Greater Manchester has a properly decent spread of golf courses, from serious championship layouts where you’ll drop three figures on a green fee to council-run municipals where you can get 18 holes for the price of a couple of pints. I’ve played most of them, and the quality gap isn’t always as wide as the price gap suggests. Here’s what’s actually worth your time and money.
Mere Golf Resort – The Big Day Out
Mere is the headline act. A par-71 championship course in Knutsford that’s hosted European Tour qualifying and regularly tops the ‘best in Cheshire’ lists. The course is immaculate – fairways like carpet, greens that run true, and enough water hazards to ruin your scorecard if you’re spraying it. The layout is tight off the tee on several holes, which rewards accuracy over distance. The 18th, a par 5 with water guarding the green, is a genuine finisher.
Green fees: From around £85 weekday, £110 weekend. Not cheap, but you’re getting a premium experience. Facilities: Excellent clubhouse, spa, hotel on site. Pro shop is well stocked. Verdict: Worth the money for a special occasion or a proper day out. Don’t rock up expecting to smash driver on every hole – course management is everything here.
Dunham Forest Golf and Country Club
Tucked away between Altrincham and Bowdon, Dunham Forest is a mature parkland course with tight, tree-lined fairways. It’s not the longest course, but the demand for accuracy makes it a proper test. The greens are well maintained and the drainage is good – it plays well even in the wetter months, which matters in Manchester. The club has a traditional feel without being stuffy.
Green fees: Visitor rates around £50-£65 depending on day. Facilities: Solid clubhouse, practice ground, putting green. Verdict: Great mid-range option. Better condition than a lot of courses charging more. Good for a fourball if you want a quality round without the Mere price tag.
Worsley Park (Marriott)
The course at Worsley Park is part of the Marriott hotel complex, and it’s a solid parkland layout designed to challenge without punishing you. Wide fairways compared to some courses on this list, but the bunkering is strategic and the greens have some tricky slopes. It’s well maintained year-round and the hotel facilities mean you can make a proper day or weekend of it.
Green fees: Around £40-£60. Hotel guests get discounted rates. Facilities: Full hotel facilities – pool, gym, restaurant. Decent practice area. Verdict: Good value, especially if you bundle it with a hotel stay. The course isn’t going to blow your mind, but it’s consistent and well looked after. A safe bet.
Chorlton-cum-Hardy Golf Club
One of south Manchester’s most established clubs. The course runs alongside the Mersey Valley, which makes for a pleasant setting and means a few holes have proper character – the riverside holes are the standout. It’s not a long course, but the layout demands thought. Membership is popular so visitor tee times can be limited, especially at weekends.
Green fees: Around £35-£45 for visitors. Facilities: Traditional clubhouse. Bar is decent. No driving range on site. Verdict: Honest, enjoyable golf at a fair price. If you live in south Manchester and want somewhere to play regularly without the drive to Cheshire, it’s a strong option. The Mersey floods occasionally in winter, which can affect a few holes.
Didsbury Golf Club
Just off Wilmslow Road, Didsbury Golf Club is a compact 18-hole course that works well for a quick round. The front nine is tight – a couple of doglegs demand you shape the ball – and the back nine opens up slightly. It’s well positioned for anyone living in Didsbury, Withington, or Burnage. The course drains reasonably well for south Manchester, though the lower holes near the river can get soft.
Green fees: Around £30-£40. Facilities: Clubhouse with bar. Basic but functional. Verdict: Not a destination course, but a perfectly decent local club. Good for a midweek round when you don’t want to drive half an hour. The members are friendly and it’s not overly formal.
Ringway Golf Club
Near the airport in Hale Barns, Ringway is a well-respected parkland course with a good reputation for course condition. The layout is interesting – some elevation changes, which you don’t always get in Cheshire, and the par 3s are genuinely good holes. Planes landing at the airport pass directly overhead, which is either atmospheric or distracting depending on your temperament.
Green fees: Around £45-£60. Facilities: Good clubhouse, practice facilities. Verdict: A step up from the average club course. The routing is smart and the condition is consistently good. Worth the trip if you’re based anywhere in south Manchester or Trafford.
Heaton Park Golf Course – The Budget Option
Let’s be honest: Heaton Park is a municipal course and it plays like one. The greens can be patchy, the bunkers don’t always look like they’ve been raked this week, and the footfall is high. But – and this is the key point – it costs next to nothing. You can get 18 holes for under £15, which makes it the cheapest round in Manchester by a distance. The course itself is set within Heaton Park, so the surroundings are pleasant enough, and a few holes have genuine elevation with views across north Manchester.
Green fees: From about £12 weekday, £15 weekend. Facilities: Basic. A small pro shop and that’s about it. Verdict: Perfect if you’re a beginner, place’t played in years and want to knock off the rust, or just want a cheap round without any pretence. Don’t expect manicured fairways – adjust your expectations and you’ll enjoy it.
Davyhulme Park Golf Club
A parkland course in Urmston that’s been around since 1910. The layout is traditional – no trick holes, nothing gimmicky, just solid golf through mature trees. It’s a shorter course, which suits the higher handicapper, but the greens are good enough to reward a decent short game. Membership is affordable compared to some of the Cheshire clubs, and visitors are welcome on most days.
Green fees: Around £25-£35. Facilities: Clubhouse with bar and catering. Verdict: Underrated. The condition has improved in recent years and the value for money is strong. If you’re in Urmston or Stretford, it’s your nearest quality course and it doesn’t disappoint.
The Stanneylands – Boutique Golf
The Stanneylands in Wilmslow has repositioned itself in recent years as more of a boutique golf and dining experience. The course is a 9-hole layout, so if you want 18 you’re going round twice, but the quality is high and the setting is attractive. It’s more about the overall experience – play nine holes, have lunch in the restaurant, maybe a drink on the terrace. Not for the serious low-handicapper looking for a challenge, but perfect if you’re treating someone or want golf as part of a wider day out.
Green fees: Variable – check for golf and dining packages. Facilities: Restaurant and bar are the main draw. Boutique hotel on site. Verdict: Think of it as a lifestyle venue with a golf course attached, not the other way around. Good for couples or corporate entertaining.
Altrincham Golf Course
A municipal course on Stockport Road that’s a step up from Heaton Park in terms of condition but still affordable. It’s a par-69 layout, so shorter than a full championship course, but the holes are well designed and it drains surprisingly well for a council course. Popular with locals, so weekend morning tee times go fast. Book ahead.
Green fees: Around £15-£22. Facilities: Small clubhouse with basic catering. Verdict: The best municipal course in south Manchester. Significantly better maintained than Heaton Park, and the price is still very reasonable. If you play regularly and don’t want membership fees, this is your spot.
Which Course Should You Actually Play?
If money’s no object and you want the best experience: Mere. If you want quality without the premium: Dunham Forest or Ringway. If you want a cheap round that’s still enjoyable: Altrincham Municipal. If you’re a beginner and just want to get out there: Heaton Park, no question. And if you want golf as part of a wider day out with food and drinks: The Stanneylands.
Manchester’s got more courses than most people realise. Get a tee time booked.
