With the warmer spring and summer months to look forward to, it’s time to dust off your golf buggy and start playing some rounds of golf. Whether you’re local to Eastbourne and familiar with the charms of the area or live in East Sussex, you might know how lucky you are to have so many beautiful golf courses on your doorstep.
The enduring popularity of Golf in Sussex
From coastal hill tops overlooking the English Channel to impressive courses nestled in the outstanding South Downs National Park, golfers will find no shortage of variety.
Golf in Sussex is a popular pastime not just for people who are retired but for players of all ages and abilities. Today, the game is one of the UK’s most popular sports with more regular players than ever before and an industry estimated to be worth a staggering £5 billion.
This month's guest blog by Dakota Murphey
Dakota Murphey has provided you with this helpful guide to golf in East Sussex.
Dakota is a Brighton-based freelancer with almost 20 years’ experience writing online publications, corporate newsletters and local company communications.
Golf in East Sussex
Rather than a ‘good walk ruined’, however, the attraction of golf comes down to a combination of several healthy factors. T
he game appeals because it is a great low-impact exercise that builds endurance through walking long distances and improves all-round fitness. It has the added bonus of being a great outdoor exercise as well as being entertaining, challenging and sociable.
Whether you’re practising golf alone or teeing off with friends from one of Eastbourne’s most picturesque fairways, it’s a fantastic and popular global sport.
Golfing on gorgeous fairways in East Sussex
If you are based in East Sussex and looking to join a new club, are planning a golf trip to Eastbourne or want to try out your clubs on a different fairway, this pocket of Southern England has features for golf lovers to rival Scotland, the birthplace of the game.This is thanks to its spectacular beach and cliffside backdrops, sprawling countryside views over the South Downs and challenging courses to match every handicap.
Here are some of East Sussex’s most scenic and enjoyable golf courses for players looking to tee off on a full 18-hole course to leisurely putters interested in admiring another golf club’s unique course design.
Royal Eastbourne Golf Club
Founded in 1893, the prestigious Royal Eastbourne Golf Club offers an idyllic location next to Beachy Head with striking views over the sea. The 18-hole, par 70 course measures about three miles from the back tees.
Accuracy matters more than distance on this links-style layout featuring meandering fairways, small greens and tricky bunkers. The downhill 5th hole provides a stunning vista over the coastline, but the prevailing winds from the English Channel can make this course one of the more complex and challenging ones. The club has hosted several British amateur tournaments over its history and looks forward to holding its well-known Kathleen Rider Foursomes in June, 2024.
Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club
Situated near the highest point in East Sussex, the unbelievable beauty of the Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club is thanks to its spectacular views across wooded countryside. If you visit in the spring and summer, the course is resplendent with cascades of heather and gorse marking the rolling fairways of this 18-hole, par 71 course. Established in 1888, the course stretches almost four miles and takes golfers through ever-changing scenery across Ashdown Forest. The signature 7th hole includes a drive over a ravine to reach the green. Deer and other wildlife are often spotted from the hilly course. With the golfing calendar looking exciting in 2024 for players and spectators, this club is famous for testing top British players during past Open Championship qualifying rounds.
Crowborough Beacon Golf Club
Located right on the Greenwich Meridian Line, Crowborough Beacon Golf Club combines sport and geography. The 18-hole, 6,342 yard, par 72 course sits on the highest ridge in the High Weald National Landscape, a medieval area of outstanding beauty, offering views across the Sussex countryside.
Founded in 1895, the Crowborough Beacon Golf Club has a unique parkland-style layout that meanders through mature oak and pine trees. Water comes into play on several holes including its toughest 215-yard par 3 on the fifth hole. Its excellent course conditions are the perfect nod to the incredible natural beauty of this fairway. The club is both welcoming and one of the prettiest inland courses in the south of England rated the 72nd finest Golf Course in the Country by Golf World. From May to September 2024, it will host a number of amateur events, including a charity team open, a ladies/gents seniors team open and a seniors mixed team open in addition to its county championship events.
The Brighton and Hove Golf Club
Although not listed as one of the oldest golf clubs in England, the Brighton and Hove Golf Club dates back a long way as it opened its original 9 hole course in 1887. This was later expanded to a complete 18 holes in 1905. Today, its stunning par 71 course measures approximately three and a half miles from the back tees and has a classic layout with undulating fairways, small greens and deceptive bunkers.
Situated just north of the South Downs National Park, it provides pleasant views between shots. The closing 466-yard par 5 offers risk-reward temptations. Benefit from the experience of their professional instructors to improve your short game and swing techniques. This August, the popular club will host a gents seniors team open and a ladies team open.
Piltdown Golf Club
Located close to the attractive market town of Uckfield, the Piltdown Golf Club offers scenic views from its perch near the top of the Sussex Weald. Oak and birch woodlands come into play on this 18-hole, close to four-mile long, par 72 course. First opened in 1908, the design includes several long par 4s requiring accurate tee shots to avoid trouble. The short par 4 8th hole features an intriguing island green. Piltdown’s excellent drainage allows for year-round play. The local owl population makes for fun birdwatching during an afternoon on the links.
Feel the benefit of playing Golf in East Sussex
Playing golf on one of many beautiful courses in East Sussex provides exercise, fresh air, camaraderie, and competition.
The county’s breathtaking landscape means the challenges and scenery are just as much a highlight as the holes you play on.
For frequent players or aspiring pros, golfers of all abilities will enjoy the lovely selection of golf courses in and around the Eastbourne area.
Beautifully maintained golf courses in Sussex, easily accessible and pay-and-play