JH Taylor designs

Influential at several famous courses, JH Taylor was also involved in the design of many delightful but less well-known layouts

Knowle

Tucked away in the leafy suburbs to the south-east of Bristol, Knowle is a delightful parkland layout that is distinguished by a raised ridge that runs through the middle of the course. This adds to its strategic demands and the lovely views on offer internally and beyond. Accuracy rather than brute force is the key to success here. The five short holes are particularly appealing, and the raised approaches to the 1st, 4th and 17th greens will call for perfect club selection. GF: round: £40 Mon-thu

Buckpool

The five-time Open Champion designed this course on the outskirts of the fishing port of Buckie in 1933. This is a linksy, hilltop, parkland hybrid set on easy-walking turf overlooking the Moray Firth. There are views over the town and out to sea, and each nine has two short holes and a par 5. There are also several short par 4s that the big hitters will be tempted to attack. With rolling fairways flanked by gorse, the undulating greens add to the challenge.

GF: round: £40

Ogbourne Downs

This is another Taylor/hawtree collaboration, this time from scratch when the club decided to relocate in the 1920s. The attractive downland course has two loops that run up into the chalky hills and back, with the first seven a gentle rollercoaster climb before you plummet back at the 8th and 9th. Two stars on the back nine are the long, sweeping par-4 14th and the tough one-shotter that follows.

round: £40wd, £50we

Goring & Streatley

JH Taylor extended the original nine-hole course in the late 1920s, when the club purchased land on the other side of the road at the top of the hill. The result is an intriguing and quite unusual mix of the newer holes on higher, more level ground and a dramatic rise and fall before and after. At 6,265 yards from the back tees, the par is 71 and the greens are noted for their pace and quality. If you are lucky, you may look down on red kites flying below you.

GF: round: £41-£51

Littlehampton

There aren’t too many links along England’s south coast, but one exception is this easywalking course. JH Taylor’s collaboration with FG Hawtree saw the layout expanded and upgraded into today’s full 18, creating a peaceful haven of free-draining golf with a snaking stream that comes into play on a number of holes. The course is part of a nature reserve and the clubhouse balcony is a lovely, relaxing spot. GF: round: £45wd, £55we

The 17th at Knowle is a terrific par 4 played up to a raised green cut into the hillside – if in any doubt, take one more club!