Published: 16 June 2026
From historic parkland courses to long-established members’ clubs set across the county’s countryside, this guide takes a closer look at the best golf clubs in Worcestershire.
History
Formed around 918 AD, Worcestershire is a county shaped by layers of English history, from Iron Age hill forts on the Malvern and Bredon Hills to Roman salt production at Droitwich, medieval monastic power and the decisive Battle of Worcester in 1651.
Golf took root here unusually early for an inland county, developing not from coastal links but through private estates, academic institutions and country communities. Early play around Malvern College in the late 19th century helped establish a golfing culture that would later give rise to some of the Midlands’ most respected courses. Many of Worcestershire’s leading clubs evolved alongside the county’s grand houses and landscaped parkland, market towns and villages.
Blackwell Golf Club, Bromsgrove
Blackwell Golf Club occupies gently undulating ground south of Birmingham and is widely regarded for the intelligence of its design rather than its length. The 18-hole par-70 course is arranged as two compact loops returning naturally to the clubhouse. Five strong par threes and carefully defended greens reward accuracy and restraint, with strategy and visibility prioritised over power.
Founded in 1893, Blackwell reached its architectural maturity in 1923 through the collaboration of Tom Simpson and Herbert Fowler, one of only seven courses on which the pair worked together. Their emphasis on width, natural contours and strategic choice continues to shape the course today, supported by a long-term restoration programme led by Frank Pont. Limited to fewer than 200 full members, the club retains an intimate culture centred on informal play, a strong fixture list and a clubhouse that remains central to social life in one of Worcestershire’s quieter countryside locations.
Moseley Golf Club, Kings Heath
Established in 1892 and widely regarded as the oldest golf course in the Midlands, Moseley Golf Club sits within Kings Heath, offering an unusual sense of seclusion for a course located so close to the city. Originally founded on farmland near Billesley Lane, the club relocated in 1909 to its present site, where a parkland course was laid out by Harry Colt. Much of Colt’s original design philosophy remains intact, with strategic fairways and fast, subtly contoured greens continuing to define the course and provide a measured but engaging test more than a century on.
The club’s early years are marked by a number of notable associations, including the involvement of William Tolkien, a relative of J. R. R. Tolkien, among its founding members. Over the decades, Moseley has also been shaped by influential figures within the game. Stanley Lunt, English Amateur Champion and England captain during the 1930s, also remains one of the club’s most celebrated members and is commemorated annually through the Lunt Cup.
Competition has long been central to life at Moseley, with a calendar that has included both local events and England Golf championships. Social golf and weekday competitions are played without pre-booked tee times, while the clubhouse continues to serve as a focal point for dining, social gatherings and private events.
Hagley Golf Club
Hagley Golf Club sits within the rolling landscape of the Clent Hills, offering elevated views and a strong sense of openness despite being just a short distance from central Birmingham. The 18-hole, 6,376-yard parkland course provides two distinct areas: a newer front nine that demands precision into smaller, well-contoured greens with run-off areas and a more mature back nine played across ground from raised tees. With three par fives and a number of inviting short par fours, the course provides scoring opportunities alongside a test that rewards a sound short game and thoughtful course management.
Established in 1980 and expanded to a full 18 holes in the mid-1980s, Hagley has developed a reputation as one of Worcestershire’s most accessible and enjoyable courses, suited to players of all standards. A welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere underpins both membership and visitor play, supported by a clubhouse open to members and non-members, a well-used driving range with targets stretching to 250 yards and an active calendar of social and dining events.
The Worcestershire Golf Club, Malvern
The Worcestershire Golf Club, established in 1879, is the oldest golf club in the county, with roots on the commons north of Worcester where the original course was played for several decades before the move to its current Wood Farm site in 1927. The club invited two leading architects of the era, Harry Colt and Dr Alister MacKenzie, to submit designs for the new course and MacKenzie won the commission; although cost overruns followed because the club made extensive modifications to his plans.
The mature 18-hole parkland layout was set across approximately 120 acres beneath the scenic Malvern Hills and today measures around 6,251 yards, with long, narrow greens that test accuracy and short-game skills. During the Second World War, part of MacKenzie’s original design was requisitioned by the Ministry of Defence and land was not fully restored until decades later, with the clubhouse, which was built in 2000, replacing the old Wood Farm farmhouse. Members of golfing history such as Harry Vardon and James Braid once played there and composer Sir Edward Elgar was associated with the club.
Fulford Heath Golf Club
Fulford Heath Golf Club is a compact parkland course set just south of Birmingham, shaped originally by James Braid and later refined through alterations. Measuring a little over 6,000 yards and playing to a par of 70, the course places its emphasis on control and positioning rather than length, enveloped by mature trees, three lakes and the winding River Cole.
Braid’s influence remains visible in the greens and bunkering, while a pair of short par fours on the front nine offer early scoring opportunities that contrast with the more demanding stretches later in the round. The back nine brings greater variety, beginning and ending with the only par fives on the card and featuring the River Cole prominently at the twelfth, where the hazard crosses and flanks the fairway before guarding the approach to the green. Remodelled in later years by Fred Hawtree and club professional Eric Booy, the routing has evolved without losing its original character.
