Maxstoke Lane,
Meriden, Warwicks CV7 7HR
Office
+44 (0)1676 522 335Pro shop
+44 (0)1676 526 113Fax
+44 (0)1676 523 711Website
Visit websiteGolf pro
Alistair Davies (Head Golf Professional).Academy
HIT Golf Academy, Forest of Arden.The Course:
18 holes. Tree-lined & open parkland. Undulating terrain - a few slopes to climb.
Surroundings:
Rural countryside.
Designer:
Donald Steel
Above distances are for the championship Arden course. Also at Forest of Arden is the 18-hole par-69 Aylesford course (5,801 yds from back tees). Also designed by Donald Steel, the Aylesford is an enjoyable resort course, suitable for players of all levels.
52.463559
-1.662541
12 miles E of Birmingham
Leave the M42 motorway at exit 6. Follow the A45 towards Coventry. After 1.5 mi turn left into Shepherds Lane, direction Maxstoke. After 2 mi, Forest of Arden golf and hotel is on your left.
Forest of Arden
Forest of Arden Hotel & Country Club (Arden course): The championship Arden course, as distinct from its shorter companion layout, the Aylesford, is a relative newcomer to the legions of excellent parkland golf courses in England. Opened for play in 1970, this partly open, partly wooded course was designed and built to test both amateurs and top tour professionals. The likes of Ian Woosnam, Colin Montgomerie, Darren Clarke and Thomas Bjorn have all been winners here on the Arden.
At over 7,200 from the tips, and liberally laced with water hazards, thick penal rough and plenty of tree-lined fairways, the Arden course is a long and challenging test, but a most pleasing and enjoyable one as well. The gently undulating good-width holes bring water into play on several occasions, especially on the front-nine and most dangerously on the rightside of the tough par-4 9th.
The back-nine loop, quite different from the more water laden front-nine, is played through the remnants of an ancient oak forest, where deer and pheasant are ever-present. In this wonderfully natural and open parkland environment, thoughts of medieval hunting parties leap to mind. Across the attractive sweep of the back-nine and the grazing-land beyond, stout gnarled oaks contrast with a youthful undergrowth of green ferns.
Pick of the holes: the Arden's testing signature hole is saved until last. This fabulous long par-3, which has played a deciding role in many a match, requires a carry across a good-size pond to a well-bunkered green. Your final putts are played in front of the red-brick Forest of Arden resort hotel.
Stay&Play at Forest of Arden: onsite accommodation available, see Where2Stay section below.
Visitors welcome on weekdays and weekends.
Must book in advance. Handicap required.
Players generally walk this course. Golf carts available for hire (subject to availability).
Good
Located in the geographical centre of England, the original Forest of Arden encompassed an area corresponding to half of the county of Warwickshire. The forest stretched from Stratford-on-Avon in the south to Tamworth in the north. Within the forest's ancient boundaries the cities of Birmingham and Coventry can now be found. The most important and largest settlement in the original forest was Henley-in-Arden, which was formerly the site of an Iron Age hillfort.
The Arden course has hosted several European Tour events, not least the British Masters and English Open (see our Tournaments section >by Venue >Forest of Arden).
Maxstoke Lane, Meriden, Warwicks CV7 7HR
+44 (0)1676 522 335
Visit websiteLocated in the heart of the West Midlands near Solihull, the Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club is a top UK golf venue. This 4-star hotel includes a Cedarwood Spa, tennis courts, fitness centre and a croquet lawn, as well as spacious guest rooms, fine dining and 18 meeting rooms.
Forest of Arden (Arden and Aylesford courses)
No
The Belfry; Whittington Heath; Little Aston; Walsall; Handsworth; Sandwell Park; Harborne; Edgbaston; Moseley; Copt Heath; Fulford Heath; The Warwickshire; The Welcombe; Coventry.
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Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available
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