Coxmoor

Coxmoor Golf Club is a wonderful heathland layout situated in the East Midlands, and certainly one of Nottinghamshire’s finest courses.

Tom Williamson and Len White were the two men to design the golf course as we know it now, which wouldn’t be amiss in Surrey or Sussex.

Although a heathland layout, there are still plenty of elevation changes from the tee, but the beauty all around is well worth the visit.

Visit Coxmoor’s website here. 

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The club’s history dates back to 1913, with the venue originally being known as the Sutton-in-Ashfield Golf Club, with nine holes being laid out to start with.

Tom Williamson and Len White – the latter being the club professional at the time – were the two men to design the second set of nine at Coxmoor, to bring the course up to 18 holes.

Only four years later, the pair teamed up once more, as the course was moved so it was all housed on one side of the road.

Found on high ground, Coxmoor looks out across the Vale of Belvoir and the Leicestershire Wolds. The changes in elevation are something of a theme from the tee. There’s plenty of room for even the most erratic of drivers, but the prevailing winds and some well-placed hazards mean nothing is as simple as it seems. The layout can stretch back to 6,800 yards but this heathland layout would be considered by some to be unusually put together. There are five par 5s, hence the par of 73, and that means it’s not an unrelenting series of long 4s. In fact, there’s plenty of variety from drivable short holes to a 16th that is approaching 600 yards.

It is a cracking opening hole to get your round underway here. At 437 yards, it is one of the longest par 4s on the property, and playing as a dog-leg right with two bunkers on the inside corner of the fairway, it arguably plays slightly longer. Find the left side of the short grass and then you will have a clear shot to the green, where three more traps lie in wait. The first of the four par 3s comes early on, at the 2nd. 190 yards, over heather, and with a putting surface surrounded by seven bunkers, it is a very difficult prospect. You then get the gentle 3rd, the Stroke Index 18. At just 491 yards, this is a par 5 that is reachable for most in two if a good drive can find the fairway. Even laying up, there is plenty of space in front of the last fairway bunker. Four more traps surround the green.

The 4th is a great short par 4. Playing just a smidge over 300 yards, and as a sharp dog-leg right, as long as you can avoid the large fairway bunker that looms on the inside corner, you will have a shot at the long and narrow putting surface. The 5th is the most difficult hole on the front nine. A long par 4 at 415 yards from the tips, there are thick trees down the left side and heather down the right. Add in two fairway bunkers and three more hazards by the green, and you can understand why. 6 is a lengthy par 5, and one where only the longest of hitters will fancy their chances of getting home. There is plenty of space on either side of the green for wayward approaches.

The short downhill 7th, playing just in front of a road on the drive in, is trickier than its 135 yards would suggest and that’s not simply down to the worry of dinging a waiting car. It houses a green that simply screams three-jab. 8 plays as a slight dog-leg to the right, with three bunkers on the inside corner of the fairway that are either to be avoided or carried. The 9th is arguably the highlight. A relatively short 4 even off the back tees, it starts from an elevated tee and dips down sharply before rising dramatically to a green that’s carved into a hillside. Its stroke index, 12, really doesn’t indicate quite how difficult that approach can be – particularly if you’ve been unfortunate to slightly mis-hit the drive and arrive to find your ball precariously positioned on a downhill lie.

Coxmoor’s back nine begins with another par 3, and one that only has two bunkers. 11 has an S-shaped fairway, and it is a thinker’s hole. Do you play to the right of the first two fairway bunkers, or do you try and clear them with your tee shot, finding the narrow part of the short grass? The 12th is the hardest hole on the property, another with several fairway bunkers, and then plenty more down by the green. The inside trap on the left side of the fairway is the line from the tee, while the bunker has four more to avoid, with the surface itself being narrow.

The 13th is the first of three par 5s that you will encounter in the last six holes, and at 535 yards, it is also the shortest... Even if you get a good drive away, most will be laying up before taking to the putting surface with a wedge. Water comes into play at 14, and it makes you think about how far to hit your tee shot. The pond sits in the middle of the fairway, and although the bigger hitters might opt to try and carry it, most will stay short with a long iron off the tee. 15 is another short 4 at just 320 yards, and plays as a dog-leg left. The play is to find the wide part of the fairway, short of the two large fairway traps.

The longest hole on the course comes at 16, playing almost 580 yards from the tips. Playing alongside the boundary of the course, anything too far left at any point will find the fields and see you reaching into your bag for a second ball. The fairway is wide, and there is still plenty of space in the lay up zone as well. The penultimate hole throws up one last par 3, and at 194 yards, it is the longest of the quartet. The fifth and final par 5, which takes the par to 73 at Coxmoor, is one of 550 yards. Again, like on 16, there is a wide fairway, but even if you can avoid the two fairway traps on the right side, you will still be laying up (unless you’ve smashed one past the 300-yard mark off the tee). The green is the longest on the course, so make sure to find the right section of it, otherwise a three-putt in front of the clubhouse could be on the cards.

Where is Coxmoor Golf Club located?

Coxmoor Golf Club is one of Nottinghamshire’s finest, situated halfway between Sheffield to the north and Nottingham to the south. The venue is just outside the town of Mansfield, while the M1 runs north-south just a few miles from the entrance to the golf club.

Sutton Parkway is the closest railway station to Coxmoor, less than two miles from the entrance to the golf club. It sits on the ‘Robin Hood’ line which operates services between Nottingham and Worksop. East Midlands Airport is less than 25 miles from Coxmoor Golf Club, while Birmingham Airport, Manchester Airport and Leeds Bradford Airport are all within 70 miles from the venue.

Are there any NCG Top 100s: England venues nearby?

A number of high-quality venues are in close range from Coxmoor. Notts Golf Club (Hollinwell) is within a stone’s throw, while Sherwood Forest is on the opposite side of Mansfield. Lindrick, Cavendish and the JCB Club are all within an hour’s drive from Coxmoor.

What golf facilities does Coxmoor Golf Club offer?

At the centre of the glorious 18-hole layout lies the practice area at Coxmoor. There are both open-air and covered bays, with plenty of space to get warm before a round. There is also a short game area with two greens and a practice bunker, along with another putting green which is between the clubhouse and the 1st tee.

What are the green fees at Coxmoor Golf Club?

The price of a green fee at Coxmoor Golf Club changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend.

For more information on current green fees at Coxmoor, visit their website here.