Course Ratings
Vale Royal Abbey (Whitegate, Cheshire, England)
Course Info
Vale Royal Abbey Golf Club, Vale Royal Drive, Whitegate, Cheshire, CW8 2BA
- White Tees – 6465 Yards – Par 72
Course Rating – 72.0
Slope – 139 - Yellow Tees – 6197 Yards – Par 72
Course Rating – 70.8
Slope – 135 - Red Tees – 5579 Yards – Par 72
Course Rating – 68.1
Slope – 125
Price
Golf Course
Facilities
Hospitality
Overall Experience
Golf Course
I had heard a lot of good things about this course, and it did not fail to disappoint. The Abbey driving into the course was extremely eye-catching and gave the feel of a course and club of a high standard.
The course itself was an extremely nice course to play, arguably one of the best I have played this year. The holes were remarkably interesting with a mixture of short and long holes, and it certainly catered for the higher handicapped players too. Scoring was definitely to be made on the par 5’s and short par 4’s and hope to cling on to your score over the longer par 4’s in particular. The course was also littered with strategically placed bunkers on the fairway and around the greens. Staying out of the bunkers was a challenging task.
The greens were of a great standard. They weren’t quite up to the standard we had on the putting green; however, we had a bit of rain throughout the round, which ultimately will slow down the greens. However, the most challenging aspect of putting was the reading of the greens. There were not many straight putts and there seemed to be slopes and breaks on nearly every green. It was fairly obvious after the round that the greens and greenside bunkers were the protection for the course and was a hindrance to your score.
The tee off areas were also cut well, but it did seem like there wasn’t much difference between the yellow and white tees. The scorecard backs this theory as its only 200 odd yards longer off whites than yellows.
Facilities
There are several practice facilities at the club. With the course being on a big complex, there are a number of areas for players to practice.
There is a range area just outside the pro shop, which goes up to two hundred yards and is a perfect little warm up area. The only downside was that you had to use your own balls to hit and there were no obvious signs that you could buy range balls at the pro shop. There were also 2 hitting nets next to the range area for players who wanted a quick warm up before they went out to play.
On the way to the first tee there is a putting green outside the clubhouse, which was a particularly challenging green. It was a quick green with slopes and my impression was it was going to reflect the greens out on the course.
As we got closer to the first tee, just next to it was a chipping and bunker area. Whilst it was not the best maintained area, it was certainly good enough to do some practice and get the feel for chip shots.
Hospitality
The Pro Shop was a little difficult to find at first as it was situated within the Abbey itself. It is a small pro shop which is very well stocked with equipment and clothing, as well as refreshments etc. It also sold course guides, which I found incredibly helpful as I had never played the course before. In my opinion, most courses should have these for visitors as it can help players improve scores.
Unfortunately, I never got a chance to experience the clubhouse fully. I did use the locker room which was in great condition and is a great place for members to use. I only passed a pristine looking restaurant which quite a few members were using at the time, which I assumed was part of the clubhouse.
Price
Vale Royal offers a few various memberships for all sorts of different categories. A full membership is £1350, which is the top rate. Underneath that membership there are more categories that go down in price depending on age, number of days you want to play etc. The club also offers a country membership at £550, which has become popular for some players who live a distance away.
Based on my experience, I would recommend a membership at this course if it was affordable, or you lived nearby.
As a visitor, I paid £35 for the round on a Sunday afternoon, which I believe was very fair considering the condition of the course we played. There are some clubs that charge that amount and it’s nowhere near that value. This course is not one of them.
Experience
One of my favourite courses. The whole look of the course and the general standard of both course and clubhouse means this course deserves a fairly high rating. While it is not to the standard of West Lancs (not many are) but for the price you pay, it’s certainly a course I would visit on countless occasions. It would also be a perfect venue for societies to go to. Whilst the highest membership rate is quite high, it would be worth the money if you could attend the course frequently.
It’s a course I can’t recommend highly enough and is definitely worth either the membership or visitor fee.
Who This Course Is For
Final Verdict
Best for: Golfers who want a high-standard parkland round with tricky greens and strategic bunkering at great value.
Also great for: Societies and mixed-handicap groups, with scoring chances on par 5s and short par 4s.
Not ideal for: Players who rely on straight putts or hate heavy greenside defence (slopes, breaks, and bunkers protecting score).
Vale Royal Abbey looks and feels like a high-standard club from the moment you arrive, and the course backs that up with genuinely interesting holes, strong conditioning, and greens that defend par properly. For the visitor fee you paid, it’s outstanding value and a course you’d happily return to repeatedly.
Who This Course Is For
Best for: Golfers who want a high-standard parkland round with tricky greens and strategic bunkering at great value.
Also great for: Societies and mixed-handicap groups, with scoring chances on par 5s and short par 4s.
Not ideal for: Players who rely on straight putts or hate heavy greenside defence (slopes, breaks, and bunkers protecting score).
Final Verdict
Vale Royal Abbey looks and feels like a high-standard club from the moment you arrive, and the course backs that up with genuinely interesting holes, strong conditioning, and greens that defend par properly. For the visitor fee you paid, it’s outstanding value and a course you’d happily return to repeatedly.