Naunton Downs Golf Club

Naunton Downs Golf Club lies in the Cotswold hills near Cheltenham, within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that covers much of Gloucestershire's high ground. The Cotswolds here are defined by oolitic limestone, rolling arable land and dry stone walling rather than dramatic relief, and the course occupies open downland typical of the area rather than a wooded valley. Naunton, the small village the club is named after, lies in the Windrush valley south-east of Cheltenham, a part of the county better known for its honey-coloured stone villages than for golf. Cheltenham itself, the nearest town of any size, developed as a Regency spa resort and remains the area's main hub for shops, transport and accommodation, a short drive from the course. The elevated, open nature of Cotswold downland means courses in this part of Gloucestershire tend to be exposed to wind, with wide views across the surrounding farmland rather than the enclosed feel of a parkland layout down in the valleys.