Sherwood Forest

Overview: Sherwood Forest is an 18-hole heathland course east of Mansfield, laid through the pines, silver birch and oak of Clipstone Woods. The sandy ground drains naturally and supports the springy fairways, heather and rough that frame the holes. It is a classic inland setting, but the routing has enough variety to avoid becoming repetitive. Some holes ask for a confident line through the trees, while others open into heathland ground where the best strategy depends on choosing the correct side of the fairway. Bunkers, changes of direction and subtly defended greens keep the round moving between longer championship holes and shorter tactical tests. Its appeal lies in the way a strong architectural framework and a very specific woodland landscape work together.

History: Records begin with the club's formation in 1895, but the course moved to its present site in 1912 after the Sixth Duke of Portland granted a lease from the Welbeck Estate. The club purchased the freehold in 1921. The original layout was associated with Harry S. Colt and was redesigned in the 1920s by James Braid, who described the result as an exceptionally good inland course. The modern routing still wrestles with Braid's work, with later extensions and landscape management adding to the character without erasing the underlying Colt and Braid structure. That sequence explains why the course's identity is both historic and distinctly heathland rather than simply a record of the club's founding date.

Did You Know? Sherwood Forest has a strong championship record for an inland course of this scale. The venue staged the England Boys' Amateur Stroke Play Championship in 2006, has hosted the Brabazon Trophy and senior national competitions, and was named England Golf Championship Venue of the Year in 2023 after the McGregor Trophy. The tournament history reflects the course's ability to test strategic play without needing a seaside setting.