To the most affluent suburb of Greater Manchester, and Man United’s unofficial retirement village, we head for a breathtaking 9 holes… in Hale!
The 120-year old club is tucked away, off one of the many tree-fringed streets, with a good chance to gawp at how the other half live, spying the frequent flashes of supercars through the imposing gates along the rows of mansions en-route.
Navigating the club’s security barrier and down the winding drive, we head to the clubhouse, an attractive single storey structure rebuilt in 2017. Having located the integral pro shop, we receive a friendly welcome with the perfect tone and volume of small talk, and on confirming we’re first timers, are presented with a ‘Visitors Guide’. This includes a course map, guidance on potentially tricky hole transitions and other useful phone numbers and information. How marvellous!
Thanks to the Met Office, the course is almost completely empty… but with even greater thanks proffered, they’ve got it completely wrong! We’ve got more to be thankful for too; despite being a course that would cost a new member £2.5k before hitting a ball, green fees for visitors have just dropped to winter rates, and wielding our trusty county card means we pay a trifling £7.50! A veritable bargain, for millionaire’s golf, in the beautiful autumnal sunshine!
What a brilliant course it is too! A superb sequence of holes, offering variety, intrigue, beauty, challenges and a stroll through what must be a contender for the very prettiest corner of Greater Manchester. Its design is thoughtful in utilising the natural landscape and contours of the land, a fact underlined by the sometimes less formulaic routes between holes, all of which just adds to the charm, given we’re never lost thanks to good signage and our trusty Visitors Guide.
It’s hilly enough to be interesting, but not so much so to be exhausting, with everything from sub-hundred yard hole-in-one teasers, to almost five hundred yard big stick testers. It’s all in remarkable condition considering the recent rainfall, and the greens look like they’ve been fitted by Carpetright! In fact, the only thing we didn’t like about Hale Golf Club, was that it was all over too quickly. Next time, we vow to make full use of all 17 tees and 10 holes, and we can not wait to come back!
Key Info
Holes: 9
Par: Blue / Yellow: 70. Red: 68
Yards: Blue: 5,867. Yellow: 5,732. Red: 5,292
Slope: Blue: 131. Yellow: 130. Red: 133
Visitor Green Fees: £15 in winter / £25 in summer – 50% off with Cheshire Card
Website: http://www.halegolfclub.com
Location
Prices correct at time of writing (October 2023).
Find out where this course ranks in the list of toughest courses in Cheshire here, and see our overview of Golfing in Cheshire here.
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