Towneley Hall Golf Course, Burnley

Towneley Hall Golf Club

I have been playing golf for about ten years now. I’m not exactly a pro and don’t get out as often as I’d like to. But about once a month throughout the summer months I get a game in with friends. I’m not a member at any fancy club, I just go and play at a municipal course nearby. Towneley Hall Golf Club is located in Burnley. It’s one of the nearest courses to me and the one I have played most rounds of golf at over the years. So I thought as I have a good knowledge of this course I should give it a review.

History Of The Club & Stats

The golf club first opened it’s doors way back in 1932. Back then it was just a 9 hole course, however a few years later expanded to the more traditional 18 holes. The course has seen several changes over the years. The owners are always trying to improve the course, the holes have been swapped round on many occasions to try and create more of a challenge. Over the years new features have been added such as streams, ponds and new areas of woodland.

The course is a par 70 and is a total of 5834 yards. If you know anything about golf you will know this is quite a short course in relation to some, but the course still poses a test for even the finest golfers due to the locations of the greens and the many tricky shots you will have to play. The golf course is set in mature woodland and has some wonderful views over to the Yorkshire moors. Recently new drainage systems have been put in place which have really improved the course.

As I mentioned this is a municipal golf course. This means you can just turn up and play. You don’t have to pay expensive membership fees or worry about green fees. It costs £14 for an adult to play during the week or £16 at weekends and on bank holidays. Juniors do get a discount and you can also buy passes that enable you to play as many times as you would like in a week.

Facilities

The clubhouse is not one of the best I have ever seen, having said that for a municipal course it serves a purpose. There is a nice little bar area where you can enjoy a beer after your round, or before if your feeling confident! The walls have all pictures of the course and there are lots of trophies on display to inspire you while in the bar area.

The little club shop is where you go to pay your fees and pick up your score cards. This is only quite a small shop, but they do sell quite a lot of golf clubs, balls and other things you might want to purchase for your round. You can also purchase snacks and drinks to take on your round. The staff are always quite friendly in here and are usually quite happy to chat to you about conditions on the course.

The parking for the golf course is excellent. Quite a large car park which serves the park area as well as just the golf course. The car park is pay and display, however if you are playing golf, they stamp a ticket for you so you don’t have to pay for the parking. The car park is located at the top of the hill and from here you can see the entire course sprawled out before you.

The Holes

I am now going to go through each hole on the course. This is simply because it’s the holes that make the course what it is. Many golf courses name their holes, Towneley does not, but as I have a good knowledge of each hole I have decided to give them names myself. I will tell you how to play each hole and what exactly to expect. This may come in handy if you are actually playing the course as you could either print this out or bring it up on your phone. Many professional courses have course notes so I thought it would be nice to do my own version for Towneley. I will mention the yardage on each hole and also the stroke index. A stroke index indicates the difficulty of the hole, 1 being the hardest and 18 being the easiest!

1. The Pressure Cooker - 387yds - SI 5 - Par 4

The first shot in any round is always the hardest. This tee shot is even more tricky as there is often a queue of people watching you. Everyone in the car park can see you tee off so you really are under pressure. You can’t see the green from your tee shot as this is a dogleg hole. So you need a nice straight drive of around 200yds past the trees on your left. If you get this right you will then have around 150 to the green. A nasty bunker to the left of the green needs to be avoided here. When your safely on the green there are no major problems. The green is pretty flat and does not really cause any problems. After your pressure tee shot the hole is not that difficult really.

2. The Tunnel - 173yds - SI 13 - Par 3

This is the first of the par 3 holes. As you tee off you are hitting over a small stream that runs from right to left. As long as you get the ball in the air this is not an issue. The green looks like it is through a tunnel of bunkers. Two large sand traps on either side guard the green and your safest option is to fly your shot over the two and take them out of play. Once on the green it’s again pretty flat. However if you fire your tee shot to far you go down a steep bank and have a tricky little chip back on to the green.

3. Lakeside - 294yds - SI 15 - Par 4

This is quite an intimidating tee shot. There is a thin strip of dry land to the left, but the fairway is dominated by a large pond, or small lake. If you can hit your ball 200yards then this takes the lake out of the equation. However, any slice or miss hit and you will have to find your wellies! If you clear the lake the second shot is not too difficult. There are two small bunkers left and right, but you have quite a large gap to fire your shot through. Once on the green it tends to be quite a slow one. The trees around sometimes drop leaves on to the putting surface so it’s a good idea to make sure these are not going to be in the way of your putt.

4. Round The Bend - 363yds - SI 7 - Par 4

A nice wide open fairway on this one. However, there is a small steam running across your line about 50yds ahead of the tee. Get your shot in the air and you will have no worries, however, miss hit a daisy cutter and your hoping for a lucky bounce. You can’t see the green when hitting your tee shot, you have to go round the bend to the right. Ideally if you’re a right hander you want to hit a nice fade round the trees. However there is plenty of room to hit straight and as long as you stick to the left your second shot should be clear into the green. The green itself is a tricky one to find, a bunker guards the front left, so aim right and play it safe. When on the green it’s another nice flat one with no real issues.

