No 63 - The Berkshire - Blue
One of the finest heathland layouts in the UK, The Berkshire Blue requires great accuracy and sound club selection. The visitor friendly club also serves up a fine carvery lunch
63 THE BERKSHIRE – Blue
Architect: Fowler 2006 position: 86 Stats: 6,358 yds; par 71; SSS 71 GF: £90-£125 T: 01344 621495 W: theberkshire.co.uk
Both courses at The Berkshire, laid out by Herbert Fowler, rank among the finest heathland layouts in the UK.
The Blue starts fiercely with a long par 3 in front of staring clubhouse eyes, but settles down quickly into a challenge in which accuracy is a more pressing requirement than length, until you reach the 16th.
Heather and trees form the ever-present foes, but regular changes in elevation also form a more subtle, under-rated adversary, making confident club selection tricky.
When it’s all over, the clubhouse serves up one of the best carvery lunches around. JE
+ Wonderful old-school ambience; good variety, very visitor/society friendly - Road noise in places; parkland-style 11th hole a little out of keeping
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
Enter your review of The Berkshire Blue course below
Jeremy Ellwood (Jezz) has worked in golf since 1993 and for Golf Monthly since 2002 when he started out as equipment editor. He is a senior panelist for Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK & Ireland Course Rankings and has played all the Top 100 plus 94 of the Next 100, making him well-qualified to compare our premier tracks. He has played over 1,100 courses in 35 countries, from remote nine-holers in the Scottish Highlands to grand international resorts, hitting the 1,000 mark on his 60th birthday in October 2023 on Vale do Lobo's Ocean course. Put him on a links course anywhere and he'll be blissfully content.
Contact Jezz on X - @JezzEllwoodGolf
Jeremy is playing...
Driver: Ping G425 LST
3 wood: Srixon ZX
Hybrid: Ping G425
Irons 4- to 11-iron: Honma TWorld TW747Vx
Wedge: Ping Glide 54˚
Putter: Ping Fetch