Last year I wrote about my annual trip with three friends for golf, beer and plenty of mickey-taking. We had been to Arran, but the year before were in north Cumbria and had realised that there must be some spectacular golf further south. And so it was that we headed up to Cartmel in June to play several courses, all of them new to us. Based in the very comfortable Priory Hotel, there are three or four good pubs in the pretty village, as well as gourmet-dining. We actually played eight lovely and incredibly varied courses, several of which will be written about separately such as Grange Fell and Dunnerholme, so here I will simply concentrate on three gorgeous 18-holers.
Windermere
The second – Kreak – is a tough par 3 that plays longer than its yardage
(Image credit: Windermere Golf Club)
Our first supermodel of a course was the undulating, twisting and turning beauty at Windermere Golf Club. A mile to the east of England’s largest lake, it is packed with individuality and charm. Sadly the cloud was low and the waterproofs were on, so we couldn’t enjoy what are normally panoramic views, but the course itself kept us fully engrossed. There are six par 3s, three of them monsters depending on the wind, and some drive and pitch par 4s that will give hope of getting a shot back.
The spectacular panoramic view from the eighth tee as you should be able to see them!
(Image credit: Windermere Golf Club)
There is also a super-tough finishing trio, all back up the hill, that completely belie their yardage. The 16th is the only par 5 and has a blind approach, the 17th plays left to right towards the clubhouse, while the closing hole is allegedly a par 3 to a narrow, 2-tier green. There are no sand bunkers at Windermere, nature itself provides more than capable defence. It is absolutely delightful and easy to see why it was chosen as one of Golf Monthly’s 100 Hidden Gems not so long ago.
Kendal
Hidden away behind a limestone outcrop, the short seventeenth is the signature hole at Kendal
(Image credit: Rob Smith)
Happily, the sun returned the following day and we enjoyed Kendal on the balmiest of blue-sky afternoons. Set way up in the hills to the west of this market town, it’s a more demanding walk but easily pays that investment back with dividends. Again the overall yardage is modest, but the slopes and breezes mean that it plays every inch and more. From the far-reaching views that come into focus on the second tee, it’s a veritable rollercoaster…
..
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Latest from Golf Monthly in Courses…