5. Windscreen Woes - 398yds - SI 2 - Par 4

This is a long hole and the second most difficult on the course. You tee off down by a little road that often gets quite busy. You really don’t want to be hooking one here as you may end up smashing a windscreen! I once watched an old man bounce his ball off the bonnet of a little Micra, it was hilarious, although the driver didn’t seem to impressed! You need a long drive on this hole to be able to reach the green in two. There are trees to the left that catch a lot of people out as they over compensate because of avoiding the road. Your second shot is also tricky, unless you’re a really long hitter you will have a long iron shot. The green is quite wide and there are no bunkers, however the ball often slides off the back of the green into the woods. So it’s better to be to short than to long on this one. The green is a nice easy one, flat as a pancake!

6. The Glade - 138yds - SI 16 - Par 3

You are surrounded by trees on this pretty little hole. This is the shortest of the par threes but the distance can be deceiving. It’s very easy to come up short on this hole. If you miss the green right, left or to long, you’re in trouble. There are thick woods either side and it’s very difficult to chip out onto the green. There is a slight slope on this green which makes putting tricky. The shadows from the trees also make this a tricky putting surface. A hole I find difficult!

7. Speed Bumps - 381yds - SI 10 - Par 4

A huge fairway greets you here. After about 150yds there are quite a few bumps which can either slow your ball down or speed it up depending upon how you land on them. Aim left with your shot here as there are some little trees down the right that can be very troublesome if you slice your shot. Your second shot is usually a long iron, this is an easy green to miss. It’s not a big putting surface and it’s surrounded by little banks that make the ball bounce strangely. Once on the putting surface, you should have no major problems.

8. The Guardian - 377yds - SI 8 - Par 4

A blind tee shot here. You fire you ball up a hill and aim for a fairway marker. There are some dense woods to the right that must be avoided, hit your tee shot long and straight and then you should have a nice second shot. If like me you struggle to hit beyond 240yds, you will have a blind second shot. If you don’t make it to the brow of the hill you can see nothing of the green. To the right of the green there is a large single tree guarding the putting surface, aim left of this and you should be fine. The green is very difficult to judge. A slight slope from left to right means that unless you are very close you need to judge your putt to perfection.

9. The Long Haul - 499yds - SI 11 - Par 5

The first of the two par fives here. You’re shooting up the hill back towards the club house. Your tee shot takes you to the brow of the first hill, if you hit it straight you have a nice view of the green. Unless you’re a monster driver, you won’t be able to reach the green in two. The uphill slope slows your ball down and makes getting any real distance tricky. Lay up your second shot and hopefully you will have a wedge into the green. The green is on top of the hill and you can’t usually see the putting surface till your right up there. There is a large bank to the back of the green and a steep slope up to the front. You really don’t want to be off the back of this one as it will leave you a really difficult chip. The green itself is nice and flat and if your on here in three you might have a birdie chance!

10. Top Of The World - 416yds - SI 1 - Par 4

You start the back nine with the hardest hole on the course. However this is my favourite hole! You tee of from the front of the car park, below you the fairway drops away into the distance. From this point you can see the entire course. There are benches behind the tee that people often sit on to watch the golf, so this is another pressure shot. If you hit it long and straight, it’s the best feeling in the world. The ball carries miles down the hill and makes you look like a pro. However, scuff one and your going to roll down into the long grass below the tee, you end up looking like a bit of a fool. If you hit a good tee shot, your second shot is still very tricky. There is a nasty burn cutting across the fairway about 50yds short of the green. Sometimes you may have to lay up to this or risk loosing a ball. If you can make the distance though you will have a job keeping your ball on the green. The fairway slopes down into the green, which also slopes away from you. It’s so hard to keep your ball on this putting surface. The green itself is also really tricky, there is a steep slope and the hole is never on a flat surface. This is rightly the hardest hole on the course, but it is very beautiful. I enjoy the back nine far more as the views are better and the course far more interesting!

11. Spaghetti Junction - 310yds - SI 18 - Par 4

You follow the hardest hole on the course with the easiest one. You tee of downhill again and fire your shot across another fairway that runs across this one. Make sure no one is walking out of the trees and across your line. If you’re a big hitter you may be able to make the green in one here as it’s a long way downhill. If you’re a mere mortal though you should just have a nice wedge for your second. Two bunkers guard the front of the green so your best option is to fly the ball over them and land it soft. The green is raised up slightly so if you shoot wide or long your ball will run away and leave you a tricky chip. The putting surface is pretty simple and gives no real problems.

