Berkshire (Red) - Berkshire - England

Played November 2021. A fair and varied test. The fairways were wide enough to give players of all standards a decent chance to hit them, but the heather was tough enough to punish errant shots, whilst still giving a chance to find the ball and get it back into play.

The setting is wonderful, peaceful and grand, and the trees frame the holes beautifully.

The greens are testing and in great condition, as was the course as a whole.

The par 3 tenth was real highlight.

The staff and clubhouse were very welcoming to visitors.

All in all a quintessential heathland track, offering everything you could look for from such a course.

Would I rush back, absolutely!

Having played the Red course while cutting first tracks on a calm and clear September morning, I’d suggest that this is how golf should be. Those first few holes felt like coasting across a calm mirrored ocean in a sail boat; serene, tranquil and good for the soul. The fact this particular ocean resides just a few miles from London and the M25 motorway makes the aforementioned feeling of absolute serenity even more remarkable.

There is no doubt that a day at The Berkshire is one of the best 36 holes experiences in the U.K. The atmosphere is welcoming and unpretentious, the facilities are immaculate and the clubhouse (and lunch) are the stuff of legend. The veranda abuts the blue course’s 1st tee which is some spectacle to take in while enjoying a pre-game coffee, or that post game pick me up. Don’t just drive up and take to the course when you visit here. Make sure to plan a good couple of hours enjoying and exploring the clubhouse and it’s surroundings.

The Red course is ever so slightly higher ranked than it’s sibling but it is very hard to split the two on first contact. The notable design feature of the Red is its 3 x 6’s arrangement (6 x par 3’s/4’s/5’s) which I felt drove a feeling of constant stimulation and engagement with the task at hand. I’m pretty sure this was only the second layout I had played of this kind (Chardonnay GC in Napa Valley was the other), and I have to admit, I thoroughly enjoyed the constant scorecard related intrigue.

There is a feeling of grandeur as you walk the isolated avenues lined with effervescent heather and statuesque trees. The purple borders that line each of the fairways may look attractive, particularly from the tee boxes. However, spending too much time up close and personal will steadily inflate your score while reducing the weight of your golf bag. My overriding tip from the day would be to escape from the heather at the earliest opportunity, if you suffer the misfortune to visit it. I have played many courses with heather lined fairways but this stuff is real punishment. The sooner you work out that avoiding it at all costs is key, the sooner your sanity will be restored.

The course starts in attractive fashion with a glorious risk/reward par 5. I would offer my previous comments re the heather as a word of caution. Nothing says ‘card wrecker’ like an extended stay in the thick stuff on the very first hole. Combined with the threat of water off the tee, I would advocate a cautious approach at the 1st.

The attractive vistas and subtlety of design become the norm as you tack through this opening stretch. Fowler greens are notoriously treacherous from my experience and there are some green sites on the Red where both the size and contours require a navigator’s eye to traverse. Nowhere is this more evident than on the wonderful par 3 7th green, where a well struck iron shot to the heart of this green guarantees you nothing, until you have safely negotiated its undulating surface.

The signature holes for me were 10 and 11. 10 has to be the closest to an island par 3 you will see on a heathland course. There is dry land on all four sides of the green but it may as well be the Atlantic Ocean in terms of its usefulness to a golfer. The uphill tee shot requires a solid hit just to clear the cavernous heathery abyss. If your shot slides off line, there are slopes and bunkers abound to cause you discomfort. You would think things would get easier once you make the putting surface; I’m here to share that you will most likely end up disappointed on your first visit.

My last mention of hole design will be to describe the magnificent and utterly simple 11th. It’s not often that dead straight 350 yard par 4’s take the plaudits but maybe it’s stroke index of 4 eludes ti the fact that there is more to this hole than meets the eye. There is something enchanting about the apparent simplicity and uniformity of this gem of a hole. The classic design trait of more club off the tee allowing more control for the second shot, is one to seriously consider here. The green is raised above the fairway, small and slopes predominantly back to front. Having the right club in your hand to leave you below the hole will be key to your chance of success here.

It is not the longest or the most difficult course you will play, but it may be one of the most memorable. A round that will engage your mind and your golfing soul from start to finish.

It is a mystery to me why not more layouts with six par 3s and six par 5s are built at modern golf resorts as they provide so much fun!

The Berkshire's Red Course might lay claim to being the original. It certainly is the best such layout I have played and one of the best balanced layouts I have played, all categories.

It helps, of course, that it is set among heather and majestic fir trees and which ample space for each hole. Most of the deciduous trees I remember from my first visit in the 90s have now been cleared away and the course is visually better as a result. If you visit when the heather is in bloom, you are in for a real treat, as pictured.

