Donnington Grove at Donnington Grove Country Club

Donnington Grove occupies parkland on the edge of Newbury in Berkshire, set within the grounds of a historic estate that includes an 18th-century manor house. Dave Thomas designed the course, which opened in the early 1990s as part of a country club development that combines golf with hotel and conference facilities. Thomas, a former Ryder Cup player who turned to course architecture, created layouts throughout Britain and continental Europe during his career, typically emphasizing strategic variety and playability across different skill levels.

The routing makes use of mature woodland and rolling terrain characteristic of the Berkshire landscape, with several holes playing through tree-lined corridors and others opening to more expansive parkland settings. Water features come into play on multiple holes, adding both visual definition and strategic challenge to the design. The course serves both members and visitors, functioning as the centerpiece of the broader country club amenity package that includes the converted manor house.

Donnington Grove operates within the competitive golf market of Berkshire and the Thames Valley, a region with numerous established courses. The club offers year-round play and maintains facilities typical of modern country club operations, with the course itself representing Thomas's approach to creating accessible yet interesting golf within a traditional English parkland framework.