Fairway Files: Leicestershire’s Timeless Heathland Treasure
Words By Jack Tranter
From the moment I first set foot on the property, I felt an immediate and lasting admiration for Charnwood Forest Golf Club. With no bunkers at all, tight lies around every green and tricky run-off area, the course demands precision and rewards creativity. Measuring just under 6,125 yards for men (par 69) and 5,435 yards for women (par 71), this is a layout that shows length isn’t everything.
Carved through ancient landscape and with a hand from James Braid, Charnwood is a 9 hole heathland layout that features separate tees for the front and back nines. All of which captivated me from the very start.
The opening hole sets the tone: a par 4 with a stone wall boundary marking out-of-bounds to the left, rolling terrain and heather flanking shots pushed out to the right. It’s a beautifully framed tee shot at the foot of Beacon Hill. As you stride up the firm heathland turf, a blind second shot to a narrow green awaits. Precision is required from the off, and that demand never relents.
The second hole is one of the highlights. From the tee, you drive through the 620-million-year-old Hanging Stone Rock, a dramatic and unique feature unseen anywhere I have played. What lies beyond is just as impressive. A stern dogleg right, with a downhill approach that becomes blind if you’re short of the corner or out of position. It’s a devilishly beautiful par 4, equal parts strategy and scenery.
The next stretch maintains the same momentum with dramatic elevation changes and equally dramatic shot making. The third is a downhill, dogleg right that wraps around a copse and then climbs to a narrow, false-fronted green.
The fourth is a risk-reward uphill par 4, where a stone wall running through the previous hole stands guard some 80 yards short of the green that is guarded once more by a severe false-front.
The first par 3 is a visual feast. Uphill, framed by two stately pines, and perfectly presented. It wouldn’t look out of place on any world class course.
The 6th plays as a par 4 on the front nine and a par 5 on the back. It’s a stern test, a downhill drive to a narrowing fairway, flanked by heather on the right and another charming dry-stone wall on the left with OB lurking beyond.
Next comes a par 3 that’s not just idyllic but artistic, with symmetrical bushes and a grand old oak that seems to gesture toward the green. A well struck shot under it may funnel in, but anything straying right can lead to a near impossible up-and-down.
The 8th is a silent assassin. A dogleg left that tempts you to cut the corner but punishes anything straying left. A copse blocks the view for those who gamble and lose, and the green which is arguably the most severe on the course tilts back toward the fairway and leftward, demanding utmost attention.
The 9th is a fitting finale. Heather flanks the OB left, and wispy rough guards the far side of the fairway. Precision is again paramount. As you round the dogleg left and approach the home green, the scene opens to reveal azaleas and the clubhouse patio, framing a green that subtly falls away. It’s a beautiful and quietly dramatic conclusion.
Charnwood Forest is a unique gem, tucked away in the Leicestershire countryside. Off the beaten track and brimming with character, it offers everything you’d hope for from a heathland layout and more. Its quirks are its charm, its defence, and its allure.
To put it simply, one of England's best kept golfing secrets. In an era of long, over-engineered courses, Charnwood Forest reminds us that magic lies in nuance, not yardage.
If you’re a lover of traditional golf, or someone seeking something genuinely different, Charnwood Forest Golf Club is more than worth the detour. It’s a course that lives in your memory long after the final putt has dropped.
A must-play. A rare find. A true English gem.
www.CharnwoodForestGolfClub.com
