Beau Desert Golf Club

Fowler's Beautiful Wilderness on Cannock Chase

The golf course at Beau Desert Golf Club began as a private layout for the Sixth Marquess of Anglesey. He commissioned Herbert Fowler, who completed the course in 1913 on land belonging to the Beaudesert Estate. The club was formed seven years later, turning the Marquess's course into the foundation of the present venue.

Fowler used the high ground of Cannock Chase to create a heathland course with rolling fairways, steep bunkers, and greens set beside hollows. Heather and pine narrow the view from many tees, while woodland separates much of the routing. That sense of isolation is one of the course's clearest traits; golfers often play a hole without seeing the groups elsewhere on the property.

At 6,485 yards from the back tees, Beau Desert relies less on raw length than accuracy and control. Its narrow landing areas place value on position, and the large greens contain enough movement to keep recovery work demanding. The course has also staged Open Championship qualifying, adding competitive weight to a design still closely tied to Fowler's original landscape.