Ferndown Golf Club

About the club

Ferndown, a club located near the mid-sized city of Bournemouth on England's southern coast, was the home of Percy Alliss and his son Peter, who were top players in the twentieth century. The grounds are not large, and cannot grow owing to the surrounding residential community (which thankfully cannot be seen from the course). What the Old Course offers in place of length is exquisite strategy and balance. Faced with numerous doglegs that break at two to three hundred feet from the tee, players will constantly be pondering the choice of clubs, how much corner to cut and the wisest approach to the green. The ground beneath is quite sandy, which can make for a gritty and arid challenge in July and August. Any golf tour of this part of southern Britain should include a stop at East Devon along with the better-known historic courses in the region.