Sutton Coldfield Golf Club

Set within the wide open landscape of Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield Golf Club offers a peaceful and enjoyable heathland layout, designed by Dr. Alister MacKenzie in the early 20th century. Despite being located within the Birmingham Metropolitan Area, the course feels far more rural, quiet, spacious, and surrounded by nature. The par-70 layout is relatively flat and walkable, though still challenging due to its fast, sloping greens and smartly placed bunkers. The 7th hole, a par 5 with a raised green, is a standout, especially with a public bench just behind where passers-by often stop to watch play. Greens are a highlight here, consistently quick and true, even during winter conditions. This adds a premium to approach shots and short-game precision. The clubhouse, located across the road from the course, mixes traditional charm with modern facilities, and staff provide a warm, welcoming experience. Sutton Coldfield is a course that rewards repeat play, revealing more of its subtleties with each visit.

Excellent work has been done at Sutton Coldfield over the past seven years to replace, create and overblow bunkers, aided by 1940s aerial photos from Alister MacKenzie's design work on the course.

MacKenzie’s seventh rule of design is “The course should have beautiful surroundings and all the artificial features should have a so natural an appearance that a stranger is unable to distinguish them from nature itself. ”

It could have been written with Sutton Coldfield in mind. This might be the rawest inland course I have played but it is complemented by excellent fairway turf, consistent bunker sand and tricky but consistent greens.

The opening holes are probably more challenging for first-time players than for regulars.

For example, the opening short par-four appears narrow because an avenue of trees blocks the view of a wide-open fairway down the right-hand side.

The golf course is part of glorious Sutton Park, and walkers, as well as cattle, can be seen on it.

In return, it has some of the finest views of any course in the Midlands.

Its back nine can also undo a promising round, as I can testify, having reached a couple under my handicap after notching an unlikely birdie on the 427-yard par-four 11th.

The 12th is a belting hole at 433 yards. Its blind tee shot over heather leads to a fairway which dips towards a ditch before ascending steeply to a typically undulating Mackenzie green.

The scorecard pressure remains on the 15th, a brute of a par-three into a huge ascending green with giant, deep bunkers on either side. I am not exaggerating – there are steps into the one on the right-hand side.

We encountered cows munching next to the 16th green, which, in common with all of Sutton’s putting surfaces, is protected against wildlife by a wire fence similar to those at Brora and Royal North Devon.

The 17th is the longest par-three with more deep sand around the target, while the 18th offers the player a chance to open the shoulders on a par-four down a tree-lined avenue.

It completed a course that is being moulded to challenge for a top-100 place (it is already on some lists). A touch more tree clearance could secure its place.

Fantastic course greens are absolutely fantastic not played on any better course well maintained to very high standard and does not change during the winter months car park is a bit tight and parking hard to find a space at busy times restaurant is fantastic food brilliant and staff very friends the pro shop is very helpful.

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Whilst it may not quite capture the imagination like nearby Beau Desert does there is no denying this is fine heathland golf. Holes such as the 15th, a brilliant par three, belong on any of the country’s finest inland courses. The green settings, along with the actual putting surfaces, at the fifth, sixth and seventh (incidentally consecutive par fives!) are also exceptional.

The course played superbly on a crisp March morning when the ball was running as if it were the height of summer. There was little rough on my visit and the heather was thinner than it would be during the main playing season but it was noticeable how narrow the fairways were on some holes, especially the strong par fours and fives.