If Northamptonshire County Golf Club was located closer to London, it would not only be well known, but maybe a regular ranking contender for our English Top 100.
Northamptonshire County Golf Club
If Northamptonshire County Golf Club was located closer to London, it would not only be well known, but maybe a regular ranking contender for our English Top 100.
4
A solid test of golf.
Firstly it is worth stating that for my visit the 15th was out of play and the 9th was on a temp green due to rainfall, I did however have the pleasure of playing two of the three extra holes which now provide a nine hole loop returning to the clubhouse, for those wishing to play 9 or 27 holes.
Needless to say, despite the closure and temp tee you could tell this was more for course preservation that absolute necessity. The course was in great condition and despite the rainfall had drained very well.
As mentioned above and stated to my host for the day, these are very Woburn-esque. 7a, is a picturesque tee shot set within the pines which run almost "corridor" like guarding the fairway. It's tight. The par 3 (8a) is a beautiful monster, with a very dramatic right side where the land slopes steeply away from the green,leaving a tricky up and down for anyone.
The clubhouse is modern and striking, overlooking the 18th green and the first tee can also be observed from the left hand side.
Northamptonshire is labelled a heathland and I think most may arrive expecting to see a carpet of purple heather lining every fairway and guarding every tee box . This isn't the case and I can understand why it would sway people to think it more a parkland.
The par 4 first sets the tone of what to expect from Northamptonshire's par 4s. They play long and you'll find yourself looking at the top end of your bag when selecting a club in to the greens. This shown again on the par 5 second, playing at 554 yards from the whites with a demanding tee shot, where tree trouble lurks left and bunkers linger in the bail out area, right. You to have to plot your away around and handicap has to be earned.
What I love about Northamptonshire is the variation and trickiness. In typical Colt fashion there are strategically placed hazards throughout each hole.
The short par 4, 4th playing at 353 yards, from an elevated tee, you hit out towards the green over a see of gorse, trees flanking the fairway, a fairway bunker strategically placed to catch the short shorts and a run off from the green that could cause havoc. That's drama and danger, others may walk off this hole with a birdie and say what's the fuss about?
The par 3, 6th is a very long par 3 at 225 yards. This reminded me of the 13th at my home course, The Addington.
The par 4, 8th I particularly loved for its green site. A dogleg left hole, where you could take driver on a tiger line over the trees towards the green, or play down the fairway with a 220 shot, leaving a short iron/wedge in. The green site is awesome. A collection of mounds work their way right from the middle of the approach and then around the green. There another group on the left hand side. What captured my attention from the 9th tee when looking back, was the superb run off at the back of the green.
As mentioned the 9th was shortened to a temp on the day, however, its still great looking hole where your tee shot needs to either play up to the river running through the fairway, or over it! another beautiful green setting despite the railway line behind it.
My picks of the back nine which I will add I feel is the harder test, include the par 4, 10th. A slight dogleg left to right, your tee shot needs to play up the left hand side of the fairway which ripples left to right. Hazards flank the right hand side catching any strays and there is even a pot hole bunker in the up slope! The green site again is another cracker. The green side bunkers are cut into the green giving a sand belt feel. The green itself its a subtle inverted bowl which I can imagine in summer months has many people walking after their ball in frustration and embarrassment as it rolls off the green.
The par 3, 12th playing at around 140 yards is lovely setting and possibly the prettiest hole on the course. Playing up towards the green which is quite long, and flanked two pin high right bunkers, another left and one short of the green.
The par 4, 16th is definitely worth a mention. A brute of a par 4 which comes to no surprise that it used to be a par 5. The green is insane with a valley running length ways through it. A par here will feel like a birdie.
Lastly the par 5, 18th is a lovely finishing hole and a great opportunity to sign the round off with a birdie as the clubhouse welcomes you in with open arms.
If you want to test yourself on a classic, I'd thoroughly recommend Northamptonshire County Golf Club.
