Dunstable Downs Golf Club
Course Information
Dunstable Downs Golf Club, Bedfordshire is an 18 hole, par 70 (6251 yard), private, parkland / downland golf course planned by James Braid and constructed by J.A. Stutt of Paisley in 1930.
18 holes | Par 70 | 6251 yards | Private | Downland
Dunstable Downs Golf Club Information
Golf Club Overview
Address: Whipsnade Road, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU6 2NB United Kingdom
Tel: 01582 604472
Golf Pro: Darren Charlton | Tel: 01582 662806
Golf Club Facilities
Click the following link to find out what facilities are available at Dunstable Downs Golf Club and read frequently asked questions.
Dunstable Downs Reviews
Discover what golfers are saying about the course, facilities, and overall experience at Dunstable Downs Golf Club. Explore detailed insights on the golf course, including course conditions, value for money, and pace of play from the latest reviews and feedback in 2025. The Golfshake independent reviews also cover important factors like facilities & service, hospitality, practice facilities, and food & drink. Access the latest, unbiased reviews to help you make an informed decision about your next round at Dunstable Downs Golf Club.
GOLFSHAKE RATING
4.26
AVERAGE RATING 4.2
(based on 51 reviews)
5 star
22
4 star
22
3 star
6
2 star
0
1 star
1
HIGHLY RATED
97%
would play again or recommend
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What the club says: Dunstable Downs Golf Club provides an interesting challenge for golfers of all abilities. There are 18 holes over 6251 yards par 70. Holes 1 to 10 are parkland in nature; holes 11 to 18 along the top of the Downs are very "links" in nature.
The present layout was planned by James Braid and constructed by J.A. Stutt of Paisley (who also constructed the Championship Course at Carnoustie) in 1930. Originally 6,600 yards, the course today measures 6251 yards and features welcoming fairways requiring an infinite variety of approach shots to score well.
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Reviews for Dunstable Downs Golf Club
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The golf courses reviews are the personal opinions of members of Golfshake who completed a review after playing the course. These opinions do not necessarily represent the views of Golfshake.com
Ian R rated 4 out of 5
Reviewed Jul 24 2025
nice course, windy and challenging
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Darren P rated 4.5 out of 5
Reviewed Sep 30 2024
Great course with the quickest greens I have ever played on. Almost to the point that they became unplayable. But they had their club championship the next day. Other than that the course is a gem
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DG/Southeast rated 4 out of 5
Reviewed Aug 23 2024
Good course in many weathers with great views. Different challenges posed on many holes.
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Darren P rated 4.5 out of 5
Reviewed Aug 12 2024
Dunstable Downs
Society day out and the welcome from everyone was great. The staff were superb and the course was in mint condition. The greens were the fasted I've played on, but were in absolutely prime conditionReviewer Rating
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Show morePete H rated 5 out of 5
Reviewed Jun 20 2024
Wonderful course
This & Denham are my 2 favourite Braid courses so make a pilgrimage here every year. Sometimes the gliders put you off your putt but worth it. Greens superb & variety of holes ideal. Just a joyReviewer Rating
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Show moreRalph P rated 5 out of 5
Reviewed May 31 2024
Hadn't been here for some years. Played on a society day. Club did an excellent job of looking after us on the day and food pre, mid and post round was excellent. Course was in great nick though the putting green appeared to be a bit slower than those on the course. Otherwise excellent. The course is very interesting in itself and a good challenge, being more parkland on the front and downland on the back whereby you're up much higher. Well worth a visit.
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Show moreRay Hodge, The Club at Mill Green rated 4.5 out of 5
Reviewed Feb 12 2024
Just a great day!
We have been discussing having an "away day" amongst ourselves for a while now. One of our group knew the Club Captain and said "let's try Dunstable Downs." My initial thoughts ( which I kept to myself) were " Nah". But hey, at least we were having an " away day".Upon arrival, we were informed of the days alterations:
1) we would be playing to right hand ( very raised) green on the 8th
2) an alternate 9th hole.
3) a temporary green.on the 11th.
Seemed a bit much.
Well, the 8th green is a challenge. The left hand green looked tough enough. The alternative 9th was another great challenge. The signature 9th looks a fantastic hole, I hope to get to play it. The 11th was a bit of a downer, but the real green looked a fantastic setup.
To add to the day we also tee'd off a few mats.
Now, this may sound a bit much for a day out but to be honest, the mats were in great knick, the alternate greens/ holes were still a fantastic challenge.
For winter this course was just superb. Standing on top of Folleys Farm (the 1st), it looked a bit "winter worn". Rumour has it we have had nearly 3 times the average rainfall this winter. Once we got going, all things considered, this course was in good knick.
We paid for a meal after. Now being on the larger side, I was looking forward to my evening roast. All I can say about the food...it was worth just the fee I paid for the day. The food was great, the service from the kitchen and bar staff was fantastic.
I have harped on about the winter alterations to the course but you could see staff were doing a lot of work.
