Ferndown Golf Club (Old Course)

Two Loops Through Heather and Pine

The Old Course at Ferndown Golf Club was laid out by Harold Hilton, a two-time Open champion, on sandy Dorset heathland. The club dates its establishment to 1913. Hilton's routing rewards position more than power, with doglegs asking players to shape tee shots and find the correct side of each fairway.

The course is relatively level and easy to walk, yet its hazards are quietly exacting. Heather and pines border the holes, while visible, steep-lipped bunkers influence both drives and approaches. The fifth, named The Trap, is the longest par 3 at 204 yards from the black tees, with most of the danger short of the green. The 302-yard eighth, Perfection, offers longer hitters a chance to attack, but The Warren bunker waits left, and a heavily sloping green punishes loose shots.

Ferndown also has a close connection with the Alliss family. Percy Alliss served as head professional from 1939 to 1967, and Peter Alliss began his golfing career here. The Old Course later hosted the 1989 Women's British Open, won by Jane Geddes, alongside several major amateur and professional events.