Sherry Golf Course is without doubt one of the most charming golf clubs I have enjoyed.
As you walk into the foyer of the clubhouse you will be greeted by Buddha in statue, a perfect photo opportunity for first time visitors. Buddha sits outside the pro shop and caddymaster. Inside a warm, friendly welcome awaits. The caddy masters will allow you to tee off from either the first or tenth tee depending upon which is going to give you the best flow around the golf course. The team at Sherry Golf Course will “bend over backwards” to make you feel at home and make sure you enjoy a fabulous day.
The clubhouse terrace offers a great view of the driving range and putting green, all of which are sited conveniently close to the first and tenth tees. Egrets patrol the terrace hoping for crumbs. Nothing as tawdry as a pigeons at Sherry Golf Course, only the finest, whitest Egrets.
The driving range allows you to hit from grass!!! A rare delight! I spent an hour chipping, putting and just getting totally immersed in the vibe that emanates from this lovely place!
Sherry golf was designed by Sterling and Martin, both alumni of Pete and Perry Dye. The same Dye dynasty that is responsible for some of the finest golf courses in the world. I mention this because Sherry Golf Course, in my opinion, is one the the most thoughtfully constructed golf designs I have been lucky enough to play. Golfers of every level will have a great time. This golf course does not set out to humble, or beat you up. It will not consume countless golf balls. This golf course has a feel good factor, it will make you happy, it will make you feel good about your game. I am telling you this from first hand experience. I scored 25 stableford points today, horrendous, yet my memories of this delightful golf course are 100% positive.
Sherry Golf Course is a “must play” experience.
Location
Facilities
Clubhouse
Lockers
Showers
Restaurant
Pro Shop
Club Hire
Floodlit Driving Range
Chipping Green
Putting Green
9 Hole Pitch and Putt
Footgolf
Croquet lawns
Opened: 2004
Designer: Stirling and Martin
Sherry Golf Par 72 Black Tees 6752m White Tees 6160m Yellow Tees 5591m Blue Tees 4867m Red Tees 4867m
Sherry Golf Front Nine Par 36 Black Tees 3348m White Tees 3136m Yellow Tees 2855m Blue Tees 2477m Red Tees 2477m
Sherry Golf Hole 1
Par 4 Stroke Index 2 Black Tees 393m White Tees 363m Yellow Tees 321m Blue Tees 269m Red Tees 269m
From the black tees this is a 7200 yard monster. Today JW and I agreed to play from the whites. A ten euro bet to be decided over 18 holes of stableford stroke play. No gimmes, not that JW is known for his kindness in that respect. My warm up on the driving range went well, the latest version of swing felt good. My confidence was high. I began to feel sorry for JW, he was moments away from teeing it up against the whirlwind! To the first tee we head…
We are faced with a demanding par 4 to open our account here at Sherry Golf Course. The tee box said 363m, my GPS device reported 420m when allowing for the inclined fairway climbing inexorably towards the distant green. The fairway is sufficiently wide so as to banish any concern of making a mess of your opening shot. The layout of the hole communicates with you and clearly shows you the shot you need to play. Take a line along the left side of the fairway and deliver your best blow. The left rough rises high on the embankment culminating in white OOB markers before yielding to the driving range. Only the most dire effort will climb over the embankment and trespass on to the driving range. On the right runs the 10th fairway.
Fresh from the driving range with my swing in peak condition I blasted my drive on the perfect line. JW followed suit although his ball connected with the second groove on his driver face and displayed the oddest of flights on its journey to the front left of the fairway.
When we reached JWs drive an audible groan emanated from my old mate as he realised the distance between ball and green. It was a large number. He drew his 3 wood and managed to hit the ball exactly on the head causing it to wince and advance 30m level with my drive. I smiled. Even after my cracking drive 170m up hill still remained. A Trevino-esque 6 iron covered the gap neatly and further burgeoned my confidence. Moments later JW joined me on the dance floor with his own impeccable iron shot. Two putts gave me the most satisfying start imaginable, a par on this stroke 2 fabulous opening hole and a 1 point lead over my adversary! Life is good at Sherry Golf Course.
