Welcome to Bird Hills Golf Centre
Here at Bird Hills Golf Centre, we pride ourselves on being a friendly and welcoming Club. We are a privately owned Golf Club, open to the public with an 18 hole Course and an extensive 34 Bay Driving Range.
We have a popular Clubhouse Bar and Restaurant which is also open to the public 7 days a week, serving delicious home cooked meals and breakfasts, and we also operate our famous Sunday Carvery each week. We love to host events and parties, and our events rooms can accommodate parties of up to 200 guests.
We have worked hard over the years to become a vital part of the community, and in the process, we have earned recognition as one of the great golf and hospitality experiences in the region.
We hope to see you here soon!
Picture credited to (c) John Slusar and greyhoundderby.com
Club History
Hawthorn Hill racecourse was founded in 1881 as a point to point racecourse. By the turn of the Century the course had been upgraded to National Hunt status and many important meetings were held there. It becomes known as “Little Ascot” in that the Lords and Ladies of the time used to visit Race Meetings at Hawthorn Hill, Treating the event as a grand social occasion.
In 1921 the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) rode the winner in the Brigade of Guards Steeplechase on a horse called Pet Dog. The Prince was presented with the trophy by his Father and Mother.
The course thrived until the outbreak of the Second World War but has achieved only partial success as a Racecourse since.
After all, the Royal Household Guards were otherwise engaged attending to the War. The final meeting took place on Tuesday 4th April 1939.
It had brief periods of popularity in the late 1940’s, and between 1961 and 1963 when it became particularly popular as the centre of the pony racing world.
Since 1982 a complete change of emphasis has taken place and the land is now fully developed as an 18 hole public golf course, complete with a floodlit driving range.
Early photographs of the Racing Days can be seen around the Restaurant.
Map
Bird Hills Golf Centre, Drift Road Maindehead SL6 3ST, UK