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Cavendish Golf Club is an 18-hole Alister MacKenzie course in Buxton, Derbyshire. The Duke of Devonshire commissioned MacKenzie in 1923 to create a new course on land selected for the project, and Cavendish opened in 1925. At roughly 5,700 yards it is short by modern standards, but the club's own description emphasizes undulating ground, elevation changes and demanding greens rather than length.
The routing has retained most of the features of MacKenzie's original design. Cavendish has attracted particular architectural interest because of similarities subsequently identified between design solutions used here and at Augusta National, which MacKenzie later designed with Bobby Jones. Golf architect Jonathan Gaunt produced a detailed hole-by-hole comparison of Cavendish and Augusta in 2016.
The course is an 18-hole heathland golf course. Designed by Alister MacKenzie, the course originally opened in 1925. It is open to the public. On-site facilities include Pro shop, Clubhouse.
The course originated with the Duke of Devonshire, who in 1923 asked Alister MacKenzie to design a new 18-hole course in Buxton. MacKenzie laid out the course during 1924-25 and it took the Cavendish family name when it opened in 1925.
MacKenzie used the site's pronounced contours rather than relying on length. The routing works across undulating terrain, valleys, hollows, plateaux and side slopes, with greens and hazards positioned to make accuracy and approach angles important. The club states that virtually all of the features of MacKenzie's original design remain.
Cavendish has changed comparatively little since its creation. In the years approaching its 2025 centenary the club reported investment in the course, clubhouse and professional shop.
The course has appeared in English and UK Top 100 coverage and was included in Golf.com's 2020 feature on notable courses under 6,000 yards. A 2016 technical study by golf architect Jonathan Gaunt examined similarities between Cavendish and Augusta National hole by hole.
Cavendish remains an 18-hole members' club that welcomes visitors. Its historical identity is closely tied to the survival of MacKenzie's original routing and features.
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