Broadstone Golf Club: Course Review, Tee Times and Key Info

Broadstone Golf Club Key Information

Every golfer will have his or her own view when it comes to a personal favourite among Bournemouth’s Big Three and my thoughts have certainly switched between the protagonists at times over the past couple of decades.

All three reside in our Top 100 Golf Courses UK & Ireland but whatever your personal preference, there’s no denying that the wonderful heathland layout at Broadstone ventures through considerably more elevation changes than its Parkstone and Ferndown neighbours, and is all the better for it in my view.

The original course was created in 1898 by Tom Dunn before a Harry Colt redesign in 1914, which introduced a number of new holes to take fuller advantage of its stunning location on expansive heathland. In recent years, architect Frank Pont has been entrusted to take the course back closer to its Colt days with some eye-catchingly dramatic bunkering.

Having twice traversed the same stream on the 1st (if all has gone well), the elevation changes start on the 2nd, with the course playing up to a very steep-fronted green before coming back down immediately on the 3rd, where there is water to think about.

Pont’s work is in evidence on the gorgeous par-3 6th - a personal favourite of mine - that plays up to another steep-fronted green with a copse of pines beyond, and again on the 8th just after the excellent, not-quite-halfway hut.

In between lies the fearsome long par-4 7th, and just as the jury is out as to which is the finest of the three neighbouring courses all vying for best golf course in Dorset honours, so too is it for this ‘Marmite’ hole.

Personally, I'm in the 'love it' camp, while I know many others who would disagree vociferously! Whatever your thoughts, it is undoubtedly a strategically challenging par 4 thoroughly deserving of its SI 1 status, where the semi-blind drive is followed by a daunting or thrilling second (depending on your point of view!) across shallow valleys, heather and sand. Whether you like it or not, visually it is stunning.

The short par-4 14th provides yet another visual treat, playing from a highly elevated tee down and then up to a fairway surrounded by bunkers, but it is perhaps the par 3s throughout that steal the show, with the long 15th arguably the most challenging.

When your final putt drops on 18, your heart will sink with the realisation that your round is over, because when you’ve played it once, Broadstone is a course you’ll be eager to return to again and again.

What's new for 2025/26? What our panellists said…

Tim Gorman

The immediate impression on arrival is of a lovely course upon which to spend a pleasant day’s golf. However, under the layer of silk lies an iron fist of a golf course. In my top tier of tough courses in England. Notwithstanding the principles of WHS, my handicap would surely be two to three shots higher were I to be a member here.

John Winter

Broadstone’s strength lies in its course design on adventurous land that provides some really dramatic and varied golf holes. The opening three are more parkland in nature and cover the same land as the final two. But once you are into your round proper, the course presents some dramatic elevation changes, some fun run-offs and undulations on the greens as well as a sense of grandeur. The total opposite of claustrophobic, it had that 'getting away from it all' feeling. As you look out across the course from its highest point, you feel that you could easily build another 18 holes in the land that went untouched by Dunn and Colt.

Broadstone Golf Club Location

Contact the club via the golf bookings email address

Best Courses Near Broadstone

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.

PARKSTONE
One of Bournemouth’s big-hitting trio, Parkstone is one of many UK courses that has been striving to rediscover its heathland roots in recent years. There are several thrilling tee-shots, such as the 3rd where you play from a causeway crossing water, and each of the short holes is a real gem.

Best Places To Stay Near Broadstone

Heatherdene House - Book now at Booking.com
This highly rated B&B is less than a mile from the golf club and just 6.2 miles from Poole Harbour. Heatherdene House offers good accommodation with free WiFi, free private parking, various breakfast options and a garden in which you are more than welcome to relax.

Bournemouth Highcliff Marriott Hotel - Book now at Booking.com
For the full hotel experience, 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 ten miles from Broadstone Golf Club.

Broadstone Gallery

Image 1 of 5

BROADSTONE HISTORICAL TOP 100 RANKING UK&I

• 2025/26 - 97
• 2023/24 - 96
• 2021/22 - 93
• 2019/20 - 94
• 2017/18 - 96

Frequently Asked Questions