Average Course with Great Views of... Tesco's (Westridge Golf Centre (Isle of Wight))

Member Name: JJJJ

Product:	Westridge Golf Centre (Isle of Wight)
Date:	15/02/09 (159 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good Practice Facilities and Shop

Disadvantages: Holes are too short, course needs more trees

For a fairly small place (147 square miles), the Isle of Wight has its fair share of golf courses. So far I have taken a look at Ryde - the parkland course on the North-East coast, and 'Shanklin and Sandown' which is considered the Island's finest. This review takes a look at Westridge Golf Centre - perhaps regarded as the poorest nine-hole course, but featuring the best practice facilities.

The short course, which once consisted of only par 3's, has been extended - although some of the par 4's are only around 290 yards in length which means that the longer hitters will be able to drive them in one.

The best hole on the course is perhaps the second, which requires an accurate drive down a narrow tree-lined fairway. The Par 3 sixth is also noteworthy, as the tee shot takes you over a stretch of water onto a spacious green.

As I previously mentioned, Westridge Golf Centre has a wide range of practice facilities including a sixteen bay floodlit driving range which is over 300 yards in length, a practice bunker, and a large putting green.

There is a cafe / bar on the premises, although it's quite small and not particularly noteworthy.

The golf shop at Westridge is probably the largest on The Island, and features a good selection of clothing and equipment. The prices are fairly reasonable, and the shop is open seven days a week.

- Green Fees -
The course is deemed 'pay and play' which means you can just turn up and get a game without booking. This means that although you are likely to be guaranteed some golf, your round can be quite slow, as you can find yourself stuck behind a group of people who have not played the game before, and don't realise it's good etiquette to let faster players come on through.

The prices for a round are as follows -
9 Holes Weekdays - £12.50
9 Holes Weekend - £13.50
18 Holes Weekdays - £16.00
18 Holes Weekends - £17.00

The shop and practice facilities aside, Westridge is a fairly unremarkable golfing experience. Apart from a couple of decent holes, the course is unimaginatively landscaped and quite bland. This is most apparent with some of the holes where the players main view is of either the main road, or the huge Tesco Extra building which has recently been built. The course would definitely benefit from more trees being planted in order to mask the unattractive surroundings.

Summary: Short and Windy Golf Course