As Bush Hill Park Golf Club celebrates its 130th year, it proudly reflects on its rich history while looking ahead to a bright and sustainable future.

Nestled within 100 acres of tranquil parkland, just a short walk from Enfield town centre and a short drive from the M25, this historic club has been a welcoming home from home for golfers for over 130 years – and looks set to remain so for generations to come.

Beyond its stunning setting and impressive heritage, Bush Hill Park has earned a reputation for excellence, winning Golf Club of the Year five times – a nod from England Golf plus four in the prestigious Club Mirror Awards.

Despite its long history, the Club continues to evolve with a forward- thinking approach to sustainability and inclusivity.

BRAID TEST

The 18-hole course, designed by the legendary James Braid, may not be the longest at 5,776 yards, but its challenging layout ensures that golfers of all abilities must bring their best game.

Narrow, tree-lined fairways, well- placed hazards, and a memorable closing stretch from holes 13 -18 – including water features on the par three 13th and par four 17th offer an enjoyable and strategic test for all players.

With dedicated resources, the Club has reinforced its commitment to sustainability both on and o the course, and that golf can become a valued leader in sustainability.

In 2024, it became a proud signatory to the Sports for Nature Framework.

One of a few golf clubs in the UK to join the initiative, which intends to tap sports’ enormous potential to take on ambitious goals and drive positive change, it further marks their commitment to join the global e ort to champion nature and contribute to its protection and restoration.

The Club’s sustainability goal for 2025 is to become GEO Certified. The process of attaining this accreditation aims to improve golf’s social and environmental contribution, and harness golf’s reach and influence to drive wider awareness and behaviour change.

MANSION CLUBHOUSE

On the course, the elegant Old Park Mansion clubhouse, home to members since 1922, continues to provide first- class facilities. Whether enjoying a drink on the spacious outdoor terrace overlooking the 18th green, dining in the restaurant, or attending one of the club’s many social events, members and guests can enjoy a vibrant, welcoming and relaxed atmosphere.

The clubhouse also boasts modern function rooms, three bars, and stylishly designed social spaces, making it a fantastic venue for all occasions.

Bush Hill Park is proud to be a progressive and inclusive club, offering a range of membership options to suit all golfers.

The highly successful Women Driving Forward Programme has significantly increased female participation with 25% of the membership accounted for by women.

The Programme has recently merged with the Bush Hill Park Academy that’s open to all newcomers to the game.

The Club is committed to enhancing the value of membership, with a strong focus on expanding member benefits through a wellness-driven approach. This includes fostering community connections by offering complimentary outdoor Stretch on the Green sessions in partnership with the local Nuffield Health branch, as well as exclusive rates at a nearby sports club. Additionally, members enjoy free Country Membership with MASHIE Golf.

With a perfect balance of heritage, modernity, and sustainability, Bush Hill Park Golf Club continues to set the standard for what a great golf club should be.

Its commitment to excellence ensures that it remains not just a place to play golf, but a true community for its members – one that will continue to thrive for many years to come.

To explore membership opportunities, tee-time and golf day bookings, please call on 020 3146 9890, or email enquiries@bhpgc.com or visit bhpgc.com

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The club, which first opened for play in 1907, relocated to a new site in the village of Dummer in 2021 – acquiring the land that was home to Dummer Golf Club on the outskirts of the town – before development on a new 18-hole championship course began last year.

DOWNLAND COURSE

The previous layout at Dummer Golf Club has been totally redesigned by Weller Designs, with the new downland course defined by a series of thrilling and undulating holes that sweep across rolling fairways, with a number of strategically placed water hazards adding to the test.

While the full reopening of the club is pencilled in for September 2025, a soft opening of nine holes on the new course is set to take place in late June, with a full 18 holes expected to be in play by the end of the year.

OTHER FACILITIES

To complement the stunning golf course, a state-of-the-art clubhouse will open in August before development begins on a new driving range – featuring the latest teaching and ball-tracking technology – along with a short-game area and large putting green. Full practice facilities are planned to be open by early Autumn 2025.

The vision is to create one of the southeast’s premier golf venues, taking the established membership from the old club based at nearby Kempshott Park and building on the club’s rich history to build a new legacy at Basingstoke.

The new facilities will enable Basingstoke to regenerate its membership and build for the future, while maintaining the values and standards that have been the foundation of the club for more than 100 years.

David Green, general manager at Basingstoke Golf Club, said: “This is one of the most exciting golf projects in the UK, and it is our shared desire to ensure we develop one of the southeast’s finest member-focused golf clubs with the quality of facilities that match the investment.

“Basingstoke has always been considered one of the region’s most established clubs, but we feel with the substantial investment that is being made we can move it to the next level and beyond.

“This will give the existing members a unique club that will not only have one of the county’s best courses – which will be hugely playable for all abilities – but also include a number of practice and teaching amenities where they can really get the very best from their games and membership.

These teaching facilities will also help to attract new and younger players to the game.

WHEN WILL IT OPEN

“Our planned soft opening in late June will be the start of a very exciting 18 months, and with our new clubhouse opening later in the summer, the club will, I am sure, develop a sense of camaraderie that all great clubs enjoy.

The clubhouse will be the perfect spot to unwind pre- and post-round – for members and their families – with a large bar area and comfortable changing rooms. Meanwhile, a function suit will allow us to commercialise in areas we haven’t done so before.”

Sustainability will play a key role in the development and complete rebuild at Basingstoke. Two water lagoons will help to fully irrigate the course, holding a combined 33,500 cubic metres of water.

Meanwhile, the implementation of fescue grass and ryegrass will help with wear and tear to keep maintenance work to a minimum.

TYPES OF GRASS

Scott Roberts, course manager at Basingstoke Golf Club, said: “The water storage that we have from our two lagoons is so important for the future of the club. To be sustainable, we must source water on site and recycle that to irrigate the golf course.

“Meanwhile, our grasses – a mixture of fescue and rye on the main playing areas and creeping bent on the greens – will help meet the standards we expect while being able to handle the traffic the course will no doubt experience.

We have also included large areas of long fescue to recreate the native downland landscape as a backdrop to some of the holes.”

HISTORY OF BASINGSTOKE GOLF CLUB

Basingstoke Golf Club first opened in 1907. It was originally created as a nine-hole course before James Braid designed a full 18-hole layout in 1926 on a site in Kempshott Park in the southeast corner of the town.

A parkland course, it would develop to become the most popular members’ clubs in the area, characterised by tree-lined fairways and subtle changes in elevation.

Over the years, the club would invest in several key developments, including the construction of a new, modern clubhouse and pro shop in the 1990s.

The club celebrated its centenary year in 2007 before moving to a new location at Down Street in the nearby village of Dummer, acquiring the land owned by Dummer Golf Club before work began on the new development in 2023.

Its downland layout – the work of Weller Designs – is set to be one of the most anticipated designs in the southeast, with state-of-the-art facilities, including a new clubhouse, driving range and practice areas, complementing the course.

For general enquiries, including membership, please email office@basingstokegolfclub.co.uk

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