Value golf courses in GB&I: Eastern England

We've reviewed some excellent value golf courses in an effort to prove that the recession needn't mean you have to cut down on your golf. From Canterbury in the south east to Kirkistown Castle in Northern Ireland, take at look at these 50 value tracks.

Jeremy Ellwood
By
published

Wensum Valley Hotel Golf & Country Club

GF: £25 STATS: Valley – par 72, sss 70, 6,223 yards; Wensum – par 72, sss 73, 6,922 yards T: 01603 261012 W: wensumvalleyhotel.co.uk

Visitors and guests at Wensum Valley Hotel have the choice of two 18-hole layouts in the 350-acre grounds. The Wensum is a parkland course that stretches to nearly 7,000 yards. In 2008 it was the venue for a tournament on the Europro Tour won by England’s Seve Benson. The Valley is the shorter and, perhaps, more forgiving of the two tracks.

Felixstowe Ferry

GF: £27.50 STATS: par 72, sss 70, 6,285 yards T: 01394 286834 W: felixstowegolf.co.uk

The club at Felixstowe Ferry was founded in 1880 and the Martello Course here – there is also a nine-holer – dates from the same year. It’s a proper links where the wind plays a decisive role in most rounds. The layout delivers an eclectic mix of holes, but all are maintained in excellent condition. The greens are always kept fast and true, even through the winter months.

Theydon Bois

GF: From £24 STATS: par 69, sss 67, 5,490 yards T: 01992 813054 W: theydongolf.co.uk

Winding through forest to the south of Epping, Theydon Bois Golf Club was founded in 1897. The original course was the work of the ubiquitous James Braid though there have been numerous alterations to his design over the last 100 years. It’s a tricky layout with tree-lined fairways and subtly undulating greens.

Jeremy Ellwood
Jeremy Ellwood
Contributing Editor

Jeremy Ellwood has worked in the golf industry since 1993 and for Golf Monthly since 2002 when he started out as equipment editor. He is now a freelance journalist writing mainly for Golf Monthly. He is an expert on the Rules of Golf having qualified through an R&A course to become a golf referee. He is a senior panelist for Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK & Ireland Course Rankings and has played all of the Top 100 plus 91 of the Next 100, making him well-qualified when it comes to assessing and comparing our premier golf courses. He has now played 1,000 golf courses worldwide in 35 countries, from the humblest of nine-holers in the Scottish Highlands to the very grandest of international golf resorts. He reached the 1,000 mark on his 60th birthday in October 2023 on Vale do Lobo's Ocean course. Put him on a links course anywhere and he will be blissfully content.

Jezz can be contacted via Twitter - @JezzEllwoodGolf

Jeremy is currently playing...

Driver: Ping G425 LST 10.5˚ (draw setting), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 55 S shaft

3 wood: Srixon ZX, EvenFlow Riptide 6.0 S 50g shaft

Hybrid: Ping G425 17˚, Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Orange 80 S shaft

Irons 3- to 8-iron: Ping i525, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Irons 9-iron and PW: Honma TWorld TW747Vx, Nippon NS Pro regular shaft

Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 50˚ and 54˚, 12˚ bounce, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Putter: Kramski HPP 325

Ball: Any premium ball I can find in a charity shop or similar (or out on the course!)

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