Daniel Haighton
Woburn Golf Club is the only club in England with all three of its courses continuously ranked in the Top 100, and all three sit within 15 minutes of Milton Keynes town centre. For any golfer visiting the area, whether for business or leisure, that is an offer that simply does not exist anywhere else in England. ⛳️ Top 3 Golf Courses in Milton Keynes 🥇 Best Golf Course in Milton Keynes — Woburn Golf Club (Marquess) #59 England · #1 Buckinghamshire Access: Visitors Welcome — Weekdays Only Best Time to Visit: Apr–Oct Distance from City Centre: 15 min Set within 200 acres of majestic mature woodland on the Woburn Abbey estate, the Marquess opened in 2000 as the youngest and most expansive of Woburn's three courses. Fairways are wider and more undulating than its siblings, featuring oak, yew, chestnut, rowan and beech rather than dense pine, measuring well over 7,000 yards from the back tees. It has hosted the British Masters four times and the Women's British Open twice, cementing its place as the standout course of one of England's finest golfing venues. 🥈 Golf Course in Milton Keynes — Woburn Golf Club (Duke's) #73 England · #2 Buckinghamshire Access: Visitors Welcome — Weekdays Only Best Time to Visit: Apr–Oct Distance from City Centre: 15 min The original Woburn course, opened in 1976, is classical rather than modern in its design. Subtle dog-legs and holes played in magnificent isolation from one another define the layout, with the famous downhill par-three 3rd standing out as one of the most memorable short holes in English parkland golf. It has hosted the Dunlop Masters, the British Masters and the Women's British Open. A must-play. 🥉 #3 Golf Course in Milton Keynes — Woburn Golf Club (Duchess) #100 England · #3 Buckinghamshire Access: Visitors Welcome — Weekdays Only Best Time to Visit: Apr–Oct Distance from City Centre: 15 min The tightest and most intimate of the three Woburn courses, opened in 1979. At 6,651 yards it is the shortest of the three, but towering pine trees make every hole appear exceptionally narrow. Use your driver sparingly on a course where keeping the ball in play is everything, and one many members quietly regard as their personal favourite. 🔁 Can't Play the Top 3? Best Alternative Golf Courses Near Milton Keynes Northamptonshire County Golf Club #96 England · #1 Northamptonshire Access: Contact Club Prior to Visit Best Time to Visit: Year-round Distance from City Centre: 45 min Designed by Harry Colt in 1909 on the borders of the Althorp Estate in Church Brampton, this is a traditional layout that carries a distinctive heathland feel despite its parkland setting. Donald Steel described it as offering a test of inland golf that, of its type, is as good as any. Exceptionally well-drained and playable year-round, it is a genuine hidden gem within easy reach of Milton Keynes. Aspley Guise & Woburn Sands Golf Club #2 Bedfordshire Access: Contact Club Prior to Visit Best Time to Visit: Year-round Distance from City Centre: 10 min Sandy Herd's 1914 parkland design sits just ten minutes from Milton Keynes town centre, making it the most accessible alternative when Woburn is unavailable. Extended from nine to eighteen holes in the 1970s, it is a mature and well-regarded layout that hosted the 2009 County Championships and drains well throughout the year. 📋 More Golf Courses Near Milton Keynes Milton Keynes borders three counties, giving travelling golfers a wide choice of verified courses within 60 minutes of the town centre. In Buckinghamshire: Bedfordshire Golf Club, Buckinghamshire Golf Club. In Bedfordshire: Bedford & County Golf Club, Millbrook Golf Club, South Beds Golf Club. In Northamptonshire, north and east of Milton Keynes: Brampton Heath Golf Centre, Collingtree Park Golf Club, Kettering Golf Club, Kingsthorpe Golf Club, Northampton Golf Club, Staverton Park Hotel & Golf Club, Wellingborough Golf Club and Whittlebury Park. Full rankings and reviews for all courses are available at top100golfcourses.com. ❓ Frequently Asked Questions — Golf in Milton Keynes How many Top 100-ranked golf courses are near Milton Keynes? Three — all at Woburn Golf Club. The Marquess (#59 England), Duke's (#73 England) and Duchess (#100 England) are each independently ranked and all sit within 15 minutes of Milton Keynes town centre. Is Woburn Golf Club open to visitors? Yes, but on weekdays only. All three courses welcome visiting golfers from Monday to Friday throughout the year. Advance booking is required and a handicap certificate is recommended. Woburn is closed to visitors at weekends. What is the best golf course in Milton Keynes? The Marquess at Woburn Golf Club is ranked #59 in England and #1 in Buckinghamshire, making it the highest-ranked course within reach of Milton Keynes. It is the recommended first choice for any travelling golfer visiting the area. ✈️ Getting to Milton Keynes for Golf Milton Keynes Central station sits on the West Coast Main Line with direct services into London Euston from 32 minutes. London Luton Airport (LTN) is the nearest airport at 40km (25 miles) from Milton Keynes town centre, approximately 35 minutes by car to Woburn. London Heathrow (LHR) offers the widest international connections at 70km (43 miles) from Milton Keynes town centre, around 55 minutes by car to Woburn. Car rental is available at both airports and is strongly recommended for reaching Woburn, Northamptonshire County and the wider area. 🌤️ Best Time to Play Golf in Milton Keynes May through September offers the most reliable playing conditions, with temperatures ranging from 15°C (59°F) to 22°C (72°F) and monthly rainfall averaging 50–60mm (2–2.4in). October brings superb autumn colour through Woburn's pine and beech woodland. Northamptonshire County and Aspley Guise drain exceptionally well and are playable through winter. The Woburn courses play best from April onwards. Plan Your Milton Keynes Golf Trip Full rankings, reviews and course details for every course listed on this page are available at top100golfcourses.com.
