West Herts Golf Club

West Herts Golf Course was established on March 24, 1890, when a group of golf enthusiasts created the West Herts Golf Club to play at Bushey Hall. The course soon attracted a membership of 300 due to its proximity to London, but a disagreement over the lease in 1897 led the club to move to the Cassiobury estate of the Earl of Essex.

Old Tom Morris, a renowned figure from St Andrews, was responsible for designing the new layout of the course, while J.H. Taylor, a five-time Open Champion, added bunker placements three months later. The course initially featured a clubhouse on Rickmansworth Road and had four holes situated east of the canal, with prominent figures such as Sir Arthur Kekewich, A.J. Balfour, and Lord Howe among its early members.

Following a sale of land in 1908, the West Herts Golf Course underwent significant changes, including the addition of five new holes designed by H.S. Colt. A new clubhouse was constructed, which was completed in 1911, resulting in the relocation of several course features. Dr. Alister Mackenzie, a preeminent golf architect, remodeled the course in 1922, and since then, only minimal alterations have been made aside from routine maintenance and improvement projects.

The West Herts Golf Course is recognised for its varied terrain and interesting layout, where each hole offers a different vista and challenge. Renowned for its excellent drainage, the course features firm and fast greens due to the sub-soil of gravel over chalk, and it has received considerable praise from both members and visitors for the quality of its turf and greens.