Parkstone Golf Club: Course Review, Green Fees, Tee Times and Key Info

The major improvements of recent years are now fully bedded in on this tremendous Dorset layout with a host of very attractive holes

Parkstone Golf Club
The approach shot to the 1st green at Parkstone Golf Club in Dorset

Top 100 Courses UK & Ireland 2023/24

(Image credit: Future)

Parkstone Golf Club Key Information

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Header Cell - Column 0 Header Cell - Column 1
AddressLinks Road, Poole, Dorset, BH14 9QS.
Phone Number+44 (0)1202 707138
Websiteparkstonegolfclub.com/
Emailoffice@parkstonegolfclub.co.uk
Green Fees£150 per round high season; £99 April & October
Visitor Times10.30-11.30am & 2.00-3.30pm April to Oct; 10.00-11.00am Nov to March (Tues after 2pm only). No weekend availability. Certain dates not available - see website.
ParMen: 72 white, yellow, red; Ladies: 72 yellow, red
Slope RatingMen: 139 white, 129 yellow, 126 red; Ladies: 145 yellow, 143
Opened1909
Designed byWillie Park Junior
Golf Monthly Verdict

Parkstone Golf Club Top 100

(Image credit: Parkstone Golf Club)

The tempting vista from the clubhouse patio almost physically drags you down to the 1st tee, and from there until you putt out on 18, every hole presents a new and thought-provoking challenge. Just as importantly, all 18 are a delight to the eye.

There are several thrilling tee-shots including those at the 3rd where you play from a causeway crossing water, at the elevated 8th and 12th holes, and at the closing hole, a potential card-wrecker of a par 3.

REASONS TO PLAY PARKSTONE

- A truly pretty heathland layout with wonderful vistas across the course and towards Poole Harbour

- Elevation changes throughout accentuate the views, especially on the downhill par 3s.

- Combining it with games at neighbouring Ferndown and Broadstone makes for a superb short break

RANKINGS

UK & Ireland Top 100 Golf Courses 2023/24 - 81

Parkstone, Ferndown and Broadstone - Bournemouth’s big-hitting Golf Monthly Top 100 Courses in the UK and Ireland heathland trio - have all been spurring each other on to greater heights in recent years.

Parkstone is a Willie Park Junior creation dating back to 1909. But it is largely James Braid’s modifications in 1937 that define this top-drawer layout, which offers a thoroughly desirable mix of examination and enjoyment.

It is also one of many courses around the country striving to rediscover its heathland roots, initially on the advice of Donald Steel late last century and more recently under the masterful supervision of Martin Hawtree.

Restricted in terms of overall lengthening by the slopes and course boundaries, the focus of this work has been to make the bunkers more consistent, visible and relevant, with green complexes upgraded to match.

Tree clearance to promote light, air movement and heather regeneration was given a welcome shot in the arm when Natural England declared the course an SSSI with a requirement to return it to open heathland. Parkstone has now really reaped the benefits of re-finding much of its original character and feel.

The tempting vista from the clubhouse patio almost physically drags you down onto the 1st tee, and from there until you putt out on 18, every hole presents a new and thought-provoking challenge. Just as importantly, all 18 are a delight to the eye. The overall package sees Parkstone comfortably rated in the top three among the best golf courses in Dorset.

There are several thrilling tee-shots including those at the 3rd where you play from a causeway crossing water, at the elevated 8th and 12th holes, and at the closing hole, a potential card-wrecker of a par 3.

Each of the short holes is a gem, and although the course is fairly short by today’s standards, there’s an entertaining mix among its five three-shotters. The bunkerless 17th is the pick of the bunch as it sweeps up and round to the right to a green set in the pines.

Bournemouth’s big-hitting heathland trio

The pretty little par-3 7th is the first hole the other side of the road

What The Top 100 Panel Said

John Winter UK&I Top 100 panel
John Winter

Parkstone is charming. As you take a quick look down the 1st fairway towards the 1st green, you immediately get that wow factor. Laid out on a sandy base with the fairways nestling between the heather and pines, the course’s return to open heathland is progressing following the welcome shot in the arm by Natural England who declared the area a SSSI. Compact and undulating with stunning views, heather-topped bunkers and tight driving lines, this a thinker’s course.

Mike Chapman UK&I Top 100 panel
Mike Chapman

The undoubted highlight of the course is the quality of the greens and the speed they play. Close behind is the quality, position and condition of the bunkers, which were consistently good throughout. The heath is integral to the course and provides ample protection, penalising shots that are poorly hit or judged. You will always think you can score better than you do around Parkstone!

