Royal St. Georges Golf Club

Lucky enough to play St George's in full Open Championship trim last weekend with stands and tented village in the background. What a fantastic challenge, with holes running through the dunes. The greens were immaculate - best I've putted on this year - and the course generally looked superb. Wind was certainly a factor and the course played long. Highlights for me were the drive over the huge bunker on the 4th, the short 6th and then the closing stretch which is extremely tough. A very warm welcome and my favourite of the Open courses.

Golf does not come much better than Royal St. Georges. Also known as Sandwich, the course has played host to numerous Open Championship and includes past champions such as Norman and most recently Curtis. Needless to say the course was equally worried when we turned up to play. Although our golf was terrible against the difficult layout we struggled on with quite a few balls lost along the way. In my opinion the top holes were the par-3 11th where you play towards the sea and the closing holes of 16, 17 and 18. Also worth noting that the drive on the 14th hole is possibly the most difficult I've had (my 1st attempt ended up on Princes golf course somewhere). Well worth a trip and recommended for anyone wanting to tick off some Open courses.

Was invited to play at Royal St Georges by a good friend of mine last week. The course is in excellent nick at the moment with greens as good as you'll ever experience in the UK. The grandstands are being put up for the Open as well which really adds to the drama and spectacle of a round here. All in all Royal St Georges is one of Britain's great golfing experiences, I can not recommend it enough and have to say it is a remarkable members club and one I would love to join!

Played this course 3rd December (winter special of £60 per player) after torrential rain virtually all the previous 5 days. The course was in excellent condition with not a puddle in sight (apart from a couple of bunkers). It was an awesome experience and we had a great time. We used the weekday tees, that obviously shortened the course quite a bit, but it is still one hell of a challenge, especially as the wind built up. The greenside bunkers seemed to have a magnetic attraction and certainly added to the challenge - you really have to commit to a sand save due to the depth of them. The greens ran true, but were a bit of a roller coaster - nice! The only criticism I have is that it is not always apparent where the next teeing area is from the green - we had to refer to the course map. This not much of a hardship, but a small sign would save time. Caddiemaster and all the other staff and members very friendly which added to the experience.

Played this on Friday 27th February for £70 winter fee 16 degrees c and not a drop of water on the course, best day of the year and i got a winter rate too!! When i got there i was hit by the charm and sense of occassion that this course exudes. Very good service from the caddiemaster and i was directed to the driving range to warm up. The driving range was immaculate and you can tell immediately that you are at a class golf course, it was like hitting off Greens! I started off on the tenth hole and did not have anyone infront of me all-round. The course was immaculate there was alot of work going on with the bunkers, to see the effort they are putting into these for the forthcoming open they are hosting really shows their commitment to making this a great course. Some of these bunkers are monsters! My favourite holes were the 10th, 14th, 15th & 16th; the 16th has to be the best par 3 i have ever seen. As briefly stated before this course is an amazing layout; the quality of the course makes it in a league of its own; the greens; whilst recently hollow tined were very true and very fast, i can only imagine how tough they can be in the height of summer!! Rough was tough and long but not as bad as i expected in places, so long as you stick to the fairways you wont lose a ball! There are some blind shots and some real risk and reward shot options on lots of holes. There was only a slight breeze; i was lucky- no doubt that if there is a real wind, this course will be the toughest out there. All in all i am overwhelmed at my time at this course and will re-visit to really enjoy it now knowing the layout.

Played on a sunny but cold and very windy April Day. Staff were helpful and polite. I never saw another player all day and what a fantastic course! Played really well for me and broke 90, each hole was tough and don't go near the bunkers! Tricky to read greens that ran true despite recent spiking. A par 4 at the last capped one of my most memorable days golfing in 37 years! Pay the green fee, you will not regret it, and buy a strokesaver, but take your best game with you.

I spent a day here earlier this week with Young B. Before play, there was an amusing incident when I was lightly rebuked for filling my water bottle from the watercooler in the changing room – I was informed that that water "wasn't for that purpose" (!). I sardonically asked whether it would be permissible to fill it up from one of the standard basin taps... permission was duly granted. Even more amusing was discovering that there was a visitors' driving range, which did strike me as slightly unnecessarily segregationist! That said, the welcome was actually perfectly warm and hospitable and – serious respect for this, certain other clubs should take note – they offered us the freedom of whatever tees we liked, even including the Open Championship tees! I settled for the medal tees. Overall, I thought this was a good course and very good test but not much better than that. In fact, to be totally honest, I thought it was ever so slightly bland in places. Holes 7, 11, 15 (somewhat harshly, as the bunkering is excellent on that hole, mind you it needs to be) and, yes, 18 spring readily to mind. Some people also prattle on about Carnoustie not being pretty – well, I found the sight of the cooling towers and the large factory facility much more off-putting than anything at Carnoustie. Anyway, there's no denying the stiffness of the test here. The weather was excellent for late February but, even so, I've never hit so many hybrids – for second shots at the par 4 1st, 4th, 15th, 17th and 18th holes, even with 240 yard drives, plus tee shots on the par 3 3rd and 11th, plus 2nd shot on the par 5 7th. As far as the par 4s are concerned, that may have something to do with the fact that some of the fairways further inland didn't have a huge amount of run – obviously this may be attributable to the time of year (even though it hadn't rained for the previous fortnight), although I find it difficult to imagine this place as ever really fast-running - I accept I could easily be wrong on that score though having not played here in the summer... The sequence between the 3rd and the 6th is the best on the course with the famous 4th the clear standout hole – is this the world's best 4th hole? Either way, it's an absolute belter to play. Although not in the same league, the 8th is also an excellent and tough par 4. All in all, RSG is truly excellent value for money at £90/day under their winter rate. And whilst I'm glad to have been there and done it, I'm not exactly desperate to return (and no I didn't play badly, in fact I shot a 79). 9.3/10 Over and out. 'Young P' (h/c 9)

