Rushmore

Rushmore Estate nestles within the chalk plateau of Cranborne Chase in central southern England and the modern day character of the property is largely due to the efforts of Lt General Pitt Rivers, who inherited the landholding in 1880. He fashioned a deerpark and ornamental parkland within the grounds, creating the Larmer Tree Gardens for “public enlightenment and entertainment”.

In the modern era, the Estate is involved in a variety of activities such as farming, forestry, leisure and a number of different sporting pursuits, one of which is an 18-hole course that opened for play in the mid-1990s. Interestingly, the original 9-hole layout (1st-3rd and 13th-18th) within Wiltshire has no bunkers whilst the newer holes on the Dorset side of the county boundary do have sand and water hazards. Architectural provenance is sketchy, but we understand Martin Hawtree was engaged here in the 1980s. Please contact us if you have more details.

Set on free-draining land allowing golf to be played throughout the year, the layout measures a modest 6,349 yards from the back tees, playing to a par of 71. A round on the course starts out within the estate’s old deer park then crosses the county border into Dorset where holes 4 to 12 are laid out, before the routing then returns to Wiltshire for the final six holes.

Notable holes on the front nine include the longest par four on the card, the 449-yard 5th (“Shire Rack”), and the 8th (“Michael’s Pond”), rated stroke index 1, which has a rather intimidating little water feature protecting the front of the green. On the back nine, there are short par four birdie opportunities on offer at holes 11, 13 and 16.

The round concludes with another chance of picking up a shot at the 384-yard 18th (“William Pitt”), but it’s important for the approach shot to finish on the top tier of the putting surface if that’s where the pin is positioned on the longest green on the course. And after sinking that final putt, it’s time to head straight into Rushmore’s welcoming clubhouse to sample the fine selection of drinks and home-cooked food.

Why have we listed Rushmore in Dorset rather than Wiltshire? The short answer is: Rushmore Golf Club is affiliated to the Dorset County Golf Union and we align English clubs to their governing body rather than their postal address.