This meant one thing to all of us in our group,...
The Club looks after its members. It was fantastic to see.
The Food and beverage side looks after its guests
One of our group is moving to Markyates, and judging by his response our group will be losing a member.
Some of us have played some fantastic courses around the area, i would would like to think it would be up amongst the better ones for an overall day out.
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Show moreTerry G rated 2.5 out of 5
Reviewed Jun 27 2023
Don't bother
Quirky course with some truly obnoxious members. The place is invariably windy, being based on the downs, and presumably that's why the greens were so slow, otherwise the ball would just roll away.I'm not going to go into any other detail, but from my interactions with members who teed off in front of us, and then approached us AFTER our round, I will NOT be going back. I forfeited the (paid for) meal to avoid spending any more time there than I had to.
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Alan C rated 4.5 out of 5
Reviewed Oct 28 2022
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Show moreWilliam H rated 3.5 out of 5
Reviewed Apr 12 2022
Well kept and well prepared. Greens like glass. Fairway bunkers devoid of sand. Grenoside bunkers ok.
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Show morePaul, Brighton rated 4.5 out of 5
Reviewed Apr 6 2022
Hilarious sidewinds on the hilltop and lovely shaped holes in the valley with the right degree of challenge for low handicappers to excel, but enough width to keep the course moving. Pace of play was good, greens were exceptionally true and bunkers were beautifully cut and maintained.
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Show moreKieren W rated 3.5 out of 5
Reviewed Mar 29 2022
really enjoyed the course and was well maintained, some drainage issues but with the recent weather i cant complain
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Show morePete H rated 4 out of 5
Reviewed Feb 20 2022
So windy that 5 of the greens had their flags blown out of the holes. Lots of peripheral irrigation work going on. Could be distracting off the tee & we had to move to the ladies once too but in that wind the least of the problems.
(Round played: Feb 2022 - Score: 99 Handicap: 27.3)
(Round played: Feb 2022 - Score: 99 Handicap: 27.3)
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Show moreMartin C rated 5 out of 5
Reviewed Feb 8 2022
Great Course
A very friendly club with a course in great condition for winter play given on chalk. The views over the downs are stunning. They are doing work on drainage/irrigation but that did not detract from the overall condition. What I also liked was that they had two greens out in a shady part of the course but they have 2 reserve greens being used (not temps as at other courses). Good food in the bar as wellReviewer Rating
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Show moreGraham P rated 4 out of 5
Reviewed Jan 7 2022
Played End December - was in very good condition for time of year - not very wet. Course is challenging, as the wind comes into play on most holes. Would definitely play again.
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Show moreIan C rated 5 out of 5
Reviewed Nov 1 2021
Fantastic course worth visiting
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Show moreSean W rated 5 out of 5
Reviewed Sep 27 2021
Amazing
Really enjoyed the course, some quirky holes that made it very interesting.Can't wait to get back and play again
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Show moreAdrian F rated 5 out of 5
Reviewed Aug 15 2021
great condition
Golf course was in fantastic condition, fairways were very lush and the '2nd' cut extremely thick which proved difficult to get out of.Greens were a little on the slow side but ran true.
Views from the clubhouse were amazing with gliders and the surrounding countryside visable for miles around.
Staff were excellent and very polite.
(Round played: Aug 2021 - Score: 88 Handicap: 12.9)
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Show moreIan C rated 5 out of 5
Reviewed Sep 5 2020
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Show morePete H rated 5 out of 5
Reviewed Jun 29 2020
A favourite
Loving the variety of holes on offer & a hot day & gentle wind was a blessingReviewer Rating
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Golfer An rated 5 out of 5
Reviewed May 18 2020
An excellent course always in brilliant condition the grounds staff have done an excellent job and the course seems to be getting better by the month, windy and difficult a real test but also a great course to really strengthen all parts of you game as a young golfer this course for me is the best outfit locally better then berko and chiltern forest which are well to short and it really teaches you course management as well as giving back and letting you have a rip please please give it a round I promise you won’t be disappointed
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Show moreRichard H rated 4 out of 5
Reviewed Oct 1 2019
Great course, challenging at times. Great facilities in clubhouse and lively lunch.
Thanks for providing an entertaining morning.
(Round played: Jul 2019 - Score: 94 Handicap: 18.1)
Thanks for providing an entertaining morning.
(Round played: Jul 2019 - Score: 94 Handicap: 18.1)
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Show moreRalph P rated 5 out of 5
Reviewed Jun 11 2019
First time round here on a society day. Cracking course that played very well. Nice variety amongst the holes which made it interesting to knock it around. Greens were excellent and rolled really well. Food post round and welcome generally was also great.
(Round played: May 2019 - Score: 94 Handicap: 13.5)
(Round played: May 2019 - Score: 94 Handicap: 13.5)
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Show moreRobert M rated 3 out of 5
Reviewed Dec 1 2018
Course was in very good condition and the fairways were in good shape after the hot summer. A prime quality course and very good value with a national golf passport.
