Rushmore Golf Club ( Park)

Rushmore Golf Club, situated on the border of Dorset and Wiltshire, is an 18-hole parkland course set within the historic Rushmore Park, part of the Cranborne Chase AONB. The club was established in 1994 under the ownership of Michael Pitt Rivers, the great-grandson of Lt. General Augustus Pitt Rivers, though a much older course designed by Tom Dunn existed on the estate in 1896. The modern course, designed to blend seamlessly with the ancient parkland, is known for its free-draining turf, allowing for year-round play. Notably, the course is split between two counties, with the nine holes in Dorset featuring bunkers, while the nine in Wiltshire do not due to land restrictions. The course layout is challenging, with a variety of hole lengths, water features, and strategically placed trees, particularly the towering sequoias. The greens are a key defense, known for their pace and undulations. While not a regular Open qualifying venue, a player from Rushmore did narrowly miss out on qualifying for The Open in 2016.