Sherry Golf Hole 2
Par 4 Stroke Index 13 Black Tees 413m White Tees 384m Yellow Tees 348m Blue Tees 305m Red Tees 305m
A slightly crescent shaped fairway greets you from the tee on this big par four. The fairway falls away into the first cut of rough on the left flank forcing you to aim at the right side. 270m from the tee on that left side a long serpentine bunker runs the final 110m to the green. The elevated banked rough on the right made a good line for me with my driver. Taking a line directly at the flag would force me to play over the first cut on the left and finish perilously close to that bunker.
I hit a poor drive much further to the right than intended, however I got away with it. I finished in the rough on the right with a line of trees to navigate. I set myself up for an heroic recovery shot over the trees and onto the green. Of course golf does not allow such heroics for mortal players like us. I hit it directly into the tree whereupon it rolled back to my feet. A shank ensued and I never again saw that beloved Taylormade!
Annoyingly, from the fairway centre line JW fashioned an elementary iron shot to the heart of the green and recorded a simple par. A clear demonstration of how this hole should be played.
Sherry Golf Hole 3
Par 5 Stroke Index 14 Black Tees 495m White Tees 477m Yellow Tees 435m Blue Tees 384m Red Tees 384m
The first of the par fives is set in glorious circumstance. The town of Jerez glistens in the background, the highlight being the cathedral. The panorama of agricultural land unfurls without end as far as the mountain ranges, more than 30km. distant. The scale is epic.
An elevated tee reveals that the left side of the fairway is the most desirable. A bunker residing 280m on that left side is the ideal marker. On cue JW dispatched his drive with unerring accuracy directly at that bunker whilst I gave mine an ardent swipe and watched it drift further and further to the right finishing in desperate trouble. The fairway falls away on the right side sharing its rough with the second hole. My ball, 50m off line, found the rough close to the second fairway underneath a copse of palm trees. The best I could manage was to punch it back onto our fairway and at least give me a view of the green.
In the meantime, from his enviable position in the fairway JW bashed a 3 wood covering most of the 260m leaving himself a strong birdie chance from 60m. The green runs at an oblique angle to the hole, the front right to back left. Plenty of room around the green for those that miss the short grass.
If you are long enough there is enough room to take on the green with your second shot. As long as you keep it within 40m of the centre line you will not be unduly punished.
The greens so far have been quick, unblemished with spike marks and running very true. JW true to form made an easy par, whereas, I, true to form did not. After three holes my grip on that tenner is tenuous.
Sherry Golf Hole 4
Par 3 Stroke Index 8 Black Tees 172m White Tees 156m Yellow Tees 138m Blue Tees 114m Red Tees 114m
The vista from Sherry Golf can make you rethink the petty issues in life. Here, in this palace of tranquillity, beneath an eternal sky of powder blue, where endless plains of fertile land extend from horizon to horizon one can understand how small we are. Our troubles are smaller. Sherry Golf Course is therapy. This is where you come to become immersed in our sport. The only thing that matters is the next shot. Sherry Golf brings a sense of content as warm and intoxicating as the fortified wines that make the town famous.
Playing downhill towards a big green, this is a beautiful hole. My GPS gadget tells me that allowing for the slope the playing distance is somewhat reduced, when making further allowance for the breeze the 156m is today playing like 136m. A healthy stab with a 9 iron should suffice. On this occasion short is better than long, Any shots that go over the green will have a difficult time making their way back to the putting surface. The middle of the green is far enough! A bunker loiters hopeful on the left side of the hole 25m short of the green, another large bunker sits on the left edge of the green centre.
Needless to say JW found the heart of the green with a superbly struck 8 iron, my miss hit 9 iron scraped its way to the front right apron. The putting surface is immaculate, not a pitch mark or blemish of any kind. JW’s birdie putt left him flummoxed as it appeared to take the wind and slip 2.5m past the cup whilst my own effort cosied to the hole for a gimme par. JW was steadfast in tidying up to save par and after 4 holes remains 2 stableford points ahead of me.
