West Sussex Golf Club

West Sussex is set in beautiful countryside surrounded by dense forests. The course starts with a shorter, single par-5 hole, followed by five par-3s of varying lengths. I must admit that at first glance, I mistook the dogleg 6th hole—where the green lies beyond a lake—for a par-4 (210 yards). And quite a few golfers probably won’t have the courage to go for the green on their first shot. The very next hole requires a blind uphill drive. The course is visually appealing. The contrast between the large bunkers with their snow-white sand and the green pine trees is stunning. The only sign of civilization you see during the round is a house (belonging to a lucky soul) near the 11th hole. My only minor complaint is the poorly marked transition from the 16th green to the 17th tee. You have to cross the fairway of the 7th hole, and it’s not very intuitive. Otherwise, it’s an exceptional course in great condition.

From the first moment you arrive to the warm greeting in the bar you know you are somewhere special. The grand old Country Manor House that forms the Clubhouse full of charm and tradition, superb breakfast and lunch and then there is a small matter of the excellent course layout. Is there a weak hole? It starts with a gentle Par 5, but that is to lull you into a false sense of security! From there you are faced with well designed Par 4 holes none under 350 yards, and five Par 3 holes of which 3 measure in excess of 180 yards, crowned by the 6th 220yards over OOB water hazard. If that is not enough to test your game, then the swathes of heather which will catch any ball slightly off line. However, the tranquility of the place is unreal. The only road, rail, or aircraft interference you will encounter is from the gliders floating silently above from the nearby gliding club, or the occasional hot air balloon floating peacefully by. So unlike many of the other Surrey courses that are so blighted by aircraft, rail and road noise. Hopefully you will catch it on a sunny day, of which it seems to get more than its' fair share, lying in its' own microclimate in the lea of the South Downs.

West Sussex (or Pulborough, if you’re feeling posh) is everything you’d want from a classic English heathland. It’s elegant, understated, and endlessly rewarding. I’d always known it was very good but playing it more regularly as a distance member has made me realise just how truly brilliant it is. In my humble, though now probably slightly biased, opinion it belongs right up there in the top tier of English heathlands. A layout every bit as good as the finest of the Surrey set, yet far less trumpeted. The scorecard may look short at under 6,400 yards but it’s a par 68 with just a single par 5, the gentle handshake of an opener where writing a 4 is far more likely than on many of the demanding par 4s that follow. There are five terrific “short” holes, though two of them are over 200 yards from the whites. The 8th is a superb mid-length par 3, and both the 5th and 15th are utterly stunning one-shotters. The 5th especially, where I still find myself taking a photo almost every time I play. I could talk through all the par 4s, such is the variety, strategy, and charm… but let’s just say my favourites are 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17 and 18. Oops, yes, that is all of them. But West Sussex really is that good. So good, in fact, we’re trying to sell our house and move closer. Enough said?

Not as famous as the Surrey and Berkshire heathland courses, West Sussex is nevertheless in the same echelons and worthy of comparison with any of them.

The first 3 holes are a relatively gentle introduction, but what follows is a wonderful example of classic heathland golf. Lots (and lots!) of heather, with the added hazard of ponds to be carried on the 220 yard 6th and 145 yard 15th - two really good testing par 3s. The par of 68 and modest 6,300 yard length bely the severity of the test. The course comes into it's own on the back 9, which features 3 world class long par 4s at the 11th,14th (the best hole on the course) and 17th. In the good old days these would have been bogey 5s - and today a 4 feels like a birdie.

The recently extended and refurbished clubhouse is friendly and welcoming, albeit with less of the old world charm of the likes of Woking, Swinley or New Zealand.

In short, whilst the front 9 means it ranks lower than many of the Surrey /Berks courses, the back 9 is the equal of any of them. West Sussex is well worth a detour off the beaten track to sample its charms.

Na eerst Hankley Common gespeeld te hebben nu deze fantastische heide baan in surrey. Deze baan wordt iets hoger gewaardeerd dan Hankley, terwijl ik zou zeggen dat het andersom zou moeten zijn. West Sussex is echter wat compacter en hierdoor vriendelijker te lopen en iets vergevingsgezinder. Desalnietemin een pareltje om te spelen. Prachtige par3 holes zoals 5 en 13 waarbij beide water aanwezig is, maar niet echt in het spel. Daarnaast maar 1 par5. Gelijk de eerste hole. Maar daarentegen wel de nodige lange par4 holes. Totale par van 68 is vrij ongewoon, maar zo voelt het zeker niet. Drivingrange bevindt zich fijn dichtbij het clubhuis, zoals ook de eerste tee. We hadden ook een heerlijk ontbijt en de bediening is heel gastvrije. Na afloop was de kaart wat beperkt. De keuken sluit rond 15:00. Wat hier in de regio kennelijk heel gewoon is, maar iets drinken kan tot 19:00. Onderhoud zeer goed. Met name de fairways en bunkers. Greens zijn zeer mooi. Kunnen misschien wel wat sneller. Al met al zeker de greenfee van 130 pond waard en de moeite om te spelen.