The Forest of Arden Golf resort is set between Lord Aylesford’s trout lakes in Packington Park. The course opened for play in 1970 and is a classic Donald Steel-designed golf course and has been a regular fixture on the European Tour and has been the host venue for both the British Masters and the English open.
The Arden Championship course is a relatively modern design that has been embedded nicely in the natural landscape in England.
The course is surrounded by majestic oak trees, which make the back 9 holes a tight affair and give the illusion that the course is more mature.
You can expect a tough challenge at over 7,100 yards; however, with multiple tee positions available, the yellow tees shorten the course by 500 yards.
The rough is thick and lush, and the fairways and greens are always immaculately maintained.
Make sure you check out available dates before and post European Tour events, and you will play the course in real championship conditions with tighter fairways and greens that run that little bit quicker on the Stint.
The signature holes are plentiful, and the penultimate and last holes are two of the finest on the course. The 17th is a long par 5 where you will have to navigate around expertly designed bunker placement. The 18th is an intimidating par 3 requiring a long iron or fairway wood to reach the green carrying the large lake in front of the putting surface.
With two championship standard golf courses to play at the Forest of Arden, it is easy to see why the resort is so popular with groups and societies.
The Aylesford Course is a charming sibling to the Championship course at the Marriott Forest of Arden.
The Aylesford is considerably shorter at just under 6,000 yards but still represents a fantastic challenge and is always kept to the same high championship standards as the Championship course.
Do not underestimate the Aylesford based purely on the length you will need to bring your ‘A’ Game to score well, and the course has lots of quirky hazards to penalise wayward golf shots. The Aylesford is a great second course at one of the favourite UK Golf Resorts.
The golf course is located in the heart of the Midlands: Maxstoke Ln, Meriden, Birmingham, Coventry CV7 7HR