The course also played longer as fairways were green already in early September and not fast-running the way I remember them. The caddiemaster who chuckled when he saw my old courseplanner from 20 years ago told us that many fairways had been relaid with sand and new drainage quite recently, which explained the state of affairs.

Berkshire Red is correctly ranked among the best UK heathland courses. In my opinion, there is probably not a single course among those ranked below that I have played that I would consider its equal.

An extra plus, at least in my book, is that you can play it in three hours without rushing as a two-ball instead of waiting around among fourballs. The flip side is that it might not be accessible on the day you were thinking of visiting if you are three or four, but then the Blue course could be available instead and it is (almost) just as good!

Highly recommended, do not miss!

The Berkshire is an amazing place for a day out, with 36 challenging holes sprawled across a lovely sandy property. Maybe not quite the cachet of Sunningdale (or the price tag), it's still a very classy place.

The Red and Blue courses are entwined through a lovely forest, although we saw evidence of the tree clearing programme underway. As they share the same springy turf, there is little between them, I'm sure many people have wandered on to the wrong course mid round without realising.

The reason I prefer the Red course, and rate it slightly higher, is that it features several opportunities to play a hero shot. With 6 par threes and 6 par fives, there are more opportunities for birdie than nearly every other course I can think of. This doesn't mean it's an easy course (far from it), you need to calculate risk v reward on every tee. I just found that on the Blue course the conservative option off the tee seemed best, whereas on the Red course the bold option seemed more appealing - and we all like dramatic golf. Of course it goes without saying I scored much better on the Blue, but the Red was more fun!

We arrived at the course early in the morning and were greeted warmly by the hospitality manager and invited inside for a complimentary coffee & bacon / sausage roll. After taking this, we set about looking around. The clubhouse and pro shop were a little underwhelming, but the course itself - wow.

We played the course in the summer after a couple of days of really heavy rain, but the course showed no signs of damage. There is an abundance of beautiful trees which provides great character, however the trunks are thin and well spread and generally aren't in play (due to wide fairways) meaning it's not a course where you feel you are constantly chipping sideways. Additionally, there is an abundance of heather which whilst adding character and colour to the course, was exceptionally punitive, especially compared to the fairways which were so pure.

The only qualms I had with the course is that with the exception of the 10th (a long par 3 over a heather canyon into a green with a false front and everything right falling back into the canyon), there were no standout holes. Lots of good holes, but nothing that you'd be shouting about in your local clubhouse. In addition, it felt that the greens could do with being a hare quicker, although that could have been due to the rain.

I very much enjoyed my experience, it's a beautiful course, perfectly maintained and very scorable. Worth a trip out, but was it worth the £195 green fee? I'll leave that up for debate.

Recently moved to within 10 minutes of The Berkshire, and had been wanting to play the Red so bad. It didn't let me down. An ok 1st hole paved way for a thrilling, challenging and beautiful final 17.

I loved that being on the fairway and green isn't enough. To score well, you had to plot your way round. The greens were in great order too.

Just a great day and I can't wait to return and give the Blue a bash.

I last played here 15 years ago, and found it stuffy. Times have changed and The Berkshire experience has moved with them. 36 holes today and the experience an absolute delight.

Firstly, the staff could not have been friendlier; chatty and funny restaurant manager, helpful starter who found us to ask if we wanted to move our afternoon tee forward an hour, great lunch (stunning view from the terrace), great halfway hut. All of this put us at great ease and left us free to enjoy every aspect of these 2 superb though different tracks.

Where The Blue feels more of a second shot course, with smaller greens, The Red asks more questions. Par 3s that I hit from 8-iron up to driver (on 16 - it plays loooong). Some devilish uphill/side hill chips. Double and triple level greens. 2 great strategic dogleg par 4s (6 and 12). Gorgeous par 3s and strategy on almost every hole. Greens that from a distance look simple and up close belie all manner of run offs, false fronts etc.

There is no artifice or pretentiousness here, either on or off the course. Just 2 thoroughly enjoyable tracks, many memorable holes and a feeling I’ve had the best that golf can offer me in this beautiful part of the world.

The second course I visited on the heathland leg of my trip, The Berkshire is one hell of a place to play golf. Out of every course I visited over the last 6 weeks, this place would be very high on the list for places most desirable to be a member of- with two strong 18 hole courses, and a vibe that was very welcoming. It was also great to see many dogs on the course!

