Nailcote Hall is a hidden little gem tucked away in leafy Berkswell.
Not many golfers know it is there and those who haven’t played the challenging Par 3 track will certainly be shocked how tricky it can be.
Annually the Cromwell Course hosts the star-studded British Par 3 Championship, which has an incredible £15,000 on offer for the winner this year.
The August event, sponsored by Farmfoods, is now the most lucrative PGA event in the country.
Because of the increased interest this year, Nailcote Hall owner Rick Cressman has undertaken a series of alterations to add more bite to the course, which is already considered one of the hardest of it’s kind in the country.
The changes include an amendment to the course layout which now sees the players finishing on the longest hole.
This will make the end of the competition more exciting for competitors and spectators alike.
In addition it will give spectators in the grandstand a far better view of all the excitement taking place on the final hole.
Earlier this week a team of Birmingham Post employees were invited to test out the playing conditions.
Former snooker star Willie Thorne joined us as did Cressman and regional PGA secretary Jon Sewell.
After a disastrous opening double bogey on the first, things rapidly improved in the following holes as I didn’t drop a shot in the next six holes.
On the 124-yard 3rd I was actually just six inches away from a hole in one.
Then came the tricky 133-yard 7th, formerly the 9th.
With water surrounding the green, there is little room for error so when I caught my nine-iron fat I knew there was going to be a splash.
Thinning my chip shot from the drop zone also resulted in another wet ball so I walked off with an embarrassing six.
Bogey, par finish meant I carded a six-over score of 33.
Another change that will be in place come August 9-12, is the new water feature which stretches all but 16 yards of the 146-yard last hole.
The attractive addition to the course has led to the safe fairway area by the third hole being narrowed.
Simultaneously, the feature has wrapped water around the left hand portion of the eight green so added skill will be needed to avoid the new 130-yard obstacle.
Cressman has carefully crafted the changes and believes they will benefit both the spectators and the competitors.
“We’ve changed the last hole to make it more accessible for the people who come along to watch it,” he said.
