Value golf courses in GB&I: Eastern England
We've reviewed some excellent value golf courses in an effort to prove that the recession needn't mean you have to cut down on your golf. From Canterbury in the south east to Kirkistown Castle in Northern Ireland, take at look at these 50 value tracks.
Wensum Valley Hotel Golf & Country Club
GF: £25 STATS: Valley – par 72, sss 70, 6,223 yards; Wensum – par 72, sss 73, 6,922 yards T: 01603 261012 W: wensumvalleyhotel.co.uk
Visitors and guests at Wensum Valley Hotel have the choice of two 18-hole layouts in the 350-acre grounds. The Wensum is a parkland course that stretches to nearly 7,000 yards. In 2008 it was the venue for a tournament on the Europro Tour won by England’s Seve Benson. The Valley is the shorter and, perhaps, more forgiving of the two tracks.
Felixstowe Ferry
GF: £27.50 STATS: par 72, sss 70, 6,285 yards T: 01394 286834 W: felixstowegolf.co.uk
The club at Felixstowe Ferry was founded in 1880 and the Martello Course here – there is also a nine-holer – dates from the same year. It’s a proper links where the wind plays a decisive role in most rounds. The layout delivers an eclectic mix of holes, but all are maintained in excellent condition. The greens are always kept fast and true, even through the winter months.
Theydon Bois
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GF: From £24 STATS: par 69, sss 67, 5,490 yards T: 01992 813054 W: theydongolf.co.uk
Winding through forest to the south of Epping, Theydon Bois Golf Club was founded in 1897. The original course was the work of the ubiquitous James Braid though there have been numerous alterations to his design over the last 100 years. It’s a tricky layout with tree-lined fairways and subtly undulating greens.
Jeremy Ellwood (Jezz) has worked in golf since 1993 and for Golf Monthly since 2002 when he started out as equipment editor. He is a senior panelist for Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK & Ireland Course Rankings and has played all the Top 100 plus 94 of the Next 100, making him well-qualified to compare our premier tracks. He has played over 1,100 courses in 35 countries, from remote nine-holers in the Scottish Highlands to grand international resorts, hitting 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'll be blissfully content.
Contact Jezz on X - @JezzEllwoodGolf
Jeremy is playing...
Driver: Ping G425 LST
3 wood: Srixon ZX
Hybrid: Ping G425
Irons 4- to 11-iron: Honma TWorld TW747Vx
Wedge: Ping Glide 54Ëš
Putter: Ping Fetch