Cleeve Hill, Cheltenham GL52 3PW
Cleeve Hill Golf Club
Caddy notes on Cleeve Hill Golf Club
- One of the most unique courses in the south of England
- 1,000 feet in the air with stunning 360 views across Cheltenham and the Cotswolds
- Drains and plays just like a links course
- Club was saved in 2020 and is now successfully running its own way with a laid back and welcoming feel
- The very definition of a hidden gem that is steeped in history
- The course was the original site for the running of the World famous Gold Cup!
One of the finest examples of raw, rugged inland golf you’ll find anywhere in the UK – A must play!
Before you read our course description, just take a moment (if you haven’t already) to scroll through the gallery above…
Cleeve Hill is the definition of a hidden gem and one of the most interesting inland golf courses you are ever likely to play.
A downland course located at the highest point in the Cotswolds (1083ft), playing links like due to the almost permanent presence of wind, rugged terrain and tight lies caused by a limestone base which drains almost instantly. The views from the course are simply unrivaled with a full panorama across the surrounding countryside, Gloucestershire, Cheltenham and Wales.
This is golf as it was meant to be played. All of the contours, rock faces and undulations are either naturally occurring or have been carved out of the rock from quarrying undertaken in a time gone by. You are here to tackle a raw golf course with fantastic greens, but acceptable blemishes. These certainly do not detract, but rather enhance your experience. That is what you are to have at Cleeve Hill. An experience that is seldom replicated at any inland course across the country, and one that all golfers visiting the region should encounter.
The course features wide expansive and often shared fairways. Even the less accomplished golfer will struggle to lose a ball from the tee. That said, disrespect the wonderful layout here by missing your approach in the wrong place and your scorecard will be punished. The course is largely maintained by the resident 4-legged, woolley green keepers. The pictures alone tell a story; this far from a pristine parkland, this rugged hilltop course… and what a course it is.
The signature hole at Cleeve Hill is widely regarded as the 13th. A short par 5, playing uphill from the tee, then quickly falling down to one the most memorable green complexes you are ever likely to witness. Located in the foundations of an iron age fort site, it is surrounded by a deep wall of mounds and provides a certain peril for the golfer who attempts the green in 2. Then again some may argue that the 17th tee is where the course peaks. Purely based on the 360 vista available at what is known as Trig Point!
The land at Cleeve Hill has a rich history. In its time it has been a quarry and farmland, but perhaps more interestingly the site for the first 40 years of the now World famous Gold Cup. The story goes that whilst gambling was illegal in the mid 1800’s, the horse racing lovers would congregate on top of Cleeve Hill to avoid the authorities.
First opening for play in 1891, the course was laid by Old Tom Morris (St Andrew’s Old Course, Royal North Devon, Royal Portrush, Royal County Down) who saw a chance to create an inland design with features reminiscent of some of Scotland’s finest links. Golf has been played on the hill since then, but this all very nearly came to an end when the local council decided that the commercial viability was no longer there and it was scheduled for closure in Spring 2021. However, thanks to a local effort, including a petition and some passionate articles, the club thankfully lives on to this day.
Since then the course has gone from strength to strength, even featuring high up in some recent top 100-course rankings. The recent attention is exactly what this club deserves… perhaps no longer it is Cleeve Hill, Gloucestershire’s best-kept golfing secret.
Visitor information
- Visitor play is possible 7 days a week
- No buggies available to hire due to terrain
Distances and pars
-
White
Par: 71
Yards: 6,400
-
Yellow
Par: 69
Yards: 6,083
-
Red
Par: 72
Yards: 5,516
Course location
The local area
Whilst on the course you may feel as if you are miles from anywhere, Cleeve Hil is actually in easy reach of the M5 and Cheltenham. Accessible from Bristol, Cardiff, Birmingham and London, this is a great spot to start or end a Cotswold golf tour.
Recent GSW client feedback
Packages
General FAQs
-
Who are Golf South West?
Founded in 2015, we are first and foremost the West Country golf travel specialists. We provide our clients with bespoke golf tours and stay & play golf packages for small groups and golf societies alike.
We are both a domestic golf tour operator working directly for our clients and regional golf DMC who act as an agent for international outbound operators hoping to have their clients experience the beautiful West Country and it’s golfing delights!
We work closely with our venues to ensure our customers receive the best value and service available for golf travel within the region.
In 2023 we welcomed 2 new brands into the GSW family. Golf South East and Golf North West. Both offering the same expert service which our clients have come to expect from Golf South West, with experts in each respective region.
-
Which regions are covered by Golf South West?
Golf South West is the West Country’s premier golf tour operator covering the regions of Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Bristol, Gloucestershire, Dorset, South Wales and Hampshire.
We also work with selected, popular golf resorts across the UK including those under the management of Marriott, plus 4 time Ryder Cup host The Belfry, Celtic Manor and many more.
If you are planning a golf break, we are the only call you need to make.
-
What is the best way to get in touch?
We are available by phone 0117 256 5966 (Monday – Friday, 9am to 5pm), WhatsApp, email, enquiry form or via social media channels.
