Frilford Heath Green
The Green is the quiet classic of Frilford Heath's three courses. Club professional J.H. Turner laid out the original nine in 1928, and Ken Cotton and Frank Pennink extended it to eighteen in 1964. A par 69 of 5,852 yards over sandy Oxfordshire common, it trades length for shape and touch, the most purely heathland test on the property and a charming counterpoint to the bigger Red and Blue.
Photo: brian hartigan via Google.
The verdict
Frilford Heath has been golf country since 1908, when Open champion J.H. Taylor laid out what is now the Red Course on a stretch of sand based common a few miles southwest of Oxford. The Green came twenty years later, a nine hole creation of the club's own professional, J.H. Turner, in 1928, and it grew into a full eighteen under the respected hands of Ken Cotton and Frank Pennink in 1964.
At 5,852 yards and a par of 69 it is the shortest of the three, and for many regulars it is the most loveable. The heather, the silver birch and the firm sandy turf are exactly what people come to heathland to find, and the lack of raw length only sharpens the questions of angle and flight. It is the course to play when you want golf that thinks rather than golf that hits, an easy and rewarding addition to an Oxfordshire or wider southern England trip.
Frilford Heath Green Course at a glance
- Opened
- 1928
- Designer
- J.H. Turner
- Type
- Heathland
- Par
- 69
- Yardage
- 5,852 yds
- Green fee
- Visitor rate
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from Frilford Heath Golf Club and leading course databases. The Green began as a nine hole layout by J.H. Turner in 1928 and was extended to eighteen by Ken Cotton and Frank Pennink in 1964, a par 69 of 5,852 yards. Frilford Heath welcomes visiting golfers; green fees vary by course, season and day (indicative, 2026), so always confirm the current rate directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The Green is defined by its ground. The turf runs firm and fast over sand, the heather waits a step off the short grass, and silver birch frames the corridors without ever crowding them. Because the course is short, the premium falls on placement and on the kind of running approach that heathland rewards, where a ball that lands on the front edge can scamper to the flag.
The par 3s are the set piece, asking for a precise carry to greens that shed anything overhit, and the better short par 4s tempt the bold while punishing the loose tee shot with heather and gorse. There is no hiding behind a driver here; the questions are about controlling trajectory and reading the contours of the green, the disciplines that make a player rather than a basher.
What stays with you is the character. The Green keeps the old common feel of the Taylor era, a course that feels lived in and natural, and on a dry summer evening with the turf bouncing it is as pure a heathland round as Oxfordshire offers.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Members club that welcomes visiting golfers across all three courses; advance booking is recommended, especially at weekends |
| Green fee | Indicative visitor green fees in the region of 50 to 90 pounds depending on course, season and day (2026); the Green typically sits below the Red and Blue; always confirm directly before booking |
| Booking | Reserve through the Frilford Heath golf office; ask about multi course day rates to play more than one of the three |
| On the day | Smart golf dress on course and in the clubhouse; trolleys and buggies available; the heathland walk is gentle and walkable |
| Getting there | Frilford near Abingdon, a few miles southwest of Oxford off the A338 and A420; about an hour and a quarter from Heathrow |
| Best months | May to September for the firmest, fastest heathland turf |
Access and fee details verified June 2026; rates change by season and day, so always confirm directly with the club or your trip planner before booking.
Where to stay nearby
Most golfers base themselves in or around Oxford, which puts the city's hotels, colleges and restaurants within twenty minutes of the first tee and turns a golf day into a proper short break. Abingdon and the villages of the Vale of White Horse offer quieter country inns closer to the course.
The Green pairs naturally with its siblings the Red and the Blue for a full Frilford Heath day, and the club sits well on a wider southern England heathland tour that takes in the great Surrey and Berkshire courses an hour or so to the east.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Frilford Heath.
Build an Oxfordshire golf trip
We arrange tee times across the Frilford Heath courses, pair them with the best of the southern English heathland and book the lodging around them. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Frilford Heath Green Course questions
Who designed the Green Course at Frilford Heath and when did it open?
The Green Course began as a nine hole layout by club professional J.H. Turner in 1928 and was remodelled and extended to eighteen holes by Ken Cotton and Frank Pennink in 1964.
What is the par and length of the Frilford Heath Green Course?
The Green is a par 69 of 5,852 yards, the shortest of Frilford Heath's three courses and the one that holds its heathland character most purely.
Can visitors play the Frilford Heath Green Course?
Yes. Frilford Heath welcomes visiting golfers across its Red, Green and Blue courses; book ahead and confirm the current green fee before you travel.
Where is Frilford Heath Golf Club?
Frilford Heath is at Frilford near Abingdon in Oxfordshire, England, a few miles southwest of Oxford and well placed off the A338 and A420.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.