Centenary Clubs 2024
The 2020s is a decade in which a good number of golf clubs throughout the UK and Ireland are celebrating their 100th birthdays. Here are just five of those who are sure to have enjoyed their champagne in 2024.
Knole Park
The lovely par-4 third at Knole Park heads down into a valley and then up to the green
(Image credit: Kevin Murray)
With a small but remarkably high quality portfolio, JF Abercromby designed this beautiful course near Sevenoaks in Kent which opened for play in November, 1924. It is blessed with a spacious and endlessly varied routing through a large, still-active, gently undulating deer park. Next door is palatial Knole House, and despite some lengthening half a century ago, the course is pretty much as it was.
The beautiful par-3 eighth at Knole Park drops down the slope alongside some old fishponds
(Image credit: Kevin Murray)
Two of the prettiest of its six short holes are the 5th which is played over a valley up to a perfectly-sited green, and the downhill 8th which is flanked by ponds and bracken. The extremely enjoyable and nonetheless challenging course at Knole Park is very much one of a kind.
Teignmouth
Looking down on the second, fourth and fifth greens at Teignmouth
(Image credit: Teignmouth Golf Club)
South of Exeter on the Devon coast and blessed with a gloriously elevated setting up at 800 feet, this centenarian has panoramic views out to sea, over the town and estuary, and inland towards Dartmoor. It was laid out by Alister MacKenzie a decade before he went on to design Augusta National, and with the exception of the 13th, it is still largely his handiwork.
The twelfth green at Teignmouth has a 2-tier MacKenzie green
(Image credit: Teignmouth Golf Club)
His most obvious legacy are his trademark two-tiered greens surrounded by humps and bumps. On a beautiful coastline with some lovely courses, this is a delightful place for golf with masses of variety including, as at Knole Park, six diverse and testing short holes.
Bury St Edmunds
The approach to the par-5 closing hole at Bury St Edmunds
(Image credit: Bury St Edmunds Golf Club)
The friendly and popular club at Bury St Edmunds is home to two courses; an interesting and challenging full-length layout as well as a 9-holer that is great value for money. The championship course was designed by the double-Major winner and first British Ryder Cup team captain, Ted Ray.
Looking down over the final green with the well-appointed clubhouse beyond
(Image credit: Bury St Edmunds…
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