North Foreland – Golf Course Review

Golfer’s Tips

• If you choose to play the short par 4 second as a lay up and approach, which I would imagine is sensible, then back left is definitely the miss when you have wedge or short iron in hand with your second shot. The steep run-off at the front and right of the green is fairly severe and can leave a difficult 3rd to negotiate that slope and still hold the green.
• It may be tempting to attempt to cut the corner on the par 5 3rd, but keeping to the left of the fairway is the safer and more sensible play, and with the ground cambering right it still provides a good shot at reaching in two.
• Club up on the pretty par 3 5th, especially as it can be into wind – all of the trouble is at the front, and at the rear are some pretty friendly run-off areas and spots to chip or even putt from.

Signature Holes

• 5th – lovely little par 3, with the sea and a small old stone castle providing the backdrop. Not overly long at around 125 yards, but wind will almost certainly be a factor as its funnels in off the coast, as you play into a dome-like green which has front bunkers and run-off areas at the rear.
• 13th – classic downhill par 4. Aim your tee shot at the lighthouse, preferably with a draw, and then the second shot turns towards the sea with a green that is down a level from the fairway apron, providing options to run in lower shots as well as flying the full distance.

Review:

A really interesting course, difficult to define but good fun with a great combination of playability and real challenge.

Set on the chalky cliffs nearish Margate, you can’t really call it a links and it certainly has heathland elements, but overall it’s a really fun experience.

The front 9 is undoubtedly more interesting, and on a day when the wind was howling the first 7 holes are clearly the stretch when you need to do your scoring. The round starts with two short par 4s which are score-able if you keep the ball in play from the tee, and then come two sub-500 yard par 5s which were played straight downwind and therefore reachable in two for some. Then come a few shorter holes including two sub-150 yard par 3s both hitting out with sea views beyond. All in all a great start away from a very friendly feeling clubhouse.

On holes 8 and 9 you then get a real contrast, as the holes flip direction, in our case facing into a brutal wind, and you are faced with two 450 yard, uphill par 4s. Really tough and a sign of things to come.

The back nine is a little more up and down and tougher whilst being less fun and interesting – probably due to it being further inland so having less exposure and views of the sea. That being said there are two excellent par 3s, making four in total that are all superb, and the one on the 18th is a great finishing hole (don’t normally love a par 3 finish, but 200 yards over a small valley with OB on left and some excellent bunkering around the green).

Having only played it once in some extremely tough Winter conditions I would definitely go back, not the classic setups of the three famous links down the road, but quite unique and great fun.

• “Top 100” Ranking: 12th (Kent)
• Golfer View Rating: 68%

https://www.northforeland.co.uk

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