East Midlands of England – Best in County Rankings 2023
The five counties in our East Midlands region – Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire – kick off our somewhat overdue regional re-ranking process for England. And over the coming months, we’ll produce similar updated listings for another six geographical groupings across the country.
We’ve assembled new ranking panels for every county so you might expect to see a few new courses going forward. Indeed, in this edition, we’ve added thirteen to the fifty that we already featured, including another five for both Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. The #1 spot in each of these five East Midlands counties remains the same but there’s still quite a bit happening lower down in every table.
Derbyshire
The course at Cavendish Golf Club in Buxton (pictured above) took over the top position in Derbyshire in 2017 and it remains at #1 after this English county chart revision exercise. Laid out by Alister MacKenzie almost a hundred years ago, the 18-hole layout is currently undergoing a long-term renovation by playing member and respected architect Jonathan Gaunt.
Chevin
The course at Chevin Golf Club in Duffield entered our Derbyshire standings at #8 in 2015, dropping down one place in 2019, but it’s now our biggest county climber, rising three places to #6. Established as a 9-hole track by William Lowe, brother of George Lowe who designed Royal Lytham & St Annes, the course was inaugurated by Tom Williamson and James Braid playing an exhibition match on 13th October, 1894.
Morley Hayes
The first of two new entries appears at #11 and it’s the Manor course at Morley Hayes outside Morley, which Ray Baldwin designed thirty years ago. It’s part of an enterprising 27-hole facility that includes the short 9-hole Tower course, with water hazards featuring in the form of fairway ditches and ponds positioned close to greens.
Chapel-en-le-Frith
Our second newcomer for Derbyshire at #12 is the course at Chapel-en-le-Frith near Buxton, where the original 9-hole course that was built in 1905 served golfers for more than sixty years until it was expanded into an 18-hole layout by Peter Alliss and Dave Thomas in the early 1970s. The newer nine holes occupy land to the north of the B5470, with the older nine holes set out on the other side of the road, close to Combs reservoir.
Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Derbyshire.
Leicestershire & Rutland
In 1911, C.H. Alison from Harry Colt’s design firm laid out the course at Luffenham Heath (pictured above) which now retains its status as #1 in this county. James Braid, C.K. Cotton and Martin Hawtree have all played a part in the development of this lovely layout down the years so it’s certainly not lacking in terms of design pedigree.
Kirby Muxloe
One of only two courses to advance up the new Top 10 county table, Kirby Muxloe (up two to #7) started out with a 9-hole Old Tom Morris layout back in 1893. The course was doubled in size between the wars and Simon Gidman has upgraded the course in more recent times, replacing a few holes and working on a number of the greens.
Cosby
Stapleford Park has closed and dropped out of our listings, replaced at #10 by the course at Cosby Golf Club, which was established as Narborough Golf Club in 1894. The club operated a 9-hole track until 1966, when another five holes were introduced. Two years later, four more holes were added to fashion the tree-lined 18-hole layout that’s in play today.
Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Leicestershire & Rutland.
Lincolnshire
Currently ranked #60 in our World 100, the Hotchkin course at the National Golf Centre in Woodhall Spa (pictured above) is unlikely to be displaced from the top of the Lincolnshire chart anytime soon. Owner S.V. Hotchkin redesigned the layout in the 1920s and a recent renovation by Tom Doak’s Renaissance Golf Design team – clearing scrub, removing trees, redesigning bunkers – has breathed new life into this fabulous heathland layout.
Lincoln
The 18-hole layout at Lincoln Golf Club in Torskey has fluctuated between #5 and #6 in the five previous editions of this county chart but it now progresses a couple of spots to #4. Set out by J.H. Taylor as a 9-hole course at the start of the 20th century then extended by club professional Archie Earl in 1909, this part heathland/part parkland track is well worth a play.
Stoke Rochford
The highest of five new entries for Lincolnshire at #8, the course at Stoke Rochford Golf Club celebrates its centenary next year. W.H. Aitken modified the original 9-hole layout in 1929 before S.V. Hotchkin fashioned a new 18-hole layout six years later, replacing two of the holes that were previously played in front of Stoke Rochford Hall.
Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Lincolnshire.
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County in Church Brampton (pictured above) holds on to the #1 position in the county, which is hardly a surprise considering it’s also now listed in our English Top 100 chart. Designed by Harry Colt back in 1909, the course was upgraded by James Braid immediately after World War II then both C.K. Cotton and Donald Steel made minor modifications in the 1950s and 1970s.
Peterborough Milton
Moving up one place to #3, the course at Peterborough Milton Golf Club is a James Braid layout that first entered our county rankings at #6 in 2011. Opened just before the start of World War II, the course has changed little since then, apart from the resequencing of holes. It’s famed locally for the condition of its flat, subtly contoured putting surfaces – and, of course, its James Braid-designed bunkers.
Kettering
Also rising one place in the Northamptonshire listings to #6, the 18-hole layout at Kettering Golf Club was founded in 1891, making it the oldest in the county. Old Tom Morris set out the initial 9-hole course when Club Captain John Allison, a doctor from Edinburgh Royal infirmary, invited him to peg out a course for the members on land rented from the Duke of Buccleuch.
Whittlebury Park
There’s one new entry at #9, comprising the Red and Yellow nines at Whittlebury Park. Golf was first played on the Whittlebury estate in 1905, evolving into the three main 9-hole loops – Yellow, Red and Blue – that are now in operation. There’s also a short par-30 White course which is looked after to the same high standards as the other nines.
Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Northamptonshire.
Nottinghamshire
The wonderful heathland course at Hollinwell (pictured above) easily maintains its #1 position at the top of the Nottinghamshire chart. Dating back to 1901, when Notts Golf Club moved to its current location, the holes were first laid out by Willie Park Junior, with subsequent modifications made by J.H. Taylor and long-term club professional Tom Williamson.
Stanton-on-the Wolds
Only one course improves its position in our new county chart and it’s Stanton-on-the-Worlds (up one to #7) which is one of the many Midlands golf course designs from the prolific Tom Williamson, who spent fifty-four years at Notts Golf Club. Tight, tree-lined holes here occupy a 105-acre property on rolling terrain.
Nottinghamshire
Five new entries arrive in our newly enlarged Top 15 chart for Nottinghamshire, headed by the Championship course at The Nottinghamshire Golf & Country Club. The layout has benefitted in recent years from a long-term renovation project overseen by architect Paul Kimber with improvements made to a number of holes, notably the 18th which has had new tees and water features added.
Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Nottinghamshire.
Jim McCann
Editor
Top 100 Golf Courses