Myself and two friends played the course on 17/04/07 and found it to be outstanding. A lot of blind shots from tees and fairways (not to mention the rough). Luckily the wind was very benign and I managed to shoot a net 63 (we allowed ourselves slightly higher handicaps as we thought it was going to be a lot harder). In reality I shot 84, most definitely the best round of my life given that this is a true test of your game. The greens were outstanding, they had just been top dressed but they ran so true and pretty quick too. Everyone we met at the club was superb. The pro who told us about the lines on the greens, the extremely helpful caddie master and the gentlemen who arranged for us to have a bacon sandwich each before our round, all pure class. Probably the best part was the fact that there was barely anyone on the course. I know that it can be costly and that you have to play on a Tuesday but what an experience. Just like the previous report I thought I had my own personal course. I have been played on a few very good courses (the Belfry for a Pro Am before the British masters last year, also Walton Heath) but Royal St Georges was better than both. Perhaps it’s because I played so well and took home our little trophy!! I urge anyone who loves golf to go and enjoy this sublime course.

WHERE WAS EVEYONE ???? - Can someone please tell me why not more golfers play Royal St George's. Your chance to play the course where the GREAT's like Greg Norman/Nick Faldo/Bernhard Langer/Tiger Woods/Ernie Els/Sergio Garcia have played !!!! All I can think is it is to far for some, down in deepest Kent. I have played it twice now, for the winter green fee of £65. Once in Nov 2006 and then again in Jan 2007. Both times the weather has been glorious. A sea breeze, blue skies and sunshine. Both times it was like my own personal course. The round in Jan myself and my playing partner got to the 13th before we saw any other golfers, and it was a single guy, who had started in the 10th. The course itself I found a BRUTE, both times. I am planning a 3rd attack, now armed with a sharper game and a good sense of the course. Both times I have played, the condition has been fantastic. With fast true greens, which are HUGE, lush soft fairways and immaculate T's. Some of the T shots are very tough, although I found the 1st easy as you can see the green in the distance (Just Keep UR Drive Straight !!). The 2nd T shot for first timers is a real head scratcher, as you are not sure where to land the ball (2nd round I got a birdie ;-) ). The 3rd (Par 3) is great with a 40ft green from front to back. 4th, with the massive mountain blocking any view of the fairway is the first tough one, followed immediately by the 5th, which looks like it needs a carry of 200yds, with the second shot through the dunes to a green you can't see ;-).On my 2nd round I was 3 over up to the 7th. Then 7th/8th/9th bit back !!!! 8th with the run out on the fairway and the really tough green to hit in the hollow, and the 9th with the humps and bunkers !!!! The back 9 are slightly easier, or at least I found that so. A real pleasure to play and in fantastic condition. Make the effort and on a good winters day it will be most enjoyable.

Although Traditional the club was not at all stuffy and everyone we spoke to was very helpful. First impressions for everyone was how different it looked to when the Open was here (obvious I know). We played on a blowy day with a 3 to 4 club wind which made some holes very very tough. Course was in very good condition and even after recent hollow tining the greens were still rolling smoothly. Didn't think the bunkering was as tough as Royal Cinque Ports but this course does have plenty of other defences! Length being one. Nearly 6700yrds for a par of 70!! How can you pass up an Open course for £65? A fantastic day out.

A Wonderful Golfing Experience! I was at once challenged and highly motivated by previewing the course layout in the clubhouse. The undulations of the course appeared to me that my best shots would not automatically asure me of a perfect lie - even if I hit the fairway - a chance kick of the golf ball might cause a difficult 2nd shot! The placement and composition of the "Hell Holes" regarded as 'Bunkers' could only be described as "Fiendish". I am a very experienced player with a handicap of #2.. yet I honestly struggled around this course. The Greens are another story.. The Weather playing a major role in determining how the ball is to be played. To be truthful.. I played in good weather but with a gusting wind.. and ended up with a 76.. of which I am very proud. A Fantastic golf course (links) highly challenging, and will bring the very best out of any good golfer!! Richard Green.

Royal St Georges is one of those great places where the atmosphere of the course cannot be described, yet envelopes you for the whole journey. One feels the tradition of the club when booking, as you must play in groups of two, and that is a wonderful start to the experience. The course does not have extra beauty - but the holes are such that anything else would be a distraction from the mighty task that confronts you. The sandhills that you play on, around, and over, are matched perfectly by the bunkers which take no prisoners. The wind is ever-present as the course is essentially on a flat seaside plain, and the only regret is the two huge "smokestacks" toward Ramsgate. With Prince's and Cinque Ports nearby, it's a great place for a weekend of golf.