East Berkshire Golf Club
Crowthorne, Berkshire. A 1903 Peter Paxton heathland course matured into pine-and-heather parkland, home to the East Berks Stag and a favourite of Locke and Player.
East Berkshire Golf Club sits at Crowthorne in Berkshire, in the heart of the county’s heathland belt. Established in 1903, it was laid out by Peter Paxton as a heathland course and has matured into a tree-lined parkland layout, with pines and heather still very much part of the picture. Top100GolfCourses calls it an unsung hero and ranks it seventh in Berkshire, with comparisons often drawn to the Red and Blue courses at The Berkshire.
At around 6,200 yards and par 69 it is not long, but it plays longer than the card suggests. Clever doglegs, natural water courses guarding the greens and heather cross hazards, which reduced the need for bunkers, all reward strategy over power. The greens are fast and undulating, and the club’s own history says the course tests both technical skill and tactical thinking.
The club has a serious amateur pedigree. It is home to the East Berks Stag, its premier amateur competition, which Sandy Lyle won in 1976 and in which Luke Donald has played. South African golfers Bobby Locke and Gary Player were frequent visitors in the 1960s and 1970s.
It is a private members’ club, and visitors are welcome by arrangement. Tee times at these private clubs need to be arranged in advance, and Golf Tours London can build them into a bespoke itinerary and organise transport between your hotel and the course.
