Caldy - Cheshire - England

I come away from Caldy, not really knowing what to say. I really don’t know if I loved the course or I didn’t. That’s because the course is basically two different courses. I guess simply put, it doesn’t know what type of course it is.

First things first let me just point out that Caldy is surrounded by mansions. As you drive to the course you will surely be overwhelmed by the luxury around you. You even get to see Rafa Benitez’s mansion on the hill at one point. As I drove into the car park it was Bentley’s and Porsches all round. My poor mini looked somewhat out of place. On entering in the staff where friendly and welcoming and the practice facilities are pretty good.

Secondly let me also point out that the course was presented quite remarkably. We hadn’t had much rain so the fairways weren’t full of growth but the course was manicured to a very high standard. The greens ran true and fast. I genuinely can’t be critical in that respect.

Now back to my review. The first two holes where a good start. Both elevated greens with the first a gentle par 4 down the hill. I then crossed over a bridge to what I’ll describe as the first course. Holes 3 to 10 are all on this side. The 3rd is a fantastic dog leg with lots of bunkers that leads you down to the coast. The shot into the green looks fantastic from the fairway. If that was good holes 4, 5 and 6 then run along the coast line. Hole 6 requires a long iron into a wonderful green with a deep ridge in front. Holes 7 to 10 feature two par 3s that aren’t quite as good, running alongside but aren’t bad. This side of the course could be called a kind of links course… but not quite.

You then cross back over the bridge. It was here I spoke to a couple of members who pointed out 5 hour rounds were normal at Caldy. I hadn’t noticed how slow it had been. At this point tees 11 and 16 stand near each other. I wish I’d gone straight to 16…. Or potentially just played the 11th back to the clubhouse. For holes 11 to 18 where in truth quite boring. The condition was still fabulous with the manicured fairways, semi rough, rough and jungle clearly defined. I just felt the holes lacked any interest. Two of the holes where just 350 yards and with the hard fairways they were a long iron and wedge in. The 15th for instance was an opportunity for the course to include an exciting shot in with a water feature just a few yards from the green. Yet whilst the feature was present it was full of 6ft reads that gave an impression of high rough. I felt here lay a chance for a nice pond with sleepers that could catch balls rolling off the sloping green.

Then after the 15th came a driver distance hike to the 16th where another meaningless hole only featured a large piece of sandstone.

The 17th at least featured a stream of as it’s known Thor’s Dyke before a finishing par 5 back up to the clubhouse.

So here you have a wonderful front nine with a back nine that features par fours that just go back n forth.

Maybe I’m being harsh! After all I didn’t get thru any of the fourballs in front of me. I waited on every hole. It took 4 hours and 25 minutes as a one ball. So I come away from Caldy unsure. It was good but just not good enough… I loved holes 1 to 7. I thought holes 8-10 were good. I just found myself bored of the rest.

Good variety of holes make this well worth a visit when golfing in the Wirral

Caldy is situated at the end of the Wirral Peninsula, alongside the river Dee, and enjoys some wonderful views whilst playing the series of cliff top holes on the front nine. Looking across the estuary towards Hilbre Islands and the coast of Wales one can really appreciate the fabulous setting.

Meanwhile the inland holes, on the other side of the Wirral Way, offer a more secluded and tree-lined experience yet still benefit from firm-ish turf for the most part, or at least it was in mid-April 2017 when I visited to play the 36-hole Caldy Quart scratch competition. On this section of the course you are sheltered from the wind but the holes are tighter and you must plot your way round a bit more.

There are a number of stand-out holes throughout the round. The first is an inviting opener whilst the par-three second is the first of a particularly good set of short holes with the 17th, played over Thor’s Dyke, the pick of the quartet.

The four par fives at Caldy didn’t really excite me although the 11th and 18th do a decent job of getting golfers back up the hill to the elevated clubhouse which offers a wide view out to the course.

The greens and their surrounds throughout the 18 holes played nice and firm and there are plenty of modest run-offs which can leave some tricky recovery shots.

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

Caldy is a wonderfully different golf course. The opening hole is a nice par 4 and followed by a medium length par 3. The 3rd hole is where this course really comes into it's own. The dog leg right has a simply stunning backdrop over the Dee Estuary and views across to Wales. On a summer's day there aren't many views better. The cliff top holes offer a real challenge depending on wind direction and speed! The course is never played the same twice in a row. The back 9 is a more parkland feel and quite often plays more difficult than the front, although I'm not entirely sure why! The staff are friendly, the food and beverage selection is excellent and I would highly recommend Caldy to those seeking a great day out.

It had been a long time since I had visited this course but the fact that I could remember so much about it is testament to its qualities. There is such a great variation of holes and views. It must be a smashing club to be a member. Stand out holes for me are the right hand dog leg 3rd , the stroke index 1 6th with its deceptive approach, the 9th and 17th the latter being just one of a great set of par 3s. The greens had been hollow tined unfortunately, it they didn't spoil a lovely day out.

Played in the festival week in august and really enjoyed it. The holes along the estuary are really good and have great views over to Wales. You come back over the bridge after the 10th and it becomes a slightly better than average parkland, not as good as the clifftop holes between 3 & 7. Wasn't the cheapest open competition we've played but we'll go back next year.

Played last Thursday in still overcast conditions, the course was great for our party of 12 as the variety and setting was a hit with everyone. The clubhouse and welcome from Alan (golf co-ordinator) was great. The course is a delight to play and the holes by the River Dee are the best and very pleasing to the eye. Due to the still conditions we all scored well but we thought when the wind does blow it would provide a harder test. The inland holes are nice (but 13, 14 + 15 seemed a little squashed in and similar in length). Overall very good both on and off course !

Played it on a breezy july day as part of a three day golf trip to the area. As one of the reviewers points out its not really in the same league as some of the great links courses in merseyside but it is none the less a really nice course. 6 or 7 links holes run by the coast then it heads in land. Greens were OK, not great but not bad either and the general course condition was good. For £40 per round I thought it was good value and the fact you have links and parkland on the same course means it would take a long time to tire of playing here. I'd certainly like to play the course again if in the area.

A bit pricey but for £10 more u can use it for a whole day... practice facilities, short game area, clubhouse, locker room, and of course... the course. Well worth the money, the course is great for variation and provides views undescribable. Very good service and would recommend for societies.

For the money the course is very poor. Even though the club has history and tradition it is not a patch on the old clubs on the peninsula and up the golf coast whos members and staff at every club are very friendly and make you feel very welcome.