We like to dream about operating our own golf club. If Sounder did have our own club, what would it be like?
A course with a great architectural heritage would be nice. Maybe an Old Tom Morris original, with revisions by Alister MacKenzie?
Great terrain would be must, with interesting land and firm, free-draining turf that allowed for play all year round. A layout that challenges the strong player but is still fun for a less experienced golfer, and where exposure to the elements means the holes play differently every time you tee it up.
We’d want it to be accessible for everyone – with a warm welcome in the clubhouse for golfers and non-golfers like. And we’d hope it could be a beacon of sustainability too – sharing the land with hikers, dog walkers, joggers and cyclists, demonstrating that golf isn’t about money, or status, or rules about what to wear and where to park.
It would, in fact, look an awful lot like Cleeve Hill. Which is just one reason why we’re so excited to be partnering with the club to support the Cleeve Festival of Golf this summer.
Cleeve are hosting three days of Open competitions on Saturday 17, Sunday 19 and Monday 20 June, and we’ll be there for all of them. We’ve got some very exciting plans for both on and off the course – subscribe to our emails and follow us on social for all the latest news.
But in the meantime, we strongly suggest that you get your entries in early, as field sizes are limited and they are sure to be popular:
Individual - Saturday 17 June
Team - Sunday 18 June
Pairs - Monday 19 June
After all, how often do you get the chance to play a course with a green site nestled in a 3,000 year-old Iron Age Hill Fort? A course featuring back-to-back par threes played over deep quarries dating back 2,000 years, which takes you to the highest point in the Cotswolds, with stunning views over the Severn valley to Malvern Hills and into Wales.
Just a few years ago, the course on Cleeve Hill was in serious danger of closure. Thankfully the course and the club were saved, in no small part thanks to the campaign instigated by our friends at Cookie Jar Golf.
We’re excited to be doing our bit to support a unique course that encapsulates so much of what’s great about golf in the United Kingdom. We hope you’ll join us there in June.
