Beta site under development
See the sea from every tee
There can’t be many golf courses in the world let alone the UK which are right in the middle of not just an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, but also a UNESCO biosphere. Luckily for golfers on the Isle of Wight, Freshwater Bay Golf Club ticks both of those boxes.
One of the most spectacular courses in the UK and one of West Wight’s real treasures, the course is set on a prime example of chalk downland and in both an AONB and Site of Special Scientific Interest overlooking the English Channel and features panoramic views from Yarmouth Harbour to Compton Bay and beyond, with beautiful coastal scenery surrounding the course. Founded in 1894, the 18-hole course is 5,725 yards long, par 69 which provides a challenge for golfers of all abilities.
The Adonis Blue and Chalkhill Blue butterflies, both rare breeds, can be seen on the course and there are large populations of small blue, dark-green fritillary and Glanville fritillary. Brown argus and grayling can also be spotted, and in late summer you might catch a glimpse of the clouded yellow on the nearby downs. There are also unique species of orchids and other rare plants to enjoy which grow freely in the ‘rough’ of the course.
Over recent years the Club has been working with The National Trust, Natural England, and English Heritage, with a view to enhancing the way the course is managed to the benefit of the environment. Afton Down is categorised as a SSSI and organisations rate the course as number one.1 in the country for many of its ecological and historic features. The salt-weathered downland turf supports cowslips, orchids, and rare plants that only survive in this landscape, birds such as skylark, wheatear, linnet, and kestrel, animals like badger, snakes, small rodents, and insects. There are burial mounds (tumuli) and long barrows, some in an undisturbed condition since the stone age. Sheep grazing has been introduced in some areas to maintain open grassland and stop further scrub encroachment, benefiting many plants and insect species.