-
Why choose Golf South West as your tour operator?
GSW is run by golfers and endorsed by golf professionals across the South West of the UK.
We are a fully insured, experienced and recommended golf tour operator, who are insured by an ABTOT bond, meaning your money is secure and safe.
We offer tours to a largely exclusive and unrivalled selection of venues across the Southwest of England and Wales, including some courses which can be tricky to access.
We are also proud members of Golf Tourism England and IAGTO, who only work with only the best and most reputable companies in the industry.
You can rest assured that as a client of Golf South West you will not only receive the best service, advice and choice, but you will also find the best value golf breaks in available in the West Country.
-
What happens if we can’t go on our planned trip?
Holding deposits are non-refundable, but they are transferable* to a new date or break. We aim to be as flexible as possible and will treat each situation on a case by case basis. Full deposits are non-refundable so please only commit and pay for those in the party who are definitely able to attend the trip.
* Some venue restrictions apply. Terms vary depending on the venue and cancellation term booked. Phone GSW consultant can advise you of this.
-
Can we make changes to our break?
Managing a group can be a thankless task and changes to the group leading up to your break are an accepted element. We make changes as stress free as possible (just see our reviews for evidence of this!). Changes can be made up to 6 weeks prior to your break. Some changes are unavoidable so for legitimate reasons we will endeavour to make last minute changes after this period, but as we would have paid our venues at this point, this would be at the discretion of the venue(s) you are visiting. Please note a £25 admin fee will be applied for changes inside 6 weeks.
-
Why book with a tour operator?
Good question, could you not do this all yourself? The answer is yes you could. You are able to locate the ideal hotel with the accessibility you need to the clubs you plan to play. You could go back and forth with your target venues and line up the tee times. You could also contact each venue individually to advise them of group number changes and requests during the build up to your trip.
Alternatively you could;
– Talk to us about the trip you are planning.
– Receive quotes for perfectly crafted package meeting your ideal requirements.
– Secure the booking with small deposits staged in a way to make your life easier as an organiser.
– Have your funds fully insured and independently held by PTS, our client trust provider.
– Have changes made to whole tours with just one call or email.
– Receive exclusive extras such as free places.
– Pay less with our packages than going direct to venues.
Why can we do this?
Quite simply we have spent years (since 2015) forging strong relationships with hotel, golf club and golf resort venues across the South West. We are the expert tour operator for the region and are know for our high quality and personal service to our clients (just see our Google and TrustPilot reviews).
-
Who uses Golf South West?
The majority of our clients are UK based domestic travellers. We deal with groups of any size, from single travellers and couples, to large golf societies.
We also are the favoured golf DMC for the South West of England and preferred regional partner of Golf Tourism England. We regularly work with tour operators from Europe, America and elsewhere to provide bespoke tour packages allowing overseas travellers to experience the beautiful West Country.
-
How are package prices displayed on our website?
Prices on our our website are displayed in two ways. The first is on our Resort pages where pricing tables show the from prices for low, mid and high season golf stay and play package rates at golf resort venues.
The second is on our example tour package pages. There are often 4 prices shown here, two for low season and two for high season. The struck through price typically shows the highest price the tour can be and is often active over weekends in that season. The offer price is typically a mid week price.
Every tour quote we offer is bespoke and will vary based on a number of factors including the date, availability, group size, room type, time of day for the tee time, etc… Our package pricing is a guide to the cost of the package and is not a firm price. Please enquire for an exact cost.
We aim to provide as accurate a price as possible and therefore try to avoid using shoulder/mid season pricing or twilight green fee rates when displaying rates. You may find an intermediate price for breaks in months of April & October at certain venues.
-
Why are golf resort prices the same as elsewhere?
Put simply, all tour operators work from the same contracted rate card when it comes to stay and play golf resort packages. When it comes to golf tours, that is a different matter, but golf resorts are a level playing field.
If you find a vastly different price, it’s likely you’ve been misquoted and usually this does come back to bite.
The question this poses is why book a stay and play golf break with Golf South West if you can book direct or with one of the large operators and receive the same price?
Benjamin Franklin once said “The bitterness of poor quality remains long after
the sweetness of low price is forgotten.”We have a small team so booking through us means you receive a personal service. You are more than just a number to us, we are a tour operator where you will likely get to deal with the same contact throughout the process, who will get to know you and your group and respond efficiently to your queries.
We know our venues and the people who work there. This ensures a smooth process from initial enquiry to the end of your stay.
Financially you have an extra layer of protection as your money is securely stored in an independent trust account and is fully insured when it is released to the venue(s) you are visiting.
We are fortunate to have some exclusive “extras” with selected venues across the South West. We offer 1 in 16 free on most trips AND run an exclusive credit system to reward repeat bookers.
We often feel we add further value to our clients when it comes to our bespoke golf tour packages, but you can rest assured that when making a stay and play golf resort booking, Golf South West will offer you an extremely high level of service, financial protection and may even offer you a saving or an exclusive extra!
