HarleyfOrd's irrigation project

Harleyford opened on 1st July 1996. Building work commenced a couple of years before this. You can still see all the founder members golf balls on display in the main bar.

Designed by the world renowned Donald Steele, the golf course is a ‘Downland’ course consisting of rolling hills, wide fairways, free draining and chalky soil .

Located in an area of outstanding natural beauty, with glorious views over the Thames Valley and attractive features such as the chalkpit 12th hole and the folly on the 15th!

There are currently no water hazards on the golf course.

Our signature hole is the 12th where you hit into a chalk pit bowl surrounding the back of the green. All of our tees and greens are built to USGA spec and are renowned as some of the best greens in the county.

All the bunkers on the golf course were renovated in 2023/24 with the latest technology, mixing a rubber crumb base with specialist sand and re-vetted turf on the tops. In 2025/26 we have installed our brand new irrigation system. Not only did this replace the existing greens, tees & aprons system, but it also includes a full fairway system which we are very much looking forward to seeing the benefits of.

We currently have five measured courses at Harleyford:

1.         Gold Course (for championship golf) – 6904 yards.

2.         Black Course (for competition golf) – 6604 yards.

3.         Purple Course (for general play) - 6280 yards.

4.         Silver Course (slightly shorter course for general play) - 5791 yards.

5.         Blue Course (the shortest course) – 4721 yards.

For men we have four par 5’s, ten par 4’s and four par 3’s

For women we have five par 5’s, nine par 4’s and four par 3’s.

Yes. The halfway house is situated just before the 10th tee. The halfway house is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday between 09.00hrs – 15.00hrs. There are also vending machines located at the halfway house for hot drinks and snacks outside operating hours. There is seating at the halfway house and a men’s and women’s toilet. Please note the women’s toilet requires a code which can be obtained from the pro-shop.

We have a full range of practice facilities including a 250 yard driving range located adjacent to the 18th fairway, a USGA spec chipping green with bunker in the same location, a large putting green located before the 1st tee and some warm up nets next to the Clubhouse.

Mobile phones are not permitted on the golf course except in an emergency or when being used to record a digital golf score. In the Clubhouse they may be used discreetly in silent mode.

Yes, dogs are allowed both on the course and in the Clubhouse when members are playing social golf. However, dogs are not permitted during official competitions, must be kept on a lead at all times and must be cleared up after.

The clubhouse is open seven days a week. The Clubhouse opens from 07.00hrs – 18.00hrs in the winter months and then 07.00hrs – 21.00hrs during the summer months.

The Bar Levy is an account linked to your membership account which can be used for food, beverage and Pro-shop purchases. The levy can be topped up online, or in the pro-shop or bar. By using the levy at the bar, you will receive 10% discount on all beverages, drinks and food.

As a member you will receive a 10% discount on all food & beverage. There is currently no discount on pro-shop purchases.

The bar menu is served between 08.00hrs – 16.00hrs every day.

No. All food and beverages consumed in the Clubhouse must be purchased directly from the Club.

 We currently offer Club Lockers and Trolley Lockers. These are both available to rent. The trolley lockers come complete with a plug point to charge your battery, a personalised access code and 24/7 security. The Club lockers are located within the Clubhouse. If you would like to rent a locker, please contact the office on info@harleyfordgolf.co.uk.

We host a number of social evenings throughout the year, which are broken down into different categories:

• Social Function Nights – These may include quiz nights, tribute evenings and Christmas parties. Events are open to all members and will be advertised through the Clubhouse.

• Foody Friday – Every Friday from April to September we host Foody Friday, where a food van visits the Club between 16.00hrs – 20.00hrs. This is a great opportunity to play a few holes in the evening and then stay for food afterwards.

• Club Night Golf – Throughout the summer months we run Club Night Golf, a “book your own tee time” competition that allows members to enjoy relaxed social golf with a fun 10-hole competition format.

Smart casual clothing is permitted.

Harleyford has a long-standing relationship with world-renowned artist James Doran-Webb, who exhibits his driftwood sculptures around the course.

The main piece is the famous Harleyford Stag located by the 1st tee. Over the years we have also displayed many other sculptures including lions, horses, giraffes, sharks, eagles and even a pair of ostriches.

For more information, you can visit his website:

https://www.jamesdoranwebb.co.uk/

At Harleyford we have numerous regular competitions which follow a rough pattern of:

·       Monday – Seniors Competition

·       Wednesday – Men’s Competition

·       Thursday – Women’s Competition

·       Saturday or Sunday – Men’s & Women’s Competition

Whilst we do not do roll-ups anymore (since Covid) we now do sign-ups. These are the same as roll-ups, except you need to sign up in advance rather than just turn up. The regular sign-ups are:

·       Tuesday – Women’s Sign Up

·       Wednesday – Men’s (Early Birds) & Seniors Sign Up

·       Friday – Men’s (Early Birds) & Seniors Sign Up

·       Saturday or Sunday – Men’s & Women’s Sign Up

We do hold mixed competitions at least once a month on either a Saturday or Sunday. We also hold fun competitions on the bank holidays which are also mixed. The MAJOR Millenium Cup is also a mixed competition.

Harleyford hosts a number of prestigious MAJOR competitions throughout the year. Winners of these events have their name added to the honour board and receive the trophy. Our MAJOR competitions include:

• Alexander Greasley – March (Mixed)

• John Dixon – March (Men)

• Jubilee Cup – April (Men & Women)

• Founders Putter – May (Men)

• 36 Hole Eclectic Challenge – May (Women)

• Club Championships – June (Men, Women & Seniors)

• Captains Cup – September (Men & Women)

• Millenium Cup – October (Mixed)

• Remembrance Cup – November (Men & Women)

Yes, we run a full programme of knockout competitions throughout the year. These include both Summer Knockouts (April – September) and Winter Knockouts (October – March).

