Hever Castle – Golf Course Review

Golfer’s Tips

• Excellent practice facilities, very well-located right next to the 1st tee which is a reasonably straight forward par 4.
• Keep the ball in play for the first few holes – holes 2 to 5 have card-wrecking potential, but beyond this there are some scoreable holes through to the short par-5 10th.
• The target on the fabulous par-3 12th is the middle of the green, wherever the pin is. Short is wet, long is bunkered playing your second back towards the water. 2-putt pars are always good.
• The vast majority of the back nine is played while trying to preserve a score, rather than make one. The holes feel like they get longer, 14-17 particularly, so don’t be disheartened and don’t chase a score.

Signature Holes

• 12th – beautiful par 3, not completely unlike Augusta’s own, played down the slope towards a kidney shaped green with bunkering left and long, and the meandering stream short. Excellent maintenance of the wooden barricades around the green make for a very attractive hole.
• 13th – the final hole from Hever’s own ‘Amen Corner’, and one that will last long in the memory. A tight-looking tee shot that crosses a meandering stream, which follows you down the left hand side of the fairway and across the front of the very well protected and narrow green. Not the longest hole, but definitely one to be administered with care.

Review:

Hever is a very good parkland course, well worth a visit (at the right time of year).

The club feels like it could and should be higher in rankings and people’s thinking – the facilities are excellent, the courses are laid out over sprawling Kentish countryside, and there are many standout holes, but unfortunately conditioning counts against Hever Castle, which is usurped by rivals that perhaps are better quality courses, but weaker clubs.

The Championship (Kings & Queens) course starts in fairly standard fashion, with a relatively straight forward first hole leading to holes 2 to 5 running around the perimeter of the nearby castle’s lake. 6 is a good short par 3 over a snaking stream and small lake, but all in all the front 9 is solid without being outstanding.

After the gettable par-5 10th you reach the best section of the course, with the 11th, 12th and 13th, aptly nicknamed Hever’s “Amen Corner”, a set of beautifully crafted holes in and around a few small lakes and a connecting stream.

15-17 are all testing longer holes, particularly the 17th which is 650 yards from the tips, and all in all the course is on the longer side, but not without it’s shorter challenges. The par-3s in general are well put together.

Unfortunately a fairly major drawback at Hever Castle is the drainage – the course is played on fairly low-lying clay-based land, and this has really suffered during the wetter Winter months of recent years. As a former member I can attest to the quality of the course for the rest of the year, particularly the Spring, but the bog-like existence for 3 months every year is currently a major difficulty that holds the club back.

Overall a good day out, and a friendly welcome, excellent practice facilities and a short 9-hole course as accompaniment.

• “Top 100” Ranking: 16th (Kent)
• Golfer View Rating: 69%

https://www.hevercastle.co.uk/golf/

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