The Course

Cirencester Golf Club occupies a remarkable setting — the course runs through the northern reaches of Cirencester Park, the vast private estate of the Earl Bathurst that extends across 3,000 acres on the edge of the capital of the Cotswolds. The ancient woodland that borders the layout includes some of the largest and most magnificent beech trees in England, and walking the fairways here is an experience that belongs as much to landscape appreciation as to golf.

The course itself plays to a par of 70 and stretches to around 6,000 yards — compact by modern standards, but well-constructed for its era and maintained with care. The layout takes advantage of the natural contours of the park, with several holes requiring a precise understanding of the ground’s movement before the approach can be properly planned. The greens are consistent in pace and true in roll, reflecting the quality of the groundskeeping that the estate setting encourages.

Cirencester is the second largest Roman settlement in Britain after London — a fact that adds an unexpected dimension to the experience of playing golf here, given that the park itself sits on ground that has been inhabited and cultivated for nearly two thousand years. The town’s Roman amphitheatre, museum and medieval market square are worth considerable time after the round, and Cirencester itself is increasingly well-served by restaurants and accommodation.

The Clubhouse

The clubhouse reflects the club’s history and character — well-appointed, comfortable and operating at the unhurried pace that the parkland setting seems to encourage. Visitors are welcomed and the catering is reliable. The pro shop is well-stocked and the staff are helpful on course management for first-time visitors, which is genuinely useful given the subtlety of several of the park’s hole layouts.