Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom
Flackwell Heath Golf Club is an 18-hole course located in South Buckinghamshire between Beaconsfield and High Wycombe, set on undulating wooded heathland that can be glimpsed from the south side of the M40 motorway east of the town. The club was founded in 1904 as the Wycombe and Bourne End Golf Club, after Minchins Farm was purchased by three High Wycombe businessmen in 1902. An initial nine-hole layout was designed by James Sherlock, professional at the Oxford University Club, with a second nine added in 1907 by the club's first professional, John Turner, at which point the club was renamed Flackwell Heath. The course measures 6,142 yards from the white tees and plays to a par of 71, with a course rating of 70.5 and a slope of 124.
The course has been shaped by several notable architects over its history. Harry Colt consulted on alterations during the 1920s, and in 1964 Frederick W. Hawtree designed two new holes, the current 15th and 16th. More recently, professional golfer and television commentator Ken Brown has advised on ongoing improvements. The terrain is markedly undulating, with the course divided broadly between flatter holes on the upper section and more steeply sloping holes on the lower ground, requiring considerable shot-making ability and club selection throughout. The par-three 3rd, played through a narrow gully of trees to an elongated green, and the downhill par-three 5th are among the more distinctive holes on the layout.
The greens have long been regarded as a defining feature of the course. Writing in 1923, the golf correspondent and Walker Cup player Bernard Darwin described them as having turf that was true and velvety, gently undulating without ever being either dull or unfair. The course is a private members club welcoming visitors on weekdays, and there is no significant professional tournament history associated with it.
