Stockport

Stockport Golf Club is one of several great parkland courses in and around Manchester, and it is one that has been around for well over a century.

The current iteration of the course was designed by 1902 Open Champion Sandy Herd, with the great Harry Colt also having a hand in it, making slight alterations to the layout.

South African Charl Schwartzel once held the course record, around a layout that will test every aspect of your game, from driving to short game.

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1905 saw the founding of Stockport Golf Club, with the club originally playing host to a 9-hole course to begin with.

Sandy Herd – the Open Champion of 1902 - laid down the current course at the Manchester venue. JH Taylor, Harry Vardon, James Braid and Herd played an exhibition match to open the course, with a total of 18 Claret Jugs between them.

The great Harry Colt also made alterations to the layout later on, and a young Charl Schwartzel – who would go on to win the Masters in 2011 – set the course record of 64 nine years before his Augusta triumph.

Like many venues in the area, Stockport Golf Club offers up a mature parkland course, and one that follows the natural undulations of the terrain it sits on. Tree-lined fairways greet you at every turn, while the greens are typically manicured to the highest standard. It is also a course that has gender-neutral tees, so both men and women can play from wherever they choose. Off the back tees, the Blues, Stockport runs to 6,370 yards, while the Yellows keep the course just shy of 6,000 yards.

The opening hole is one of the most demanding on the course, at 463 yards from the tips. It is a long par that winds round to the right, around the trees. Avoid the sole fairway bunker on the left and you will have a clear view of the green, with the electricity pylon in the background as a great line. The 2nd is gentle, at just 340 yards. However, make sure to keep your tee shot short of the two fairway bunkers if you are not sure you can carry them. There are four more traps by the green, to add to the difficulty. 3 is a dog-leg left par 4, and one where the tee shot must travel far enough to give you a view of the green. Beware the bunker on the inside corner. The last of the opening quartet of par 4s is also the Stroke Index 1. At 405 yards, it is one of the longer par 4s on the course. The ideal line (for those that can) is to carry the bunker on the inside corner of the fairway. Anything too far right off the tee might find itself troubling the OOB area though...

The 5th is the first of the short holes at Stockport, and the bunker directly in front of the green makes you carry your tee shot all the way to the putting surface on this 180-yard par 3. The 6th is the first par 5, and it provides a real scoring opportunity at just 480 yards, if the two fairway bunkers down the left side can be avoided. Two more sit around 80 yards short of the green, so do you lay up? Or do you take it on? 7 is also a good birdie chance as a 335-yard par 4. Carry the bunker with your tee shot and you will only have a short pitch to this green. The 8th is the longest of the par 3s, pushing the 200-yard mark from the tips. Trees surround three sides of this green, with sand also at the front. Pick your club and make sure it is a good strike! The front nine closes with another par 5. Arrow straight and more than 500 yards, this requires to solid blows to get there. If not, lay up short of the bunkers before having a knockdown wedge to the green.

Like the front nine, the back nine also begins with a testing par 4. Although 50 yards shorter than the 1st, 10 is a challenge due to the two bunkers that pinch the fairway in at the landing zone. Two more traps, including one that winds its way round the left side of the green, are a danger on the approach. 11 is the shortest hole on the property, and also features one of the smallest putting surfaces. Long and narrow, with a bunker short and a bunker left, accuracy is key to making par. The 12th is the last of the par 5s, and it plays with a right angle dog-leg around the driving range facility. Only the very longest hitters should even contemplate taking it over the corner, with out of bounds in play. Play smart, aim down the left side and play this as a three-shotter. There is still a chance of making birdie!

A trio of par 4s, all just around the 400-yard mark, and all moving from left-to-right, take you through the middle of the back nine. As long as you get your tee shot down the left side of 13 and away from the trees on the right, you will have a shot at making the green. The 14th is a sharper dog-leg, and a hole where the play has to be down the left side of the fairway. A large bunker sits on the inside corner of the hole, which also pinches in the fairway. The green is then protected by two more traps. 15 is the gentlest of the turns, with the tee shot being played over a large hollow on the right of the fairway. It is still a generous lading area, before you then have the chance to attack the flag.

The last of the par 3s comes at the 16th. It is 180 yards, and has five bunkers guarding the putting surface. Three of those are short, with one on either side of the green, so it is pretty much surrounded by sand. 17 is short, but tight. Trees encroach on both sides, as do the three fairway bunkers. If you can find the short grass, and to do so you might well lay up short of the bunkers with an iron, then there is a good chance of finding the green and having a putt for birdie. Stockport’s closing hole features a split fairway. Longer hitters may have to take less than driver to lay up in front of the hollowed-out ditch. Three bunkers protect the final putting surface, with the clubhouse watching on.

Where is Stockport Golf Club located?

As the name suggests, Stockport Golf Club is located in the town of Stockport, with the course actually on the edge of the southeast boundary of the town. The centre of Manchester is just ten miles by road from Stockport Golf Club, while the M60 – Manchester's Ring Road – is only four miles from the entrance to the club. The A6 also runs close by the venue.

Rose Hill Marple and Hazel Grove are the two nearest stations to Stockport Golf Club. The former sits on the end of a train line to Manchester Piccadilly, while Hazel Grove sees services running between Piccadilly and Buxton. Thanks to its location on the southern side of the city, Stockport Golf Club is also within ten miles of Manchester Airport – the country’s busiest airport outside of London.

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

With it being located on the south side of Manchester, Stockport is within close reach of Prestbury and Cavendish, both of which are withing 15 miles of the club. Delamere Forest is 35 miles to the west, while the Yorkshire trio of Alwoodley, Moortown and Lindrick are just over 50 miles away to the east.

What golf facilities does Stockport Golf Club offer?

Along with the cracking Harry Colt course, Stockport Golf Club is also the home to a full-length driving range, which sits at the northern side of the property – next to the 12th hole. There is a short game area next to the car park, along with a putting green by the clubhouse and on the walk to the 1st tee.

What are the green fees at Stockport Golf Club?

The price of a green fee at Stockport 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 Stockport, visit their website here.