Bedfordshire is a small county in the East of England. It’s small in terms of population, with less than 700,000 habitants and also in the sense of the number of golf clubs. There are 26 golf clubs in Bedfordshire, making it one of the smallest in the English Golf Union. 

Despite that, Bedfordshire can be a great escape from the English capital. 

The southern border of the county is just 30 miles from the centre of London with good transport connections. The A1 leaves the capital and passes through the county, as do three of England’s main railway lines; The West Coast Main Line, East Coast Main Line and Midland Main Line. 

Coupled with plenty of green spaces, woodlands and areas of natural beauty, it makes Bedfordshire a great place for a getaway and 18 holes of golf. 

John O’Gaunt Golf Club is one of the top picks in the county. The venue boasts two 18 hole golf courses, set in over 300 acres of woodland. The John O’Gaunt Course is slightly longer and higher ranked than its sister Carthagena Course. 

But both courses offer great value and an enjoyable round of golf. The club has previously hosted English Golf Union’s “Seniors Championship” and was a final qualifying venue for the Women’s British Open in 2016.

Bedfordshire Golf Club is another championship course in the area, with two courses on offer, the 18 hole Stagsden Course and 9 hole Academy Course. Set in beautiful north Bedfordshire countryside, the course is laid out along the contours of the rolling valley providing a tough test of golf.

Our final pick would be Millbrook Golf Club. Elevated amongst the woodlands close by to the village of Millbrook, the golf course offers unrivalled panoramic views over the delightful rural surroundings. You can’t spend the whole round admiring the views though. The course stretches to nearly 7,000 yards from the back tees and will punish any ball slightly off line with the pot style bunkers. 

If that’s convinced you to make the trip from the centre of London, you can check out all the golf courses in Bedfordshire below.