Luffenham Heath - Leicestershire & Rutland - England

Played in the mens open at Luffenham Heath in September 2019 and the course was in excellent condition with quick true and very testing sloping greens; fairways and tees were also good and green aprons/entrances were immaculate. It played like a heathland course but without any heather, although the rough (away from the gerous fairways) was very penal. I thought the par 3's were a bit similar apart from the 17th which was longer, downhill and an excellent hole. Only two par 5's so the heart of the course was the par 4's of which there was good variety with dog-leg holes (including 1, 2, 10), uphill holes (3, 7), downhill holes (4), short tight par 4's (8), and longer par 4's (11, 13). The 7th is I think their signature hole which was a good hole with an uphill shot to a very difficult elevated green, although I personally liked the shorter 8th which had a fabulously tight approach with nice bunkering. The only hole I didn't like was the long 13th, a par 4 stroke index 1 of 481 yards which was just about length. However after this the finishing stretch from 14 was a really excellent series of holes including two really good par 4's at 14 and 15, a downhill par 4 at 16, the downhill par 3 at 17 and a nice par 5 to finish, a series of holes worthy of finishing any course off

My first trip to Luffenham and despite the long drive (varying between 2.5 and 4.5 hours) all of our party said they would do again next year. Really enjoyable and personally I am surprised Luffenham is not in the top 100 (I enjoyed far more than the Marquess at Woburn which I played next day)

This year i have endeavoured to play more Top quality courses (St Andrews, Beau Desert, Little Aston, Dunbar etc) and so jumped at the opportunity to play in an Open at Luffenham in May. After all its an Open Qualifying course.

Overall opinion. Underwhelmed. Yes the course is good but is it that good? Not in my view. Yes there are some really nice holes and the 1st is a good starting hole, but there are too many average holes for a course with such a good reputation. The fairways hadn't fully recovered from last Summer heat wave, but the greens were quick and hard as i found out to my dismay when i hit a perfect 2nd into the 1st green, only for it to bounce straight over the green down the banking at the rear.

I loved the downhill par 4 4th which is a blind drive - the green location was excellent, and the par 5 6th, a relatively straightforward but nice looking hole. The par 4 7th was playing into wind and this was a common feature of the round. Winds blowing at you regardless of which way you played.

The 2nd nine i found less interesting with some dog legs, but the 17th is a good looking par 3 played downhill with a sloping left to right green. I took a 4 hybrid landed it to the front left and let it run down across the green, leaving a 8 foot putt for birdie, which i duly obliged with.

The last hole is a nice sweeping hole bavk to the clubhouse and putting green.

A lovely old fashioned club with a lovely course. But just needs tidyjng up around the edges imo to become really top quality course.

I arrived at Luffenham Heath Golf Club on a beautifully bright and mild March morning after a pleasant and stress-free two hour drive.

The car park was empty, the course was clear and I was an hour ahead of my allotted tee-time; every lone golfers perfect scenario.

And then disaster struck!

Imagine my disappointment when registering in the pro-shop and being told that the course was currently on temporary greens (holes cut in the fairway) and they would only return to the normal ones once a light top dressing had been applied to the putting surfaces. The staff were very apologetic and quickly offered a discount off my green-fee, however, I declined and opted to play two rounds instead; the first one to the temporaries and the second to the normal greens later in the day.

It was a good decision because I got to walk the course twice and despite the top-dressing the proper greens were superb; firm but receptive, quick and true. A real credit should go to the head green-keeper and his team.

It’s a fine piece of land that the course is routed over. The opening holes use the terrain especially well and then after playing a few holes on flatter ground the undulations return for the closing stretch.

Despite its name the course isn’t really laid out over heathland, certainly not nowadays. There is plenty of width for the playing corridors but should one venture a little more wayward you are likely to find thorny bushes, scraggly trees, brambles or gorse with very little chance of executing a recovery shot…. at least pain-free!

In my opinion the strength of Luffenham is in the par fours. There are a series of high quality two-shot holes and rarely a straight one amongst them. Many of the holes dogleg or curve significantly and this makes for good strategic golf.

Overall I was very impressed with the golf on offer at Luffenham Heath and it’s a course I will try and return to in the summer when the course is no doubt playing even firmer than it was in March.

