Staying at Center Parcs at Whinfell near Penrith with some friends in late April, fancied a round of golf whilst there. Any recommendations. So far i can see Penrith Golf Club and Appleby GC in the surrounding areas, anyone played them? Dont mind having to drive about 30-60 mins to get somewhere good.

Shouldn't be neglecting your first born running off playing golf. Tsk!
Many moons since I've played it but I remember Penrith as being very pleasant.  

Kk, Both Penrith and Appleby are worth playing the former is quite a classy track trees lovely greens and a good test. Appleby on the other hand is real fun to play, when we played it there was electric fences round the greens to keep the sheep off, dont know if that is still the case. A couple of par 3s make the course the 2nd (I think!) you are about 100ft above the green and keeping the ball on it is fun to try, the other on the back 9 you play from a island in a stream to a green in a cutting 180 or so yards away.. one of my favourite par 3s ever (trick is there is plenty of room left). If you get really bored there is a par3 course and a range just the otherside of the M6, you have to drive passed it a couple of 100 yds to a roundabout and come back and its on the left just before you get back to the M6 roundabout.. reasonable pro shop too.. Have fun!!  

^ the par 3 that MTP mentions is good fun (if you are prepared to wipe rabbit poo off your ball quite often! )

Only courses i can help out with are touch further north around Carlisle as we went there last yr for golf hols...

Eden,which is newish course but nice,flat so ok on ya legs and Brampton which is great course ,recommend a buggy if you struggle with hilly courses as this pretty hilly,.....

Only other 1s i can think of are South Lakes ie Windrmere,Kendal,Kirkby Lonsdale but prob longer drive to them,sure some of the locals can help out as its long time since i played them

Winermere Golf Club is very good, less than an hour away from Penrith. The welcome and the views are truly excellent.

Yorkey wrote (see)

Winermere Golf Club is very good, less than an hour away from Penrith. The welcome and the views are truly excellent.

i second that good course but keep the driver in the bag

go on there website and they give you a 3 day deal where you can play 3 places for like 80quid or something worth a look (if the mrs lets you)

If you don't mind a bit of a drive then I can recommend Powfoot GC, which is near Annan - should be under an hour from Penrith

Hidden gem of a links course

60 mins sees you in a little spot called Silloth!

Windermere is a nice track as has been mentioned. Kendal is an odd little bugger, Kirkby Lonsdale needs new greens staff for what should be a spectacular course (general condition takes all the fun out of it). Ulverston is great but avoid Grange over Sands. Also Carlisle, Brampton and Penrith itself are good. Don't forget Appleby (complete with fences around the greens to keep the sheep off).  45 mins away to the south and you find Morecambe which is always in fantastic condition and is a good test.

You a cumbria lad woolly?

as giggity said Silloth, not sure on travelling time but Seascale too, never played but Keswick looks nice (if only for the surroundings)

Have played Eden a few times and its quite nice; was always in good nick. Silloth and Powfoot I've played once each in mid summer; Silloth was proper links golf, par 69 and standard scratch 72 or 73 I think. There is a great par 3 at Powfoot that is a par 4 from the back tee all of twenty yards longer if I remember rightly. Can recommend both highly. Eden much closer if time is an issue..