Pytchley Golf Club Review

Pytchley Golf Lodge

Played and Reviewed – Friday, 12th April, 2019

Address – Kettering Rd, Pytchley, Kettering NN14 1EY

Website - https://www.pytchleygolflodgekettering.co.uk/ 

Course Information and Stats – Pytchley Golf Lodge is a nine hole golf course just off the A14 in Kettering. The course is a relatively new one which was the idea of a local farmer, Victor Tarry, who wanted to develop a course on his land in the 1970s. This did not happen until the early 1990s where initially the driving range was born. From this point the bar emerged and finally the course was developed and opened in 2000. Shortly after the rest of the complex was finished off. I had previously played this course in April 2014. 

Upon arrival – having played this course once in April 2014 I was eager to see what the course was like. My recollections of the previous round was that it was a successful round with some great par three holes in particular. As I approached the course the condition of the course looked great and matched the weather. The car park and surrounding area was not the biggest I had seen but was suitable for the course. One of the things I would have to say is that I have not played golf at a friendlier course. Everyone was very welcoming and extremely chatty and that goes along way with myself. Walking to the club house to pay for my round the putting practice facility looked well used. I liked the look of the club house and bar facility. The changing area looked small but was not used particularly on my visit. In line with the members I met the staff were very friendly and helpful. I was very much looking forward to getting out on the course!

Pytchley Golf Lodge Stats – From the longest tees (White), Pytchley runs 5,522 yards (if played twice, as I did). The course consists of three Par 3 holes, five Par 4 holes and one Par 5 hole. I played off the yellow tees which measured at 5,148yards.

Signature hole – 6th Hole – 323 Yards Par 4 – For me it is the most attractive hole on the course. From the tee box behind me I could see the clubhouse and the driving range. In front I could see the flag on the left hand side of the hole with trees obstructing the direct route to the hole. From the opening shot you need to hit a straight drive, left sees you in the trees and right it is heavy rough. Depending on distance the second shot should allow a route to the green – two accurate, good shots will get you on to the green. The green is slightly uphill and pushing it too long puts you in heavy rough. The putting green is slightly uphill and left to right and putting uphill is easier than coming back down the quick green.

Best Par 3 – 5th Hole – 141 Yards– this is the first of the Par 3’s on the course and is a mental challenge more than anything. About a third of the way down the hole there is infant trees and heavy rough which can cause a lot of problems and there is no real direct view of the hole from the tee (there is to the left or right of the tee box). The green has bunkers flanking the left and right of the hole so you need to be very accurate, however the green is very long and if you land it on the green you have a great chance to make a birdie. A good challenge mental and visual challenge for the first of the short holes on the course.

Best Par 4 – 1st Hole – 314 Yards – the opening hole was the best for me in terms of the Par 4’s on the course with the fairway looking very inviting and well kept. From the tee you need to straight with the drive. If you push your drive right you will find water in terms of a small pond and left is where the driving range runs parallel. However, if you don’t go too far left or right the fairway is inviting and forgiving. All the way down the hole on the left hand side there is trees and rough making the second shot pivotal to success on this hole. At this point the flag becomes visible on a slight hill and towards the green the fairway narrows which again means that being accurate is key. Once on the green the putting element of the hole is quite forgiving. 

Best Par 5 – 3rd Hole – 513 Yards – obvious winner as it is the only Par 5 on the course. It is a very narrow Par 5 and like the rest of the course you need to be accurate all the way throughout it. It is rare in that you can see the flag from the tee box but that does not mean that it makes it any easier at all. From the tee if you stray left or right you hit trouble. A lot of trees and heavy rough down the right side with a fairway bunker if you avoid that. Down the left there is not much to trouble apart from a long fairway bunker. From the second shot there is a fairway bunker down the right side and trees and rough for company down both sides. From the third shot the fairway narrows and when the green comes into play there is greenside bunkers which makes landing the green tricky. 

Birdie Time – 2nd Hole – 303 Yards – the initial tee shot is fairly straight forward with a large and forgiving fairway begging to be hit. It is only if you push the tee shot to the left that you will find trouble. The second shot does need to be aimed more left than right because down the right side there is a small lake and the approach to the green is tucked to the left so aiming left gives good shape to find the green. Too far left will find a ditch which can cause problems however if you play a good opening tee long enough you will leave a good shot into the green meaning you can make a birdie and get the round moving early.

