Few English golf clubs outside the very top tier have a finer pedigree than Bury - located in an industrial town a few miles north of Manchester. Founded in 1890 with a nine hole course at Redvales to the south of the town, the club appointed as their first professional the following year a young Harry Vardon. It was during Vardon’s time at Bury that he developed his demanding practice regime that honed his natural skills. By the time he left for the position at Ganton six years later he was almost certainly the finest golfer in the world; the first of his six Open victories came the same year.
The Redvales course was extended to eighteen holes in 1907 but didn’t survive the Great War. Its land was required for house building and a new road development.
The club found land for a new course, and in 1920 contacted the firm of Colt, MacKenzie, and Allison for advice. Alister MacKenzie took the lead and first visited the site in February 1920, pronouncing it ideal for a first class golf course. Construction by Franks Harris & Co commenced in that spring; nine holes were open for play in 1921 and the other nine the following year.
This wasn’t one of MacKenzie’s hit and run designs. He was a frequent presence at Bury during construction, as interestingly was his then partner Hugh Allison. Allison appears to have deputised on several occasions when MacKenzie was otherwise engaged.
Bury is one of MacKenzie's best documented projects, with a wealth of information and correspondence available. I am indebted to Neil Crafter for the historical input and old pics.
Golf scribe Robert Browning later wrote of Bury
“the famous firm of Colt, MacKenzie and Allison made excellent use of its diversified natural features and boldly undulating contours; there are no two holes alike hardly even two which lie in the same direction. With a total length of close on 6,000 yards, the Blackford Bridge course provides an unusually varied and testing round.”
Google Earth BW by A comparison between the post-war aerial shot and a modern day recreation courtesy of Google Earth reveals more houses and more trees - just as one would expect. Despite this Bury still retains many of its moorland characteristics, particularly in the excellent turf and fine grasses to be found throughout the course. There are only a few places where excessive tree growth impacts negatively on play or on views.Very importantly, Bury is the driest course I have played in the Manchester area, and I've played most of them. It has rained a lot this autumn in NW England and most inland courses are squelchy mudbaths. I came off the course at Bury with completely clean shoes and trouser bottoms!
The opening four holes lie on high ground by the clubhouse before the course plunges down into the valley and more interesting terrain before returning with the 18th. Those familiar with Cavendish and Reddish Vale will spot a theme here, but I'm sorry to disappoint you! MacKenzie started the course on today's 4th, and closed it with the current 3rd. The change was apparently made in the 1980s because of hold-ups on the then opening hole with balls sliced right off the tee and invariably lost down the steep hill.The course now starts with a par three - and an excellent one at that.
We then play three consecutive 400+ yard par 4s - a tough start to any course.The 2nd is possibly the least dramatic hole on the course, doglegging around an uninspiring stand of the type of fast growing trees that nearly all golf courses felt compelled to plant in the 1970s. 
The green though is a good one on two levels - I wish I'd taken a closer view of it.
The third is also a dog leg , but features a much tighter drive into the gap between the trees
The approach to the fabulous greensite benched into the hillside gives us an early glimpse of why we are here.
The 4th is the original opening hole, and features a drive to a marker post on what appears to be the left hand side of a wide fairway.
When we get to the post however, we realise that far from being wide, the fairway in fact drops away with a cliff eating in from the right.
Another nice green site - the 3rd tee is up to the left
The 5th hole is a delight. Only 272 yards long, it plays across the side slope to a rampart green which will surely repel all incoming long range missiles.
The ground contours are fabulous
Here's a photo from the 1920s when it was the 2nd 
BuryOld2ndColour by Duncan Cheslett, on FlickrThe 6th is a proper par 5 - 529 yards uphill from the back tee. This photo is taken from the 5th green.
The green slopes viciously from back to front with a wicked gorse bush immediately behind
The 7th continues the uphill journey with a shortish par 4
The shot to the green will be blind for most people, and appearances suggest that a ball will kick in from the right. Don't make that mistake! I've played this hole three times and have been in the hollow right of the green every time!
by The 8th is a cracker of a driving hole. 383 yards downhill, a ball played slightly right will kick on from the back of the ridge towards the green.
The 9th is not a long par 5 at 486 yards, but it is uphill and relentless in its arc around the perimeter of the course. The green only comes into view 150 yards out - any shot to it from further back must clear tall trees and fencing protecting the houses within. When the course was built there were no houses and no trees - presumably just a boundary wall. The hole is very reminiscent of Cavendish's 14th, which MacKenzie built only a couple of years later. Its a great use of a curving boundary.
The second shot...
And finally the green is in view!
For a course that barely measures 6000 yards, one feels far more tired after nine holes than one ought to. A quick glance at the card however, reveals that we've covered 3400 yards already with a par of 37! The back nine is not as long but more than makes up for it in character.