The 5th green at Painswick might be the strangest place I’ve ever stood with a putter in hand. Not because the green itself is unusual, but because to get there, I’d just hit my tee shot over a 2,000-year-old Iron Age fort.

This is Painswick Golf Club. A course that should be on every golfer’s bucket list, not because it’s elite, or exclusive, or any sort of championship venue, but because it’s completely, gloriously different.

It’s golf with a grin on its face.

A Course Cut From a Different Cloth

Painswick sits high above the Gloucestershire countryside, about two hours west of London, carved into a ridgeline of common land that feels more ancient than man-made. And in many ways, it is. You don’t play Painswick so much as navigate it, with sheep for gallery, footpaths for fairways, and blind shots around almost every corner.

I won’t lie, standing on the first tee, I had no idea where the hole went. That quickly became a theme. And yet somehow, that disorientation adds to the charm. It’s as if the course is constantly winking at you: “Trust me. Hit it over the hill and you’ll see.”

What follows is a game unlike anything I’ve experienced so far in the UK.

Golf, Stripped Back and Rebuilt

Painswick doesn’t care about your handicap. It doesn’t care what ball you play. There are no water features, no manicured bunkers, no lavish halfway huts. It’s golf as it once was, raw, rugged, and thrillingly unpredictable.

There’s an honesty to it. And, for the walking golfer, a sense of adventure that’s hard to match. You wind your way up narrow trails, skirt along cliff edges, and stop more often than you’d expect, not to look for your ball, but to take in the views. Because they are, frankly, ridiculous.

From multiple points on the course, you can see for miles across Gloucestershire and beyond. Scenery for which I found myself taking out my phone more often than my rangefinder.

Playing for Joy, Not for a Score

Did I play well? Not really (a couple of birdies made up for the snowman on the par-3 12th – don’t ask!). But at Painswick, that’s not really the point. The point is to experience it, to laugh at the absurdity of a tee box nestled just above a working quarry, to marvel at a green perched precariously between ancient stone walls, and to finish 18 with a sense that you’ve just stumbled upon one of golf’s last remaining secrets.

And it is a secret. Painswick doesn’t get much airtime. But maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe courses like this are better discovered than advertised.

Play With An Electric Golf Cart

It’s not just about convenience, it’s about freedom. The freedom to explore. To embrace every twist and turn. To walk alongside the ghosts of centuries past and not think about strokes gained or Stableford points. Okay, it’s also about saving your legs ever so slightly on what is a proper workout of a course.

But Painswick reminds us that golf isn’t always about getting better. Sometimes it’s just about getting out there. That’s a mindset we champion at Stewart Golf, and it’s why this little hillside course feels like such a perfect match for what we stand for.

Experience It For Yourself

If you’re the kind of golfer who values a course's character, stories over scorecards, and views that stay with you long after the round is done, then Painswick Golf Club is calling. 

Trust me, it's worth a journey. 

Aside from the golf, Painswick itself is a delightful little town. Wander its narrow lanes, enjoy a pint in a proper Cotswold pub, and soak in everything that makes this part of the world so special. 

If you’ve ever played Painswick, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the course, please drop me a comment below. Or better yet, tell me where we should head next. 

Hidden gems deserve the spotlight, and we’re always looking for the next one.