Win a year’s golf club membership

May 16 2008 by Michael Green, Flintshire Chronicle

The face of golf in the UK is changing.Going out are the old stuffy men-only clubs and in their place more inclusive, family orientated golf clubs are starting to appear..

At the forefront of this philosophy is Chester’s own Pryors Hayes Golf Club. One of the nice things about Pryors Hayes is the fact that the course loops around the clubhouse, so you can cut short your round if your legs get a little tired.

In its beautiful setting, herons can be seen flying over the clubhouse, obviously on their way to a favourite pond. In fact, Pryors Hayes is home to numerous species of wildlife and you will often see heron, buzzards, coots, hares and the occasional raven.

When you arrive at Pryors Hayes you immediately get the feeling that somebody cares about this club, from the quality of the tee boxes and ball washers, to the buggy hire and gravel paths.

The attention to detail is everywhere, from the flower beds outside the clubhouse, to gravel pathways and manicured fairways; this is a club where the owner and ground staff are committed.

This year sees the club in its best ever position, and its owner, Martin Redrup, is looking forward to meeting the challenges of a changing leisure market.

Martin, a PGA professional, saw an opportunity to fulfil a dream of owning his own course while realising the potential of the club which is cradled in the arms of the Cheshire countryside.

Martin and course manager Ric Westray have spent the winter working hard to continually improve the course, and this year the plan includes the replacement of the greens to USGA specification.

With a budget of £400,000, three greens have so far been replaced with the remainder to be completed over the next three seasons so as to create as little disruption as possible.

To get you in to the swing of things, Pryors Hayes’ own resident PGA professional Freddy Valenti and his PGA assistant pro Jon Shorrock are on hand to help get you started, and for the ladies, Joanne Morley will be starting golf clinics and golf days at Pryors later this month.

As for the course itself, the first five holes pack a punch and the opening hole highlights the nurturing that is being brought about.

Originally arrow straight, the competition tee on the first has been raised and pushed back on a slight angle so the opening shot, which must beat a hedge to the right and avoid being sucked into the ditch that splices the fairway, needs a little more care and attention. And it reaches 445 yards from the back.