Top 10 Golf Courses in Northamptonshire 2015 Northamptonshire Best in County rankings updated For many people, given the task of associating Northamptonshire with a chosen sport, they might link the county with the Silverstone motor racing circuit and the British Grand Prix, though some could also nominate Northampton Town FC or one of the region’s semi-professional football teams. Perhaps the County Cricket Club would also come into the reckoning. Almost certainly, very few would connect Northamptonshire with golf, which is a real shame. It’s not exactly a golfing hotspot, nonetheless there are a good number of courses worth playing in this region, ten of which we feature in our latest ranking chart for a county that’s known to some as “The Rose of the Shires”. The course at Northamptonshire County comfortably retains its number 1 position in the new county listings. Formed in 1909, the club has architects Harry Colt and James Braid to thank for its 18-hole layout, though Cameron Sinclair also added three holes in more recent times, allowing golfers to play a quick 9-hole circuit that brings them back to the clubhouse. Moving up two places to position 4 in the standings, the 18-hole course at Brampton Heath Golf Centre is a mid-1990s design which, although still maturing, continues to gain favour with an ever-increasing number of casual and regular visiting golfers. It’s also part of a 27-hole modern facility that offers fantastic value for money. Also making an upward move in the chart, albeit only one position to number 9, the traditional parkland layout at Kingsthorpe Golf Club is an old C. H. Alison design that dates back to just before World War I. What’s most remarkable about this course is the fact that all eighteen holes fit into a very tight 72-acre plot of land, which is a ludicrously small area to squeeze a golf course into. A couple of new entries also make it into the Northamptonshire Top 10 rankings. The first newcomer is Peterborough Milton at number 6 and this is a James Braid-designed course that first opened for play in 1937. The other newcomer appears at number 7 and it’s the course at Kettering, where the original 9-hole layout was pegged out in 1891 by another famous golfing Scotsman, Old Tom Morris. We’d like to thank everybody in this region who contributed to our re-ranking process. To view more details of the courses in our Northamptonshire Top 10 rankings, click this link. If you’ve played extensively across this region and would like to help us with the next edition of the chart then please drop Editor-in-Chief Keith Baxter an email at keith@top100golfcourses.com. Jim McCann Editor Top 100 Golf Courses
England's Second Hundred 2011 With 48 new entries, our newly extended English golf course rankings reveal significant changes. We will continue to perfect the ranking process over time and your player review posts are an important element in our ranking process. Some of the new entries are courses which we have featured on the Top 100 website for many years and some of these have numerous player reviews posted. However, there are 19 brand new entries and these courses would benefit from your honest input. We’d be grateful if you would post player reviews for any of the courses you’ve played. We’ll then use this data alongside other published ranking and rating information to formulate our 2013 English rankings. Thurlestone is the highest new entry in our England Second Hundred and it moves straight out of “Your Gems” to position 102. “Thurlestone was founded in 1897 on a massive rabbit warren, covered with scrub, brambles and gorse.” Wrote Peter Alliss in the Good Golf Guide. “Put another way, it was almost the ideal for golf – once the fairways had been carved through, and greens laid.” Northamptonshire County is the second highest new entry and it too was formerly a Gem nominated by Paul back in January 2008. Here’s what Paul had to say: “It is a very traditional course and although parkland in style, it has a heathland feel to it. Designed by Harry Colt in 1909 and standing the test of time very well after a bunker layout change in 1947 by James Braid, the club is now extending the course further with many new tees opening in spring 2008 to lengthen the layout to over 6,700 yards.” We plan to focus firmly on England’s golf courses during 2011 and aim to showcase many more fine courses from around the country. Keep a close eye on what’s happening here at Top 100 during 2011, you may find your home club featured. Click here to see England’s First Hundred.
The latest ranking of the Top 100 Golf Courses in the World serves as the ultimate global golf bucket list. Most members of our World Top 100 Panel are seasoned golfers, each playing 20-30 of these courses annually while travelling extensively over decades to form their opinions on others. We recognise that opinions vary—even among our panel members. Rankings are subjective, and there are undoubtedly 50 or more courses in the UK and USA alone that could easily fit onto this list. Links Golf Pilgrimages The rankings
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