The 36-Hole Resort And Former Tour Venue Tucked Away In South-East England

Jeremy Ellwood pops 25 minutes down the road from home to revisit the hotel and two enjoyable courses at this popular resort just outside Uckfield in East Sussex

East Sussex National Golf Club
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The golf

East: par 72, 6,757 yards
West: par 72, 6,625 yards
The jury is out as to which is the better layout and my view on it, living less than half an hour away, has probably changed many times over the years. Both would sit on most lists of the best golf courses in Sussex

The par-3 16th on the East course at East Sussex National

The par-3 16th on the East course at East Sussex National

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The East provided a suitably stern test for the cream of the European Tour in the 1993 and 1994 European Opens (won by Gordon Brand Jnr and David Gilford respectively) and certainly has a demanding closing quartet.

Long par 4s mix with a testing par 3 over water at 16, and there’s further water to ponder on 17, too.

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There's water to ponder on both tee-shot and approach on 17 on the East course

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The West is perhaps blessed with a little more character right from the off, with the shortish (off most tees) opening par 4 demanding precision before it turns sharp left for the downhill approach.

The 3rd is a cracking par 3 with water right, and the par-5 12th may set your nerves jangling as water crosses the fairway 170 yards out from the green, then hugs the right side on the fiendishly narrow approach.

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Don't miss right on the par-3 3rd hole on the West course

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The hotel

The two courses opened in the early 1990s and were joined by a 104-bedroom hotel in 2006. This imposing building looks out towards parts of the East course and offers good-sized bedrooms and suites plus much more besides, including the Horsted Health Club and Spa.

The 18th hole on the West course at East Sussex National

The 18th hole on the West course at East Sussex National plays down and up towards the big clubhouse

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Here you’ll find a 20m heated indoor pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and steam room, 50-station gym and more – ideal whether you want to relax or get the heart racing.

There’s an extensive treatment menu in the spa and the ‘stay and spa’ packages are popular. The Pavilion restaurant boasts two AA rosettes and you can also eat in the Hunnington Grill or the Sussex Lounge.

Best deal

A one-night DB&B stay with two rounds of golf starts from £129 per person sharing from Monday to Friday from November to March (£159 on Saturdays).

In April, August and October, prices start from £189 per person sharing Monday to Friday, and from May to September from £219. Dinner is a three-course meal from the Table d’Hote menu in the Pavilion restaurant.

Two-night DB&B stays with three rounds range from £234 to £414 per person sharing.

(Prices correct at time of publication in March 2026)

East Sussex National, Little Horsted, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 5ES
T: 01825 880088
E: reservations@eastsussexnational. co.uk
W: eastsussexnational.co.uk

Jeremy Ellwood
Contributing Editor

Jeremy Ellwood has worked in the golf industry since 1993 and for Golf Monthly since 2002 when he started out as equipment editor. He is now a freelance journalist writing mainly for Golf Monthly. He is an expert on the Rules of Golf having qualified through an R&A course to become a golf referee. He is a senior panelist for Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK & Ireland Course Rankings and has played all of the Top 100 plus 91 of the Next 100, making him well-qualified when it comes to assessing and comparing our premier golf courses. He has now played 1,000 golf courses worldwide in 35 countries, from the humblest of nine-holers in the Scottish Highlands to the very grandest of international golf resorts. He reached the 1,000 mark on his 60th birthday in October 2023 on Vale do Lobo's Ocean course. Put him on a links course anywhere and he will be blissfully content.

Jezz can be contacted via Twitter - @JezzEllwoodGolf


Jeremy is currently playing...


Driver: Ping G425 LST 10.5˚ (draw setting), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 55 S shaft

3 wood: Srixon ZX, EvenFlow Riptide 6.0 S 50g shaft

Hybrid: Ping G425 17˚, Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Orange 80 S shaft

Irons 3- to 8-iron: Ping i525, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Irons 9-iron and PW: Honma TWorld TW747Vx, Nippon NS Pro regular shaft

Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 50˚ and 54˚, 12˚ bounce, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Putter: Kramski HPP 325

Ball: Any premium ball I can find in a charity shop or similar (or out on the course!)

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