Sandbach is perhaps best known, outside of the region at least, as the home of a fairly nondescript M6 service station. It’s served travellers since 1975, and is, we learn, where a couple renewed their vows in 2002, with the 50 guests given a full tour of the facilities, while a choir sang on the footbridge. Magical. But behind the WHSmith, Costa and f’real Milkshakes (divine incidentally, southbound only), lies a quaint market town, with a proud history producing ale, silk, and then transport.
Whilst the traditional industries may have petered out, an historic charm remains, with the Tudor buildings, cobbled square, and a town crier… newly appointed as of June following a impressive 42 year stint by his predecessor. But whilst we could wax lyrical about the town, as former residents, it’s golf that we’re in CW11 for. Sandbach Golf Club sits just on the outskirts of the centre, to the west, and is a nine hole setup dating back almost 130 years.
There’s an informal feel on arrival, and welcomely so, with green fees paid at the bar, and everyone we encounter seems friendly. The course is an easy walk, with only gentle and infrequent undulations, in a traditional parkland style with tree-lined fairways and bunkers the course’s main defence. It proves a solid test, with a nice mix of holes, and interesting features; like the second tee shot over the first green, and the meander through woodland en-route to the third that follows.
We find the fifth a particularly enjoyable hole, with the most subtle of doglegs left, and sloping right-to-left fairways that provides two good reasons to ensure an accurate tee shot. Fairway bunkers then duly navigated, the challenge – and fun – of a two-tiered (‘MacKenzie’) green awaits. There’s two more dogleg lefts in the remaining holes, that leave us ruing our inability to hit a draw, rather than our somewhat less revered ‘power fade’.
Before we know it, we’re counting the bunkers marking out a ‘runway’ to the final green (all eight of them!), and wishing we had time to go around again. But we must resist, for we have other plans… because for us at least, it’s not a visit to Sandbach without either seeing the town crier, or a trip to Raffaele (and no, it’s not a #spon). With no red and gold coated men to be found, there’s only one thing for it, and we head for the most authentic Italian experience this side of Milan. Oyez, oyez!
Key Info
Holes: 9
Par: White / Yellow: 68. Red: 70
Yards: White: 5,605. Yellow: 5,423. Red: 5,016
Slope: White: 118. Yellow: 116. Red: 123
Visitor Green Fees: Ranging from £10 for 9 holes with a member, to £35 for 18 holes at weekends without a member
Website: https://sandbachgolfclub.co.uk/
Location
Prices correct at time of writing (August 2024).
Find out where this course ranks in the list of toughest courses in Cheshire here, and see our overview of Golfing in Cheshire here.
Where shall we review next? Let us know here.
