- Paul Graham-Fielding
FERNDOWN GOLF CLUB - AN ENGLISHMAN'S VISION OF AUGUSTA
What They Say…
Our renowned 18-hole ‘Old Course' was designed by Harold Hilton, the Open Champion in 1892 and 1897. In fact, Harold was the only British amateur golfer to win the British and US Amateur titles in the same year (1911). What was to become one of the top golf Clubs in Dorset and the UK opened for play in 1913.
Today, you'll see Harold's vision for Ferndown Golf Club remains intact, with its attractive outlook and pristine Tee to Green grooming often leading to the course being favourably compared to the world-famous Augusta.
What we say…
They tell the truth, Ferndown is an Englishman’s vision of Augusta. Set on the outskirts of the seaside town of Bournemouth Ferndown absorbs a beautiful part of the world and is a picturesque place to play golf.
Ferndown (Old Course) truly deserves its place inside the top 100 courses in Britain, the Harold Hilton designed course has hosted a number of professional tournaments as well as being home to the golfing legend that is Peter Allis.
Ferndown is a perfect example of what a top tier course should offer; a course of tactical fairways, subtle greens and an array of cleverly placed bunkers that provoke every golfer (no matter what standard) to play an intelligent game rather than a forceful one.
The journey into the club is an impressive one, the course sits upon of a parcel of land surrounded by beautiful houses and manicured lawns and the club house its self does not disappoint. The club boasts a well-stocked pro shop and a team of friendly, knowledgeable and welcoming Professionals that are happy to help out in any way to ensure your experience of their club does not fall short of all that it promises. The lounge and spike bar are a pleasant place to be whether its pre or post round offering a wide selection of drinks and some fantastic food.
Ferndown’s golfing facilities are also of a platinum standard. The course has a number of driving nets and a large well-groomed putting green, a short walk from the clubhouse takes you to an expansive chipping practice area and driving range.
The course is immaculate, its tee to green grooming has often been referred to as an English Augusta, the further you delve into the round the more the course impresses.
The first hole is a confidence builder, an elevated tee shot takes you down to a generous and straight fairway allowing you to ease into your round, the green is protected by bunkers but a well struck second can put you on the expansive and wonderfully manicured green with a chance to roll two putts along the silky smooth putting surface to claim a par.
There are 4 par 3’s at Ferndown but the longest and certainly the toughest is the 5th hole. You can be easily fooled in to taking the wrong club here, it plays longer than it looks, all the trouble lies to the front of the green so play safe and go long, and the green will aid you in getting back to the hole in two.
The front nine lay out is quirky one, with holes six and eight taking you back to the club house, it’s probably needed as both of these holes can easily leave you needing a swift drink to get your head back in to your round. The 6th is the toughest hole on the golf course. The ideal drive should be positioned to the left side of the fairway to ensure you have a cleaner line in to the green, the right hand side is embossed with steep lipped bunkers with islands of heather to break up the sandy expanse. The second shot is uphill and plays at least one club longer, if you manage to successfully navigate the hazards and get to the green in regulation you be left with a testing putt on this severely sloped surface.
The back nine wraps itself around the first six holes of the course creating a number of beautiful dog leg holes each with sloping fairways that require well placed tee shots to avoid to avoid falling into the heather rolling into the fairway bunkers.
The 15th is a great risk reward hole. The bigger hitters can go for the green in one on this short 290 Par 4, cut the corner and drive across the woodland to be the talk of the clubhouse or aim to the left and leave a short pitch to the green. The key to this hole is finding the right level for a straightforward putt. If you are skilled or lucky enough to get the green with a fine tee shot then a birdie or even par is not a given, find the wrong level on the multi-tiered green and a can easily blight your score card.
The 18th at Ferndown is a great finishing hole, not particularly long at 390 yards from the yellows but a slight dogleg left then a trek up hill to the green beside the clubhouse. Once again accuracy with the tee shot is a must, draw the ball in to the center of the fairway then take an extra club to combat the hill for your second shot. The deep bunkers protecting the left hand side of the green will ensure that your concentrations are required right until the ball falls into the cup.
Ferndown is one of the prettiest courses in the whole of England, its beauty in full bloom is not matched by another course in Dorset, the manicured greens, fairways and woodland cross heathland settings make this a truly memorable round of golf.
The Harold Hilton designed course may not be the longest but its strategic challenge, and superb putting surfaces offer golfers of all levels a place to play their best golf.