Beau Desert - Staffordshire - England

Many great courses have been "fiddled with" over the years, even the Old Course and not always by architects that are expert golfers. Expert golfers turned designers do not always produce great courses. In any case, Golf World ranked Beau Desert at position 58 in their 2013 English hundred. That said your 4-ball rating is spot on. BD is good but not great.

Nothing wrong with fiddling, some courses get it right, Tandridge being the most recent one, they found all the Colt plans and got it spot on, Burnham and Berrow are always changing things and they always improve the course, I don't mean to disrespect BD in any way, the point I was trying to get across was that this is a spectacular location with a course that could be ranked along the likes of Ganton etc if it were taken back to the original Fowler design, the hazards were minimal but always perfectly placed. BD is still a great days golf but the potential has not been reached.

As manager of Beau Desert, I have often wondered if this would bar me from writing a review about this course, one I have come to respect so much. We shall find out…

When talking to a fellow member the other day, who gets to play a lot more golf than I do, he said that every time he plays somewhere new he asks himself the question – “would I like to play here every day”. So far, he has found nowhere else and I can well understand his reasoning.

So, as a player who invites the odd guest or two, how do I rate this course? Simply outstanding!! Biased, I like to think not, simply honest. Fellow reviewers are correct when they say that it is not the longest course in the country (although we are working on that) but it makes up for this perceived ‘weakness’ in so many other ways.

Beau is a beautiful course set in some of the most stunning woodlands in the country. Each tree-lined fairway has its own uniqueness as it shields the golfer from players on other fairways. Whilst you can often hear the sound of the driver meeting ball, you are always hard pressed to see where they are. It’s a real pleasure at times to just walk around the course and simply soak up the scenery and views across Staffordshire. People have said that it would not be out of place in the Surrey Commuter belt and they are not wrong.

Many of the fairways have subtle slopes to them, meaning that players who have played here more than once perhaps have an advantage over their companions. With a good memory, they may recall which line to choose from the tee as it is not a course where hitting the ball far as you can helps. More often than not, a well-placed long iron or three-wood to the correct side of the fairway will deliver a much easier opportunity of hitting the green in regulation. The ‘Desert’ as it is known locally is definitely a thinking man’s course – constantly asking you a question.

When you reach the greens, some would say the challenge truly begins. There is no doubt that the quality of the greens, with their many subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) borrows, make many people question their ability to read a green. Some of the best putters that I know, have come away scratching their heads. However, when you do read one well, you also know that the year round quality of the putting surface will mean that your ball has a more than fair chance of finding the bottom of the cup.

Special holes – I personally like the course from the 6th tee onwards but the stroke 1 hole (5th) with its right to left dogleg and humpback green, is always one that stays in my friends memories. I love the challenge that the short 9th brings – at just 260 yards from the back tee, there is a real risk / reward feel to it and it’s so hard not to just reach for your driver and have a go. This hole for me sits so well against the backdrop of the trees and is perhaps one of the most picturesque holes on the course.

However, there are many special holes and I would encourage anyone who has not visited us to put it on their list of ‘must-play’s – you will not be disappointed.

It is interesting what an extra 238 yards can do to just a few holes – seven have been changed over the 2011/12 winter. To the average club golfer, the drive from the new tees is quite daunting and it will be interesting to see how the ‘lower handicappers’ manage them over the coming months. As a Club, we wait with baited breath before considering any further development as we are always mindful of our great heritage here at Beau Desert. William Herbert Fowler was one of the truly great architects of his time and we in no rush to push through any more changes unless we are certain they will add something to an already great course.

In his design of Beau Desert, Fowler has again proved the old adage – ‘length is not everything!’ Steve Mainwaring General Manager Beau Desert Golf Club

If instead of being slightly hidden away north of Birmingham Beau Desert GC were in Surrey or Berkshire it would be far, far higher up in the various course rankings. It's that good. A wonderful well conditioned Herbert Fowler heathland design full of subtlety. Trees and heather if you go offline, firm, fast normally raised greens with often very severe undulations. More so than at many courses, even better ones, you really have to plan your approach shots carefully at Beau Desert, which means you have to plan your tee shots carefully. I don't think there's a weak hole on the course and some of the greens, like the 6th, 7th and 15th, have contours to make you feel very stupid if you arn't careful enough. Previous comments about length should not now be appropriate as several holes have had new back tees, some very back tees, recently installed. The par-3's are short on the card but tough to play. BDGC has a lovely clubhouse with friendly and hospitable staff. Overall Beau Desert is simply a real delight to visit. Thoroughly recommended.