Tadmarton Heath

If you are looking for an old-school heathland layout, then you may well have just found exactly what you’re after!

Tadmarton Heath, opened more than century ago, is exactly that. The course was opened in 1922 and designed by Cecil Hutchison, of Gleneagles fame. 

The course is certainly not the longest, but it has just the one par 5, and enough short par 4s to trick you into making the odd mistake here or there.

Visit the Tadmarton Heath website here.

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Tadmarton Heath officially opened in 1922, with Cecil Hutchison – who helped design the King’s Course at Gleneagles – being the man behind the original layout at ‘Taddy’.

The course was opened with a match between Cyril Tolley and Roger Wethered, who had three Amateur Championships between them.

In recent years, Ken Moodie was brought in to make significant and strategic changes to the course, including the addition of bunkers and the extension of some of the putting surfaces.

Tadmarton Heath is a delightful old-school heathland layout. It certainly gives you a chance if you are prepared to risk the gorse and some severe bunkering, both of which defend the course very well. Because the fairways are so firm and springy, a good drive will always be rewarded that little bit more. Factor in a bit of wind assistance and the big hitters might realistically have a tilt at as many as six of the par 4s. They will have to be very accurate though if they are not to come to grief. Almost every hole is beautifully framed by the irregularly shaped bunkers, some of which have wonderful sleepered faces. This par 69 only has the one par 5, which makes it feel longer than its carded 6,050 yards.

It is a gentle start to a round at Tadmarton Heath. The opening par 4 is only 325 yards from the tips, and features a generous fairway. Three bunkers guard the putting surface, which sits diagonally angled away from you. The 2nd at 350 yards, is slightly longer, and moves to the left around some trees and the clubhouse, but if you can find the right side of the fairway, then you are in good shape ahead of your approach. The 3rd is the first of the quartet of short holes at Tadmarton. It is only 150 yards, but the green is small and well protected. The first of the tough par 4s comes at the 4th – measuring in at more than 430 yards. Longer hitters should take their tee shots over the two bunkers on the right side of the fairway, to cut the ever-so-slight corner down this hole. Anything too far left off the tee will be in trouble in the thick gorse. Three bunkers are in play down by the green, including two to the left of the putting surface.

The 5th is the only par 5 on the course, and you drive to the crest of a very gentle slope, which seems to go on forever towards a green that is sneakily well bunkered. It won't happen very often, but should you hit the right shot, it is possible to chase it on from miles short, threading its way between the bunkers. With a generously wide fairway, and playing pretty much dead straight, it is untypical of Tadmarton, and it is also a good scoring chance despite its length. The 6th is another good chance at 350 yards. The fairway is generous, and the first bunker doesn’t come into play until the 250-yard mark. Lay up short of that off the tee and you should have a nice approach to this green.

At 140 yards, the 7th is one of the best holes on the course. This short par 3 plays downhill into a little corner of the property, with the green surrounded by four large and looming sand traps. The ground and hole both move from left to right on the 8th, and you sense that if you land your drive in the right place there's the chance of a very helpful bounce round the corner, the inside of which is inevitably protected by a bunker. The green is small and narrow so your approach must be accurate. The front nine comes to a close with another of the long par 4s. The 9th is almost 440 yards in length and plays as a slight dog-leg right. It requires a drive of 240 yards to covers the bunker on the right corner of the fairway, with the green that protected by mounds, trees and sand.

10 is the shortest hole on the course at just 115 yards. Don’t dismiss it, though. A large bunker in front and one to the left of this green make it a difficult target to find, even with just a wedge in hand. 11 is a medium-length par 4 that winds its way round to the right, so a fade off this tee will leave you in perfect position. The green sits slightly above the level of the fairway, so make sure you have enough club to get it on to the surface. The 12th is the Stroke Index 1, a 412-yard par 4 from the tips. The fairway is split two by mounds, with a drive of 210 yards required to clear to the second part of the short grass. The green is guarded by two bunkers, with one right on its front edge. At 430 yards, 13 is another tough hole. Three bunkers in the landing zone make the fairway seem much narrower for your tee shot, while the green if often in the shadow of the trees.

The 14th begins the closing stretch and it is another tricky test. A tee shot of 230 yards is all that is needed, as the fairway is split in two by heather and gorse. You then move to the right side, over the split, to find the green, one protected by four traps. 292 yards, and perhaps drivable, the fairway on 15 is like an island in a sea of gorse, so it is a brave golfer indeed who takes aim at the green. The 16th is the last of the par 3s, a 175-yard challenge with a large tree as the aiming point for the centre of the surface. There is a drop off at the back, so make sure you have the right club in hand. The penultimate hole is a long, ranging par 4 that moves from left to right. 210 yards is all that is needed if you are hitting a straight tee shot, while some might fancy the ‘over-the-corner' approach. Tadmarton Heath finishes with its longest par 4, a 452-yard test that moves from right to left. Two bunkers on the outside of the fairway must be avoided if you are to think about going for the green with your second, to a green that is guarded by more sand, as they have been throughout the round.

Where is Tadmarton Heath located?

Tadmarton Heath is situated in the north of the county of Oxfordshire. The golf club is to the south of the villages of Tadmarton and Lower Tadmarton, along with sitting just five miles to the southwest of the town of Banbury. The city of Oxford is 25 miles to the south while Birmingham – England's ‘Second City’ - is 50 miles to the north. The A361, which runs from Rugby down to the southwest of England, runs close to the venue.

Banbury is also the home of the nearest train station to Tadmarton Heath, with services running to destinations such as Manchester Piccadilly, London Marylebone, Birmingham Moor Street, Bournemouth and Newcastle. Birmingham Airport, the largest airport in the Midlands, is less than 50 miles to the north of Tadmarton Heath. London Luton is also within 60 miles of the golf club, while London Heathrow – the country’s biggest and busiest airport – is just under 75 miles away from Tadmarton.

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

Thanks to being in the north of Oxfordshire, Tadmarton Heath is somewhat on its own compared to NCG Top 100s: England venues. Cleeve Hill is the closest to the venue, but that is still 35 miles away to the west. Blackwell, which is south of Birmingham, is 50 miles away – as are Huntercombe, Ashridge and Berkhamsted to the south.

What golf facilities does Tadmarton Heath offer?

Along with the glorious 18-hole layout, Tadmarton Heath is also the home of some great practice facilities. There is a driving range with glorious views over the countryside, along with a short game area that features a 90-yard pitching green. The putting green, with nine holes, is in front of the clubhouse.

What are the green fees at Tadmarton Heath?

The price of a green fee at Tadmarton Heath 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 Tadmarton Heath, visit their website here.