Ipswich Golf Club (Purdis Heath Course)

Braid's Two Loops at Purdis Heath

The Purdis Heath Course at Ipswich Golf Club officially opened on 16 June 1928, after the club left Rushmere Heath for a new site east of Ipswich. James Braid first inspected the land in 1925, when it was known as Black Heath, and prepared a routing that largely survives today. The name Purdis Heath was later created to avoid confusion with Blackheath Golf Club.

Braid arranged the course in two broad loops. The outward nine runs anticlockwise on the inside, while the inward nine circles outside in the opposite direction. This puts the wind at changing angles across the round. High ground, rolling contours, and two lakes give the layout its shape, while sandy heathland and strategic bunkering keep position central.

The course changes through the seasons, with rhododendrons in spring and mature foliage in autumn. Its short par-three 15th asks for a full carry across water to a green protected by bunkers and trees. That compact hole captures Purdis Heath's character: modest length on the card, but little room for an imprecise shot.