The Mere Golf Resort Top 100 Review

The Mere Golf Resort & Spa is an 18-hole, par 71 championship course measuring 6,882 yards, set within 150 acres of parkland near Knutsford in Cheshire, between Manchester and Chester. The course was designed by James Braid and opened in 1934, with mature trees, rhododendron bushes, and the adjacent Mere Lake forming the principal natural features of the layout. Several holes have been modified over the years, including the 4th, reworked on Braid's own advice in 1949 following the acquisition of additional woodland, and the closing hole, where Nick Faldo later constructed a new green.

The rolling nature of the Cheshire terrain is reflected throughout the layout, with elevation changes and undulating greens placing a premium on course management as well as ball-striking. Water, ravines, and dense vegetation are woven into the design and demand accuracy from both tee and approach. The 18th is widely considered the signature hole — a dogleg right wrapping around the lake itself, presenting a clear risk-and-reward decision off the tee, with the bold line reducing the length of the approach but bringing the water into play throughout.

The Mere hosted the 1952 British Masters, won by Harry Weetman. More recently, the course served as an Open Championship qualifying venue between 2009 and 2015. It is consistently regarded as one of the best-conditioned courses in the north of England.