Top 10 Golf Courses in Wiltshire 2015
Top 10 Golf Courses in Wiltshire 2015
Wiltshire Best in County rankings updated
The county of Wiltshire is synonymous with the iconic prehistoric site at Stonehenge which is set out on the chalk plateau of Salisbury Plain. Stonehenge is actually one of two large plots – the other is at Avebury, thirty miles to the north – that constitute one of the twenty-five cultural sites in the UK designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Still, there’s an awful lot more going on here in archaeological terms than the eye-catching ring of large standing stones which capture all the attention at Stonehenge. Burial mounds, pits and monuments continue to be discovered as state of the art survey equipment slowly unlocks the secrets of the past.
On the golfing front, what remains largely unknown about Wiltshire are the thirty or so golf courses that are scattered around the county, ten of which we feature in our Best in Region rankings. There are quite a number of decent tracks in the county worth playing so bring your clubs next time if you come here to celebrate the summer solstice.
Advancing one place to the number 1 position in the county chart is Bowood, an early 1990s Dave Thomas design and it edges out the Manor House from the top spot. Laid out within an enormous 200-acre wooded estate, Bowood has been described by one reviewer as “always in great condition, offering very quick greens and a variety of tees. Whilst it is clearly a ‘hotel’ course, the value this place offers cannot be sniffed at.”
The Red and Yellow nines at Cumberwell Park Golf Club also rise one place to position 4 in the new edition of the county listings. These nines were the first two circuits to be installed in 1994, with additional nines following in 1999 and 2007 to create the only 36-hole golf facility in Wiltshire.
The course at High Post climbs two places to number 6, and this J.H.Taylor and Fred Hawtree-designed layout is an old favourite of Peter Alliss, who is said to have included the 384-yard 9th in his 18-hole dream course. It measures a moderate 6,305 yards from the back markers, playing to a par of 70.
Wrag Barn Golf & Country Club is the first of two newcomers in the Wiltshire chart at number 8. Designed by Simon Gidman and operational since 1990, the course is part of a modern facility which is located to the north of Swindon and it also features a 6-hole Academy course and 16-bay driving range.
The other new entry in the revised Top 10 is Marlborough Golf Club at number 10. Founded in 1888, the club engaged Tom Simpson and Herbert Fowler shortly after World War I to create a new 9-hole course for the members. John Hamilton Stutt then added an additional nine holes to form a full 18-hole layout in the mid-1970s and this is the course that’s still in play today.
We’re grateful to all the clubs and professional golfers who assisted with our re-ranking process for this county. To view details of all the courses in our Wiltshire Top 10 rankings click the link. If you have extensive experience of playing across the south west region of England and would like to contribute to our next re-ranking exercise then please email Editor-in-Chief Keith Baxter at keith@top100golfcourses.com. Top 100 Golf Courses never claims to publish definitive golf course listings but we do like to think they’re the most informed.
Jim McCann
Editor
Top 100 Golf Courses