Sherry Golf Hole 5
Par 5 Stroke Index 9 Black Tees 517m White Tees 498m Yellow Tees 483m Blue Tees 459m Red Tees 459m
A par five playing 498m from our tees. I can see the flag fluttering busily nearly half a kilometre straight ahead of us. A natural lake runs alongside the fairway on the left for the final 120m .
The water does not pose a problem for the tee shot. A beautifully cut, wide fairway fills me with confidence as I enjoy the view from the tee. A complex of bunkers on the left edge begins at 190m and makes it clear that the right half of the fairway is the best line. An adjoining fairway on the right takes any concerns about hitting a wildly crooked tee shot. A good looking, generous hole which looks as though it might be persuaded to yield a birdie.
A brace of crappy drives from JW and I found us short of the bunkers on the left, no harm done, but our birdie chances are quashed.
A small green waits patiently for you to arrive. In my case it required 5 shots to navigate my way there. JW fared little better two putting for a bogey. This is a glorious hole, should have been a scoring chance, but we messed it up by playing from the left side of the hole. The bunkers and the water make the left side inhospitable. Avoid going there at all costs!
Sherry Golf Hole 6
Par 4 Stroke Index 15 Black Tees 350m White Tees 319m Yellow Tees 287m Blue Tees 221m Red Tees 221m
The boundary of the golf course is close on the left, the vast, almost infinite plains of farmland extend as far as the eye can see hemmed in by distant mountains.
The feature of this hole that caught my eye is a set of bunkers midway along the hole on the left edge of the fairway that is shaped like a horse’s head with the mane being formed by a series of grassy pot bunkers. The green is on a direct line from the tee over these bunkers forcing you to aim to the right side, the right hand green side bunkers is the ideal line. Playing uphill from the tee to the green the hole plays 30m longer than the number suggests. .
The rough on the right is banked which will help to keep your ball in the fairway, beyond that is another fairway. If you are going to make an error with your tee shot make sure it is one of those errors that goes to the right! Left is death! Another good looking hole that presents itself to you invitingly.
The banking on the right helped my pushed tee shot to remain on the short grass. JW of course required no such help in splitting the fairway. JW hit his second shot from 127m tantalisingly close and converted it into his first birdie of the day.
Other than a large bunker on the front right the green is open surrounded by a generous apron rising to form a crown shaped circumference. In general the greens are small but with very wide aprons. Their diminutive size means that they are easy to miss but those perfect aprons make saving par more straightforward than normal.
Sherry Golf Hole 7
Par 3 Stroke Index 17 Black Tees 166m White Tees 150m Yellow Tees 127m Blue Tees 111m Red Tees 111m
Playing downhill to a wide green the 150m marked on the scorecard plays a little less. The green whilst broad is narrow, an error on left or right will be forgiven, however distance control is of premium importance here.
The front right of the green is obscured by swales and valleys, the front left, level and open. Behind the green are numerous hillocks upon which sit pairs of palm trees. Long is bad, short is safe!
Sherry Golf Hole 8
Par 4 Stroke Index 3 Black Tees 429m White Tees 399m Yellow Tees 363m Blue Tees 296m Red Tees 296m
A good looking hole, this stroke 3, the third toughest hole on the golf course, plays uphill, the green tucked away hidden behind the bushes in the right side rough. A cart path far away on the left side of the fairway close to a large bunker is the line to hit. Plenty of room here to flail away with the driver, straight is always best, but here you have room either side of the fairway which gives the confidence needed to conquer this hole. This is another outstanding well laid out hole. The course is a masterpiece!
A brace of drives saw us both on the short grass. JW had 204m to the green allowing for elevation, much more when factoring for the wind. A superb strike with his three wood found the heart of the green, his best golf shot of the day so far. I hit a scruffy 5 iron for my second which did 80% of the job. A pitch and putt saved my par which secured a half.
