Royal Norwich Golf Club

Royal Norwich was our third stop in Norfolk. A course that on the face of it is brand new but in reality is steeped in history. It was the first golf club in England to be awarded the royal status and having relocated to its new premises in 2019 giving it an incredibly modern feel with all the facilities you would want in a golf club with padel courts, restaurant and a gym. Situated a short drive from Norwich itself, the club is set in a wonderfully tranquil location. A parkland course that utilises the natural contours of the surroundings with large undulating greens. After utilizing the fantastic practice facilities, which comprised of their driving range, chipping green, bunkers and large putting green we settled into a lunch in their bright, open clubhouse before heading to the 1st tee. At 5,900 meters off the traditional men’s tees, Royal Norwich is on the longer side of courses you would play but is generous in width whilst still offering trouble for overly errant shots. Starting with a gentle 300 meter par 4, the 1st hole gives you a good indication of what you can expect. Strategically placed bunkers that are beautifully manicured with varying designs combined with contouring fairways are a hallmark of this modern design. The back 9 has two of the more memorable holes. The 13th is a 250 meter par 4, perfectly driveable if you’re happy to cut the corner over the tall pine trees and the 14th is another par 4 of similar distance but in this instance the green is protected by 5 bunkers at varying lengths from the green. The design is great, a really scenic experience. A course which offers risk reward and provides a really enjoyable outing for the average golfer and for £70 as a twilight rate it is great value for money.

Played in a charity match yesterday. Facilities are first class. The course despite torrential rain the day previously was in remarkably good condition although spongy underfoot in places. There are some outstanding holes and my team felt a touch unfortunate to get nearest the pin on the par 3 17th as our opening hole. There are some outstanding holes with plenty of thought required. Very undulating greens which made them hard to read at times especially with the speed. The only reason I marked it down for value for money is because it is directed towards the more well off golfers. I feel lucky that I was able to play this course in a corporate event. I have no doubt Royal Norwich will feature in Englands top 100 very soon.

Royal Norwich is a brilliant club, with fantastic practice facilities including a great chipping green with multiple bunkers, a huge putting green and TopTracer range.

Every hole has a really strong championship feel to it and requires a variety in shots to plot your way round it, so is a good test of ability. This is most certainly a bombers course, with some hefty holes but also generously wide fairways at times, so you can really let loose on more than a few of these.

Most notable for me are the par 5s (3rd,7th,9th,12th and 18th - yep there's five!) and the scenic water hole 17th.

The clubhouse is really swish and has really great food, so offers a place for a load up before or after your round.

(No pictures because of the terrible terrible rain we were playing in, but it's a very scenic place!).