Woburn Golf Club (Marquess)

Woburn Golf Club is in an enviable position. It's the only club in England that can claim to have had all three courses continually placed in the Top 100 since we became the first publication to rank England’s Top 100 Golf Courses back in 2006.

The Marquess course straddles the county boundary of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire and is set within 200 acres of majestic mature woodland, part of the delightful 3,000-acre Woburn Abbey estate, home of the Dukes of Bedford for over 350 years. Woburn Abbey is presently home for the Marquess of Tavistock and his family, the new course taking the name from his title.

It took a quartet of architects to develop the Marquess: Ross McMurray, Clive Clark, Peter Alliss and Alex Hay, the course opening for play in 2000. The Marquess is different in nature to the Duke’s and the Duchess, but perfectly complementary. The Marquess’ fairways are wider and the land more undulating The trees are more park-like, featuring oak, yew, chestnut, rowan and beech, whereas the other two courses are predominantly carved through pine forests.

The Marquess is a supremely challenging golf course, measuring well over 7,000 yards from the back tees. In 2001 and 2002, it stole the British Masters from its elder brother, the Duke's. Thomas Levet and Justin Rose respectively emerged as the winners.

There is absolutely no doubt that Woburn is a classy place to play golf and now with three superb golf courses – Duke's, Duchess and Marquess – it is one of the most desirable golfing venues in England. The Marquess course will surely mature into one of the best championship golf courses in Britain.