Paul Allott commends work on Wilmslow Golf Club course

The Altrincham-born 67-year-old former Lancashire and England bowler, who went on to commentate for Sky Sports before becoming director of cricket at Old Trafford between 2018 and 2021, says Wilmslow Golf Club’s course is now back to being one of the best inland courses in the region.

And Allott, who is greens chairman at Wilmslow, acknowledged this has been achieved in quickfire time since bringing in Callum Goodhind as course manager this year.

“Our stated aim was to be able to bring Wilmslow back to where it should be as one of the top inland courses in Cheshire and the north west,” said Allott, who was part of a Lancashire side that won five trophies between 1984 and 1990, including the Refuge Assurance League in 1989.

“The fact that Callum and his team have achieved this inside six months is an admirable achievement.

“The testimonies from our own members, some of whom have been with us for over 30 years, are all along the lines that the course has never looked or played better in all that time.

“Comments from visitors and societies have echoed this too and we believe we are now the best prepared and the ‘must play’ course in the area.

“The message generally is that we are on the up and Wilmslow intends to get to the top.”

Overhead view of Wilmslow Golf Club course (Image: Contributed)

Aerial view of Wilmslow Golf Club course (Image: Contributed)

Goodhind outlined the progress made in the past few months.

“Despite an unsettled year of weather to say the least, I am delighted with the strides my team have made in getting Wilmslow Golf Club back on the map,” he said.

“Collectively, with the backing of a forward-thinking greens committee, we have been able to restore some real character to the course and focus on raising the standards quite drastically on the putting surfaces and surrounds.

“The course now boasts pockets of stunning ecology rough, dominated with fescue and we will continue to thin out these areas over many years to come, creating almost a heath-land feel to the course.

“In contrast, we have worked extremely hard on surface refinement to get the greens to a high standard that are firm, fast and most importantly, true.

“I would like to thank my team for buying into quite significant changes in the day-to-day running of the course and adapting to a new way of working for several members of staff who have been employed at the club for over 30 years.

“The morale among the team is great and it’s great to see every member of my team heading home at the end of a busy week with a smile on their face and a real sense of pride in what we are producing.”

Goodhind is not resting there, though.

He added: “We continue to strive for better and with the upcoming full irrigation install, I am confident that in seasons to come we can progress even further and begin to knock on the door of the national rankings.

“The feedback from a wide range of golfing abilities has been superb and with some big events still to come this season, I am hopeful that we will continue to put Wilmslow back on the map and build on the reputation we have started to build in 2024 already.

“The support of the greens chairman, Paul Allott, has been superb and he has ensured that my team are able to manage the course how we see fit to produce the highest possible standards.

“All of the greens committee and members at the club have backed the vision we have for the course and I personally couldn’t have asked for more support than I have received in my first year at Wilmslow.

“Once we have successfully installed the new Toro irrigation system this autumn/winter, we are looking to work on drainage in as many areas of the course as possible to ensure we are able to produce a golf course for all abilities, all year round.

“Other plans include the introduction of a large-scale pond for aesthetics/drainage and playability, which can also be used for water harvesting when the expected changes are implemented to water abstraction limits.

“I personally plan on many successful years at this great club and I’m looking forward to working with my committed team to continue to make improvements, providing a course that members are proud to play at.”