The Midlands - Outstanding choice in the heart of England
When a golfer brandishes his club at you, you know he’s a little miffed. When said golfer is Colin Montgomerie, seven times European Tour Champion, and future skipper of the victorious European Ryder Cup team, you can be certain he was more than a little miffed... he was seething!
Forest of Arden
Forest of Arden
Telephone:
01676 522335
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Courses:
Arden: 7,213 yards, par 72
Aylesford: 5,801 yards, par 69
While Monty might have blamed an errant photographer for his chagrin, observers, myself included, knew it was the course that caused the dour Scot to unravel. The par-five seventh hole at the Marriott Forest of Arden can do such things to a golfer. It did for Montgomerie during the British Masters in 2005 – the last time the venue hosted a European Tour event. Monty, twice a winner over the Arden track, had viciously hooked his tee-shot into a ditch midway up the left hand side of the fairway. Normally, he would have opted to play safe and chip out sideways, but he’s a stubborn boy and, instead, he tried to play out of the ditch, leaving the ball two feet behind him after it had flipped up and over his head. Cue rant at hapless snapper ... and the ensuing back-page pictures. Cue a couple of dropped shots and dear Colin slipping off the leader board.
The story should be a salutary lesson to all who tackle the formidable Arden course. While it is one of the finest venues in the Midlands, the Donald Steel-designed course is of championship quality and difficulty. But don’t let that put you off. Measuring 7,213 yards off the championship tees, the Arden is long and anyone not among the professional ranks does well to get around in level par 72 – even off the mortals’ tees.
While the front nine is hewn from farmers’ fields, the back nine is woven through some of Warwickshire's prettiest parkland. The outward nine demands good course management rather than outright flair, as Monty discovered. The first real challenge comes at the third – a par five – where you need to smite your second a good 270 yards (assuming you got a good drive away) to reach a green shared by the equally testing sixth hole.
The homeward nine can be a dream or a nightmare depending on the state of your card. The 12th and 17th can be score-wreckers: sharing a green – and a lake – the two holes measure 547 and 516 yards respectively. Both require a long drive to give you a chance of making the green over the water so high-handicappers would do well to play for the bogey rather than be brave.
The 18th remains daunting and inspiring in equal measure. Raised tees won’t allow you to mentally block out the deep chasm which leads to a lake formed from a water-filled quarry. Depending on the weather it can be anything from a five-iron to a three-wood. Either way, grip tight and pray.
The Forest of Arden boasts all the amenities expected of a global hotel group and also has a fine second course: The Aylesford. Far less punishing but equally popular, it runs to 5,801 yards and offers a far more genteel par 69.
