Erlestoke Golf Club

This course has had many bad reviews in recent years which was understandable. However, since the new owners took over the course 18 months ago, there is such a remarkable difference. The work that has gone into improvement of the greens and the reconstructions to the bunkers which are now playable and the whole course in general. There are still one or two more bunkers that has to be completed for all of them be in use. But saying that the playing experience is so much better. There are some beautiful holes to play My favourites are the 7th & 15th and some real challenging ones namely the 8th. The course is set in the beautiful surroundings of the Wiltshire countryside. The staff are great and a great clubhouse which the owners are even working on this to improve. I am not a members. but play there often with members hence the cost. If the charges were reasonable I believe with the improvements they can still many casual players from course that are close by which has had a march on Erlestoke over the years.

Lovely course. Had a great time, and nice, friendly staff. The weather wasn't on our side but will try again on a nice day.

Playing a 3 x ball the afternoon of the clubs morning championship, so as you can imagine the course was presenting itself very well. The club is in a process of reconstructing the sand bunkers, with those completed looking well.

Pace of play wasnt an issue as the club members played in the morning and finishing off their rounds as we were due to go out (1pm T).

Overall, if you havent played here, give it a go, some of the holes are challenging, if you are a high handicapper be prepared to lose a few balls !.

Played this course via Golf now special discounted rate with no golfers following us and lovely ideal weather. Worth the long drive from Bristol to play and enjoyed a lovely two pints on the terrace overlooking the 18th hole afterwards along with a ham egg & chips meal.

Course was challenging on some holes with some tight fairways and some water hazards to overcome so not easy by any means. Some hills to climb but not excessive and charming wildlife in abundance including small deer, wild hares and the obligatory squirrels. On the downside,

the course currently being renovated as quite a few bunkers are currently under repair or being filled up and some greens very sandy with the driving range is currently only a basic field with mats.

Fairways were well presented however and we thoroughly enjoyed the day

Very interesting course layout, bunkers are currently undergoing reconstruction.

Greens are being improved as is general course conditions and clubhouse.

Under new ownership I believe.

I would visit again.

Staff very friendly.

Food and drinks very nice

So I read a few reviews and was a mixed bag, decided to Erlestoke a try as I fancied a change from my usual haunts.

I truly believe that this course could be a real gem in the near future. I was really impressed with the course layout and the variety of holes it offered, I was constantly having to think about my shots and shot selection to navigate my way round which is far more engaging than some of the flat track processions I have played recently.

With some careful spending and some tidying up here and there (the bunkers being the biggest culprit) this could be a really nice venue well worth the green fee. I believe the course has new owners and from the improvements I saw yesterday they are heading in the right direction, once completed this will be a real beauty.

Some of the most genuine and friendly staff/owners I've ever come across at any golf course in the area!

The course itself is 100x on what it was a year or 2 ago when i last played, yes still a couple iffy greens and things still to be improved (which they completely acknowledge and since purchasing are getting on with!) but all in all there is huge potential and this course will be in amazing condition in the months to come. Great layout, some awesome holes and some very testing holes, i will certainly be playing here much more regularly! Great value for money 👍

Good greens, quite fast. The course has had a lot of work done since last year, the bunkers are still being rebuilt.

7-16 closed

Not stated before teeing off

No signs saying where to go

Steady! I played Erlestoke on 1 Feb. Before I went I looked that the reviews. Having played the course I can say they are out of date or incorrect. The course is in a very good condition, wide open fairways, challenging holes and a good test of golf. The staff I spoke to are very friendly, as are some of the members I spoke to. There is clearly a great deal of work going on around the course to make it better than ever it was and the club is to be congratulated on that. The only other observation I have to make is the beer is a bit expensive!

The course was very wet, the greens was wet on some of the holes. As the course was wet had to play 9 holes twice. The fairways needed cutting but because of the rain they haven't been out. I would only play this course in the summer

We played on a rather damp Saturday afternoon. There were only a few other people on the course.

When we arrived there was no one in the pro shop. I had to ask someone in the car park where I could get range balls. There were no signs or notices warning us about the state of the course.

The course is beautiful and some of the holes are stunning.

However, the course was waterlogged. My playing partner and I hit several good shots, some onto the fairway, but couldn’t find our balls because the were plugged. Most of the tee boxes were very muddy and it was difficult to keep your footing after drive and some of the greens were almost impossible to putt .

We are not fair weather golfers but these experiences spoiled our round.

I’m sure the course is amazing in the summer months but in October it was almost unplayable.

