Northamptonshire County: A heathland classic for golf’s romantics

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Why we would rather be playing this dream in Northamptonshire, shaped by two greats

Northamptonshire County

Any course that boasts the names Harry Colt and James Braid among its designers is bound to make any golfer sit up and take notice. Up steps Northamptonshire County.

Affectionately known as Northants County Golf Club, this Colt-Braid collaboration is best described as a heathland with fairways that are delightfully firm and often lined by gorse.

History

Harry Colt, who also designed Wentworth and Sunningdale, shaped the original course at Northants County and it opened for play in 1910. 

With only a few alterations by golf’s supreme course-tweaker James Braid in 1947, this highly-regarded golf course has barely changed since Colt weaved his magic 110 years ago. 

The course also features three additional holes, designed by Cameron Sinclair in 2004, which offer the chance to play a nine-hole loop. They are a great addition, coming into play after the 6th, allowing golfers to then work their way back to the clubhouse with holes 7a, 8a and 9a.

What makes Northamptonshire County special?

The fact that Northamptonshire County has hosted Open Championship Qualifying in the past is testament both to its quality and its authentic links-style challenge. 

The course’s bouncy fairways frequently slope from one side to the other to make driving particularly challenging but, at over 6,700 yards, it is not the kind of course where you can leave your driver in the bag with any degree of comfort.

Those new holes from Sinclair at the start of the 21st Century also make it much easier for golfers to play nine holes at Northants County, if you’re trying to race round after work!

Northamptonshire County

Where does it rank?

95th in England, 6th in the East Midlands

Where is Northamptonshire County Golf Club?

As the name suggests, Northants County is located in the county of Northamptonshire. The course is in the village of Church Brampton, and sits around five miles north of the city of Northampton itself. Birmingham is around 50 miles to the northwest of the venue, with the M1 also running close by to provide road links both north and south. Birmingham International Airport, East Midlands Airport and London Luton Airport are all within 50 miles from the golf club. The Silverstone Circuit, which hosts the British Grand Prix in Formula 1, is also close by.

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Get in touch with Northamptonshire County

For more information about the club and course, visit its website or call them on 01604 843025.

You can play Northamptonshire County on the NCG Top 100s Tour this year, but only if you qualify for our Grand Final

  • Our Grand Final will take place at Northants Count on October 14th.
  • Play your way into the Grand Final by playing in our regular-season events, which you can find here.

Now have your say

Have you ever had the pleasure of playing at Northamptonshire County? Let us know your thoughts with a post on X, formerly Twitter!

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About the author

Matt Coles
Matt Coles

Mention a European country, and Matt will tell you which resorts make the National Club Golfer Top 100s: European Resorts list. He might even throw in who designed the golf course and how many rooms the hotel has got at each one…

Matt got into the game of golf from a young age, following his old man to the local golf club. He fell for the sport, and now can’t seem to go a day without thinking about how to improve his game (Thanks Dad!). Matt has been a member of Howley Hall GC in Leeds since 2020, and is just about managing to maintain a single-figure handicap. He likes to remind people that he once broke 75, but won’t tell people that it was on a shortened course during the winter.

He moved to Leeds after graduating from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class Honours degree in Sports Journalism. Matt joined NCG after almost five years travelling the world with the Professional Squash Association, working on events in all four corners of the globe.

Matt currently plays a Cobra King LTDx driver and RadSpeed 3-wood. TaylorMade monopolise the rest of his bag, with a SIM UDI, M5 irons and both Milled Grind and HI-TOE wedges, along with a Monza Redline putter. He uses a Vice Pro Plus golf ball, because he’s a bit different…

Away from golf, Matt is a Manchester United fan, and a keen runner, having ran the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon (his first and possibly last), in May 2023.

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