Located in prestigious Ascot, Surrey lives Swinley Forest Golf Club. This part of the English countryside is blessed with many wonderful courses, including Sunningdale, Wentworth, and The Berkshire. This unpretentious course is divine from the moment you arrive with imposing gates and a wonderfully traditional Clubhouse setting the perfect scene for your day.
This course is known as the designer Harry Colt’s legacy course. Opening for play in 1909 the layout remains true to the original design with only subtle enhancements giving testament to the quality of the original Colt design. The course is said to have no signature holes as all 18 are equally fantastic and memorable with excellent playability and being fair.
The history of Swinley Forest is simply fascinating with it being founded by Lord Derby and his friends back in 1909. The focus was to go against the grain of all other courses with ladies very welcome, dogs allowed on the course, handicaps shunned and only ever having two members competitions each year. From day one, this place was a little piece of rebellious magic; individual, unique, and somewhere you wanted to spend your downtime, very much as it is to this day.
The heathland course measures at just over 6,400 yards and is encased with an almost year-round ocean of purple heather. It is continuously in immaculate condition, so no matter what time of the year you turn up to play at Swinley Forest, you will never be disappointed. It has a beautiful collection of Par 3’s. The heather, gorse, and pines are beautiful and create a tranquil setting to be enjoyed over the sublime balance of fun and variety on offer throughout your round.
The club is still quirky to this day with a unique charm; it is only in the last decade that the club saw fit to be measured or produce scorecards. Swinley Forest goes against the grain of other courses in the area and the country for that matter, and although having a highly exclusive membership, visitors have the warmest of welcomes with a genuine friendliness which is infectious.
This is England’s best-kept secret which you must visit to have the most wonderfully welcoming and fun golfing experiences you will ever have, and we at The Consummate Pro will be delighted to bring you there.
