Vale Royal Abbey Golf Club

I played here in the summer (2013). When you drive in you are greeted by an amazing building that takes your breath away. Our group paid our fees and were directed to the first tee, stunning views all around this golf course, it really is a picture. My views on the course are as follows, you can pretty much hit the ball anywhere off the tee, the worst case is you end up on the adjoining fairway and still have a shot to the green. The greens were good, lots of undulations and variety and quite fast. The bunkers were awful, far too much sand in them, you start to sink once you reach the middle of the trap, almost need a spade to dig your way out, all in all though a good track in excellent condition, well worth a visit. Off course sadly the great house is mostly private accommodation so we were crammed into a tiny bar that won't hold too many people, the food on offer was not good, mainly a breakfast menu (we finished at about 1630 so not really ideal). Spoke to a couple of members and they informed me that the annual membership subscription was nearly £1,400! It's a good course but no way is it worth that, the top courses in the area, Sandiway and Delamere are a lot cheaper than Vale Royal and are in a different league to here, in fact several leagues higher. Great track for a visit but how they are attracting members at those prices is a mystery.

Someone had to be the first to review this course. I know they don't make it easy to play this course, but I strongly recommend you give it a try. Its short, but quite demanding. I've played it a dozen times or so, and I always find it in good condition. Well worth a try.