The Red has 6 par 3s, 6 4s and 6 5s, which in turn leads to a fun golf course with plenty of those holes playing as half pars. The opener, a short par 5, sets out what the golfer should expect over the round. There was lots of width off the tee throughout which transpires to a course that is extremely playable.

In line with a lot of the top courses around this area, the layout is such that strategy is a key part of any round, for example the short par 4 6th asks a player how much of the dogleg they want to cut off with their tee shot.

Most readers will agree with me that a long par 3 can often not be their favourite type of hole. It is a testament to the class of this course that my two favourite holes were par 3s of over 180 yards. The 10th is similar to the 16th at Royal Porthrush, Calamity, and then the 16th plays every inch of its 205 yards, as its uphill. Both of these greens are shaped subtly, which is the case on pretty much all every green.

I hope to get back at some point soon and see the Blue course, as if it’s anything close to the Reds standard then it is an absolute must play, even in this regions esteemed company.

Being an Old Radleian bring many perks. One is basically a membership at The Berkshire. I joke of course. However, I have played both courses at The Berkshire many times as a result of the school I was educated at.

Golf World is correct in listing the Red ahead of the Blue. Although both are as beautiful as one another and a marvellous test. The course is charming, and this stretches to the pro shop and clubhouse. The clubhouse veranda is beautiful and sits elevated over the course, looking out over the first hole of the Blue course.

The practice facilities here are commendable for a traditional heathland course, where many fall short in this area. However, the range is located below the first tees of both courses and therefore a steep walk up from the range to the first tee is not ideal. I am nit-picking of course. The property as a whole is very impressive.

The Red course is unique in design. The configuration of six par threes, six par fours and six per fives provide for much interest, variety and entertainment. You need to be a straight and steady game to score well here otherwise you can very quickly become too acquainted with the trees and heather and therefore find yourself chipping out sideways and scrambling for par – bogey most likely.

My most recent outing here was playing for the Old Radleian Golf Team vs the current crop of golfing talent at the school. This was two years ago when my brother was the school’s Team Captain. My teammates decided that my brother was much better than I and placed me against another. A shame as I haven’t walked these fairways with my brother, despite being on the same property 3 times previously. However, it was a good thing I didn’t play against my brother as he shot a solid 2-over that day. I, on the other hand was below average. I took my game down 18 and thankfully prevailed after an outrageous 50-foot snaking putt uphill from left to right.

The Berkshire is so still and quiet and commands attention at every moment. I recommend adding the course to a Berkshire/Surrey itinerary. You will not be disappointed.

"This is my favourite place on earth." Buoyed by the endorsement of a 4-handicap society colleague, I played the best round of my life on the best course I have played so far.

In gorgeous late-summer sunshine, The Berkshire's Red Course was my golfing Shangri-La - every hole was such a delight, it inspired me to heights I didn't think I could attain.

This is the 22nd course in England's top 100 I have played since June and, while I loved several of the others, only St Enodoc had the same wow impact, for very different reasons.

The Berkshire Red is special because it looks stunning, is beautifully maintained and is, I think, unique - its 18 is made up of six par threes, six par fours and six par fives.

In attacking this new phenomenon and realising the presence of great swathes of purple heather, my business partner offered me a brilliant tip. "Play shots which you can get right eight of ten times. Don't hit any which you can only make one in ten."

His advice was perfect for the occasion because our society comp was off the yellow tees and so, The Red, while potentially tricky, could be negotiated with delicate play rather than Dechambeau-style ball-smashing.

Therefore, my unreliable fairway woods remained in my bag while my five-iron and eight-iron took up the slack.

However, there is no doubt that the key to my success was my putting which, in our Stableford competition, helped me yield nine three-pointers and even a four with a confidence-injecting birdie on the fourth hole.

It is so tricky to identify favourite holes on the Red course because they are all so good but the right-dogleg sixth is worth mentioning - I witnessed a fellow competitor succeed with the most outrageous of fades off the tee but I went for a more conventional approace for my par.

And I felt a glow walking off with a three on the 217-yard 16 which is, according to my well-travelled playing partner, one of the best short holes in the world. I took a driver, landed just short and putted off the green to five feet.

Indeed, a putter is a handy weapon if shots are a few yards off target - I used mine in the way that I have attacked a few links this summer.

Meanwhile, I ought to say that I had been warned that The Berkshire is a bit stuffy.

I didn't find that at all. The staff, who were making sure we adhered to ant-Covid-19 rules, couldn't have been more accommodating and my lunchtime salmon melted in my mouth.

I could go on and on with the superlatives. The Berkshire is magnficent and playing the Red will take some beating as my best golfing experience.