Haigh Woodland Park - Balcarres Course

Nice 18 hole course. Well laid out. Front nine offers a nice open fairways that get a little narrow and tricky on the back nine

Played for the first time. Still winter conditions a lot of wet areas and most greens full of pitch marks. Bunkers need work as some look like a children's sandpit.

Good course layout with some testing holes.

With a bit of TLC could be very good.

Will definitely return later in the year when if drys out and the grass grows back.

A nice view. But course needs a lot of TLC. Lots of pitch marks on greens. Bunkers in terrible condition. A shame as it could be a really nice course if it was worked on. Thx

The course was well maintained and for me it was rather challenging too. I’d say as i’ve not broken 100 yet, the course was a bit too challenging for me, but was good to get out.

We arrived late seven mile tailback due to car fire on motorway staff we’re very helpful gave us a tee time in five minutes. Considering the very bad weather for last four months the course was in good condition has lots of feature holes and good value too .

Overall a good day out on a trying course,pretty hilly as you would expect in that location,would happily play again in a couple of months once greens are a bit better.

Friendliness in cafe/ clubhouse very friendly

Good course. Reasonably flat, good condition for the time of year.

Cheap 18 holes very wet muddy conditions all winter so very hard to give it a over all review best to split it in two ,summer good golf at a reasonable price ,winter avoid unless your desperate bring your wellies

Course was was in good condition for this time of year,just had a 4 ball in front and was very slow , this got on the 15th tee and 3 member had jumped in front did ask just thought it was ok . I wouldn't bother if they was good other than that . I shot 94 buzzin

As usual plenty of car parking and very helpful staff.

As expected from a location that offers lots of other activities the amienities were excellent

Now to the course itself ......

Palying off rubber driving range style mats as its winter, that's fine BUT both my son and myself struggled to tee the ball as the composition of the mats made ir impossible to push a tee into them........my suggestion would be to use identical driving range mats with the large holes in.....and then provide/hire/sell the size of rubber insert so you can tee off without issue so I'd have to say 4/10..... there was evidence that some were just using the original grass tee boxes due to this same problem

The greens themselves were in excellent condition, well drained of water and played at a constant speed......so 10/10 there

Now to the fairways were 50% okay considering how it had rained so much I the previous months HOWEVER the other 50% I would have called un playable, they were a quagmire. Balls plugged out of sight on landing and, at times every 3 steps forward felt like you lost traction and sl8d 1 step back.... NotGood and we both have spiked shoes especially for winter conditions so it would be a 3/10 even playing preferred lies

Lastly the bunkers, yes the majority had rakes BUT unfortunately no sand to rake 60% were flooded, the rest had had the sand washed away so I'd have to say 4/10

This could be a wonderful course to play, and having played it in much, much better conditions it is

With that being said, even then it suffered from poor drainage and the lower lying holes in particular were still waterlogged (that was July 2024)

If some serious efforts are put into maintaining the rest of the coures to the standard set by the greens then it would be one of my to 5 courses that I play BUT serious investment is needed it drainage and water management........ perhaps dig some more water features in places that suffer then lay some drainage pipework etc under the fairways that suffer to allow the water to collect in the newly dug lower areas and over time provide these features

Lastly. I felt I've been very fair in this review, I hope it gets passed to someone on Wigan Council so as to says look.... we really need your investment"

At the price I paid it was just about value for money. As we skipped 4 holes knowing that they would be unplayable...... but we were out there and enjoyed the overall experience..... we will return as its my sons closest 18 hole course...... but probably not until May or June . As I will take that long to drain said fairways.....

Kind regards and best wishes for the future 🤞👍

Mark Storer a 56yr old 20ish handicapper

I have never ever played on a course in such treacherous conditions. Without doubt the course should have been closed, it was absolutely soaking wet everywhere and dangerous in places due to the wet boggy conditions. We only managed 6 holes as it was so wet we weren’t enjoying it at all.

On the other hand, we would like to return in nicer weather when hopefully the course will be in better condition.

Having played this course in the summer we were tempted by the extremely cheap price for winter golf.

On our visit however the course was completely saturated, if the course was mine it would have been closed. We played holes 1 to 9 and 17 and 18 and the only dry spots were the winter tee boxes and the greens. Everywhere was wet, on some local courses it is a requirement to play off mats on the fairways, this would be a great advantage here.

We will return but not until next summer.