Westerham – Golf Course Review

Golfer’s Tips

• The course does seem to favour a right-handed draw, so taking driver on many of the shorter par 4s is likely to require a straight or right-to-left shot shape.
• The 12th feels like a risk-reward hole due to its length, and the penalty for missing left and dropping down into the bowl left is far less severe than it used to be, but for me there is no real benefit in taking it on. There is a fairly low likelihood of actually hitting the green or the slim bit of fairway just short, and the fairway is very wide on mid/long iron distance which only leaves a wedge approach in from a more favourable angle.
• The 18th is a signature finish over the pond to the green just in front of the elevated clubhouse. The pin is often left, but unless you are playing from the very right of the fairway, and can use a shot shape to run up the green, then aiming for right-to-middle of the green is always the sensible play – this takes a longer water carry and more severe run off short left of the green out of play.

Signature Holes

• 11th – a great par 3, played downhill from a well-manicured raised tee, down to a green that sits within a bank running right to left. The tee and approach down to the green is beautifully framed by tall pines and there is views of the rolling Kentish countryside beyond.
• 15th – another hole excellently framed by mature pine trees. The 15th is a par 4 which is played down a significant slope to a green that flattens at the bottom. A shorter club from the tee reduces the risk of leaking right into the tall pines, but driver straight (perhaps erring left) taking advantage of the slope will leave you a far shorter shot in for your second.

Review:

A great layout amidst beautiful countryside, and the bones of a really good club moving up the ranks.

Having previously played Westerham, around 5.5 years prior (at the height of a hot Summer), we found it was perhaps overly penal, with very tight, rock-hard fairways, leading to decent tee shots running off into some pretty unplayable areas. Since then they have done a lot of work taking out a load of trees, making it altogether more playable but still not without its challenges – when these changes have all bedded in and there is heather / grass grown on the barer areas then this should be a very strong course that moves up the rankings in my opinion.

As it stands Westerham is a great layout – a classic 2x nine hole loops with the 9th and 18th finishing in front of the clubhouse sitting atop a hill overlooking both greens and the accompanying water. 

The course is a good test, some attackable short par 4s mixed in with some tougher holes – the par 3s are great, with the downhill 11th through pine trees the pick, but there are some very tough dogleg par 4s that would not allow driver in Summer. Definitely a course that favours the draw over a fade/ slice apart from 1-2 exceptions.

We played in late December after a very wet period, and although the greens were a bit bumpy and inconsistent the rest of the course played a lot better than others in the area at this time of year.

Overall it’s a very solid offering today, well worth the visit, but has potential to become something even better when it matures in the next few years.

• “Top 100” Ranking: 18th (Kent)
• Golfer View Rating: 65%

https://westerhamgc.co.uk

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