The recurring knockout events include:

• Men (Summer) – Singles, 4BBB & Scratch Singles

• Seniors (Summer) – Singles & Plate

• Women (Summer) – Foursomes, Silver Singles & Bronze Singles

• Men (Winter) – Singles, 4BBB & Greensomes

• Seniors (Winter) – Greensomes

• Women (Winter) – Greensomes

If you feel comfortable, we’d like to suggest you get an official handicap with us! This can be done by pre-registering at the pro shop and handing in scorecards that accumulate 54 holes, into the pro shop.

In order for the cards to be processed properly, please write “for handicap” on the top of your scorecard along with the date, colour tees played off and a signature from your playing partner.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask the pro shop.

General Play Scorecards must be pre-registered and signed by both player and marker.

Once registered for a general play card, your score must be entered within 24 hours of declaration. If this is not carried out then you will receive a penalty score which may negatively impact your handicap. The only exemption is if you had to withdraw due to injury or serious extenuating circumstances. 

Furthermore, you cannot register for a general play card in the middle of or after your round.  Once entered onto the system, please hand your card into the pro shop or place it into our scorecard box after your round so scores can be checked and changed if needed. 

All rounds for handicapping purposes (Competition & General Play) are required to be pre-registered before play begins on the day of play.

 Any player who fails to submit a score after pre-registration, without a valid reason acceptable to the committee and inline with England Golf requirements, will be awarded an automatic Penalty Score as follows: -

• Without a Valid Reason: Adjusted Gross Score equivalent to the Course Rating + Course Handicap.

• Possible attempt to keep handicap low: Score equivalent to the Adjusted Gross Score of the highest return in the last 20 scores.

• Possible attempt to build a handicap: Score equivalent to the Adjusted Gross Score of the lowest return in the last 20 scores.

A Penalty Score may also be applied if a player registers an intent to submit a score after play has started.

Tee times spaced 10 minutes apart to ensure a good pace of play throughout the golf course.

The first tee time is 07.00hrs whenever possible (later in the winter due to light). The last tee time is 18.30hrs at the latest (again earlier in the winter due to light). 

Yes. All players, both members and visitors must check in at the Pro Shop before play. If the shop is closed, the bar staff must be informed.

Members who are unable to play must inform the Pro Shop as early as possible so the tee time can be reallocated. Visitors must provide at least 24 hours notice to move their booking. Visitor payments will not be refunded, but will be reused for play on an alternative date.

Yes, you can bring the same guest up to six times per year at the current members guest rate. Guests can play any time throughout the week. Members are responsible for the behaviour of their guests and must ensure they comply with Club rules, check in properly, and pay before play.

For both member competitions and member tee time bookings, the tee sheet opens from 06.30hrs two weeks before the date you wish to book.

Visitors are welcome and may book tee times up to seven days in advance.

No. Junior members, visitors and guests under the age of 18 are not permitted to drive buggies.

Buggies and trolleys may only be used when ground conditions permit, which is throughout the majority of the year. During the wetter months, the course manager makes a decision on the course conditions every morning before 07.00hrs and will deem one of the following statuses:

·       Course Open No Restrictions

·       Course Open No Buggies

·       Course Open No Trollies

·       Course Closed

Our aim is to always allow unrestricted golf as much as possible, however permissions may be restricted to protect the condition of the golf course. The course status can also be viewed from the website.

We currently have 700 playing members which is our limit to ensure that tee times are available for members throughout the year.

Currently, approximately 70% of our members are male, 20% are female and 10% are juniors.

Yes. We have established partnerships with a number of local clubs to enhance the Harleyford membership experience. These reciprocal arrangements provide members with the opportunity to enjoy complimentary golf at selected clubs on the rare occasions when Harleyford is closed to members due to Open Competitions or Charity Days.

Members can view the full list of upcoming reciprocal dates on the website and register their interest by completing the online form. Registration opens two weeks prior to each reciprocal date.

The project includes full fairway irrigation across all 18 holes, plus improvements to greens, tees, and

approaches where necessary.

Yes. The club has a large reservoir supported by a natural feed and an established borehole, ensuring adequate irrigation even in dry years.

Once the installation is complete and the turf has recovered, there will be minimal visible impact.

Yes, the Club intends to keep the course open for play throughout the project.

Disruption will be minimal. Most installation will be mole-ploughed. Contractors will only be working

midweek, and we are working closely with the Competitions Secretaries to ensure that disruption to play is kept to a minimum. Any temporary hole closures will be clearly publicised in the Club’s daily update, and we will limit closures to a maximum of one hole per day.

Any damage to the course will be kept to a minimum. However, depending on weather conditions, some wear and tear is likely during the installation phase. This has been anticipated and factored into a comprehensive repair programme to follow after the project—similar to the successful restoration work undertaken after the recent bunker renovations.

Absolutely. The new system uses modern, efficient sprinkler heads and smart controls to minimize water usage while maintaining optimal turf health.

Regular updates will be shared via email newsletters, social media and the Club website.

Yes, we are pleased to announce that we will be working with Green Irrigation Ltd. They have many years of experience installing irrigation systems at golf clubs across the country, including a recent successful installation at Huntercombe Golf Club during the winter 2024/25. All quotations were based on detailed specifications and tender documents prepared by our irrigation architect, Irritech who will be managing the installation throughout.