Aldwickbury Park

Few courses in Hertfordshire announce themselves quite like Aldwickbury Park, which occupies a ridge of high ground above Harpenden with views that sweep across the county on a clear day. The layout was designed by Ken Moodie and opened in 1995, and it makes strong use of the natural contours of this elevated parkland site — fairways rise and fall across the hillside, and the exposure means wind plays a genuine role in how the card scores, regardless of what conditions look like from the car park.

The course has built a solid local reputation as a well-maintained, honest test of parkland golf. The tree-lined holes in the lower sections contrast with the more open, exposed stretches higher up, giving the round a varied feel rather than the monotony that can afflict courses of similar age and origin.

Harpenden itself is a prosperous commuter town on the southern edge of the Chiltern fringe, with a healthy golf culture — Harpenden Golf Club and Harpenden Common are both nearby. Aldwickbury sits comfortably in that company as a course that rewards proper shot-making without demanding scratch credentials to enjoy it.