JCB Golf and Country Club Review: What an Invite-Only Course Is Really Worth

JCB Golf and Country Club doesn't take bookings, so a charity auction four-ball was my only way in. I first published this review on 1 November 2021, and more than four years on my verdict on the money hasn't moved: not yet, but give it time.

257 yards off the back tees, into wind. No, I didn't par it. And no, you can't pay to play.

You see this isn't a golf course you'll find on Golfnow, and you can't just rock up and play. This is a course you're either invited to by JCB, you work for them, or you get in through a charity day or a prize.

My way in was a charity auction where the winning bidder didn't pay for their four-ball. The winning bid on the night for four players was £6,000. That's right, £1,500 each, and that's before the golf balls you'll lose or the merch you'll buy in the shop. Thankfully it was picked up for a lot less than that.

So is it worth it? Is it worth working an employee contact, waiting for a charity day or an open competition just to get in?

I don't think so. Yet. But then again I didn't think the Brabazon was worth it either.

I found a tournament, the Ben Automotive Pro-Am 2021, at £500 per player. That puts it right up there with some of the best golf courses in the UK, hell, even the world.

On arrival you get an amazing gift of a JCB towel with your name on it. Nice little touch.

The clubhouse is like a massive glass atrium with the highest quality level, you'll even be impressed by the toilets. Expect the high prices to continue to the breakfast, but it was an amazing £13 brekkie. Heston would be proud.

The range is just outside the massive windows, so if you're scared of people watching, you may want to give it a miss. But for condition, targets and balls, it's the best I've seen.

You'll also find a little boutique shop that has JCB diggers and some top brands. I was unimpressed with the selection, however I did get myself a couple of caps that weren't overly expensive, to say I've been there.

Outside the front is the best putting green you'll ever play on, with undulations to test every possible putt on the course. Don't expect glass greens but they rolled just right.

But enough about that, what about the course?

When we were ready the pro pulled up in a buggy ready to escort our group and buggies down to the first tee. I'm glad they did, it was about half a mile away.

On the first tee you'll be invited by this little fella, a yellow JCB digger ready to invite you to lose all the balls in your bag. It didn't disappoint.

I remember teeing off the first thinking "this isn't quite as bad as Rick Sheils pointed out", and thinking "he played off the black tees, I'm off the yellows". How wrong I could be.

This course was set up to catch every wayward shot, feed golf balls into bunkers and take a short or long shot into the green and make it unplayable. Basically, you needed to be perfect. Which I wasn't.

The first hole in particular saw me in the righthand bunker on a downslope, which then saw me over the green and nearly into the water. I didn't even play a bad iron shot or a bad bunker shot, which was disheartening. I walked off with a 6.

You also had to contend with holes where you had to hit and hope, because there were elevations and relying on your distances meant plotting your way around. Something that didn't work for me on the day.

Just to put everything in perspective, this is the 9th hole. Visually stunning in every way: an old ruin on the left, water at the front, picturesque bunkers and a perfectly manicured green surrounded by all the autumnal shades. Stunning. 150 yards off the yellows and index 18. That's right, the easiest hole on the course.

I hit a great iron shot that caught the wind, drifted right and, when pitching the green, rolled off right into the bunker. To be fair I played a good bunker shot, but look at the size and elevation change.

The back 9 carried on like the front 9 with rolling fairways and picture-perfect views. There really isn't much else to say.

But you didn't come here for that. Here's the 17th.

We had to tee off from the black tees. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to take on the longest par 3 I've ever seen. It didn't disappoint: 257 downhill, into the wind on the day from the black tees. My drive, yes I hit a driver, finished in the water right.

My actual tee shot from the yellow was 195, and a slight miss right meant a chip to here and a solid missed putt for a bogey.

Our experience wasn't great on the day, though. With buggies not being allowed on the course, we found ourselves walking miles to play our shots. As I wasn't playing great, as was my buggy partner, we'd often find each other on the wrong side of the fairway. That meant hundreds of yards for each shot. My back after Birkdale couldn't handle it, and I'm not making excuses, but I could hardly swing on the back 9.

What's the point in having a cart path if it's so far away, or only down one side of the hole?

It ruined my golf but didn't affect my experience. I had a phenomenal day and was so thankful for the invite.

So back to my original question: is it worth the money? The golf course isn't worth twice as much as the Grove or S&A. Yet. You can see that in a few years, when it matures, it'll be ridiculous. Is it worth it for a one-off, just to lose a million balls? Totally.

Related: Playing The Brabazon at The Belfry – My Dream Course