Painswick Golf Club

I'll start with the positives:

- the course is full of holes with plenty of character, making it a really interesting challenge.

- the views are incredible

- the clubhouse was lovely

- the staff were really friendly and welcoming

- fellow golfers were helpful in finding our way around the course.

However, the layout of the course was crazy. Every hole seemed to have a path either running alongside the hole or across the fairway, with lots of walkers, cyclists and runners seemingly oblivious to the fact they were on a golf course and the dangers that come with it.

Couple this with the fact that a handful of the holes share a fairway with another hole, often hitting directly at each other, with no signage on any of the holes to indicate right of way or any guidance on how best to navigate it, and no bells to indicate when it was clear to hit on any of the holes with blind shots. The scorecards do show who has right of way on each hole, so make sure to pick one up.

This meant that we ended up waiting for either another group or walkers to pass on most holes, making it a frustrating round. The 4th hole has one of the most ridiculous tee layouts I've ever seen, as you face the tee for the 13th which is about 15 yards in front of you. Why not just switch them around and make both holes 15 yards shorter so you don't have to keep waiting for other groups to tee off?

The 9th hole was possibly the most dangerous hole, with a blind tee shot over a ridge onto the same fairway as the players on the 8th will be walking down in the opposite direction, and with a public path running alongside it, so you hit your tee shot with no idea of who is stood where and if anyone is in danger. Best bet is just to shout fore regardless and hope for the best.

The 16th is the first hole with any clear signage, advising that there are cars passing through the fairway. However, this is slightly pointless given the road is 200 yards away and the visible section of road is probably no more than 30 yards, so even if there is a car coming you wouldn't see it in time to avoid hitting it, and likewise if you can see a car it would have disappeared by the time your ball reached it.

An incident on the 17th pretty much summed up the whole experience. The group in front of us teed off just as a couple of walkers decided to cross the fairway without checking it was clear. The ball then took a huge kick after bouncing on the road and rolled passed the couple about 10 yards from where they were stood. Nothing the golfers could do as they couldn't see them, and it was a fairly straight tee shot. The couple then proceeded to shout abuse at every golfer in site, spanning 3 separate groups, saying they could have been seriously injured. Well don't walk down the middle of a golf course then. Sadly, I can only imagine this is a common occurrence given the layout of the course and the apparent lack of awareness of the locals.

All in all, I just couldn't enjoy the round for fear of causing someone an injury. I am a fairly competent golfer, but found myself more concerned about hitting the ball away from crowds on each hole rather than down the middle of the fairway. It's a real shame, because the holes should be such an exciting challenge with how they are designed and the terrain, but I'd only want to play the course again if the surrounding mile was closed to every other individual.

So my advice if you do choose to play the course:

1) take out an insurance policy before you play

2) read the guidance on the scorecard on every hole

3) choose as quiet a time as possible to play - maybe a rainy day when there's less walkers or 8am on a Wednesday in the middle of December.

4) enjoy the moments when there is no-one around, because there is a bit of enjoyment to be had out there somewhere.

A beautiful course that works its way around and over an ancient iron age hill fort.

Watch out for the walkers, and horse riders though.

Amazing views.

The course was is brilliant condition.

Painswick is a very interesting course. We enjoyed much of the hilly terrain. All golfers on the course were very helpful in finding our way round as there was little signage. This is not a course to walk with any mobility problems. We noticed a few single buggies on the course (it looked as though the routes would not allow a double). Due to lots of unsighted shots greater number of balls lost. Fabulous views from the high points. Finished off with a delicious light meal at the Waypoint, well worth a visit whether you’re golfing or not. Overall an enjoyable round but not suitable for all.

Really interesting challenge. Probably most scenic course I have played. Holes you won’t find anywhere else. Friendly staff, great service and unforgettable views. Well done Painswick!

This course is a challenge, it's not the longest yardage you will ever play but it has many blind shots over hills to greens, long carries over quarries and narrow par three's. Stunning scenery and course in good condition, Hilly in places. Staff friendly and knowledgeable. Recommended

Painswick isn't like your average course. It's hilly, quirky, short and testing. It's bunkerless, 4,800 yards, par 67 and plays on common ground across an ancient hill fort. I genuinely think you'd be hard pushed to find a better value for money golf experience in the South West of England. On Good Friday and after a 6 month hiatus from golf it was understandably busy, and the holes that play in and around the beacon were especially crowded, with shared fairways, dog walkers and families slowing the pace of play down. For perspective, I played here as a solo last summer and played in 2.5 hours - it was over 4 hours this time. I was paired up with 3 other golfers which was no issue to me - the guy in the pro shop said they were looking to get as many people on the course as possible.

There are a couple of less memorable holes away from the hill fort, but the stretch from 3-7 and 10-13 are what you come for and do not disappoint. Width and angles come into play, the blind par 3s are daunting and super fun, and the long par 3 6th is an awesome test.

The greens were surprisingly smooth and of decent pace. No bunkers on the course which is a quirk too.

I played on the 4 apr very challenging course staff very helpful and accommodating, I have come from brickhampton golf club so was not used to this,I am so impressed I will be joining

Really nice course and would play again on a nicer day. Winter tees were i play and course was a bit wet but that is what you would expect in December. The course is a little confusing and can be tricky if you are playing it for the first time. Overall, very nice and would happily play there again.

Beautiful challenging short course, stunning views all round!

Read the reviews but no quite expected the quirkiness of this course. Basically 8 out and 10 back overlapping on numerous holes at least 8 hoes sharing the same fairway. Can lead to some near misses and slow play, added to clueless walkers wandering across fairways without looking at the tees. causing hold ups.

Number of totally blind shots over steep hills into bucket greens so knowing the course would be a huge advantage. Rough is pretty unforgiving so a few lost balls

Really good challenge, lots of target golf , smallish greens in decent nick for this time of year, 5,6,7 10 v tricky tricky par 3s, long 8 and 9 and all rest have their own challenges including cyclists, dogs and traffic.

Really interesting and challenging course, Enjoyed it

A very challenging course not for the faint hearted

Beginners beware!!