Sherry Golf Hole 9
Par 4 Stroke Index 7 Black Tees 414m White Tees 390m Yellow Tees 353m Blue Tees 318m Red Tees 318m
From the tee box on the long par four the first thing that takes my eye is water. A lot of it. Marked with red stakes is a water hazard that waits on the left side of the fairway 200m from the tee and runs all the way to the pin making the left side a no go area. Despite the presence of the fear inducing liquid, the fairway still presents itself as a generous target, it’s harder to miss than it is to hit. Unless you hit a total stinker, the water hazard should not affect your tee shot.
Take a line directly at the green, hit as far as you can and make your second shot as easy as possible. You can miss the centre line of the fairway by 90m on either side before you find yourself in serious trouble.
Both JW and I headed left with our tee shots. I found the water hazard, JW the bunker that sits on the left 270m from the tee. I dropped out of the hazard for a penalty and then made such a mess of my shot that it went back into the lake again. I elected to sit the rest of the hole out! From the sand tap on the left JW smoked a blinder and found the green. A three putt from long range gave JW a bogey and a commanding lead after nine holes.
Sherry Golf Back Nine Holes Par 36 Black Tees 3224m White Tees 3024m Yellow Tees 2736m Blue Tees 2390m Red Tees 2390m
Sherry Golf Hole 10
Par 4 Stroke Index 10 Black Tees 356m White Tees 333m Yellow Tees 303m Blue Tees 242m Red Tees 242m
Driving from the ninth green to the tenth tee takes you past the croquet lawn, where a group of players are enjoying themselves hugely.
This tenth hole is a par four running alongside the first fairway on the left, the two holes divided by a line of tree dotted rough ascending to the higher first hole above. A bunker at 260m on the left side of the fairway makes a good target as the elevation makes that 260m play significantly longer. This hole is easy in the eye and tells you exactly how to play it.
I summoned a cracking stinger style tee shot with my driver directly at the left hand bunker coming to rest in the perfect spot. JW hit one off the top of his driver, the ball screaming almost vertical into the sky. After a considerable pause it thumped back to earth midway up the bank between the 10th and 1st. I smiled.
JW’s troubles continued after his unusual drive, a sideways chip back to the fairway was the only option, leaving him with a very long third shot into the green. The remaining 168m was dispatched with 6 iron finding the green centre – a great shot.
My second shot required an 8 iron, also finding the heart of the target. The green is again surrounded by the ring of moguls. There is plenty of room between the short grass of the green and the apron that extends to meet the moguls, giving a beautiful surface from which to execute those satisfying short game skills.
A regulation par for John against my valiant birdie reduced his lead to 3 stableford points. “The Comeback Kid” is on the prowl and is hunting for JWs ten euro note!
Sherry Golf Hole 11
Par 5 Stroke Index 5 Black Tees 518m White Tees 497m Yellow Tees 464m Blue Tees 425m Red Tees 425m
A crescent shaped hole deviating to the right halfway along its length with water along the right adding a frisson of fear to the tee shot. A bunker sits on the inside of the dogleg on the shores of the water hazard and will save a few drives otherwise doomed to a watery fate. Bunkers line the left side of the fairway directly opposite. There is no doubt that this is a tough driving hole. There are three electricity generating windmills visible on the horizon. Take aim at the centre one. Fix your gaze – don’t look at the golf course, look at the windmills, too much danger on the golf course! Swing smooth and hope that you remain dry. The only mistake here is to dunk it in the water hazard, anything else is good! If you muster a good tee shot then a birdie is yours to take.
Needless to say I pumped my first ball 40m off line to right and my provisional ball 20m off line to the right. With both balls in Davey Jones locker I am relegated to buggy driving duties for the remainder of the hole! JW found the fairway, quelle surprise! JW has 280m into the green, clearly out of range. A second lake runs from the dog leg on the right all the way to the right side of the green making attacking shots dangerous. JW elected to lay up to 100m from the green and take an easy par.
Despite the fact that this hole is reachable with two good shots, the small green and ever present water hazard make the risk reward ratio too dangerous. It is a three shot hole, even then the small green makes the third shot tougher than you would expect. A brilliant par 5 that offers a tough par or easy bogey – fabulous hole!
