Home to a women’s prison, 5 miles from the largest council estate in Europe, and where Tyson Fury was brought up, one would be forgiven for thinking Styal might be a little rough around the edges. Au contraire! This leafy village just north of fashionable Wilmslow has a rich cultural heritage, with Quarry Bank Mill having served as a notable cotton mill and textile factory, powered by waterwheel, and surrounded by the quaintest of model villages.
Even the prison manages to create positive connotations for the village, with highly regarded The Clink restaurant on-site staffed by inmates, providing qualifications to help break the cycle of re-offending, and serving up breakfast and lunch (not just desserts). But onto more trivial matters, and to seek nourishment through golf. Styal Golf Club comprises a complex of 2 courses (an 18 hole and a 9 hole), a 32 bay floodlit driving range and practice area.
The 9 hole Academy course – played previously – is a simple par 3 track around a few fields, useful for families and short game practice; ideal for starters. But we’re here for the main course, with the club approached down a winding lane, and pre-round refreshments providing alpine vibes, in the chalet-style ‘Clubhaus’. Checking in at the pro shop, a genuine friendly welcome serves as a delightful amuse bouche, and continues at the starter’s hut, where guidance is offered, and first tee shot closely observed.
The latter may have been due to wielding a driver for the 177 yard opener, thanks to a hurried start and unseen flag, though finding the green – much to everyone’s surprise – seemed to settle nerves all round. The 18 hole course, now almost 30 years old, is set out over 130 acres, and would be enjoyed by the majority of initial respondents to our Find Your Perfect Course Quiz, based on the early consensus favouring very flat, reasonable priced and not too long courses.
Thanks to the fourball in front, presumably competing in the most prestigious of competitions, we had plenty of time to savour the course’s charms in the autumn sunshine, unburdened by the awkwardness and pressure associated with being offered to play through. The front 9 pass by pleasantly, albeit slowly and with minimal excitement – save the 6th tee shot, which transpires to cross the entrance road, and kamikaze drivers that are liable to appear without warning.
By the back 9 we’ve been caught up by a young chap who’s a regular at the club, and provides great company together with top tips on Turkey trips for the closing stretch. Sadly, 3 holes are closed on our visit, presumably thanks to the heavy rainfall, and the remainder of the going is soft to heavy, but we get to experience a nice mixture of holes and a good test nonetheless. Après-golf, and we forgo the chalet and head nearby, to scoff tapas on the way back towards Wilmslow, like it’s going out of Styal!
Key Info
Holes: 18 / 9 for Academy
Par: White / Yellow / Red: 69. Academy: 27
Yards: White: 6,029. Yellow: 5,566. Red: 5,091. Academy: 1,203
Slope: White: 127. Yellow: 121. Red: 128
Visitor Green Fees: £18-28 / £14 for Academy
Website: http://www.styalgolf.wpcomstaging.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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