12. Bucket And Spade - 482yds - SI 6 - Par 5

Another long par 5. Your again at the bottom of the course here and playing next to the road. Your tee shot is not quite so scary though as you are playing away from the cars ever so slightly. Hit a good tee shot and then you leave a tricky second. You may be tempted to try for the green in two here, but there are six bunkers in front of the green! Anything short and you will be emptying sand out of your shoes for the rest of the round. The sensible play is laying up in front of the bunkers and using a wedge for your third. The green slopes from right to left so aim to the right of the flag and it should filter down. The green is quite tricky due to this slope, if your above the hole you will have a nightmare down hill putt to contend with.

13. The Pee Tree - 302yds - SI 14 Par 4

This is a well known toilet stop for many golfers. Dense woodland to the left of the tee gives you a nice bit of privacy, ahem. Anyway, you tee of downhill. After 220yds there is a dangerous stream that lies at the bottom of the hill. Don’t try and clear this as you may well end up in it! Just lay up in front and they you should have a nice easy second. The green looks very inviting as it’s surrounded by steep banks. However, if you miss the green and end up on the wrong side of these banks you will have a nasty chip. The green itself has a slight slope on it that you need to take note of when putting.

14. The Amphitheatre - 370yds - SI 9 - Par 4

Your tee shot here criss-crosses the tenth fairway. There is a small patch of trees to the right that you should be able to clear with your first shot. Your second shot is quite dramatic. You fire up the hill to a small green that is shaped like a bowl. Huge banks behind and to either side mean that if you fly long or left or right you should roll down onto the green. The only way you can miss this green is if you leave your shot short. The putting surface is a nice easy flat one that may give the chance for a birdie.

15. Lost In The Woods - 255yds - SI 17 - Par 4

An impressive tee off area here. You climb up some steps and go into some thick woods. Then you mount the tee and fire your shot out between the trees. The fairway is quite narrow on this one and any hooks or slices will be punished. This is a short par 4 and if you are a long hitter you may be able to get your tee shot up near the green. If not, your second shot will be up the hill onto a tricky green. The putting surface slopes away to the left and makes for some good judgement. It’s easy to miss even short putts on this one.

16. Get Your Binoculars Out - 199yds - SI 3 - Par 3

This is a really long par three. Plus it’s uphill, so you may struggle to reach this green. You have lots of room for error to the right, but to the left there are thick trees that have claimed many a victim over the years. The green is raised up and is again shaped a little like a bowl. Once you finally get it onto the putting surface, it’s a nice easy flat green.

17. Hidden Dangers - 179yds - SI 12 - Par 3

Another par three that challenges you. From the tee you can’t see the green, but you can see where it is. The green has three small bunkers along the front of it, these are also hidden from view as you tee off. The hole is downhill but you need a long shot to make the green. The edges of the green slope away in all directions so even if you do land on the green you may roll off and into trouble. The green itself has a few little undulations depending on where you are putting.

18. The Home Stretch - 311yds - SI 4 - Par 4

The final hole is not an easy one. You fire your tee shot up the hill back towards the club house. There is danger both right and left so a straight shot it vital here. Your second shot is a real tricky one. From the fairway you can not see the huge dip just before the green. A new features has recently been added here so now there is a little stream running across the fairway. The fairway slopes down into the stream, so anything short is going to be wet! Once safely on the green you will have a nasty putt. The green slopes in all directions and wherever you are you will face a challenge. It’s a good way to end the course as it really tests you one last time!

So there you have it, if you ever get the opportunity to play this course I am sure you will find these hole write ups helpful. It will also give you an idea of what to expect from the course and what kind of challenges it poses.

Overall

So in summary I would have to say this is a really nice golf course to play on. I have played on better ones over the years, but to say this one is municipal I think it is of a really high standard. The course is up on a hill so it can be exposed to the wind sometimes, but this presents an extra challenge. The views in the area are wonderful on a clear day, and the trees around the course really are very picturesque.

I am always impressed with the way the course is kept in excellent condition. Even when the weather is bad, the staff are out there keeping things running. The greens are always in excellent condition and they regularly change the positions of the holes. The fairways are always cut just about right and the bunkers are always in good condition. The rough is quite short compared to some courses I’ve played on which means you are not punished to harshly if you do hit a bad shot. I also like the way the course is always moving forward. Over the past ten years I’ve seen quite a few new features added and a few old ones removed. This means there is often a new challenge and it keeps you on your toes when your playing.

If you are ever in the Burnley area and do fancy a game of golf , I highly recommend Towneley Hall Golf Club. If you’re looking for the course, just come off the M65 at the Burnley junction and follow the signs for Towneley Hall. When you get to the park, don’t go in this entrance, head further up the hill and bear left. Then you will see a sign for the golf course. I have spent many a happy afternoon playing here and will no doubt spend many more here in the future. Thanks for reading my review and happy golfing!