Lamberhurst - Kent - England

Lamberhurst is a nice members course set in the heart of Kent. The layout is fun and playable for all levels of golfer. The first few holes are very score able although if you find yourself on the wrong side of the fairway it can be difficult to find the putting surface. The 4th hole is the most difficult on the outward half…a long par 4 with a ditch crossing the fairway which comes into play for the longer hitters or those who get in trouble from the tee. The approach shot to this small green is not a pushover as bunkers guard the entrance. The 9th is a fun dog leg left to right par 4 with a sloping green awaiting the second shot. Hole 13 is good par 5 risk and reward hole with the fairway narrowing in the driving area, once the fairway has been found the player will need a long iron to find this green protected at its entrance by a brook. Lamberhurst finishes with a fun short par 4 which is drivable although OOB awaits the errant tee shot and the green like many others is quite undulating. Although not one of the better known courses in Kent I think Lamberhurst is a little gem, its in decent condition most of the year and the greens have always been excellent when I have played here.

A pretty easy course with a lot of birdie oppurtunities especially the short 18th par 4 which is driveable. The course is short but the greens are extremely hard to hit and mostly elevated. If you miss them even the best of players will struggle to get up and down. On the plus side if you are looking to shoot a low score you will have a short club in. To sum the course up in a few words i would say: An average course kept in fantastic condition.

Like many long established golf clubs, Lamberhurst is a course of two halves - the original 9 holes dating back over 100 years, and the additional 9 added more recently when extra farmland was bought to extend the layout: and it's pretty obvious which are which. The middle section is great, with loads of interesting and undulating holes (blind tee shots, valleys, dog legs, hanging lies etc), which although not overly long, require a lot of thinking about. However, the opening few holes and the closing few holes are flat and straight - and as a result, I'm not sure the course warrants 'Gem' status. Another gripe is that the club clearly has a problem with slow play - as there are warning signs and 'suggested round times' at several stages around the course - and so it proved: we got stuck behind two 4-balls of senior members, and the round took nearly 5 hours. But all that aside, the course was in great nick, with superb greens - with lots of apparently invisible borrows, making them very tricky to read. And the welcome was a very warm one: so if you happen to be in the area it's definitely worth a visit.

It's not the best layout around, although not the worse either. The finish is a little bit weak but it is always in brilliant condition and the greens are superb. My advice to those playing would be to leave yourself low of the pin - downhill putts must be avoided! Great greens.

A true members club Lamberhurst offers an all round good day out. Not overly long at 6400 yards, tight driving and several doglegs make the course play longer than the card. The signature 12th plays 210 yards over a lake full of carp to a narrow well bunkered green. Some of the best greens I've putted on this year, not only are they quick and true but also full of very subtle breaks requiring maximum concentration. Good bitter and honest food complete the experience, get your county card out and bag a bargin.