Berkhamsted

Berkhamsted Golf Club is one of very few bunkerless golf courses in the country, but that doesn’t detract from its class. 

Founded in the late 19th Century, the course has had help from some of the finest architects the world has ever seen. Willie Park Jr designed the original 9-hole layout. Harry Colt then added nine more, before James Braid redesigned seven holes – with the layout remaining much the same following the five-time Open Champions work. 

It might be bunkerless, but there is plenty to watch out for at Berkhamsted. There are grass bunkers instead of sand, along with thick, tree-lined fairways, plenty of heather and gorse, and subtle contours on the greens.

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Berkhamsted Golf Club was founded in 1890, with two-time Open Champion Willie Park Jr laying out a nine-hole course over Berkhamsted Common. 

Harry Colt then extended the course to 18 holes, before five-time Open Champion James Braid redesigned no fewer than seven holes. To this day, the course features no man-made hazards. 

The club continues to host the Berkhamsted Trophy annually, a 72-hole competition for both men and women to enter. The likes of Sandy Lyle, Luke Donald, Andy Sullivan and Gary Wolstenholme have all lifted the silverware.  

If you enjoy a natural and challenging golf course, you will love playing at Berkhamsted. There are no man-made hazards, and the course provides a unique challenge. Sitting in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), there are tree-lined fairways, and plenty of flora and fauna that you will encounter throughout your round at Berkhamsted. With not a single sand trap, it is grass bunkers that you need to watch out for on this 6,700-yard course.  

Berkhamsted is unusual in the fact it begins with a par 3. The trouble on the 190-yard opener comes in the form of the thick grass and heather surrounding the putting surface. You then come to the longest hole on the course. The 2nd is more than 560 yards from the tips, with a small stream coming into play towards the green. That will be in your way if you fancy taking it on with your second, but most will choose to lay up to a good distance for a wedge into the small green. Avoiding the thick sets of trees on either side of the fairway is key on 2. The next has a generous fairway, but the further you hit your tee shot, the tighter the area of short stuff becomes. 4 and 5 are both relatively short par 4s, of around 350 yards, with the 4th turning left, while the 5th turns slightly right after the tee shot. 

The 6th is the longest par 3 of the lot at Berkhamsted, coming in at more than 200 yards from the back tees. 7 is a dog-leg right par 5, and one at 510 yards that some will fancy reaching in two. That can only happen if you find the correct part of the fairway, otherwise you will be blocked out in terms of a view of the putting surface. The 8th and 9th bring the front nine to a close with a pair of tough par 4s. The latter has a wide fairway, so it seems gentle, but the trees cut in pretty sharpish on the left side. 

The back nine begins with a short par 4, but it is not one to be attacked. The fairway stops around 70 yards out due to a layer of heather and thick rough. Stay short of it and clip a wedge into the large putting surface. 11 is the shortest hole on the property, at just 155 yards. There is a tree to the front left of the green which needs to be avoided with your approach. The 12th begins next to the road, and allows tee shots to be lost out to the right somewhat. That opens out the hole, and provides a view of the green, unless you push one off the face of the earth. 13 is much narrower, and turns slightly left, so again, the play is to the right side of the fairway. The last of the par 3s comes at the 14th, as you play from within a funnel of trees towards a pointed green, the narrow end at the front. 

The closing stretch features four tricky holes. The par 4 15th is a strong dog-leg left, and it is another hole where your tee shot has to travel far enough to be able to see the green with your second. If you can draw the ball, this is the hole for you! 16 is the last par 5, and has a generous fairway. At 559 yards, only the very longest of hitters will be thinking about reaching in two, so lay up to the second section of the fairway and then play on with your third. 17 bends to the right, almost the exact opposite of the 15th. Get your tee shot past the trees on the right side of the fairway to have a crack at the green. The closing hole at Berkhamsted is only 350 yards, but it is a fiddly one to navigate. The area for the perfect tee shot is small, and must be on the right side of the fairway, but not too long as the fairway ends abruptly. The green is pear-shaped, with the narrow part at the back of the green. A four on here is good, despite the lack of length. 

Greg Webber: A bunkerless course but the grassed humps and hollows provide their own aesthetic and challenge

Dan Murphy: Quintessentially and timelessly English, with cows grazing across the common. Lots of interest around the greens and that’s what makes the course special

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Where is Berkhamsted Golf Club located?  

Berkhamsted Golf Club is located just outside the M25 to the northwest of England’s capital city. It is just to the north of the town of Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire, with Hemel Hempstead a few miles to the east. The centre of London is only 35 miles away from Berkhamsted, with the M1 and the A41 running close by the golf club. 

Berkhamsted Station is a mile away from the venue, with trains running to and from London Euston. Trains run to Milton Keynes Central via Berkhamsted. London Luton is the closest international airport to the venue, located less than 15 miles away from Berkhamsted. For a wider array of flights, London Heathrow Airport – the country’s biggest and busiest airport, is only 30 miles south of the golf club.

Are there any other NCG Top 100s: England venues nearby?  

Berkhamsted is one of several NCG Top 100s: England venues located just to the northwest of the English capital. Ashridge is only a few miles north, while the likes of The Grove and the Centurion Club are close by as well. Huntercombe is within an hour's drive west.

What golf facilities does Berkhamsted Golf Club offer?  

Along with the glorious bunkerless golf course, Berkhamsted also has some wonderful practice facilities. There is a practice area to the side of the 18th with a huge tree in the middle of it, the perfect aiming point! There is also a short game area and a putting green, the latter of which is on the walk from the clubhouse to the 1st tee.

What are the green fees at Berkhamsted Golf Club?  

The price of a green fee at Berkhamsted Golf Club changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend. 

For more information on current green fees at Berkhamsted, visit their website here.