Bogey Beware – 8th Hole – 361 Yards – a very tricky penultimate hole as it is the longest Par 4 on the course. Following on from the general feel of the round, you need to be straight from the tee as there are fairway bunkers well positioned to the left and right and some challenging rough if you go further to the left or right. Once you navigate the bunkers you need to be in the fairway but the best bet is to approach from the left hand side as trees guard the green from the right hand side. Shot three still leaves a lot of work to do potentially but if you are on the green then it is not a forgone conclusion that a positive score will be made here as the green is tiered and challenging to putt on. Taking a par here is not a bad score at all.

Post round thoughts – I thoroughly enjoyed my round at Pytchley due to a number of factors. I said it at the beginning but the friendliness of everyone I met today was very refreshing and it would encourage me as a visitor and an unfamiliar face to go back and play again. The conditions were perfect for golf, overcast but without threat of rain or poor weather but not overly hot either. On the course I would say that if you are just starting out playing, or want to play somewhere with chances to make good scores then I would recommend it. Financially a fantastic option with the round costing under £15. I would suggest that it won’t make the Top 10 in the county but one that I would certainly make time for to have a round at.  

Course Rating by numbers – 58/100

Course Design and Test 4 (out of 10) 

For me personally this is where the course is let down somewhat, but it can only work with the limitations it has. Most of the holes are straight from tee to green and those that do include slight dog legs are done without much hazard or degree of difficulty. There is some minority to that where there is some challenge. Hole 5 is blocked with infant trees making reaching the green a mental challenge and Hole 8 the green is blinded from the tee and access to it requires some course management. 

Landscape and Scenery 5 (out of 10)

A mixed bag on this one, which reflects in the score. From the opening tee and the sixth you get a real feel that the busy A14 is within a stone’s throw from the course but the majority of the course is very quiet and surrounded by fields and lovely views of the others holes on the course. I know I have already mentioned it but coming from the green on the fifth to the tee on the sixth gives a good panoramic view of the surroundings and is one of the best from the course. Difficult to penalise based on what the course has in terms of lack of land and limitations that come with it. 

Fairway Condition 5 (out of 10)   

A fairly average score for this part of the scoring due to inconsistency more than anything. On the whole, when teeing off you could clearly see the distinguishing cut in grass from fairway to bunker but this was not carried through to the end of the course. It seemed that it started and ended well but some holes in the middle needed me to reach them before I could distinguish whether the ball was in regulation on the fairway or not. All of the fairways were kept well in terms of roll and them being flat.

Green Condition 6 (out of 10)

Again, some inconsistencies here when judging the greens. Some of the greens were very well kept whilst others had aeration holes and sand on the surface as well. All of the greens were flat where they needed to be and the fringes and grass around gave the greens some good distinction. On the whole with the weather and time of the year the greens were good and clearly thought about when looking after them.  

Hazards 7 (out of 10)   

The course had some hazards with the main one being bunkers both prominent around the greens and fairways. On some of the holes the natural resource of water was well incorporated into the hole and there was some, but not many ditches. Roughs and heavy rough was not overly difficult to navigate, however some of the holes incorporated new trees and other different hazard ideas to make it challenging. Where I did find sand I was impressed with the quality of sand and the way the bunkers were kept and maintained. 

Practice Facilities and Amenities 7 (out of 10) In terms of the facilities and type of course that Pytchley is you would struggle to fault the facilities at the course as they have a good floodlit driving range with bays, a good putting area which is well maintained and used and even the option of a chipping and short game practice as well. For what they have it is very good. In poor weather there is not an option for simulator play and no practice facilities for bunker game but a good set of practice facilities.

Clubhouse & Overall Cleanliness 7 (out of 10) I would say that the clubhouse was very good for the course of its stature. It offered a well-stocked bar and food and it was all at a reasonable price. The cleanliness both on the course and around the clubhouse and facilities could not be faulted. 

Pro-Shop 4 (out of 10)

This is another course that struggles to distinguish itself as a pro-shop because of the American Golf store that is attached to the clubhouse. American Golf have their own products that they sell easing the pressure from the clubhouse itself. That being said the clubhouse could do more in terms of offering club branded merchandise and snacks and drinks. However it could be that the demand is not there for it. 

Access & Parking 6 (out of 10)

Ample parking for the golf course and the access to it is very good off the A14 with good signage also. Although it does have a lot of space for parking it is quite secure and is only used for golfers and not often for people who are not intending on playing golf.

Value for Money and Experience 7 (out of 10)

I could not fault Pytchley in terms of value for money. I played on a Friday during Masters week and the round cost me £14 and although it is the nine hole track repeated twice, it is hard to find golf for that sort of money and made the round extremely reasonable. I enjoyed the experience of playing not so much due to the test of the course but because of how I played and the members and how welcoming they all were.