Remedy Oak

Remedy Oak is one of just a few courses on the NCG Top 100s: England list whose history began in the 21st Century. 

The golf course at Remedy Oak was only opened in 2006, but thanks to John Jacobs’ design, it feels like it has been there for much longer.  

The ancient woodland that surrounds the area is used brilliantly, while there is plenty of sand and water to keep you on your toes. 

Visit the Remedy Oak website here.

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Remedy Oak is one of the younger venues on the NCG Top 100s: England list, with its golfing history only dating back to the mid-2000s. 

The woodland itself at Remedy Oak, in which the course winds its way around, has been around for much, much longer.  

The golf course only opened in 2006, with John Jacobs – a two-time European Tour winner – being the man to design the woodland layout.  

It is rare indeed that a course of Remedy Oak's calibre opens these days and rarer still that such a place lives up to its billing. Designed by John Jacobs in 250 acres of mature - ancient, even - woodland, it is a place where spectacular natural advantage has combined with generous owners to create an exceptional experience. It has a feeling of refined class from the moment the imposing gates silently part and you make your way through a property where silence is broken only by birdsong. A modern take on the woodland theme, it is to Jacobs' great credit that while this is a 7,000-yard championship layout designed to stand the test of time, it is perfectly playable (from the right tees) for the average player. 

The first five holes form the toughest stretch on the course. Beginning with an opening hole that plays uphill all the way and consequently much longer than its yardage, the 2nd is a dramatic par 5 that sweeps downhill and left. From the right tee shot, the green is in range but since it lies on the far side of a sizable body of water only the strongest will take it on and succeed. If there is to be a criticism of a stunning hole, it is that the lay up leaves a short-iron third from a hanging lie over water - never the most appetising of lies. Once the green is found, it will already be clear that the surfaces here are smooth and frighteningly quick in places.  

Like the 1st, the 3rd is also substantially uphill and although the opening short hole features an elevated tee, at 240 yards most will be removing a headcover of some description before attempting to find the green. The testing opening quintet concludes with another par 5, although this one relies more on a variety of water hazards and marshes rather than sheer length to intimidate. Respite, though, is on hand. A solid drive over the brow on the 6th should not be too far from the green, and you would be well-advised to take maximum advantage because the next hole is among the most testing on the course. 7 is a dog-leg to the right, playing up the left makes the hole longer but also offers a flat stance and the most appealing angle to a green across the valley. Finding the green in regulation is quite an achievement. 

Temptation is the key to the 8th, another short par 4, this time downhill and over water. By setting the yellow tees at just 260 yards, Jacobs has ensured that club players have the chance to go for glory and it creates an exciting hole and a likely talking point afterwards. The front nine closes with a solid par 3 played to a kidney-shaped green. The long and awkward 10th kicks off the closing side at Remedy Oak. The difficulty here is hitting your drive far enough so that the trees on the right do not block your shot to the green. Since this is likely to be played with a wood or long iron, further complications are hardly required. The pretty 11th is a short hole with a green alongside a pond short and right while the 12th is a birdie chance from the front tees.  

Curiously, the 13th is Remedy Oak's shortest hole yet features the largest green - stretching some 52 yards from front to back. After this begins the finishing stretch, and a long par 4 to a fairway banked from right to left. Walk through the trees and prepare yourself for what is surely Remedy Oak's finest moment - a quite stunning par 5 that slides from left to right and with a green on the other side of a stream. Think of the famous 13th at Augusta, but shaped in the opposite direction. At only 500 yards from the tips, the green is often in reach with the second shot. But it will need to be an exceptionally good one to set up an eagle putt - just as it should be.  

The 16th is a tricky par 4, with two large bunkers right in the landing zone of your tee shot. Can you clear them to give yourself a short pitch to the green? The 17th is a par 5 that climbs over the brow of a hill. A marker post is in position for the second shot but with a bunker in the middle of the fairway some 60 yards from the green it is a hole you need to have seen before to know how to tackle. The same could be said of the last, which is of modest length and a right-angle dogleg. An accurate fairway wood or hybrid leaves a wedge over water to the green. Slightly fiddly, it is not what you would necessarily expect from a closing hole on a course of this type. It does, however, neatly illustrate the welcome variety and individuality of the design, which makes Remedy Oak somewhere that should certainly be added to any self-respecting golfer's must-play list. 

Where is Remedy Oak located?  

Remedy Oak is in in the county of Dorset, located in the south of England. It is between the villages of Romford and Horton Heath, with the towns of Poole and Bournemouth – along with the south coast of the country – less than 20 miles to the south of the golf club. The A31, A338 and A354 all run close by to Remedy Oak, giving transport routes to the north.  

Poole and Bournemouth are also the home to the nearest train stations to the golf club, with both sitting on the line that runs trains between London Waterloo and Weymouth. Bournemouth Airport is just 15 miles away from Remedy Oak, while Bristol Airport is about 60 miles to the north. London Heathrow Airport – the busiest airport in the United Kingdom – is less than 100 miles to the east, around a two-hour drive from Remedy Oak.

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

Remedy Oak is one of several courses on the NCG Top 100s: England list to be located in the county of Dorset, with a number of those to the south, located around Poole and Bournemouth. Parkstone, Broadstone, Ferndown (Old) and Isle of Purbeck are all within an hour’s drive, as is Stoneham, which is just north of Southampton in Hampshire.

What golf facilities does Remedy Oak offer?  

Along with the glorious golf course at Remedy Oak, there is also a full-length driving range, which sits between the 7th and 10th holes, to the northwest of the clubhouse. There is also a short game practice area, along with a putting green near the opening tee box to allow golfers to get a feel for the tricky greens they will encounter during their round.

What are the green fees at Remedy Oak?  

The price of a green fee at Remedy Oak 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 Remedy Oak visit their website here.