Sherry Golf Hole 12
Par 3 Stroke Index 18 Black Tees 185m White Tees 159mm Yellow Tees 128m Blue Tees 96m Red Tees 96m
The 12th hole is a par three of 156m. Bunkers run from the midpoint of the hole on the right running close to the edge of the green. The putting surface is open, no hazards between you and safety. The trouble appears to be over the back. This is an inviting hole requiring a well struck mid iron.
We both managed to miss the large green, JW tugged his left close to the OOB fence, a miracle up and down saved his par. I blocked mine high into the right side bunker. An adequate bunker shot followed by two putts secured a bogey.
Sherry Golf Hole 13
Par 4 Stroke index 1 Black Tees 433m White Tees 424m Yellow Tees 365m Blue Tees 328m Red Tees 328m
There is water everywhere! I am doomed! For the first 280m the water hazard runs alongside the left edge of the fairway whereupon it ends only for another hazard to join the fray along the right edge of the fairway surrounding most of the green. What a fabulous looking hole!!
The lake on the right is 260m from the tee which makes it a good aiming point. Just do not miss to the left. JW found the centre of the fairway. I elected to bash my three wood from the tee and hit it a little to the right, but safe. My second shot was a tough one, 192m over water all the way to the green. No lay up. Death or glory. I hit my best shot of the day, a 2 iron which carried to the centre of the green and came to an immediate stop.
JW had 170m to go from the centre of the fairway and did not have to fly over the right hand lake to reach the green. The closer you can hit your drive to the left hazard the easier your second shot becomes. If like me you played safe with the tee shot, then the second shot becomes a monster! What a great hole!
Sherry Golf Hole 14
Par 3 Stroke Index 11 Black Tees 142m White Tees 127m Yellow Tees 117m Blue Tees 105m Red Tees 105m
An island green par 3, fabulous! It’s only 127m today, but it is airmail only, there is no access to the green via land. The buggy path and walking access is off to the left , no way to avoid the girding of the loins and face the challenge!
The green is 60m wide but not very deep making the distance control imperative. I clubbed up and hit a 9 iron, rather well as it turned out, with just 3m between my ball and the cup there was significant pressure on JW. John rebuffed the pressure and hit a fade with his 8 iron that started left of the pin shaping towards it. Bam! 1m from the stick! Clearly the Sandgrown’un wanted my tenner today – no prisoners were being taken!
Sherry Golf Hole 15
Par 4 Stroke Index 6 Black Tees 401m White Tees 383m Yellow Tees 361m Blue Tees 296m Red Tees 296m
There is water either side of this 15th tee box, giving the thinnest spit of land for the first 160m whereupon the fairway widens to 30m. The water adorns each side of the fairway for 250m, a pair of bunkers sit on either side of the narrow fairway at 260m and mark where the water ends whilst framing the ideal driving line.
This is a tough driving hole, you need to hit it either very far or very straight! JW managed neither on this occasion and marked the loss of his golf ball in the right side water hazard with a moment’s silence. Unbelievably I managed both, I found the first cut of rough on the right side having carried my ball beyond the far reach of the water! I have 148m to the flag, an 8 iron found the green. This hole can be beaten with a good drive.
Sherry Golf Hole 16
Par 4 Stroke Index 12 Black Tees 272m White Tees 240m Yellow Tees 230m Blue Tees 200m Red Tees 200m
The sixteenth utilises the same lakes as the previous hole to further terrorise the golfer! This time its a short par four, a genuine birdie chance if you are able to quell that terror. At 240m it is theoretically in range with a driver or maybe a three wood. The direct line from the tee to the green takes you over the full length of the lakes with no land in sight – far too risky for the likes of me!
There is a green side bunker on the right edge of the green which appears to be at the end of the fairway when viewed from the tee. As you reach this bunker the green is tucked away to the left using the lake’s shore as protection.
JW bashed his driver at this bunker and shaped the ball gently to the left resulting in a drive that could be described as perfect. I blasted a three wood which hooked wildly to the left, adios amigo. I played another which was equally appalling finding the large fairway bunker on the right side of the hole some 70m short of the green. This tee shot is so inviting, if I had enough ammunition I would love to have remained on the tee until I figured it out.
