit steep in my opinion. Lucky I wasn't paying then!

Played in May. Good but didn't find it quite the experience that some others did. Played Aylesford first - completly unstimulating. Short course - par 69 with just a couple of holes of any note. Far too much up and down with plenty of area to bail out - notably the adjacent fairway. That plus the drone of the motorway made it very average. Second day played the Arden which was more like it. An excellent course that demands your attention. Lots of water in play in the first nine, and then off amongst the deer and pheasants to some challenging long par threes, dogleg par fours and huge par fives. Finishing with a do or die 18th where you are either on the green or wrecking your card. Nicely laid out and good greens. A lot of rain over night only left a few puddles. Although the hotel and facilities were top notch a few things took the edge off. Stroke savers £5 each, with dodgy distance markers - most over stating. Range balls £1 for just 15. For the price of the round you might have expected these to be included? Drinks and food adequate but very pricey. Rating applies to Arden only

24 golfers stayed and played on a sunday driver in oct 2008. an absolute bargain !! the hotel was top class, as was the service by the staff. hte aylesford was well worth playing, but the arden was simply stunning. in particular the back nine has to be one of the best back nine's in the country !! the greens were extremely fast even for october, and the surroundings were unmatched !! if youre thinking of staying or playing here you will not be disapointed !!

Simply stunning. Play and stay at this venue and you will not be dissapointed with either the course or the hotel.

Took a party of 12 to the Forest of Arden beginning of March 2008 and for £30 each we paid this course was the best value for money I have every had the fortune to play. Although my golf was rather poor and the greens rather quick it didnt spoil my day at all. Thanks to all who participated and hopefully see you all next year. Would like to praise the green staff for the excellent condition of the course. Phil Woodward

Forest Of Arden was simply fantastic. The fairways were like carpets and the greens were true and fast and this was in winter, what it must be like to play mid summer one can only dream. There must have been a hundred dear roaming the course and this just added to the theatre of the place. 12 of us played the championship course and paid just 30 quid on a 2 fore 1 and its probably the best 30 quid i have ever spent on golf. Thanks Phil for organising our trip see you there next year.

Definately lives up to it's reputation as a top course. This is not one for the traditionalist, it's very relaxed and modern. We were there in time to have a practice in the 'academy' which is a top class teaching centre as well as driving range.....I will return for lessons when time permits! The 1st is a gentle opener, a medium length par four. Don't be under any illusions though, this course gets very tough very quickly. Favourite holes were the par three 8th (over water), the long uphill dogleg 9th (a par four where getting on in THREE is an achievement!) and of course the famous 18th, 200 odd yards over water to the green. Around the course you see lots of local wildlife, including deer and pheasants. This is an American style course, but the local 'forest' (hence the name) has been used as part of the course, rather than removed to build it. The trees are therefore very established and there are even parts around the 11th and 12th with fern and heather. For a short time, you could almost be at Aldeburgh! Facilities are excellent, a tad expensive for an after match drink, but I suppose they are hotel prices and to be honest, when you've got such a good deal on the green fee (£49 to include lunch) it's pretty good value. Given the poor summer, the greens are excellent. Most courses seem to be hollow-tyning at the moment, yet here the greens are still true and fairly quick.

Last played the arden in July 2000, my sciety are back there for our OPEN championship in July 2007 and cant wait to get there. My memories are of the extreme rough and quick greens (hardly any grass) the rough was punishing. You need a lot of patience round here good course management will usually prevail use your shots where you have them and dont take on shots that you dont have. A fantastic experience for anyone visiting for the first time, I remember stopping at the gates and thinking I must be in heaven there is a special atmosphere there and moreso when the pro's were playing. Marriots are the best they know how to treat you, just hope they dont lose sight of giving the customer what they want.

Played this just over a week ago in a competition. Thought that the course is in good nick fo rthe time of year. The greens were fairly true but occasionally putts fell away at the end. Great challenging course and with a 241 voucher pretty good value. Staff in pro shop exellent too.

I have wanted to play here since the european tour staged events.Both nines are different with the front nine being american style and the back nine a more traditional park land type. The course was in good to fair condition. The good being the back nine(park land turf) and the fair being the front nine( a wetter area. The greens were good the time of year. facilities on the whole were what I expected from a hotel so no complaints.

