The Hanbury Manor family designed the Jacobean-style manor house in 1890, and it was turned into a girls' boarding school in 1923. It remained a school until 1986, when it underwent a massive renovation to become a luxurious hotel and the exclusive Hanbury Manor Golf & Country Club.

In the early 1900s, Harry Vardon set out a nine-hole course in the magnificent parkland grounds, but it was Jack Nicklaus's eldest son who resurrected the Hanbury Manor golf course. An undulating patch of countryside behind the manor house was used for the installation of nine new holes. The original vardon parkland plan was also fully rewritten by Jack jr. An exhibition match between Tony Jacklin and Dave Stockton marked the official opening in 1991. Jack Nicklaus II was also in attendance.

With an unremarkable house, Nicklaus II has done a good job. He designed an entertaining golf course with double fairways and lots of challenging water using many of his father's tricks of the trade. Hanbury Manor is a PGA championship-caliber course that plays over 6,660 yards from the regular medal tees.

The two nines are strikingly different, with each possessing a distinct look and sound. The newer front nine is much more open, with fairways flanked by stately trees, and is laid out in a contemporary american style, while the back nine has a more conventional park-like feel with fairways flanked by stately trees.