Orchardleigh

The country estate of Orchardleigh – which includes a large Victorian mansion, an island church, boathouse and a number of other listed outbuildings – is the setting for an 18-hole golf course that was designed in the mid 1990s by Brian Huggett in conjunction with Peter McEvoy.

It’s an idyllic setting for weddings with the little Church of St. Mary accessed by a small bridge over a lake but for those more interested in playing golf, the parkland layout here offers a really decent test on a site where other water hazards come into play at half a dozen of the holes.

The front nine are laid out on flatter land to the west of the clubhouse and the 414-yard 6th is the hardest hole on this circuit, with out of bounds to the left of a fairway that leads to a two-tiered green. The back nine occupies more undulating terrain and the uphill, right doglegged 14th is a tough nut to crack on the inward half.

The course was constructed within an established estate and the maturity of the setting contrasts well against the modern, target golf design of the holes where greens have been built to USGA standard. Originally called The Park, that name was dropped when proposals for a second 18-hole course fell through.