Bucket List

The Berkshire Golf Club — Red Course

Ascot, Berkshire · Designed by Herbert Fowler (1928) · Est. 1928

The Berkshire is one of the jewels of the Surrey–Berkshire sand belt: two Herbert Fowler courses, the Red and the Blue, laid out in 1928 through some of the most beautiful pine, silver birch and heather in England, on Crown land beside Swinley Forest near Ascot. Many good judges rate a day here — 36 holes over the two courses — among the finest inland golf in the country.

The Red is the more celebrated, and famous for an unusual composition: rather than the standard mix, Fowler built six par-3s, six par-4s and six par-5s, so the round has an unusually varied, rhythmic feel across its par 72 of a little over 6,300 yards. The short holes are outstanding, the fairways tumble between towering pines and banks of heather, and the whole place has a quiet, timeless elegance.

The club welcomes visitors on weekdays, and after noon at weekends. It is a members' club of the old school — no tournament pedigree to speak of, just consistently ranked among the best heathland courses in Britain, and beloved by everyone who plays it.

Holes worth knowing

1The short holes — with six par-3s on the card, the Red is defined by its one-shotters; the 10th, played across a heathery valley, is the pick.
217th (par-3) — a long, beautifully framed short hole through the pines that often decides a match on the closing stretch.

Highlights

Herbert Fowler heathland masterpiece (1928)
The Red's unusual six-of-each-par composition
36 holes with the equally lovely Blue Course
Towering pine, silver birch and heather near Ascot

Good to know

→The Red and Blue are both Fowler designs of real quality — play both if you can; 36 holes here is one of the best inland days in England.
→The Red's six-3s / six-4s / six-5s layout is unique among the great heaths — the round never settles into a predictable rhythm, which is part of the charm.
→Visitors are welcome on weekdays and after noon at weekends; book through the golf office in advance, as tee times are limited.
→It sits in the heart of the sand belt beside Swinley Forest — Sunningdale, Wentworth, Swinley and The Berkshire make a peerless multi-day heathland tour.
→Ascot racecourse is minutes away (Royal Ascot in June), with Windsor Castle and Legoland 20 minutes off for a family day; Heathrow is 35 minutes.