Sandburn Hall

Upon arriving at the course, I was advised by a member of staff that the juniors were just finishing going out and we would be following them on the course, so to allow 10 minutes before we started. I was in a 3 ball the conditions were okay, we are average golfers and by no means go round the course quickly.

Upon teeing off we soon have 2 juniors teeing off behind us, whether they came off the 10th hole I am unsure. It soon became apparent that there was a rather large amount of juniors on the course. We were stood waiting on the 2nd hole and the 2 juniors behind us soon caught up as well. Upon reaching the 3rd hole we decided to walk back to the 1st tee to ensure we have a smoother day and not stop start.

The front 9 holes we had no issues at all, the greens were by no means quick- maybe due to the amount of rain recently- but they were in good condition as were the fairways.

Upon reaching the 10th hole which is a dog leg right, once we had teed off and could see the green, there were 3 juniors still out playing. We came to the conclusion this was maybe because they had stopped for a quick snack, but it was clear in front of them so we didn't expect any hold ups.

Now I am all for encouraging youngsters to partake in sport such as golf and it was good to see they had a coach going round with them, however upon reaching the 11th hole it became apparent they were taking rather a long time between shots making lots of practice swings, which is perfectly fine.

However we were having to wait for a considerable amount of time on each hole. There was nobody following us round and after the long 12th hole the youngsters were sat waiting patiently on the 13th.

I thought they must of been told by their coach to allow us to play through- ensuring we had a smoother game. How wrong I was... I don't know if they were waiting for the wind to stop or the coach was trying his best to delay us. Every so often he would look behind but at no point on the back 9 did he allow us through.

We very nearly gave up and walked in we were waiting for several minutes between shots for them to be coached and take many practice swings. I am sure the coach will know who he is as they finished their round at roughly 710pm.

I was appalled at the fact he did not once consider us as golfers trying to enjoy a nice round of golf on a pleasant Sunday afternoon.

We started our round at 230pm we didn't finish till gone 720pm. Really is such a shame as I've played the course many a time and find it to be a great course- the new additional bunkers are very good and add to the difficulty of the course. We were all for spending money in the bar however by the time we had finished we just wanted to go home.

I am hoping Sandburn can inform me they were involved in a competition then we will understand the reason for not allowing us through. However if not I am deeply disappointed in the coach for his level of arrogance and really hope nobody endears the bad luck of following him and his 3 youngsters around the course in the near future. Such a shame and a let down to the club.

We were very pleased with the course conditions and speed of the greens. Over 6000yds in length it is a good test of golf and ideal for anyone wanting a flat course. The whole complex is built to a very good modern standard with a separate restaurant. We will certainly return as we enjoyed it very much. Unfortunately we had to follow a visiting part playing in 4ball format and it took almost 5 hours to get round.

A course that has matured well since opening, now presenting a decent test with some lengthy holes and others that demand attention. In good condition for the time of year, particularly the greens which were immaculate.