Gainsborough Golf Club is set in the countryside of Lincolnshire and is known for its friendly atmosphere.
Formerly called Thonock Golf Club, Gainsborough is the UK headquarters of PING Europe, as well as home to two pleasantly challenging golf courses The Thonock Course is a traditional parkland course, whilst Karsten Lakes is an American style layout with numerous large bunkers and lakes to catch those wayward drives. The golf club provides an excellent opportunity to play 36 holes on two contrasting styles of course. Both Courses have an excellent reputation for the quality of presentation, in particular the quality of the greens which are playable all year round due to the excellent drainage infrastructure and ongoing maintenance practices.
The aptly named Karsten Lakes course, is the newer, longer and more challenging of the two, and has been excellently crafted by legendary English golfer Neil Coles. The feel is quite open, with many planted trees still a long way from maturing. However, the water features add plenty of spice to proceedings, not least at the very challenging par-4 6th. The greens are not too heavily defended by bunkers, but provide you with many tricky slopes to contend with. Texas oil barons might feel at home here, with (rather surprisingly) one or two oilfield “nodding donkeys” scattered around. If oil exploration and production doesn’t sound too interesting, then the spectacular views across swathes of Lincolnshire countryside from the 14th hole are well worth discovering.
Thonock Park
After being played on for 120 years, the Thonock Park Course was revamped in 1985 by former Ryder cup player Brian Waites.
At 6223 yards, par 70, it is not the longest of courses but with its narrow fairways, greens and pleasant views of the Lincolnshire countryside, it offers a great day’s golf for members and visitors alike.
Karsten Lakes
Even more impressive is the championship Karsten Lakes course (named after Karsten Solheim, founder of PING). Designed by legendary player Neil Coles, the par-72, 6,724-yard American style layout is a testing track that features numerous large bunkers and lakes on several holes.
Water comes into play on the top two holes on the course. The 410-yard, par-four sixth features a drive across a lake, while water also stands between the tee and the green at the par-three 17th.
Karsten Lakes offers the perfect golfing day out for societies and friends of all abilities.
Ping fitting centre
PING’s European Custom Fitting Centre is located at Gainsborough Golf Club, next to the driving range. This fantastic facility offers three undercover VIP fitting bays where you can test and be custom fit by a team of highly skilled and experienced PING Fitting Technicians who will ensure you get the ultimate performance from your PING golf equipment.
The centre is equipped with the latest Trackman launch monitor technology which works alongside the PING propriety fitting software called N-Flight. The launch monitor technology measures the full trajectory of any shot, from 6-foot pitches to 400-yard drives, pinpointing the landing position with extreme accuracy. Delivering state-of-the-art data, the system will display the shot’s actual 3D trajectory together with impact and ball flight data.
