Frilford Heath Golf Club is a 54-hole golf club in

Frilford Frilford is a hamlet and civil parish about west of Abingdon, at the junction of the A415 and A338 roads. It lies in the traditional county of Berkshire, but since 1974 has been administered as part of Oxfordshire. Archaeology The parish o ...

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...

, set amongst 500 acres of heathland to the southwest of

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

city.

History

Frilford Heath was founded in 1908 by Dr Harry Challenor (a local physician), A.E. Preston, and T.S. Skurray, the head of

Morland Brewery Morland was a British brewery which was bought by Greene King in 2000. Morland's beers include Hen's Tooth, Old Speckled Hen, Tanner's Jack and Morland's Original. John Morland founded the brewery in 1711. In the 1860s, Morland bought Abbey Br ...

(which was located nearby in Abingdon). The club held its centenary in 2008.

Clubhouse

Throughout its long history and gradual expansion to 54 holes, Frilford Heath has had several clubhouses. After the original thatched clubhouse was destroyed by fire as a result of a storm, a new building was erected in 1921 near the junction of Faringdon Road and Oxford Road. After the Second World War, Frilford Heath House Estate and its woodland, which bordered the course, was put up for sale. Fearing the estate could be bought for development, the club purchased the property to avoid endangering the isolation the club enjoyed. The original country mansion, heavily restored, replaced the 1921 building and now serves as the clubhouse.

Courses

Red Course

The earliest of Frilford Heath's three courses, the Red Course was designed by the Open Champion

J.H. Taylor John Henry "J.H." Taylor (19 March 1871 – 10 February 1963) was an English professional golfer and one of the pioneers of the modern game of golf. Taylor is considered to be one of the best golfers of all time. He was a significant golf ...

in 1908.

Green Course

The shortest of Frilford's golf courses, the 6,015 yard, par 69 Green Course was initially designed as a 9-hole course and was created by Frilford's first professional, J.H. Turner, to supplement the existing 18-hole Red Course. The course was extended in the years following the purchase of Frilford Heath House in 1964.

Blue Course

The club's latest addition is the 6,728 yard, par 72, Blue Course, designed in 1994 by Oxfordshire-based golf course architect Simon Gidman. The Blue Course was set out on an additional 169 acres of heathland purchased by the club in 1991.

Site of Special Scientific Interest

Most of the club grounds are designated a

Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...

Frilford Heath, Ponds and Fens Frilford Heath, Ponds and Fens is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Frilford, west of Abingdon-on-Thames, Abingdon in Oxfordshire. An area of , separate from the main site is Hitchcopse Pit, a nature reserve managed by the Berksh ...

References

External links

Official site
{{Coord, 51, 40, 44, N, 1, 21, 44, W, region:GB_type:landmark, display=title Golf clubs and courses in Oxfordshire