Cavendish at Cavendish Golf Club

Cavendish Golf Club sits on the edge of Buxton in the Derbyshire Peak District, occupying elevated moorland terrain at roughly 1,000 feet above sea level. Alister MacKenzie designed the course in 1925, during the period when he was establishing his reputation in Britain before his later celebrated work in North America and Australia. The layout reflects MacKenzie's characteristic attention to natural contours and strategic options, working with the existing landscape rather than imposing artificial features upon it.

The course plays across rolling moorland with heather, gorse, and native grasses framing fairways that follow the natural fall of the land. Views extend across the surrounding Peak District countryside, and the exposed setting means wind is a regular factor in club selection and shot strategy. The routing makes use of elevation changes and the property's natural ridges and valleys, creating variety in hole character and requiring thoughtful course management. MacKenzie's design principles of multiple routes to greens and naturally contoured putting surfaces are evident throughout the eighteen holes.

Cavendish remains a members' club with a traditional atmosphere, serving the local golfing community in this historic spa town. The course represents an accessible example of MacKenzie's design work in England, less widely known than his championship venues but demonstrating the same fundamental approach to strategic golf architecture. The moorland setting and exposed location give the course a distinctive character among Derbyshire layouts.