Rugeley Rd, Hazel Slade,
Cannock, Staffordshire WS12 0PJ
Office
+44 (0)1543 422 626Pro shop
+44 (0)1543 422 492Fax
+44 (0)1543 451 137Website
Visit websiteGolf pro
Chris Cousins (PGA Head Professional).The Course:
18 holes. Heathland course. Undulating terrain - a few slopes to climb.
Surroundings:
Woodland.
Designer:
Herbert Fowler
52.720919
-1.960201
2.5 mi NE of Hednesford / 20 mi N of Birmingham.
Leave the M6 motorway at exit 11, and follow the A460 direction Cannock, then Hednesford, then Rugeley. After 6.6 mi turn right into Rawnsley Rd. After o.7 mi turn left into Rugeley Rd, direction Hazel Slade. After 1 mi golf club is on your left.
Beau Desert
Beau Desert Golf Club is located in the south of an area known as Cannock Chase, the largest surviving area of lowland heathland in the Midlands. The course takes its name from the Marquess of Anglesey's estate (Beaudesert), in whose former grounds the course is laid out. You'll quickly discover that “Beau” is an apt description for the layout, while “desert” probably refers to the site's original habitat, which was open sandy heathland.
Once you’ve cleared the intimidating heather-clad “ravine” in front of the tee at the short par-4 1st, you'll be in for a real treat on this picturesque undulating heathland course. In addition to plenty of heather and some gorse, an abundance of pine and birch gives a rather wooded and tightish feel to many holes.
Herbert Fowler’s excellent layout, complemented by some lovely views of the surrounding Staffordshire countryside, ensures great variety and many golfing challenges as you journey round. Most of the holes take you either up or downhill, few are played on flat terrain, and each has its own distinctive character and identity.
You'll enjoy both a sense of isolation and tranquility here, with an absence of housing and roads allowing you to fully focus on your game, and the beauty of the heathland and woodland surroundings. Often included in ranking lists of the best heathland courses in England, Beau Desert is certainly well worth a stopover as you journey through the West Midlands.
Visitors welcome on weekdays; more restricted on weekends.
Must book in advance. Handicap required.
Contact club for full details, discounts, packages, etc. [Last updated: 2023].
Players generally walk this course.
Good
Beau Desert golf course is laid out on a section of what was formerly part of the Staffordshire estate of the 6th Marquess of Anglesey, Charles Henry Alexander Paget. Until 1919 the Marquess was a great supporter of the golf club. However, financial difficulties after the Great War required the Marquess to abandon Beaudesert Hall (a magnificent country mansion house, now no more than a few ruins) and retire to his family's ancestral seat, Plas Newydd in Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Anglesey.
England's 51st best course (Golf World, 2025).
Britain & Ireland's 109th best course (Golf World, 2025).
Orbital Plaza, Bridge St, Cannock, Staffordshire WS11 0DQ.
+44 (0)1543 461 361
Visit websiteThe Holiday Inn North Cannock offers comfortable accommodation at an affordable rate. This modern full-service hotel is located close to the M6 and M6 (Toll) motorways and just 22 miles from Birmingham Airport.
No
Beau Desert
Little Aston; Walsall; Handsworth; Sandwell Park; Whittington Heath; Enville.
Lichfield Rd, Wishaw, North Warwickshire B76 9PR
+44 (0)1675 238 600
Visit websiteThe 4-star Belfry Resort, located just outside Birmingham, is home to world class golf facilities, including the renowned Brabazon course, of Ryder Cup fame. The resort offers a wide range of excellent leisure, spa and conference facilities.
The Belfry (Brabazon, PGA National and Derby courses).
No
Forest of Arden; Whittington Heath; Beau Desert; Little Aston; Sutton Coldfield; Walsall; Handsworth; Sandwell Park; Harborne; Moseley; Copt Heath; Edgbaston.
Sony Open in Hawaii: played at Waialae Country Club near Honolulu, the Sony Open takes over the spotlight from The Sentry as the PGA Tour’s calendar-year opening event (Jan 15-18). The Sentry (not being played in 2026) was formerly known as the Tournament of Champions, with a field typically restricted to golfers who won a PGA Tour event in the previous calendar year.
Dubai Desert Classic: the DP World Tour’s first Rolex Series event of 2026, is contested for the 37th time (Jan 22-25). First won by Englishman Mark James in 1989, it now boasts a four-time winner, Rory McIlroy. Played on the Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis course, this once desert-surrounded course is the long-time flagship for Golf in Dubai.
Our visit last month included two rounds at Golf de Chantilly, one of France’s most prestigious clubs.
It offers two superb layouts: Le Vineuil, a five-star championship course with a rich history, and Longères, an excellent four-star course that provides a strong and enjoyable test.
The wider Paris region offers plenty more. Courses such as Fontainebleau, Golf de Saint-Germain, and several other top-rated layouts make this area one of Europe’s most rewarding golf destinations, offering a mix of woodland, heathland, and parkland designs.
The Dutch: "It's no' just a game", as they say in Scotland, and that's certainly true at The Dutch. With 5-star services throughout, a lavishly comfortable Loch Lomond-inspired clubhouse, and a superbly designed and presented golf course, one could not ask for more from this top-end private club.
Join us at The Dutch from August 21–24 for the Festival of Golf, featuring the HotelPlanner Tour. Experience four days of top-tier sport, live music, incredible food, and unexpected surprises. Explore the grounds, connect with others, embrace new challenges, and dive into an unforgettable celebration. Click here to buy tickets.
Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.
Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available
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