Buxton · Peak District · Est. 1925

The course that inspired Augusta.

A Dr Alister MacKenzie masterpiece, walked since 1925. The Derbyshire course where the architect of Augusta National and Cypress Point first laid down the strategic principles that would shape the modern game.

Book as Visitor The MacKenzie Story

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1925

Established

Par 68

5,833 Yards

Compact, intricate, every yard considered. The complete MacKenzie laboratory.

1,090ft

Above sea level

One of the highest golf courses in England. Peak District weather, Peak District views.

MacKenzie Courses worldwide

Cavendish is one of the rare British members' clubs designed by him personally.

The MacKenzie story

A Derbyshire course that shaped the modern game.

When Dr Alister MacKenzie laid out Cavendish in the high country above Buxton in 1925, he was already a celebrated golf-course architect. But he was still working out the strategic ideas that would, three years later, find their fullest expression at Cypress Point — and ultimately at Augusta National, the course he co-designed with Bobby Jones.

Cavendish is where those ideas were tested. The course is short by championship standards — par 68, just under 5,900 yards — but every yard is deliberate. The greens are MacKenzie greens: large, undulating, full of internal contour. The bunkering is strategic rather than penal. The shaping mirrors the natural roll of the Derbyshire hillside.

Members will tell you that to understand Augusta, you must first play Cavendish. They are not exaggerating.

"One of the finest examples of MacKenzie's work in Britain."
— The MacKenzie Society

MacKenzie green at Cavendish — three classic bunkers protecting an elevated putting surface

A signature MacKenzie green complex — three bunkers in formation, an elevated putting surface, and the Peak District as backdrop.

The course

Eighteen holes, and not a wasted yard.

Cavendish punishes hubris and rewards thought. Every hole asks a different question. The shorter holes are the hardest. The longer holes give back what you give them. It is, in the truest sense, a thinking person's golf course.

The Quarry

Par 4 · 365 yards · SI 1

A dogleg around an old limestone quarry. The longest hitters' instinct is to cut the corner; MacKenzie's bunkering reminds them why that's a mistake.

The Plateau

Par 3 · 174 yards · SI 7

A short iron to a green sat seventy feet above the tee. Read the wind, read the slope, read the flag. Every club in the bag has a defensible argument.

The Cape

Par 4 · 386 yards · SI 3

A cape hole — the carry depends entirely on how much you trust your driver. Bail out left and you've left yourself a long iron uphill into the wind. There is no easy par here.

The full scorecard — par 68, 5,833 yards from the white tees, SSS 69 — is published at the Pro Shop and on our member portal.

Visiting

Come and walk it. Visitors warmly welcome.

Green fees

Weekday

£45

Full eighteen with practice ground access. Society rates available for groups of eight or more.

Book a tee time →

Green fees

Weekend

£65

Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The course is at its quietest after 2pm; many of our visitors prefer this window.

Book a tee time →

Societies

Society Days

From £35/head

Eight to forty players. Includes coffee on arrival, eighteen holes, and a two-course lunch in the clubhouse.

Enquire →

Membership

Become part of the MacKenzie Society.

Cavendish is a private members' club. We are member-owned, member-run, and we have spaces in most of our categories. New members are invited to play the course twice as a guest before applying.

Enquire about membership

Or call the office on 01298 79708 — we will arrange a guest round.