The Berkshire Golf Club (Blue Course)

Fowler's Blue Test Across the Heather

The Blue Course at The Berkshire Golf Club opened in 1928, when the Office of Crown Lands constructed the club's two courses on former royal hunting land. Herbert Fowler shaped the course across Crown Estate heathland, working with the existing slopes and natural hazards to create a layout that still closely follows his original design.

Its par-71 routing has four par threes, three par fives, and eleven par fours. The round begins with a long par three played over a valley of heather to a raised green. The front nine gives golfers chances to score, especially around its two par fives and shorter par fours, while the back nine asks for tighter driving and careful distance control.

The long dog-leg 16th stands out late in the round. A bunker cut into the corner shapes the tee shot, and the strongly sloping green can still punish a loose approach. Since 2016, Tim Lobb's design firm has also worked on bunker and landscape restoration across both Berkshire courses, with the aim of respecting Fowler's original work.