Parkstone

Overview: Parkstone is a sandy, wooded heathland course in the Luscombe Valley near Poole Harbour. The par 72 layout measures just under 6,300 yards and uses steep ground, heather, pines and carefully placed bunkers to create a varied round. The terrain produces blind and semi-blind shots, but the course is also known for offering several shorter holes where position can create a scoring chance.

History: Lord Wimborne founded Parkstone in 1909 and commissioned Willie Park Jr. to design the course. James Braid later made important modifications, while Donald Steel and Martin Hawtree have advised on more recent work to restore heathland character and refine the bunkering. The current course is therefore a Park design shaped by several thoughtful later interventions.

Did You Know? Around 13,000 trees were removed during the original construction of Parkstone. That figure reflects the scale of the work needed to turn the wooded Luscombe Valley into a playable heathland course while keeping its natural slopes.