Work in progress for new owners they are doing a good job and will be better than before once complete

If you are looking for a course that is challenging for all levels of golfer at a reasonable price - this place is for you. I have been a member for 2 1/2 years, and this course is by far one of the most interesting tracks in all of Wiltshire. I first joined when the course was worse for wear, due to a lack of investment for many years under the previous owner - however the new owners, who came in this year, have worked tirelessly since April to put the course back to its former glory - and it shows! Greens have been properly maintained throughout this summer, and have seen a remarkable improvement since last year (see the photo attached from a fellow member). Further maintenance and work has been done to trees, previously overgrown foliage and the water features, and the general improvement it has made to the course has exceeded most of the expectations the members had for the new owners in their first 6 months.

Previous reviewers of this course may not have enjoyed their round - that is a matter of opinion that should be respected. Conditions wise, the course has undergone a much needed maintenance period, due to years of neglect previously, but, in my opinion, I have found the maintenance has had no effect on my game or my enjoyment. Greens have been recently scarified, and a program to deal with the molehills and the bunkers has started this week. All I can say to those who with negative views of the maintenance is 'Rome wasn't built in a day!'.

However, there are some misleading comments that need addressing. Previous reviews suggest the new owners have been in for 2 years, and are looking to sell the land for housing. This is not true. As I have already mentioned, the owners came in April this year - greeted with rapturous applause when our Members AGM was held in the same month. They share a passion for golf, and have a year-by-year plan in place to put Erlestoke back on the map as a premium golfing venue. To also say fairways are 'never cut' and the 'clubhouse is shut' is also misleading - if you play here as regularly as I do, you'll know those comments are completely false!

I have thoroughly enjoyed playing the course for the past 2 1/2 years - and I look forward to enjoying it for many years to come!

Arrived and warmly welcomed in the pro shop. We arrived early so had a look about. Everything seemed tired. Went onto play and then realised that course maintenance was severely lacking.

Grass needed mowing, molehills everywhere, bunkers unplayable covered in weeds and no sand. Greens ok if you like playing on the beach, 90% sand 10% green. Half finished water projects that were just mud. The pace of play was only fair due to trying to find the ball in the long grass on the fairways and semi rough. The signage to the next holes is lacking, We actually went onto the academy course because that seemed to be logically the next hole (no signage). A member put us right and said that it is confusing!! We made sure we kept a eye on the players in front to see where to go next after that. Over all, IF the club invest VERY heavily in course maintenance including cutting back trees and reinstating tiers around the greens as well as all the other very basic tasks, then it could be a decent course. A member told us that in the autumn and winter they cannot play some of the holes so have to use some of the academy course holes. Not going back very bad value.

Erlestoke has the potential to be a beautiful course, and probably was previously. There is amazing mature trees, undulating geography and some stunning holes but is let down by being in awful condition and clearly hasn’t been looked after properly for a long time.

The bunkers are all filled with weeds and are completely unplayable. The greens are mostly scarred, rutted and unloved. The fairways are covered in mole hills, divots and more weeds.

The mats on the driving range are so thin and frayed, the ball just rolls off. £4 for about 17 balls is also too £.

And lastly, the clubhouse/‘pro shop’ (I use that term tentatively) again, have heaps of potential, positioned on the 18th green but are very tired and reinforce the general dilapidated feel of Erlestoke.

Im afraid we won’t be back.

I (and 2 others) played our first round at Erlestoke this July 23, which we were all impressed with the course and layout.

The one negative was all the bunkers did not have any sand in them, I know it had been raining, but the bunkers that did have some sort of sand/dirt in them were not raked at all.

If the club addressed this sand issue then it would be a hidden gem.

Really enjoyed our round. Friendly welcome, hit a few balls on the range and got going. No-one else around on our mid morning tee-off. Some of the fairways have some mole-hill damage and are a bit ropey but we could see good work being done. Some greens looked patchy but all were smooth and true - no excuses for a bad put! Many had inclines and tiers. Some great holes: the massive drop down to the 7th and the climb up the 17th. Overall a very nice course. Can’t wait to play it again.

It has the makings of being an absolute beaut of a course and certainly worth giving it a go. Just expect a tough round unless you hit every fairway and green or a higher handicapper.

Layouts good, setting is brilliant and club house is dated but friendly and spacious, however….there is zero forgiveness on this course.

Rough is very thick and high, with lots of bunkers void of sand. Rough also lines every fairway and green meaning anything wayward is severely punished, even good shots that just skip into the edge of the rough are impossible to find. Replacement balls between us will cost nearly the price of the round - some of this is totally on our poor driver performances!

So close to being a great course but if you want a challenge give it a go.