Danny Lockwood enjoys a round at Cottingham Parks Golf and Leisure Club
Time has not stood still for the Wiles family since the Cottingham farmers founded their initial golf leisure business a little more than 30 years ago, just outside the village to the west of Hull.
If anything, the changes have been picking up pace with the recent completion of a stunning clubhouse remodel.
“It would have been a lot easier to start from scratch,” said director Rob Wiles as he chuckled and shook his head.
The thriving golf and leisure club started life as a basic course and driving range, complete with a Portakabin.
“The first clubhouse was opened later that year,” said Rob, who has taken over the reins from his father, John. “The health club came in 2001 with its pool and gym [there’s now salon and massage facilities as well] before holiday lodges were introduced in 2005.”
The neighbouring Skidby Lakes Golf Club was acquired in 2008 and although it has its own dedicated membership, Cottingham Parks members get playing rights at Skidby. Overall, the business occupies a site of around 250 acres, including a separate Wiles-owned equestrian centre.
For now, the focus is on the radically changed clubhouse – complete with a large first-floor outdoor area. As well as providing members and guests with first-class facilities, it has also expanded the conference and events offering. Three new guest lodges on the golf side of the property – the lodge park is adjacent – will soon become six, with larger properties able to accommodate bigger groups.
“We had planning permission for a hotel before Covid but couldn’t get permission for a residential project we’d have needed to finance it,” Rob explained. Plan B has led to an admittedly stressful 18 months. “We managed to maintain business as usual, but it was a real struggle at times, especially through the really wet winter and spring last year,” Rob added.
Original PGA professional turned general manager Chris Gray has been an integral part of the operation from day one, and he is now managing a handover ahead of stepping down in the next 12 months or so.
As well as the stunning clubhouse, there’s a lot more that’s new about the Cottingham operation, including the greens team and kitchen staff. Meanwhile the Fairways covered driving range – where professionals Mark Thompson and Alex Boyton can be found – is set to become home to a new robotic ball recovery and washing system.
Cottingham also has strong green credentials. A wheat straw-burning biomass facility was added in 2013 and a 174kw solar panel site, linked to a 120kw battery system, makes the site more eco-friendly while helping manage costs.
On the golf course, one of Cottingham’s pride and joys is its hugely successful junior development programme. Under the guidance of Ken Hilton, the junior academy has proved a huge success with as much emphasis on fun as competition with the full involvement of professionals Mark and Alex, plus help from several assistants in PGA training.
The fabulous outdoor veranda overlooking the first tee and 18th green reveals a new putting green and the only significant change to the golf course routing – the first now played as a long par four rather than a par five.
On the course, Cottingham Parks is living proof that you don’t have to be long to be an excellent test of golf.
Drainage ditches feature on many of the holes while water around the easy-walking course has to be navigated sensibly. There are elements of risk and reward throughout the round too, and position off the tee is far more important than length.
Meanwhile, the green complexes have ensured the amateur course record remains at one over-par (72). The putting surfaces are excellent but knowing where to put your approach shot is imperative, with plenty of false fronts and some distinct slopes that you need to read well.
The yellow tees have a modest yardage of 5,882 but some of the drives will test your nerve, while staying straight when playing from the white tees (6,335 yards) is essential.
With a wide variety of membership options which can include leisure club affiliation, Cottingham Parks ticks just about every box possible.
Cottingham Parks Golf and Leisure Club (yellow tees)
1 – 428 yards, par 4
A long, straight par four, the first hole rises gently towards a green with a distinct false front. The putting surface slopes from back right to front left, while there are bunkers front left and right with mounding all around.
2 – 339 yards, par 4
An intimidating tee shot is played through a narrow, tree-lined channel – though the fairway opens out. Playing slightly downhill, avoid the big front left bunker and beware the ditch immediately behind the green.
3 – 373 yards, par 4
Slightly uphill and straight away, the third features a fairway which is a wide enough target. The green here is big and slopes from back to front. Banking on the right and at the rear can help hold the green.
4 – 157 yards, par 3
An intriguing mid-length par three, the fourth is played uphill and you can’t see the bottom of the pin. Two captains’ charity bunkers lie in front of the big circular putting surface.
5 – 543 yards, par 5
A tough test, the par five fifth is played slightly downhill with serious trouble left. The fairway slopes from the right and a big right-centre tree needs to be navigated around. The hole then bends slightly left towards a green which slopes front to back and features a big front bunker.
6 – 316 yards, par 4
A pretty hole with lateral ditches plus a narrow pond down the left, the approach at the sixth is played uphill to a pretty, well-bunkered MacKenzie-style tiered green.
7 – 362 yards, par 4
A tough hole, you must traverse the ditch to find a generous fairway at the seventh. The approach is challenging with another ditch some 15 yards short of a large upturned-saucer-style green. A horseshoe-shaped bunker wrapped around the left and rear of the putting surface increases the challenge of this hole further.
8 – 146 yards, par 3
Played over a pond and a huge central bunker some 20 yards short, the eighth features another large green with a ridge two-thirds of the way up. Don’t come up short as the green falls away at the front.
9 – 302 yards, par 4
The ninth is a short par four and real risk and reward hole. There’s a 90-degree dogleg with water on the elbow and trees if you run too far. While big hitters can go over the top, a 30-yard bunker lies beyond the trees and the green has more bunkers to contend with.
10 – 500 yards, par 5
Straight away with two lateral ditches and a bunker some 30 yards short of the green, the 10th can yield birdies when played sensibly. The green is wider than it is deep, and it falls away on the left.
11 – 405 yards, par 4
A longer par four with a slight dogleg left, there’s a long fairway bunker on the right and a diagonal ditch which is in play for longer hitters at the 11th. Another green that’s wider than it is deep features mounding at the rear.
12 – 309 YARDS, PAR 4
The signature hole at Cottingham Parks, there’s water all down the right side at the 12th, but you need to favour this side before coming in over water to a huge green which slopes away towards the back right.
13 – 366 yards, par 4
A dogleg right played from an elevated tee – the fairway is wide open at the 13th. The green has a narrow entrance, and bunkers left and right.
14 – 137 yards, par 4
A smaller green must be found at this short par three featuring sand front right and back left. Another upturned-saucer-style green, the putting surface drops away to the front left corner.
15 – 291 yards, par 4
Play for position in the fairway at the 15th before coming into the green at a 45-degree angle and staying well clear of the horseshoe of water around two thirds of the putting surface.
16 – 120 yards, par 3
A short hole which is easy on the eye with a parade of small trees in front of you, the green at the 16th falls away at the front.
17 – 278 yards, par 4
Make sure you take the water out of play at the short par four 17th. The green is much wider than it is deep with a ridge separating the left third – which lies behind a front bunker and can be hard to find should the pin be in this section.
18 – 511 yards, par 5
A super finishing hole, the par five 18th features another ditch to cross with your drive, before a large sentinel tree stands in front of your second shot. There’s also water right and out of bounds left. The huge green has something of a lateral kidney shape, while the large rear mound has a bunker cut into it.
