Kedleston Park Golf Club is an 18 hole parkland course situated within the grounds of the magnificent Grade 1 Listed Kedleston Hall. The course ” is regarded as the number one course in Derbyshire by the ‘Top 100 Golf Courses of the world”, and is now also part of our Top 100 list. We spoke to Robert Simpson (General Manager) who gave us more insight into the course and its ecological sensitivity.

As long ago as 2003 the club formed an Ecology Group, focusing on preserving the natural habitat that has attracted and retained wildlife on the site. For instance, there are two ancient oak trees on the site that date back to around the 14th Century. From a wildlife perspective, there is a large variety on and around the course. Monk Jack Deer roam freely (but not on the greens!) and there are numerous SSSI designated areas around the course. One such area is the lake that is to be found near the 7th hole where sightings of kingfishers, red kites and coots can be found.

Even though there are many areas of outstanding natural beauty and a good selection of high-quality golf courses across the county, we were highly impressed by the work that has already been done by Kedleston in relation to the ecology of the course, but also the work that they continue to do.