Hill Valley Golf and Country Club, Emerald

Hill Valley Golf and Country Club is a fine all round golf venue with two decent parkland layouts (Emerald and Sapphire) and an impressive hotel on site. Hill Valley doesn’t do spectacular golf, but does offer good, honest down-to-earth value-for-money golfing action. We played the Sapphire golf course in the middle of winter and it was in surprisingly good nick considering the beating it had taken from the elements. The greens were fine and that augurs well for a pleasant, enjoyable summer outing. The 9th and 10th holes are both interesting par 4s and there’s a sting in the tail at the 380 yards finale, the green tantalisingly lying beyond a pond.

Click here to find out where Hill Valley ranks in Golf World's Top 100 Resorts UK & Ireland

Hill Valley Golf and Country Club opened in 1975 and is widely regarded as one of the leading golfing venues in the region. Since then a second 18-hole layout (the shorter par 66, 4,449-yards Sapphire golf course) has opened while the superb off-course facilities have helped to turn this idyllic corner of Shropshire countryside into a firm favourite with golfers from all over the UK. The Emerald Championship Course covers a distance of 6,714 yards and is a par 73. Sweeping around undulating fairways through natural water hazards and strategically placed bunkers, it presents a real golfing challenge to experienced and mid-level players.

Certainly the creation of a luxury new on-site Macdonal hotel has helped to put Hill Valley on the map and things are set to get even bigger and better this year with the planned opening of a new health club and state-of-the-art leisure amenities.

• Course has: Bar
• Course has: Buggy Hire
• Course does not have: Driving Range
• Course does not have: Practice Green
• Course has: Pro Shop
• Course has: Restaurant
• Course has: Trolley Hire
• Course does not have: Dress Code
• Course has: Club Hire
• Course does not have: Handicap

• 3 out of 5 Bargin !! 07 November 2008

  By dja14112306

  Good course. Nice mix of holes. Strong Par 3s testing Par4s, reachable par5s(even for us shorter hitters, though still needed to solid hits).The reason I marked the greens low was they had just been spiked. Really enjoyed playing it though and for £20.00 you wont find many that are better value for money. A bargin !!!

• 4 out of 5 Good course despite the weather 14 October 2008

  By chamboski

  Good course in excellent condition considering two weeks of continuous rain before I played it. Lots of blind tee shots and less fit players may struggle walking it, and make sure you take lots of money if you have a drink and food as it's on the expensive side.

• 4 out of 5 Be accurate. 26 July 2007

  By alistair johnson

  Hill Valley is a great place to play. It is a good test of ability but wayward golfers will have to take a few balls as there is some very tight shots with thick tree lined fairways. It is advisable to buy a course guide as some shots are blind.There is a good mix of holes which keep you thinking. There is a nice finish to the round where you're firing at a green with 2 large trees either side of water at the front, water is also right and 2 bunkers left,basically you need to hit the green. There's a nice bar with a large outdoor terrace.Play here and you will not be dissapointed, just be accurate.