South Staffordshire

South Staffordshire Golf Club came into being in 1892, moving north to its present location sixteen years after its formation. Harry Vardon - who at that time had won four of his record six Open championships - was entrusted with the design of the club’s new course in 1908.

Soon after, Harry Colt made some improvements, as did James Braid in 1936 when he combined the first two holes and designed a new 7th and 8th. Fred Hawtree and Donald Steel also carried out more upgrading work in 1967 and 2003, respectively, when the 15th hole was altered and general bunkering modification were made.

Today, the course measures just over 6,500 yards from the back markers and plays to a par of 71. With a standard scratch score of one more than the par, golfers should not expect a walk in the park when they tee it up here.

Head Professional Peter Baker - a member of the GB & NI Walker Cup team in 1985 and a Ryder Cup player for Europe in 1993 - currently holds the course record with a fabulous score of 63 which was some mark to make on a tough track during the Captain’s Charity Pro-Am in 2010.

The holes at South Staffordshire are routed in an old-fashioned out and back manner, with the 5th hole, a 480-yard par five, rated the toughest hole on the front nine as it doglegs left and slightly uphill to a raised green. On the inward half, the 444-yard right doglegged 12th is the one that gives golfers most difficulty, with a blind approach to a sloping green causing all sorts of trouble.