 

Parkstone Golf Club location

Parkstone Golf Club Green Fees

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May to September 2023£150Row 0 - Cell 2
April and October 2023£99Row 1 - Cell 2
Selected dates unavailableSee website for detailsRow 2 - Cell 2

Contact Parkstone to enquire about tee-times

Best Courses Near Parkstone

FERNDOWN

<a href="https://www.golfmonthly.com/courses/top-100-courses/ferndown-golf-club-old-course-review-118785" data-link-merchant="golfmonthly.com"">FERNDOWN
Ferndown is a pristine heathland course with sandy fairways and heather lurking to either side of the mown surfaces. With pine trees and firs also lining many of the holes, it’s an extremely attractive layout. Host to many top-level competitions, Percy Alliss was professional at Ferndown and son Peter counted the club as his spiritual home.

BROADSTONE

<a href="https://www.golfmonthly.com/courses/top-100-courses/broadstone-golf-club-course-review-118743" data-link-merchant="golfmonthly.com"">BROADSTONE
Tom Dunn laid out the original course here in 1898 before a 1914 Harry Colt redesign introduced several new holes to take fuller advantage of Broadstone's expansive heathland setting. More recently, Frank Pont’s dramatic bunkering on a number of holes has brought back more of the original Colt flavour.

Best Places To Stay Near Parkstone

Applewood Hotel, Bournemouth -  Book now at Booking.com
Located on Bournemouth's West Cliff not far from the centre and a couple of miles from Parkstone, this family-run hotel offers a range of accommodation in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. There's free WiFi and free parking plus an enclosed garden and lounge bar for guests to enjoy.

Bournemouth Highcliff Marriott Hotel - Book now at Booking.com
The Highcliff Marriott Hotel enjoys a dramatic clifftop location just a ten-minute walk from the centre of Bournemouth. Guests enjoy free WiFi in all public areas. The hotel boasts a striking terrace overlooking Bournemouth Bay and lies just over three miles from Parkstone Golf Club.

Parkstone Golf Club Scorecard

Parkstone Golf Club scorecard

(Image credit: Parkstone Golf Club)

Parkstone Gallery

PARKSTONE HISTORICAL TOP 100 RANKING UK&I

  • 2023/24 - 81
  • 2021/22 - 80
  • 2019/20 - 78
  • 2017/18 - 82
  • 2015/16 - 91

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Parkstone the best golf course in the Bournemouth/Poole area?

Yes, according to the Golf Monthly UK&I Top 100 rankings. This part of Dorset is lucky enough to have three very fine heathland courses in close proximity - Parkstone, Broadstone and Ferndown. Parkstone (81st) is currently seven places above Ferndown (88th) and 15 places above Broadstone (96th). There are other good courses like Remedy Oak and Isle of Purbeck not far away.

How many golf courses are there in Dorset?

There are currently 34 clubs affiliated to the Dorset Golf Union from Lyme Regis in the west to Highcliffe Castle in the east, and from Weymouth in the south to Rushmore in the north. Rushmore is on the border with Wiltshire and has nine holes in each county, while Yeovil is part of the Dorset Golf Union despite the town being in south Somerset.

Jeremy Ellwood
Contributing Editor

Jeremy Ellwood has worked in the golf industry since 1993 and for Golf Monthly since 2002 when he started out as equipment editor. He is now a freelance journalist writing mainly for Golf Monthly. He is an expert on the Rules of Golf having qualified through an R&A course to become a golf referee. He is a senior panelist for Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK & Ireland Course Rankings and has played all of the Top 100 plus 91 of the Next 100, making him well-qualified when it comes to assessing and comparing our premier golf courses. He has now played 1,000 golf courses worldwide in 35 countries, from the humblest of nine-holers in the Scottish Highlands to the very grandest of international golf resorts. He reached the 1,000 mark on his 60th birthday in October 2023 on Vale do Lobo's Ocean course. Put him on a links course anywhere and he will be blissfully content.

Jezz can be contacted via Twitter - @JezzEllwoodGolf


Jeremy is currently playing...

Driver: Ping G425 LST 10.5˚ (draw setting), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 55 S shaft

3 wood: Ping G425 Max 15˚ (set to flat +1), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 65 S shaft

Hybrid: Ping G425 17˚, Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Orange 80 S shaft

Irons 3-PW: Ping i525, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 50˚ and 54˚, 12˚ bounce, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Putter: Ping Fetch 2021 model, 33in shaft (set flat 2)

Ball: Varies but mostly now TaylorMade Tour Response