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

This a reply to Hugh below ( sorry if I have not placed it in the correct area) We played at Swinley Forrest last week and sadly the greens were so poor that we were refunded our money! Food and hospitality were as per usual but the course was very shabby and frankly, a bit tired looking. Yes we have all had a long winter but compared to New Zealand recently, it was very sad indeed.This is a somewhat discursive way of saying that whilst I agree that Luffenham is not as fine a course as Swinley, it is closer in quality than your somewhat dismissive reply. When we return there in the summer, I may again assess the course but I do think that some courses are living a little on past reputation. By the way- New Zealand is emphatically not one of them.

I tend to agree with the observations regarding the recent 6-ball postings (not in a million years!) … this is a decent 4-ball course and at a push I can see some reviewers going for a 3-ball or a 5-ball but nothing more either way. There are not many standout courses in this neck of the woods, so being No. 1 in Leicestershire & Rutland is unlikely to be challenged for a while. Being part of the English Top 100 (#90) is a great achievement and having played the bulk of the country’s 100 I think this feels ok, just. The club is a traditional members club and well worth a visit with plenty of decent holes. As early as the 2nd there is a strong par-4; this has a left to right feel all the way and especially at the green. The 7th will probably be mentioned by most who play here, under 400 yards but a tough uphill approach to a protected green makes a par-4 a really good score. The 13th is the longest par-4 on the course at 481 yards, reaching in two shots is not easy. The last par-3 is at the 17th and is my favourite of the short holes; plays around 200 yards downhill and has the trickiest green on the course (looks a bit similar to the 6th hole at Coombe Hill, Surrey) . The strong finish continues at the last, with a 550+ yard par -5, with great bunkering at tee-shot length and also around the lay-up point. I think the club plan to spend on the clubhouse and the course, which is a must … no investment these days means standing still and standing still really means going backwards.

These two latest six balls reviews are surely the work of Luffenham members or club staff? Luffenham does have positives in that it is set in a lovely place and 17 is one of the best par threes in the Midlands and 18 a great closer. But there are too many average holes at Luffenham which makes the experience rather forgettable. I’m always sceptical when reviewers say that the members are welcoming and the staff friendly – these aspects are of secondary importance to the golf course and suggest the reviewer is somewhat biased. Unfortunately the soil at Luffenham is too heavy for it to play like a heathland course and compared to Notts, Luffenham is in a much lower league which may suit higher handicappers as the Luffenham test is not exacting. When I last played here in Sept 2011 I managed to play to handicap and I was playing poor golf that day. If I was on similar form at Notts, I’d have finished eight or nine shots off handicap. In summary, an OK course, worth playing if in the area, but it will never stand up to scrutiny compared to Notts. They will need to grow the rough and narrow the fairways when Open Qualifying comes here in 2013 or it will be ripped apart.

We played this lovely and eccentric old course during the same week as Little Aston and Hollinwell and this was our favourite. A wonderful example of a Harry Colt heathland course and one of the best of its kind in the Midlands. The downhill par 3 17th is justifiably famous but the graceful uphill par 4 7th is a real gem. The last four holes are as tough a finishing test as you will get. The clubhouse is appropriately rustic and old worldly and the members were very welcoming. A real treat.

A real old fashioned club. The course is wonderful and will require every club in the bag, most par 4's are dog legs and require thought rather than just blast away with a driver. Firm, fast greens and proper bunkering, you wont reach the green from a fairway bunker here.Clubhouse and pro shop very friendly and great real ale in the bar.

Played this course on a lovely September evening and enjoyed it immensely. There are some very good holes (notably the 2nd) and the bunkering is excellent. The course was very quiet. I saw more deer on the course than fellow golfers!

I like Luffenham Heath. Three holes stand out. I love the long two-tiered seventh green, perched on the edge of a hill. It asks for a great approach shot. The seventeenth is a goodie too, a downhill one-shotter to a well bunkered upturned saucer-type putting surface. It’s not quite Dornoch but it’s a tricky green. And the last hole is a cracking par five which I’ve often birdied and often double-bogied. Overall maybe it’s slightly bland. But if you let yourself get involved with the strategy here there’s much fun to be had. It’s basically one of the better member’s courses. ANGLOSCOT