Ferndown Golf Club sits right in the Dorset heathland and it has proper golfing pedigree. This is where Peter Alliss learned the game, with his father Percy (the club's long-time head professional) keeping a watchful eye. If you like courses with a story, you'll enjoy Ferndown before you've even hit a shot.
There are two layouts here, which is handy if you're planning a long weekend or organising a society tour. The Old Course is the main event, a championship-standard heathland track that rewards accuracy and a bit of patience rather than all-out power. Then you've got the shorter Alliss Course, a friendly nine-hole option with two sets of tees, ideal for a warm-up, a knockabout in the afternoon or a second round that won't finish you off.
The setting is classic Dorset, with heather, gorse, pine and silver birch framing the holes, plus enough subtle movement in the land to keep club selection interesting. It's also an easy add-on if you're staying around Bournemouth, so you can mix proper golf with a lively base for food, drinks and a bit of post-round atmosphere.
One quirky bit of club history too: Ferndown's first Captain was Assistant Purser on the Titanic in 1912, the same year Harold Hilton first put the course concept on paper, before it finally opened in 1921.
Who is this for? Golfers seeking a quality heathland test within easy reach of Bournemouth, societies wanting variety across 27 holes, short-break planners who value courses with genuine golfing heritage, and anyone building a Dorset golf tour around proper championship layouts.
Who is it best for? Mid to low handicappers who appreciate strategic heathland golf where accuracy beats power, mixed-ability groups wanting the option to play a championship round and a more sociable nine holes, and anyone drawn to courses where Peter Alliss learned the game and Harry Vardon played in the opening fixture.
