Littlestone Golf Club

I played this course on May 10, 2014 with a buddy from Brussels and it was our first experience of links golf. The course was in great condition. The weather was sunny but windy (27 MPH). The members at the club were especially friendly. We were offered a few pints of ale by some members and where even offered to play additional holes if we chose. Truly an experience that we will always remember. Next time I’m in the UK I will definitely plan to make it back to this course and I will certainly recommend this course to friends during their visit. Class Act Littlestone! Thanks Again!

I have played Littlestone on many occasions and it never fails to offer a stern test. Despite being predominately flat in comparison to other links courses along the south east coast, if asks some serious questions of your game. The rough is short at this time of year, but from July onwards it can be really punishing. The greens were excellent, but not at their quickest. During our 36 holes the 2 to 3 club wind turned round 180 degrees. This meant that the excellent par 3 17th hole which was a 7 iron in the morning became a 3 wood shot in the afternoon. Apart from the 17th, there are many other fine holes. The 2nd, 4th, 10th, and particularly the 16th are all good examples of tough par 4’s. Play the 16th from the medal tee to see what I mean. I would query some of the stroke indices, which seem somewhat odd, even if they are for matchplay. Two of the par 3’s, the 6th and 14th, are rated at SI 4 and SI 5. However, it is still a good quality links course. Not quite in the Premier League but a solid Championship contender. The professionals never tear it apart when the Open final qualifying is staged here.

I played this course on 07/06/2013 on a very windy day! A true test of your swing and if you are wayward off the tee expect to just be chopping out and taking your punishment. some lovely holes my favourite being the par 3 17th. the greens were the best ive played for a long time however holding them from anything over 160yds was nearly impossible without landing short and running up. a lovely cluhouse with nice food and a warm welcome and for £30 at a twilight time i can have little complaints. will definitely be playing here again

This is a fair test, the fairways are reasonably generous but if you stray in the rough or bunkers you pay the penalty. The greens were excelent, but tricky with many subtle borrows. No weak holes,a few blind shots but all in all a very well kept enjoyable links course. The course is not a beast, but you need to keep on the straight and narrow, take your medecine out of the rough/ bunkers and you will score. Some of the par 4s into the wind were very hard to reach. Good bunkering in all the right places. Some enjoyable/tricky par 3s, but with the greens soft after some rain they were holding a little. Friendly members good facilities / food. Not as tough as Princes / RCP but still a top course and able to keep up with the Big Boys.

Played here midweek August 07 (£30 after 2.30). Decent course but i wouldn't put it into the top bracket of links courses that i've played.It is a quality course but there was something missing here for me & i was expecting it to enjoy it more than i actually did. I liked the first few holes ( the 1st is a classic example of how a short hole,300yards, isn't necessarily easy as you can face an awkward chip to a well protected green.)& the finish but around the turn i was starting to find it a little bit uninspiring. It was extremely windy & it kind of battered us into submission allied to the fact that if you go into the very heavy rough you may as well not bother looking (take lots of balls).I thought it was a really tough scoring course & i'd say you can expect to play at least 10 shots over your handicap.A number of holes with the brutal wind were impossible to reach in regulation . There are no sea views due to a sea wall & some of the fairways were a little patchy in places (condition of everything else was good).Also there are no yardage markers at all unless you buy a course planner which we didn't as we thought it would be fun to guess yardages from sight, which it was. I found it a welcoming (good secretary) & friendly club with a nice traditional clubhouse with a sense of history .The 1st floor lounge has a nice relaxed feel & there are great views across the course from the massive windows . Also,good food reasonably priced. To pay only £30 for a course of this type is good value. Kevin B.

Whilst my membership of littlestone makes my opinions inevitably biased, I simply cannot fault the course in any way. The course is superb, marked by the variety of its par 3's and the difficulty of the par 4's. The 17th in anyone's opinion (including a certain Bobby Locke) must rate as one of the best par 3's in golf with the elevated tee to a green wonderfully secluded amongst the dunes with a tiny landing area surrounded by pot bunkers. The preceeding hole is also a cracker, 470 yards of pure links golf where only nigh on perfect golf shots are rewarded with any form of relative success. Whilst the aforementioned holes have perhaps gained the greatest notoriety, numerous other holes are similarly superb. The 2nd, 4th, 8th, 10th-13th and 15th are wonderful par 4's whilst all of the par 3's are wonderful. Excepting the challenges of the wind and rough, I feel perhaps the greatest difficulty is the difficulty in getting up and down as well as the expert bunking that is prevalent on all holes. A super course which I feel with an extra 600 yards off the back tees could feasibly hold an open.

A very good course in superb condition,with some of the smoothest,truest greens in the south-east fo England..The only tip I can give for any golfer is..."stay out of the rough"..it is absolutley penal..(more often than not a lost ball)..if you can do that you,ll have a great day..

Wow!!! A truely great golfing experience. Easy to see why they use Littlestone as an Open qualifying course. Superb condition. Not for the fainthearted!

A superb course - still in great condition (late september 2005). Worth every penny of the green fee

Great course. Not the longest, but a real challenge. Always in top condition. Make your score going out and try and hold on as you near home ! If your handicap is from a genteel parkland course, less than five over it is a good round. Final three holes are most peoples favourite; mine are the second and eighth.

Must be one of the best links courses I've ever played on outside the Open venues. Excellent condition, very reasonable greenfee price. You must arrange your visit with the club secretary. (PS Don't forget your long socks!)