Ashridge - Hertfordshire - England

I played Ashridge on a cold and wet November and for the time of year, I thought the course was exceptional. The greens were well maintained and rolled really smoothly, the tee boxes looked fantastic and very well kept and the course looked in great shape. The fairways were a tad muddy but that is expected as we've had a lot of rain and in fairness, there weren't any puddles on the course at all. We were made to feel very welcome and the staff and members were very friendly.

A lot of the holes were fairly similar in looks and so I don't really have a standout favourite, however the par 3 8th was fairly unique to the rest. It reminded me almost of links golf with the gorse going through most of the way up to the green and the well cut grass path leading through the middle. The par 4 9th is also a great golf hole with the approach shot going into a tight green and overlooking a few of the other holes on the course. The par 3 11th also looked fantastic, a narrow tee box with a slightly elevated green and a drop off on the right with a bunker on the left, a great looking golf hole. The 18th is also a magnificent finishing hole with the lengthy downhill approach shot going into a 2 tiered green overlooking the clubhouse and the first tee. White pin definitely makes the hole play much harder!

Overall I think Ashridge definitely deserves its spot in the top 100 in England with its ranking being pretty accurate, was going into the day feeling rather worried as there isn't too much talk about it but it truly is a great course. Would definitely recommend to play it if you get the chance.

I enjoyed my dad at Ashrigde. The course was in excellent condition and we received exceptional service all day.

The course itself however I found rather underwhelming. It made me realise that parkland golf just isn’t as good as Heathland or Links.

There were very few memorable holes (the 7th was probably the best hole - which ironically looked the most ‘heathland’)

A top 100 English course? Maybe.

Better than Blackmoor or one of the Woburn and Wentworth courses? Absolutely not

Variety and ambience abounds at Ashridge and tranquillity is very much the order of the day.

Each of the 18 holes has its own personality but significantly there is only one time in the round when the following hole has the same par as its predecessor. The par of the holes is as follows; 453453434434545354. This helps produce a varied sequence of shots with five par threes, five par fives and just eight par fours in the total par tally of 72.

The mature course, officially opened in 1932, is laid out in three distinct loops emanating from the centrally located modern clubhouse at the low point of the estate in an almost goldfish bowl setting. More golf can be viewed from the attractive balcony at Ashridge than at any other course I can think off with the first, 10th and 13th tees easily visible as well as the superb ninth and 18th green complexes. However, even with the putting green in close proximity, it doesn’t feel cluttered or cramped.

The trio of returning loops consist of nine, three and six holes, if starting at the first, and throughout each one you have some lovely changes in gradient where the holes blend seamlessly together. Each one takes you through areas of outstanding natural beauty close to the edge of the Chiltern Hills.

Ed is the founder of Golf Empire – click the link to read his full review.

I played Ashridge midweek as part of a large society and had a cracking time. The clubhouse and changing rooms are smart and spacious and although the first few holes were marred by some early morning fog, the course really came into its own as the weather cleared. It's a fine parkland course, that provided some challenging rough and the greens were slick and true. I did think the par 3's were quite uninspiring but the par 4's and 5 were much more interesting with some dog-legs and blind tee shots which put some premium on placement, even with the fairways being generous off the tee. It was a fun round and the course was in great condition, I would happily play the course again and the staff were attentive and very pleasant. I'm only giving it 4 balls as I am going to be a harsh critic, but in my eyes a good is still high praise for a solid and interesting course.

It is hard to describe in words why I like Ashridge so much other than to say that it is just a lovely place to be. The course has a great sense of space and looks very pretty. There is a good mix of holes with varying doglegs, lengths, widths and changes in elevations. As others have said some of the tee shots can be a little flattering to wayward shots, but a good tee shot is essential to have a good line into the greens which in places have some very tricky contours.My favourite holes would be 2, 5, 9, 11, 14, 17 and 18.The clubhouse is modern but has some great references to its past, there is a well stocked pro shop and the most wonderful food. However, the best part of the clubhouse is the great views of the course; I could quite happily have sat on the balcony all afternoon. I look forward to returning to Ashridge.

I had the chance to play several top ranked Herts courses and decided on Ashridge as I like 'old school' golf. The staff at the club were professional and courteous and made me feel welcome and at ease as quite often I've felt nervous at other 'exclusive' members clubs prior to getting out on the course. The scenic drive in and practice facilities are to die for and certainly get you in the mood to play. The mix of holes are superbly designed and maintained, and offer a most enjoyable game. Granted the par 5's are short but the quality of the par 3's really impressed me as did the beautiful setting and scenery outside of the course boundaries. Personally I would rank the course much higher as I preferred it to Liphook, Royal Ashdown Forest and Hindhead (which are ranked higher). I would compare the whole experience to a day at Swinley Forest or West Sussex? The routing through the valleys is superb, the contouring around the greens is interesting and fair, the greens a lovely pace and fantastic in condition. I would definitely recommend Ashridge to any discerning golfer and will return soon...all in all a top days golf at a proper golf club !

Beautiful location for a classic course, makes a fascinating companion piece with nearby sand less Berkhamsted and the under rated Stocks.As per some other reviews, it's quite hierarchical with the captain having a throne style chair - don't even think of sitting in it!

Ashridge enjoys the benefits of a luxury that (other Hertforshire) courses such as The Grove lack: time to bed in and mature. This is greatly enhanced by the mature woodland around the course adding to the tranquillity of its rural setting. The result is a course with a strong identity and cohesive feel although on the front nine I was struck by similarities with Hindhead’s welcoming valley fairways and the delightful aesthetics of Worplesdon. The course layout offers a variety of starting points around the clubhouse so the friendly starter allowed me to commence play from the 10th to save time. The course has a good mix of flatter and undulating holes with greens that are good to putt on even in October: no doubt helped by the heat wave of late summer 2011. The green settings are also well considered with the 14th a standout for me with its multi-tiered putting surface tricking the eye from a distance, with a left side pin placement – hard by a greenside bunker, and a steep run-off – likely to reduce the likelihood of par. Ashridge is enjoyable because tee shots do not require a do or die approach so driving ability will not necessarily determine one’s final score, so players of all levels can tailor their approach to maximise their score. The fairways are generous so losing a ball should be infrequent, but approaching from the correct side is important. Approach shots require a mixture of precision and good strategy. If starting from the 1st, the 17th and 18th holes will provide a tough finish for the first-timer, due to the need to pick the correct combination of line and distance. I can see why Ashridge has commanded a higher ranking in the past.

A truly wonderful setting and a great venue for a society day, as your score is likely to be flattered off the yellow tees. This is a very pretty course with a gorgeous modern clubhouse and we had a warm welcome from everyone there, and they do a rather good lunch. The greens were in very good nick and pretty fast, in fact the whole course was in great shape, especially the tee boxes which were immaculate, these guys really take care of their course. There are also excellent practice facilities here. One of my playing partners was allowed to bring his dog with him, and I can't think of a better way to spend a sunny summer's day than walking around this lovely parkland course with deer aplenty to see.

After playing here I am surprised that this is rated at no.58, for me it isn't as good as many of the courses that are ranked below. Its very short of the yellow's and the par 5's are reachable in 2 with an iron approach shot so good for scoring! On our visit the greens were poor very slow and not true and the welcome we received wasn't the best in the clubhouse. Some nice holes the best being the 9th and 18th in front of the lovely clubhouse. It was a nice course to play, but for me its punching above its weight.