Woburn Golf Club (Duke's Course)

Woburn's Original Woodland Stage

The Duke's Course at Woburn Golf Club opened in 1976 as the venue's first layout. Charles Lawrie created the design after the Marquess of Tavistock chose to pursue a golf course when the estate land was being considered as a recreational park for Milton Keynes. The first clubhouse was a log cabin behind what is now the 16th green.

The course moves through pine, silver birch, and chestnut, with heather, bracken, and gorse acting as natural hazards. The club identifies the par 4s as its main strength, while the par 5s offer the clearest scoring chances. Position is still vital. At the fifth, a natural ravine and trees guard the route to the green, while the demanding seventh finishes beneath a two-tiered green with a church and small cemetery beyond.

Tournament recognition arrived quickly with the 1979 Dunlop Masters. The course later staged the British Masters and nine editions of the Women's British Open before the championship gained major status. Its tournament routing has sometimes used the normal first hole as the finish, the scene of Lee Trevino's eagle-winning approach in the 1985 Dunhill British Masters.