About the Course
JCB Golf & Country Club, Staffordshire, UK
About the Course
Some venues are made to host world-class golf. And the JCB Golf and Country Club is certainly one of them. Designed by renowned architect Robin Hiseman and driven by Lord Bamford, chairman of the JCB construction empire, this is a course that’s championship by design: practically every hole is a signature, but if you twisted our arm, we’d probably say the island green is our favorite.
It’s a perfect LIV Golf venue too, with ample room for concerts, DJ booths and our famous Fan Village, all in the grounds of an ancient stately home. Honestly, it couldn’t be better if we’d built it ourselves.
What happened before we got here?
Well, the story starts way back in 1760, when an English aristocrat called Thomas Banbrigge built Woodseat Hall on the ground where the course now sits. If you’ve seen any of those olde English period dramas, you know the show: lots of lords and ladies swanking around the countryside, servants at their beck and call.
But no-one could quite keep up with the cost of Woodseat Hall. Eventually, the estate fell into ruin in the 1940s, a crumbling reminder of its former glory. Thankfully, someone had a plan.
Lord Bamford, chairman of construction giant JCB, wanted to build a golf course with two main aims: to thrill JCB’s staff and corporate guests, and host the world’s best players. In Woodseat Hall, Bamford found the site big enough to match his ambitions, right around the corner from the JCB headquarters.
Bamford bought the property, and engaged renowned architect Robin Hiseman to oversee the build. Hiseman and his team weaved all the JCB’s ancient features into the design; an ancient canal was restored on the 3rd hole, while the two returning nines were sculpted around the ruins of the hall itself.
The result is a course that’s championship by design. The island green on 17 is as good as anything in European golf, while the 18th, a long uphill sweeper as fiercely guarded as a Medieval castle, will strike fear into golfers’ hearts.
In LIV Golf, it found the perfect partner. A bold new course, for a bold new league. Our first visit knocked it out of the park: packed crowds all three days, a hole in one from John Catlin and a breakthrough victory for Jon Rahm right at the end. This year? Well, let’s see.
How will it play?
This isn’t a ‘break 60’ course. It’s too long, and the challenges are too varied. But it should play fair; think your way around the course, like Rahm did last year, and you’ve got a chance.
Who will it favor?
As always with British courses, the weather will play a crucial role.
If the wind gets up, those longer holes will become treacherous and the more strategic players will have an advantage. If it stays sunny and dry, the big hitters will fancy the generous fairways.
Last year’s stats are fascinating. Of the players who finished top 10 on the overall leaderboard, only three finished top 10 of the driving stats and two finished top 10 in putting. By contrast, six of the top 10 also finished top 10 in Birdies, while seven of the top 10 also finished 10 top for hitting greens in regulation.
The point of all this? That consistency is crucial at the JCB. It’s not about hitting bombs or a red-hot putter. It’s about finding a way to get the job done on every hole. Jon Rahm, LIV Golf’s king of the birdies, found a way last time. You wouldn’t bet against him this time, right?