With ample parking, the clubhouse is a popular venue for private functions particularly wedding receptions and funerals. Our dining room and board room also offer ideal spaces for small business conferences. Please contact us for details.
The Cavendish Clubhouse offers many amenities including a well-stocked licensed bar and a well-appointed and comfortable lounge with spectacular views over the course from the terrace area. The terrace provides an idyllic haven to relax with a drink after a game and to soak in the scenery.
We have excellent catering arrangements and can provide meals from traditional club fare to formal dinner events. Just off the main lounge, we have a separate dining room that can seat 50 comfortably and also a well-appointed members spike bar. The Club has a reputation for being relaxed and friendly, with regular social events for members arranged throughout the year. Members prefer informality as the rule and so smart casual dress is quite acceptable throughout the club.
Our excellent hospitality services are provided by Cavendish Views.
Cavendish is a club that is inclusive of all golfers with dedicated sections for all ages and gender. We promote activities within the different sections of the club as well as holding many mixed competitions throughout the year. Find out more about our different sections below.
Club overview
Men's Section
John Travers Cornwell, Club Captain 2022
Well, where do I start, firstly I would like to thank our past Captain Pat Campbell for asking me if I would consider becoming Captain of Cavendish & you the members for electing me to be your Captain.
Never had it entered my mind that I would be offered the opportunity to take on this prestigious role and I cannot tell you how honoured and proud I am to take on the Captaincy.
My golf journey started in 1996 after I had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and had chemotherapy and radiotherapy which left me very weak. My 2nd chef said that I needed to get out in the fresh air and do some exercising, so said I should walk around the High Peak golf course with him. He let me have a couple of swings with his clubs and I was hooked so ended up joining Buxton & High Peak Golf Club. After 3 years I decided to become a member of Cavendish Golf Club and have never looked back.
During my membership at the Cavendish, the club has gone through some difficult periods but under the guidance of our board and you the members we are well on the way up. We are the number 1 ranked club in Derbyshire and are well placed in the top 100 golf clubs to play in the UK, which is a credit to the work of our hard-working greens team and the many volunteers who continue to help.
For those of you who don’t know me very well, I was born and bred in Brighton, Sussex and still support Brighton & Hove Albion. My name is famous in the Royal Navy as John Travers Cornwell (Known as Jack). He was mortally wounded at the Battle of Jutland on board HMS Chester. He died just age 16 and he is the youngest Navel recipient of the Victoria Cross and I am humbled to be named after him, he was my father’s cousin and I am so proud to be carrying on his name.
My hope was to join the Royal Navy but poor eyesight precluded me from getting the post I wished for. Then having worked with my father (he was a Head Chef) during the school holidays I decided to become a chef, so I left school at fifteen to become an apprentice chef at the brand new Bedford Hotel on Brighton’s Kings Road. After 5 years training, I had several different Chefs jobs around about Brighton to gain more experience.
I got married at 20 to my first wife and had two boys, Jason my eldest lives in Scotland and Darren who lives just outside Brighton. We moved up to Stockport in 1975 and split up in 1978 and then I moved to Buxton in 1979 where I was Head Cook at the Devonshire Royal Hospital, where I met my 2nd wife Eileen as she worked as a Catering assistant at the hospital. We have 2 children Simon and Matthew. As a chef, I worked at the Haddon Hall Hotel and the Buckingham Hotel, on my days off I was a lecturer at High Peak College. My love of cooking and food has never waned but I am now happily retired.
It is at this point I should mention the splendid work our last 2 Captains have managed to achieve over their tenures during these torrid times that we have all been through. Well done to you Mike & Pat, also to Paul, Riccardo, Matt, and the catering team for helping to make our clubhouse the place to be after an enjoyable round of golf.
During my Captaincy, I am looking forward to working closely with Lady Captain Rachel Child and our Junior Captain Alex Needham. I hope to promote our wonderful club and engage with as many of the societies and visitors that come to play our course.
My charities this year are Blythe House Hospice together with The Cavendish Centenary Fund.
I would like to wish all our members a very happy, enjoyable and successful year and of course, I will be looking forward to being out on the course playing with you the people that make the club, the Members.
Regards to you all,
John Travers Cornwell
Club Captain 2022.
John Travers Cornwell, Club Captain 2022
Club Ambassador, George Bloor
Ladies' Section
Rachel Child, Lady Captain 2022
It is a great honour to be the Lady Captain for 2022 at Cavendish Golf Club. The course is beautiful and steeped in history, set in the valley between long hill and Burbage Edge, with wonderful views from every tee.
My golf journey only started 3 years ago with one of the club’s taster sessions, it’s hard for me to believe I’ve gone from a fun night with ‘Prosecco and putting’ to taking on the role of Lady Captain in just a few years, and it’s not because my golf is amazing! First and foremost it’s because of the membership, particularly the women’s section, from my first visit to the club, the wonderful women at Cavendish have been welcoming and encouraging. To be honest, I had my reservations and preconceptions as to what ‘golfers’ and ‘golf clubs’ were like, but Cavendish has become a home from home and the women there friends from all walks of life, all with one thing in common, we love golf and we love Cavendish golf course.
