Woburn Golf Club

The Dukes Course at Woburn Golf Club opened in 1976, designed by Charles Lawrie on the grounds of the Woburn Abbey estate in Buckinghamshire. The course takes its name from the Dukes of Bedford, whose family seat is the adjacent Woburn Abbey. Lawrie routed the layout through mature parkland and established woodland, creating a championship test that contrasts with Woburn's other courses through its more traditional tree-lined character and strategic demands. The course occupies gently undulating terrain typical of the Bedfordshire-Buckinghamshire border, with fairways carved through corridors of oak, pine, and birch. Water features prominently on several holes, most notably at the par-three 2nd and the par-five 17th, where a lake guards the green. The routing requires accuracy off the tee, as the tree-lined fairways penalize wayward drives, and the green complexes demand precise approach play. The Dukes measures over 6,900 yards from the championship tees and presents a stern examination of shot-making. Woburn Golf Club has hosted numerous professional events, including multiple British Masters tournaments and Ladies European Tour events. The Dukes Course has served as a venue for these competitions, testing elite players with its combination of length, strategic bunkering, and demanding green sites. The club maintains three courses on the estate and operates as a members' club with visiting play available by arrangement.