The Wychwood Golf Club
Eighteen holes of parkland across rolling Cotswold farmland near Lyneham, with USGA greens and a TrackMan range.
Eighteen holes of parkland across rolling Cotswold farmland near Lyneham, with USGA greens and a TrackMan range.
If you're the sort of person who packs golf shoes on holiday (no judgement, we understand entirely), Wychwood is a genuine find. It sits in that quiet stretch of countryside between Lyneham and Chipping Norton, an 18-hole parkland course laid out over 170 acres of rolling Cotswold farmland, with USGA-standard greens and thirteen holes that bring water into play. It opened in 1992, plays to a par of 72 over roughly 6,800 yards, and is beautifully maintained without ever feeling precious about it. Challenging enough to hold your attention, in other words, but never punishing in the way some courses seem to enjoy.
Best of all, there's no membership hoop to jump through. Wychwood welcomes visitors every day of the week, all year round, so you simply book a tee time online and turn up. From the cottage you're there in about ten minutes, most of it along quiet lanes with the sort of scenery that makes you wonder why you don't do this more often. We'd always ring ahead to confirm current green fees and availability, particularly at weekends or if a society day is booked in. Buggies and trolleys are permitted too, which is worth knowing if anyone in the group would rather ride the hills than walk them.
The TrackMan driving range is worth a visit on its own. Each bay is bookable through the club's website, and the launch-monitor data turns an idle bucket of balls into something closer to practice, which is either a joy or a mild affront depending on how your swing is behaving. Alongside it there's a short-game area and a putting green, plus a professional shop with a custom-fitting studio if you find yourself coveting a new driver mid-holiday. The academy's PGA professionals take everyone from first-timers to established players, so it works whether you're learning from scratch or ironing out a fault.
Wychwood pairs naturally with the rest of a Cotswold day out. It's a short hop from Chipping Norton Lido if the non-golfers fancy a swim, and the town's pubs and shops are close by for lunch afterwards. Keen golfers travelling as a group might play here and Tadmarton Heath across a couple of mornings for two very different rounds. And if the weather is glorious, Blenheim Palace is only twenty minutes on for the afternoon. For the full list of what's within easy reach, see our guide to things to do in the area.
“I've played a lot of courses in the Cotswolds and this one quietly outclasses most of them. The greens are superb, the setting is beautiful, and nobody looks at you twice if you're in walking boots rather than golf shoes at the bar afterwards.”
All of this on the doorstep, and your own thatched cottage to come home to. Sleeps seven, less than a mile from Soho Farmhouse.