When I discovered golf I was often quite stressed with running a family home, three teenage children, and a small business, I liked running and cycling but then there I was with access to this amazing space learning a new sport. Golf to me has been a revelation, I love that you can play with friends, family, strangers, or on your own, golf is one of the most mindful experiences I’ve ever had, out on the beautiful course, with nothing but a club in your hand and the goal to get a small ball into a hole at the end of the fairway. If I’m out on the course on my own when it’s quiet I quite often just stop and take a few breathes and appreciate my surroundings and how lucky I am.
We have about 40 women members of all ages and abilities. We have Medal or Stableford 18 hole club competitions every week in the summer and fun competitions in the winter. We have 9 hole competitions for our more senior ladies and ladies new-to-golf all year round. This year Lee, our Professional, with his Assistant Professional Liam, has put together a great package for anyone who wants to ‘Get Into Golf’, free taster sessions followed by group or individual lessons, contact the Pro Shop to find out more.
We are proud to have signed the Women in Golf Charter which aims to encourage more women and girls to play the game and join a golf club, inspire more families to enjoy golf as a group leisure activity and to open up more opportunities for women to work within the golf industry. Our tasters, Beginners, and Girl Golf Rock events have all been part of our commitment to the charter.
Rachel Child, Lady Captain 2022
Lady Captain and vice captain 2022
Taking in the stunning views!
After our round of golf we meet in our lovely clubhouse to have a drink or lunch and take in the stunning views of the golf course. In the summer months the terrace is a fantastic spot with the best views in Buxton. We have recently refurbished the clubhouse which looks fantastic. This is the perfect setting for our many social events, dinners, BBQs, and entertainment. It has what’s often called the ‘best beer garden in Buxton’ and many a summer evening can be spent on the terrace with a chilled glass of wine. The clubhouse is not just for members, anyone can come along and enjoy the great atmosphere and amazing food. We welcome family members to join us at the clubhouse and there are many family-orientated events throughout the year.
Competitive golf (and Bridge)
We have Bronze and Silver teams, who compete with other Derbyshire teams on a league basis and this is a great way to play other courses in Derbyshire. Personally, I have enjoyed playing in the Bronze team and met some lovely women at other clubs, and it’s great to play away but then to welcome them to our club on return matches. Our members also have the opportunity to play in mixed team friendlies with other local clubs and enter knockout team competitions like the Archie Preston Trophy and Mail on Sunday. We have Ladies Away Weekends and Exchange Days with other golf clubs. In addition to the more formal competitions, we also have many fun competitions such as Texas Scrambles and Am-Ams. It is a wonderful way to meet new people and make new friends. There is always a vibrant social scene and lively atmosphere at the club.
Apart from golf, we have a cheerful bridge group who meet twice a week and are always on the lookout for new players.
2017 Derbyshire County Silver Team, Winners Cavendish
2017 Derbyshire Ladies Silver Inter Club Foursomes, Winners Cavendish
Encouraging new members
I agreed to be Lady Captain because I wanted to show it’s not about being an amazing golfer, it’s about loving the sport, laughing at the bad shots, and being thrilled at the good ones, with other people alongside you being as thrilled as you. It’s about being part of a fantastic club with supportive membership. I want women to come along and discover golf and love it as much as I do. I would love to see as many women out on our wonderful course during 2022. Please get in touch with me if you would like to explore getting into golf or would like to know more about our wonderful golf club.
This is a lovely quote from one of our newest lady members:
“The Cavendish Golf Club has a great women’s section, super friendly, they really helped me get started playing the sport. I love golf! If anyone locally is thinking of having a go, please get in touch”
Ladies’ Bridge Group
Apart from golf we have a cheerful bridge group who meet twice a week and are always on the lookout for new players.
Junior Section
Alex Needham, Junior Captain 2022
I first became interested in golf about 6 years ago when I was about 11. I started at the driving range, then tried a few holes on the course and was instantly hooked!
I have been a member for about 4 years and over the last 12 months my handicap has dropped from 33 to 25. At the moment my favourite player is Bryson Dechambeau. Over the next year along with our Pros Lee and Liam, I want to help other junior players whilst also trying to get rid of my own bad shots!!
With a growing group of juniors at the Club there has never been a better time to get into golf and to come and enjoy the things I love so much about Cavendish.
Alex Needham, Junior Captain 2022
Senior's Section
The Senior Section at Cavendish Golf Club is an active group for the over 55s and offers a warm welcome to all newcomers.
The Seniors meet every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning and there are regular internal competitions.
Seniors Captain Robin Baldry leads the Seniors team of 16 who play friendly matches against local teams throughout the season.
Several popular open competitions are also arranged throughout the year with visitor prizes guaranteed.
Please CLICK HERE to view:
Seniors Captain Robin Baldry
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