This looks like a sacrificial hole – it is far from that – there are far more ways of making a mess of this diminutive par 4 than there are on dominating it! JW, from his perfect position found the middle of the green and made off with a par. I was unable to complete the task!
Sherry Golf Hole 17
Par 5 Stroke Index 16 Black Tees 478m White Tees 449m Yellow Tees 423m Blue Tees 375m Red Tees 375m
A dog leg to the left with elements of water running along the right side. The drive should begin its journey in the direction of the radio masts on the horizon. There are bunkers on the inside left corner of the dog leg. The water hazards on the right side should not trouble you as the most effective driving line is significantly left of the danger.
John’s drive tracked the centre line of the fairway, whilst mine took a bearing directly on the lake, that same lake which should not come into play! Luckily for me the headwind kept my ball out of the water.
This is a good looking par five, again a hole that invites you to play the hero shots. In this case the green is very tempting. The first cut of rough rises slightly higher than the fairway on both sides for most of its length helping to keep balls on the short grass . On the right the trademark moguls, on the left the cart path. Forty metres short of the green is a bunker, beyond that bunker are the open approaches to nirvana, the chance to take one or maybe two shots back from the golf course. The green is long and narrow and makes an elusive target. There is no serious trouble around the green, the odds of making an up and down are fair.
This siren of a hole beckons you to play a risky shot. If well executed then you reap the prize, if you make a mess of it, then you must accept the frustrating consequences!
Sherry Golf Hole 18
Par 4 Stroke Index 4 Black Tees 439m White Tees 413m Yellow Tees 345m Blue Tees 323m Red Tees 323m
Time flies when you are having fun. All too quickly we arrived at the 18th tee. I don’t want it to end. This is a delightful golf course. I could happily go around again.
Water is present on the right of the fairway alarmingly close to the fairway just 160m from the tee all the way along the right flank of the green. If you miss the fairway to the right you will be dropping out for a penalty shot! From the tee, aim at the cart path on the left, aim as far along the cart path as you can. Do not go to the right!
Playing slightly uphill makes the 412m play longer making this a very long par four finishing hole. The Green is tucked away to the right, another good reason to drive up the left, it will make your next shot easier. Anything played from the right half of the fairway will have to fly over a lot of water. As in the previous 17 tee shots, JW found the perfect line and I played a provisional! My second attempt managed to stay on the fairway
JW, from his position on the fairway, had 177m to the pin. The water is close to the right edge of the green. A bunker sits on the left side some 20m short of the target leaving the approaches to the green open, a nice design touch. On a hole of this length it does not need to be over bunkered. A 4 iron was JWs chosen tool. It came to rest on the front apron, a chip and two putts concluded a very solid performance from John garnering him an easy ten euros!
Summary
Skilled players will adore this golf course because of the challenge it presents. All the tee shots give you a fair chance of finding the fairway, the second shots often require some skilled strikes. The satisfaction gained from following a decent drive with a decent iron shot is huge, the layout of the golf course gives multiple opportunities for skilled players to discover that satisfaction. Equally, for less experienced or longer handicap players this is a completely fair layout that rewards those that play bogey golf. This ranks as one of the most pleasant days of golf that I can remember.
On each hole the tee shot is usually the easiest with the difficulty increasing as you get closer to the green. This is a layout which inspires positive play. Sherry Golf Course encourages care free golf, but will punish careless golf.
This golf course is not a ball gobbler, you can be erratic and provided that you miss the water, you will find it, and be able to play it. When you play here, if you strike the ball nicely and get the right risk/reward balance you could craft a great score, if you hit it all over the place, like I have, you will still have fantastic fun. It’s not a course that is going to humiliate you, you will not be endlessly walking back to your bag to get another ball out, it’s not going to make you feel awful about your game – on the contrary Sherry Golf Course makes you feel good about your game, makes you feel good about being here, makes you feel good about life in general!
Sherry Golf Course is a first class facility. It is both elegant and relaxed. Totally devoid of pomposity. It is a place where people come to play sport, laugh with each other and enjoy great friendships. This is a positive place.
Today has been a delight, an absolute joy!
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