Value golf courses in GB&I: South East 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.
The Dyke
GF: £36.50 STATS: par 72, sss 72, 6,605 yards T: 01273 857260 W: dykegolf.com
Golf at this club near the famous Devil’s Dyke on the Sussex Downs dates back to 1906 but the current course is more recent, the handiwork of Fred Hawtree following wartime use as a tank training ground. A glance at the card suggests scope to score early on with three par 5s and a short par 4 in the first four holes, but beware of complacency and don’t bank on being a couple under early on. No score is safe anyway until the difficult 16th and 17th have been negotiated, a long par 4 with bushes awaiting anything leaking right followed by a tough par 3 across a broad gully to a shallow shelf. Sandford Springs
GF: £35 STATS: Park/Wood: par 70, sss 70, 6,122 yards; Lakes/Park: par 69, sss 70, 6,101 yards; Wood/Lakes: par 71, sss 71, 6,275 yards T: 01635 296800 W: sandfordspringsgolf.co.uk
Sandford Springs features three distinct loops of nine known as The Park, The Wood and The Lakes. Although not the longest of tests, a number of holes wind their way into the rolling hills of Berkshire and Hampshire, with occasional blind tee shots and elevated greens ensuring a good challenge. Tempting par 4s should not be underestimated with subtly placed hazards lurking for any errant tee shots, most notably on The Park’s signature hole, the 9th. As you might expect, five of the nine holes on The Lakes bring water into play, but a friendly clubhouse and ideally placed halfway hut should compensate for any bad scoring.
Downshire Golf Complex
GF: From £19.65 STATS: par 73, sss 71, 6,416 yards T: 01344 302030 W: bracknell-forest.gov.uk
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Bracknell Forest Council runs the municipal course at the Downshire Golf Complex to the west of Bracknell. A par-73 layout, 13 of the 18 holes have water hazards. Wending through mature trees, it has a reputation as one of the top pay-and-play courses in the area.
Canterbury
GF: £35 STATS: par 71, sss 70, 6,272 yards T: 01227 453532 W: canterburygolfclub.co.uk
Designed by the prolific Harry Colt, this is a parkland layout set in scenic woodland. Although just half a mile from the centre of Canterbury there’s a sense of serenity and seclusion here. The course is well manicured and the greens roll beautifully. The fairways are fairly generous, but the proximity of the trees on most holes means accuracy is of the utmost importance.
North Foreland
GF: £39 STATS: par 71, sss 71, 6,436 yards T: 01843 862140 W: northforeland.co.uk
Founded in 1903 and expanded to 18 holes by Lord Northcliffe in 1912, this is a seaside course but not a typical links. It’s constructed on chalk and many of the holes have more of a downland feel. From its position on the cliff tops, the course looks out to where the English Channel meets the North Sea. It can certainly be a bracing spot and the strength of the wind will play a massive role in how great a challenge you face.
Bramley
GF: £40 STATS: par 69, sss 69, 5,916 yards T: 01483 892696 W: bramleygolfclub.co.uk This free-draining parkland course just south of Guildford in Surrey dates back to 1913, with Prince Albert of Schleswig-Holstein poised to open the course the following year until world events conspired to intervene. There are some memorable holes early on – notably the 2nd with its claustrophobic drive and the long par-3 3rd to a shallow shelf of a green – before a suitably stout finale on the lower land beneath a 2007 upgraded clubhouse.
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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