JCB Golf & Country Club: 2026 Access and Booking Update
One of the most talked about modern courses in Britain, crowned by an island green 17th, and one of the hardest to play. Here is where JCB stands for 2026, why it remains strictly private, and how to build a Midlands trip around courses you can actually book.
Photo via Google.
The news: still private, still no public play
The update for 2026 is really a confirmation. JCB Golf & Country Club remains a strictly private members club and does not offer public green fee play, so despite the curiosity it attracts there is no visitor rate and no public tee sheet to book. Access is by membership or a member's invitation only, and that has not changed.
That matters because JCB is one of the most photographed and discussed new courses in the country, and travellers regularly assume a course this famous must take green fee play. It does not. The honest planning answer is to treat JCB as the aspiration on a Midlands trip and build the golf you book around other courses, while we explain below what the course is and why it has earned the attention.
The course, and why it is talked about
JCB is a statement of intent. Built on reclaimed quarry and farmland near Rocester in Staffordshire, owned by the Bamford family of digger fame, it opened in 2018 to a Robin Hiseman design from European Golf Design. Hiseman routed a bold, big scale parkland across lakes and rolling countryside, and the club has poured resources into presentation that rivals anything in Britain. Wide, sweeping fairways, large contoured greens and water on the closing holes give it a tournament feel, and at 7,433 yards to a par of 72 it is a genuinely muscular modern test.
The conditioning is the constant talking point, presented to a tournament standard year round that gives the turf an almost manicured feel. The signature is the 17th, a 255 yard par 3 to an island green set in one of the estate's lakes, brutal from the tips and unforgettable from any tee. It anchors a closing stretch where water is always in the eye, and it is the image that has done most to build the club's modern reputation.
How to plan around it in 2026
Since there is no public access, the practical plan is to base a trip on the excellent parkland and moorland golf you can book across the Midlands, with comfortable bases near the Peak District and the Trent valley. The region pairs well with non golf attractions, so a group can mix a couple of strong, bookable rounds with sightseeing and still have a full few days. Treat any quoted JCB figure with suspicion: the club publishes no public visitor rate, so anything you see is not an official green fee.
If a round at JCB is the goal, the only routes are membership or an invitation from a member, and the club does not take public bookings, so confirm any access directly and well in advance. For most travelling golfers the sensible approach is to admire the 17th from afar, build the trip around courses with open tee sheets, and keep JCB on the wish list. Conditions are firmest and best from May to September, though the course is presented to a high standard year round.
Our take
Our take is that JCB is a remarkable piece of modern course building and an equally clear lesson in managing expectations. The conditioning and the island green 17th are worth the hype, but a private club with no public play simply is not a course to plan a trip around, and it is better to know that before you travel than to arrive hoping.
If you are planning Midlands golf in 2026, let JCB be the aspiration and build the bookable rounds around the region's best open courses, with lodging and transfers arranged. That way the trip stands on its own, and if an invitation to JCB ever materialises it is a bonus rather than the plan. Always confirm access and tee times directly before committing.
Plan your Midlands golf trip
JCB is private, but we build Midlands trips around the best parkland and moorland courses you can actually book, with comfortable bases and transfers arranged. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Questions
Can visitors play JCB Golf & Country Club in 2026?
No. JCB remains a strictly private members club for 2026 and does not offer public green fee play, so there is no visitor rate to quote. A round is by membership or a member's invitation only. The club does not take public tee time bookings, so confirm any access directly before planning a visit.
Who designed JCB and what is the famous hole?
JCB was designed by Robin Hiseman of European Golf Design and opened in 2018 on reclaimed quarry and farmland near Rocester in Staffordshire, owned by the Bamford family. It plays to a par of 72 over 7,433 yards. Its signature is the 17th, a 255 yard par 3 to an island green and one of the most photographed modern holes in England.
What Midlands courses can I actually book instead?
Because JCB is private, build a Midlands trip around the region's excellent parkland and moorland courses with open tee sheets, paired with bases near the Peak District and the Trent valley. Our concierge can assemble a trip around courses you can book, with lodging and transfers arranged, so treat JCB as the aspiration rather than the round you plan on.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts and the private access policy verified June 2026 from the club and golf course archives; access can change, so always confirm directly before planning a visit. Last reviewed June 2026.