Last year I wrote about my annual trip with three friends for golf, beer and plenty of mickey-taking. We had been to Arran, but the year before were in north Cumbria and had realised that there must be some spectacular golf further south. And so it was that we headed up to Cartmel in June to play several courses, all of them new to us. Based in the very comfortable Priory Hotel, there are three or four good pubs in the pretty village, as well as gourmet-dining. We actually played eight lovely and incredibly varied courses, several of which will be written about separately such as Grange Fell and Dunnerholme, so here I will simply concentrate on three gorgeous 18-holers.
Windermere
- Par 67, 5,122 yards
- GF: £75
- W: windermeregolfclub.co.uk
Our first supermodel of a course was the undulating, twisting and turning beauty at Windermere Golf Club. A mile to the east of England’s largest lake, it is packed with individuality and charm. Sadly the cloud was low and the waterproofs were on, so we couldn’t enjoy what are normally panoramic views, but the course itself kept us fully engrossed. There are six par 3s, three of them monsters depending on the wind, and some drive and pitch par 4s that will give hope of getting a shot back.
There is also a super-tough finishing trio, all back up the hill, that completely belie their yardage. The 16th is the only par 5 and has a blind approach, the 17th plays left to right towards the clubhouse, while the closing hole is allegedly a par 3 to a narrow, 2-tier green. There are no sand bunkers at Windermere, nature itself provides more than capable defence. It is absolutely delightful and easy to see why it was chosen as one of Golf Monthly's 100 Hidden Gems not so long ago.
Kendal
- Par 69, 5,792 yards
- GF: 18 holes, £45-£59
- W: kendalgolfclub.co.uk
Happily, the sun returned the following day and we enjoyed Kendal on the balmiest of blue-sky afternoons. Set way up in the hills to the west of this market town, it’s a more demanding walk but easily pays that investment back with dividends. Again the overall yardage is modest, but the slopes and breezes mean that it plays every inch and more. From the far-reaching views that come into focus on the second tee, it’s a veritable rollercoaster of thrills and spills with four par 3s on the front nine as well as the vertiginous par-4 6th, possibly the longest 331 yards in world golf.
The sweeping par-5 12th takes you to the northernmost part of the course as the panoramas simply get better and better. If there was a ranking for tee locations, the next would be right up there.
The penultimate hole, the shortest on the course, is a beauty played over, hopefully, a huge, limestone outcrop. I was very relieved to hit the green and walk off with par, and it was easy to see why my colleague Jezz Ellwood selected this as one of the most memorable par 3s he has ever played. We were all extremely impressed by the variety of golf, the friendliness, and most of all by those outstanding and ever-changing views.
Ulverston
- Par 71, 6,259 yards
- GF: £60
- W: ulverstongolf.co.uk
On the final day of the trip, admittedly aided by the use of buggies, we played two rounds over the excellent Harry Colt parkland course at Ulverston. Originally designed by Sandy Herd, to my mind this is the strongest and purest test of golf in the area. It is certainly one of the best golf courses in Cumbria. Yet again there is plenty of variety, and the generally more gentle elevation changes add to the challenge at the same time as allowing more fine views internally and out over Morecambe Bay.
There is a fine set of short holes, especially the 5th which is played over a valley, and as at Kendal, the feature hole is the 17th. This time it’s a par 4, with a drive up and over an old quarry and a long approach into a southerly to the green overlooked by the eerie Bardsea Monument. The captain and president both took time to come and say hello, and we all felt this was a very friendly and homely place to play.
It’s easy to see why this remote and gob-smackingly beautiful county is a massive draw to holidaymakers. There are also more than enough fascinating courses to keep any golfer who values location and views very happy. I am not sure why it isn’t more on the radar for golfing holidays and would recommend it to anyone. While it’s more than 300 miles from home, I am already planning to go back again… this year!