(Round played: Nov 2018 - Score: 83 Handicap: 14.6)
(Round played: Nov 2018 - Score: 83 Handicap: 14.6)
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Show moreGiless C rated 4 out of 5
Reviewed May 10 2018
Finally ticked this one off, been on the radar a long time so waited for a decent day. Very friendly and helpful pro, who helped me with a tee time where our twoball wasn't going to be too held up. Nicely setup, putting green and range close to well appointed clubhouse (strangely their boards have not been updated in 10 years..). All staff we met were excellent. Nets next to first tee, every course should do this.
Overall design is old fashioned, good variety of holes although no par 5's after the third. Mostly very generous off the tees, quite a few greens slope away and there were a lot of inaccessible flags for our day. All colour coded though (again, every course should do this..costs nothing.) Stroke 1 is a serious hole especially with the flag at the front.
On the negatives..its not a highly manicured course. Greens were on the slow side. It was exceptionally busy, and I'd put that down mainly to it being a very flattering course. It needs at least another 200 yards, too many short 4's. Also, members should be a little more careful about hitting into the group in front, especially when that group is being held up. I'd be horrified if our own members did this. I also think £40 in the week is a little overpriced for the area. Overall, will be back though, enjoyed it.
Overall design is old fashioned, good variety of holes although no par 5's after the third. Mostly very generous off the tees, quite a few greens slope away and there were a lot of inaccessible flags for our day. All colour coded though (again, every course should do this..costs nothing.) Stroke 1 is a serious hole especially with the flag at the front.
On the negatives..its not a highly manicured course. Greens were on the slow side. It was exceptionally busy, and I'd put that down mainly to it being a very flattering course. It needs at least another 200 yards, too many short 4's. Also, members should be a little more careful about hitting into the group in front, especially when that group is being held up. I'd be horrified if our own members did this. I also think £40 in the week is a little overpriced for the area. Overall, will be back though, enjoyed it.
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Show moreAdrian F rated 5 out of 5
Reviewed Jun 27 2017
in great condition
Dunstable Downs was in great condition when played, very dry but still quite lush in places.fairways and greens were excellent even though the greens were slower than I thought they would be.
really testing course with some blind tee shots and approaches to well protected greens.
Stroke index 1 is a real test even for the better golfers.
some great scenery too and most of the course.
(Round played: Jun 2017 - Score: 79 Handicap: )
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Show moreRoger B rated 4 out of 5
Reviewed Jun 19 2017
Great course --enjoyed it!
On top of the downs with good views .we played on a very hot day--I understand that it can be foggy in poor weather(Round played: Jun 2017 - Score: 97 Handicap: 24.1)
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Show moreRichard/Milton Keynes rated 5 out of 5
Reviewed Jan 10 2017
Has to be one of the best courses in the area. Several monster par 4's where IMHO bogie is a good score. The other par 4's are scoring holes and reachable in regulation. Lovely par 3's and the course is always in great condition, all year round. The bottom 9 holes are very scenic and parkland in nature, whilst the top is more exposed and resembles a seaside course.. Great course in the winter months. Whilst some other courses are saturated, Dunstable Downs, in many ways still provides great playing conditions..
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Show moreBarry H rated 3 out of 5
Reviewed Oct 25 2016
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Show moreDean K rated 4 out of 5
Reviewed May 24 2016
(Round played: May 2016 - Score: 101 Handicap: 25.4) well kept greens and fairways. Nice course.
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The golf courses reviews are the personal opinions of members of Golfshake who completed a review after playing the course. These opinions do not necessarily represent the views of Golfshake.com
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Dunstable Downs Golf Club Frequently Asked Questions
The following information is subject to change and based on the latest updates and checks on Golfshake from the golf club, golf facility or venue.
Is there a driving range at Dunstable Downs Golf Club?
No, we are unaware of a driving range at this venue.
Is there a golf clubhouse at Dunstable Downs Golf Club?
Yes there is a golf clubhouse at Dunstable Downs Golf Club.
Is there a golf pro shop at Dunstable Downs Golf Club?
Yes there is a golf pro shop which you can access prior to your round of golf or visit to the golf club.
Are there changing facilities at Dunstable Downs Golf Club?
Yes you can access changing rooms and facilities at Dunstable Downs Golf Club.
No, we are unaware of being able to hire buggies here.
Can you hire golf clubs at Dunstable Downs Golf Club?
No, we are unaware of being able to hire golf clubs here.
Is there a bar at Dunstable Downs Golf Club?
Yes there is bar.
Is there a restaurant at Dunstable Downs Golf Club?
Yes you can order food for dining at Dunstable Downs Golf Club
Is there accommodation at Dunstable Downs Golf Club?
No, we are unaware of accommodation being available.
Are there functions rooms available to hire at Dunstable Downs Golf Club?
No, we are unaware of any function rooms being available.
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