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

Frilford Frilford is a hamlet and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse district of Oxfordshire, England. It is about west of Abingdon at the junction of the A415 and A338 roads. It was part of Berkshire until it transferred to Oxfordshire in the ...

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...

, set amongst 500 acres of heathland to the southwest of

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

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 brewing, brewery in Abingdon-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England, and the second oldest brewer in England, until it was bought by Greene King in 2000. Morland's beers include Hen's Tooth, Old Speckled Hen, Tanner's Jack and Morland's ...

(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 World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, 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 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 ...

as Frilford Heath, Ponds and Fens.

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