Brierley Forest

Brierley Forest sits in the heart of Nottinghamshire's former coalfield country, where the landscape has been slowly reclaiming its identity since the pit closures of the 1980s and 90s. Sutton-in-Ashfield is mining-town England — unpretentious, working-class, and proud of it — and a course bearing the name "Forest" in this county carries a particular resonance, given Nottinghamshire's deep woodland heritage stretching back to the ancient Sherwood.

The "Brierley" name itself suggests heathland or scrubby open terrain, the kind of ground that often produces naturally draining, firm-playing turf — a characteristic that can make a modest layout punch well above its weight in the right conditions. This part of the East Midlands tends toward open skies and exposed fairways rather than the sheltered parkland feel of wealthier counties to the south.

For local golfers, a course like this functions as the backbone of the community game — accessible, familiar, and genuinely used rather than merely showcased. It is the kind of place where the game is kept real.