HIDDEN GEMS ~ SOUTH ENGLAND
North Foreland
GF Round: £75; day: £100wd; twilight: £40-£50
North Foreland, in the far north-east corner of Kent, boasts two courses, with the Northcliffe a fun par-3 18-holer where the longest hole is 126 yards.
The Main course, which plays either side of a road down to the chalky cliffs, is our main concern here, though. It starts out with two short par 4s, then works down to the sea on the linksy-feeling par-3 5th. The dogleg-left 2nd is in range if you can comfortably move it right to left, though attack may not be wise unless that shot comes naturally to you. That 5th hole, and another par 3 down to the cliffs two holes later near the Captain Digby pub, stand out visually. The 7th is a little longer, with wonderful views of Kingsgate Castle away to your right.
The back nine feels a little more open as it too plays down towards the sea before climbing back to the clubhouse twice. Both nines finish strongly; the front via two very long par 4s and the back via a long uphill par 4 and a near 200-yard par 3. Excellent bunkering work has improved the visuals of several holes in recent years.
GM verdict Clifftop/parkland hybrid with two cracking par 3s close to the cliff edge.
Knole Park
GF Round: £75-£120
JF Abercromby’s distinctive design at Knole Park dates back to 1924. It runs over a spacious parcel of attractive and gently undulating parkland that’s blessed with soft, springy turf. Every hole is different and memorable and there’s great variety
