Sherwood Forest Golf Club

The royal hunting Forest of Sherwood in middle England is world famous as the legendary home of Robin Hood and his Merry Men. Sherwood Forest is also an important home to some of Europe’s finest trees and heathland. The Sherwood Forest Golf Club is now designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest because it contains the largest area of low-lying heathland in the Midlands.

But it wasn’t always this way. Life began in 1895 as the Mansfield Golf Club on the fields of Ravensdale – the area is now a housing estate. In 1911, the club became the Sherwood Forest Golf Club in readiness for a move to new heathland ground at Eakring Road. Harry Colt designed the new course and James Braid revised the layout in the mid 1920s – today’s layout bears his hallmark. Further minor changes – larger greens and new tees – were implemented in the early 1980s after recommendations made by Cotton, Pennink, Steel and Hawtree.

Today’s course looks very different to the original layout, but only because the trees have grown up over the years, creating an enclosed feeling. The back nine wends its way, each hole in isolation, through the trees. The first few holes possess a more open, heathland feel. But there’s no doubt that Sherwood Forest is set on superb golfing terrain and it’s also a supreme test of golf. The club has played host to Open Championship Regional Qualifying and even Gary Nicklaus, son of the great Jack, failed to qualify here, not only once, but twice.

Renowned for its fantastic greens and friendly welcome, Sherwood Forest is certainly a course to put on your itinerary when visiting the Midlands. Include it alongside Notts and Lindrick and you will have played three of the best inland courses in the country.