Reddish Vale Golf Club Course Review

The tough and long par-3 sixth with the river running all the way along the left

(Image credit: Reddish Vale Golf Club)

published 25 January 2022

Reddish Vale Golf Club Course Review
GF Round: £40wd, £45we; Day: £45wd, £55we
Par 69, 6,092 yards
Slope 130
GM Verdict An undulating course by the river, choc-a-bloc with character and originality
Favourite Hole The long par-3 6th with its flighted descent down to the green beside the river

Situated just five miles to the south-east of the city centre, Reddish Vale was formed in 1912. Its forward-thinking founding fathers invited Alister MacKenzie, then captain at Alwoodley near Leeds, to come and design their course for them. This was some 20 years before he went on to design Augusta National.

Reddish Vale Golf Club - Hole 4 — The 166-yard par-3 fourth at the northern end of the course

The course is bisected by the River Tame and opens with a fairly compact loop of five holes that returns to the clubhouse. A stiff opening two-shotter, a medium and a short par 4 at 3 and 5, and a pair of par 3s ease you into a very entertaining round.

Reddish Vale Golf Club - Hole 5 — The approach to the short par-4 fifth hole as you return to the clubhouse

You then head out into the main body of the course via a really testing long par 3, well over 200 yards from all tees and justifiably SI4. It plays alongside the river making left a no-go zone, and is also very well bunkered. Next comes the longest hole on the course, and the front nine concludes with another strong par 4 and then the shortest hole at just 137 yards.

Reddish Vale Golf Club - Hole 16 — The river skirts and then runs behind the green at the sixteenth

Reddish Vale Golf Club - Hole 17 — As well as bordering the River Tame, there is a ditch to cross on the approach to the penultimate hole

The back nine is even more varied and characterful, and there are two super-tough par 4s at the 11th and 13th with the latter played along a narrowing fairway to a green hidden away in the trees. The 16th is another very interesting hole, running tight by the river.

Unusually, the 16th actually shares its fairway with the 17th, a strong par 4 played to a beautifully-sited green between the river and hillside.

Reddish Vale Golf Club - Hole 18 — The closing green sits way above the fairway and is overlooked by the clubhouse

Save some energy for the climb up to the final green as it’s quite a rise up from the fairway on this 353-yard hole.

Although it is not so well known, Reddish Vale sits right up there among the best golf courses in Cheshire and is bound to please with its endless variety, its originality and its natural beauty. The green fee here represents great value, and this undulating course will please all golfers looking for something a little different where pleasure is to the fore.

Rob Smith has been playing golf for over 45 years and been a contributing editor for Golf Monthly since 2012. He specialises in course reviews and travel, and has played well over 1,200 courses in almost 50 countries. In 2021, he played all 21 courses in East Lothian in 13 days. Last year, his tally was 81, 32 of them for the first time. One of Rob's primary roles is helping to prepare the Top 100 Courses of the UK&I, of which he has played all, as well as the Next 100 where his count is now on 96. He has been a member of Tandridge for 30 years where his handicap hovers around 15. You can contact him at r.smith896@btinternet.com.

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