Played the Arden course on Thursday 9th March after a week of rain in the Birmingham area. Soggy in places but the course was immaculate. Advised by Pro-shop at the time of booking that hollow-tining had taken plae but the greens still ran true and fast. Played better than my handicap and more than pleased to birdie the 17th hole, and par the 18th what a finish.

Played the course twice, most recently 27th Aug 05, 2 weeks after greens hollow-tyned. This caused the occasional bumpy roll, but to give the pro shop credit they told us at time of booking and did not recommend playing less than one week after the treatment. The course is very long in places, back nine has 4 par 4's 400 yards plus, lots of bunkers and trees in strategic places. Conditions were excellent even the recently teated greens were true and fast. Both times were well worth the green fee, (£40 on 2 fore 1 and £60 with voucher from British Masters, which included £10 food and £10 shop credit). Best time to play the course is probably before or just after the Masters, go and watch the tournament and compare your golf to theirs!

Played July 05 after 24 hours of rain. Course was in fantastic condition, with some of the best greens i've ever played on. Second time i've played the Arden course (the first was in horrendous weather & not pleasurable), and although there was 'some' surface water, the course played fair. Obviously, as a tour venue, the course is a lot harder than most, with some big fairway carries......and high handicapers may struggle to keep it on the short stuff! Unable to comment on value for money as we played for free!!

Played the Arden Course on a free invite of one of my brothers on 09 july 2005. Great course (better back 9 than front) I thought. Seemed like 2 different courses, this was probably due to the deer park on the back 9. Greens fantastic, fairways in good nick, rough quite thick in places but all in all a great test for any golfer. Hotel looked great made for a pleasant day out, drinks a bit pricy but this is the Forest of Arden you know you pay for the name and prestige.

Played on 17th Feb for £22.50 each using a 2 fore 1 voucher. We thought it good value for a challenging course. The starter was particularly friendly and helpful. We were surprised how wet the fairways were - it must rain more in the West Midlands than on the Fylde coast- but the tees and greens were in excellent condition. I'm sure the rough will be more punishing in summer than in February. We found the noise from the nearby M6 rather obtrusive on the opening holes and preferred the back nine through some lovely old trees and in the company of the deer herd. There aren't many spectacular holes, but you have to play straight to post a decent score. Having said that, the view from the 18th tee is daunting, especially facing into a strong wind. We both hit driver right of the green, chipped to 4 feet and sank the putts before walking off past the watching society feeling like Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke!

played today Jan 31st on a winter 2 for 1 on the arden (£22.50 each) and at that price I suggest if you live in the area then its worth every penny. From the assisstant in the pro shop to the starter, we where made to feel most welcome and there was nothing snooty or aloof about anyone. For January the course was in great nick the greens ran slowish but very true and the fairways when I found them allowed a satisfying divot to be taken every time. Shame some people couldn't be bothered to replace theirs. All in all a challenging and given the quality of the course great value for money day out even though we shot way above our handicaps.

Played both courses at the Forest of Arden on the weekend of 5th / 6th July. Most enjoyable. Played the Arden course on the first day, with modest results. Greens were perfect, quick but very consistent and possible to get the feel of from early on. The couse was still playing with some of its set up from the Masters tournament a few weeks earlier which added to the challenge. Rough is severly punishing, it gets very clingy and deep only a few feet off the fairway and once you get in there all you can usually do is hack out. Wouldn't have too much complaint about the toughness of the rough but good shots could get punished way too easily. I hit a number of drives which landed on the fairway (firm) and bounded on or hopped into the rough. If you were down the centre, the firmness of the fairways was brilliant as the balls just kept bounding on but anything even slightly off centre was vunerable. All in all an excellent day and a good challenge. We played the shorter Aylesford course on the following afternoon, it wasn't set up anything as tough as the Arden course but provided an enjoyable round of golf. Greens were in just as good shape as on the Arden course and thankfully the rough was much more forgiving. Very short off the Yellow tees, we played off white's despite being encouraged by the starter to use the yellow's. If you are going to play the Aylesford course use the white tees. Complex is very comfortable, golf course staff were friendly and helpful although what the point of the "golf desk" is I don't know, they don't do anything expect refer you to the pro-shop. Food and drink are good but expensive for what you get, paying for the surroundings I suspect.