I have always wanted to play here, a long-term listener to those that have walked the course and who always seem to swear by it, I trudged the Grantham Canal path with wife and dog, taking a look over the hedge on my midweek hike to see what looked a place in extremely good nick, but with plenty of water on show.

Days later I bumped into my accountant outside Aldi, he had just played, “any good?” I asked… “Too much water” he replied.

So when I finally did make that booking to play for the first time myself, I stocked up on balls, fully prepared, I wasn’t going to get caught short, I knew I had to be on my ‘A’ game.

Cotgrave Golf Club, as I once knew it, is now named the Nottinghamshire Golf & Country Club. Alan Hardy, remember him? Notts fans might do? Well, he has had something to do with it, along with the legend that was Peter Alliss, who re-designed the Signature Course in the mid-nineties.

The whole place has become a modern complex with rooms, looking like something you would see in Dallas, Alan Hardy as JR Ewing… They’ll be plenty lining up to shoot him I suspect?

I booked on at the Championship Course, 18 holes, 72 par, 6300 plus yards… Same price but a little longer than the 71 par Signature, the pro shop man on the phone didn’t even ask me what course I wanted, he presumed, I paid, I was more than happy to try either.

On arrival I drove my Jeep down the long straight throughway past the lavish bold entrance signs on the Main Road to Cotgrave, passing what looked like a retirement home, a complex of converted barns turned into luxurious overnight stays.

I parked up, away from the clubhouse, my playing partner followed. He got out of his Range Rover Sport and said ‘have you seen the cars in here?’… The irony as he took out his clubs pressing down the button for his electric boot to close.

We took a walk to the putting green where Notts cricketer Alex Hales was chipping in balls. The club attracts the odd ‘local celeb’ who can often be seen sitting outside the magnificent clubhouse where a huge patio is full of tables, with waitresses serving drinks, the patio is high up overlooking the 1^st tee and 18^th holes. In fact you can see the 13^th, 14^th, 8^th and 9^th from there too…. Nowhere to hide we walked straight to the yellows on the opening hole, which were about five yards in front of the whites.

The first hole a par five, elevated tee, dog leg left, I smashed straight down the pristine fairway and laid up before chipping over a bit of water with my third, two putt for par, before going onto the second, a long par three over water which I was happy just to make without getting wet.

The third hole like the first, dog legs water to the left, much shorter at only 282 yards it offers you a reasonable chance to birdy, not so for me, two over after three though is a solid start for my capabilities, the greens are in fabulous bouncy condition, the tees just as good, the fourth hole however is where the fun really starts.

A lake cuts across the tee and runs right to left, the idea to draw your first shot around and on to the fairway plays best, all I have is a fade in my limited locker, I start left and go right which means more water time as the ball hovers above the danger for a few too many more seconds, it eventually makes it, or does it? A tree clunk is heard… I never got to see that ball again.

Another par five, the fourth is actually a magnificent hole, if you can land your tee shot safely you then lay up before a brook and chip straight to the green with a little bit more water and a huge bunker to your left.

The bunkers are all huge at the Nottinghamshire, deep with thick good quality sand, a real challenge if you get in them, but despite their depth I really enjoyed that challenge of playing out.

Hole 5 is a flick of the wrist 128 yard par three and a tricky one to gauge with bunkers in front and water to the right, the sixth hole is a relatively flat par four with the following hole similar in layout and distance, a couple of nice forgiving holes after what could potentially be a wet start.

I actually found this part of the course really enjoyable, a bit of a break from the soddened stuff, just well positioned bunkers and nice wide flat fairways. 8 is a par five which dog legs right, a slightly elevated shot back up towards the clubhouse makes it for me the most appeasing of green views on the course.

By now, the noise of helicopters which are landing every couple of minutes at nearby Tollerton Airport drowns any shout of ‘fore’… I didn’t realise just how busy Tollerton was. Choppers taking  those day tripping businessmen back to London perhaps? It really feels like a Hollywood set at times.

The ninth hole tee (where the halfway house was closed) overlooks the ‘famous’ eighteenth on the adjacent Signature course. A touch of Sawgrass about it, the green is surrounded by water, imagine wanting a par or bogey on your last hole for a decent round only to be encountered with that?

Back on the Championship Course, the ninth is a short par four which allows good (or semi-good) golfers to prosper. The tenth hole is even better, a lovely downhill drive to a dog leg right turn where you can chip onto the dancefloor over the thinnest of streams which runs delicately across its front.

11 is back up the hill before a short par three with water to the right and then a dog leg thirteen has you hitting straight, then back up towards the club house again. Some trees can come into play on this one, there’s not many wooden hazards around to otherwise concern.

As you walk down the hill to hole 14 you come to the ‘signature’ of this particular course, a par three which tees off just in view of the club house patio where many onlooking beer drinkers can see your shot.

Water to the right, green banked on the left above a huge fountain. There is no way I’m aiming at the pin with too much wet stuff on show, instead I go left, too far left, I’m on the fifteenth tee shouting for cover at the fourball in front.

Frustrated, it would have been a nice hole to play ‘properly’ but somehow I chip on and walk away with a two putt bogey. Maybe next time I’m confident enough to go for the flag?

This then brings us to the last water-free hole the fifteenth, another dog leg right of 300 yards and a chance to make a decent score before a tricky sixteenth on the run home.

16 is water the complete length of the fairway on the left, avoid that, you then have some more drink on the right as you aim to chip the second shot on this par four without falling foul. It’s a lovely hole with trees back of the green and a bunker either side to ensure you don’t get away with anything but straight hitting perfection.

The penultimate hole probably has just as much water as the sweet sixteen but it shouldn’t really come into play, a 389 yard par four with an avoidable lake on the left is routine enough before heading up hill on the eighteenth, par five of 455 yards with a dog leg left and a narrow fairway between trees and yes, more bloody water. I manage to hit my second straight into the deepest bunker which again is outside the patio of onlooking drinkers, although I’m soon annoyed that nobody’s actually watching as I produce a perfect Seve Ballesteros-alike to land close to home and end a round in reasonable fashion considering my earlier debut concerns.

Only two balls lost to water, I’ll take that having not only been concerned about what others told me, but what my playing partners did too, one losing two of his best Callaway’s with his first two shots, it’s not a course for beginners, but one for those fair handicappers and above who enjoy something more than a walk in the park. The real challenge is the positioning of the hazards, which seem to be strategically placed in just about the place you want to hit it.

All said though a great course in great condition and testament to all those involved from owner to greenkeeper, well bloody done, the nineteenth has the vibe of ‘country club’ about it and you can see why it attracts those from out of town to come play and stay. A quick taxi shared and you’re into the city, a good spot for an overnight round with friends if new to Nottingham.

Will I play here again? Despite the pricey fee too right I will, next time, which will be soon, it will most probably be the Signature Course, but the Championship Course itself is certainly one I enjoyed.

• Course Looks: 8 out of 10
• Course Quality: 9 out of 10
• Course Difficulty: 10 out of 10

*Article provided by Daniel Peacock (Editor).

*Main image @dannypea the idyllic looking course has plenty of water around.