Royal Cromer - Norfolk - England

We were lucky enough to play here on a warm sunny summer day, so were able to enjoy the spectacular views of the coast. This clifftop course has some significant undulations and offers a roller roaster ride.

The opening hole starts with a blind drive and is a bit of an uninspiring start, but the course soon improves. Generally, the greens are small, often elevated, and surrounded by heavy rough and bracken, which mean that the shorter par fours played much tougher than the yardage on the scorecard suggests.

Given the changes in elevation, there was quite a lot of guesswork as a first time visitor, this is one of those courses where it's not all laid out in front of you so you need to play it several times to understand the lines.

With the stunning views of the coast from a number of parts of the course it is easy to overlook what a very good golf course this is. Ok the first five holes do not have views of the sea but they are solid holes with a medium length dog leg left to right par 4, straight away medium length par 4, a brilliant sort par 4 which dog legs right to left, a long (450 yes) straight away par 4, from a raised tee box providing wonderful views of 7 or 8 other holesand the 5th is a gentle right to left par 5. The 6th hole runs along the cliff / coast is utterly gorgeous - it is also an excellent strong par 4 of 440 yards. There is a very clever design theme here as the long par 4s tend to be downhill and the short par 4 are invariably uphill. Yes it is undulating and there are some serious walks up to tees. The pay off in terms of scenery is well worth some lung busting walks ( especially on the back 9). The only 15th hole was literally the only hole on the course that I did not enjoy and this was only because it felt a little tight and claustrophobic which was slightly at odds with the rest of the course. Greens were excellent as is the firm turf on the fairways. This course is severely underrated and should be comfortably in the top 100 in England.

Cromer was our last course on a Norfolk golf trip. I struggle to see how this course isn’t rated higher. The overall views, style and closing 9 holes is superb.

We played this on a cloudy and wind not blowing heavy day and I can only imagine what this would be like in worse conditions.

Greens are very quick and some very tough approach shots.

From a scenic prospective there are not many courses to beat the sea views and magical to play towards a lighthouse on the back nine on two holes. If you are not straight, very tough and penal but accept it and enjoy the venue.

Hunstanton is much more a classic links. Sheringham is very similar, with superb views and great layout but we felt as a four ball collectively that the back nine was a standout across the weekend.

Great stuff.

A very charming links/heathland course, that mixes great elevation changes with spectacular views. There are some very ordinary holes, but for the most part there holes are really good. Especially good holes are 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 15 and 17.

Well worth a stop if in the area.

The first round of our 3 day tour of Norfolk started at Royal Cromer, with Hunstanton and Sheringham to follow.

Royal Cromer starts with a tricky par four playing into the wind which means that 2, 4 and 5 also play into the wind, this did not make for an easy start.

The course comes alive on 6 with the run of 6 through 9 being good fun. I would comment that the 7th while an exciting blind tee shot at the point that we played meant that anything left was absolutely fine.

The course then comes back to life on 13 a good par 3 followed by a lovely hole on 14 where you soon realise that a draw is the call of the day off the tee. 15 is then just about being straight anything else is probably lost which is quite penal. 17 is another nice par 3, while it is short, miss left at your peril.

The let down for us when we played was probably due to a relatively dry summer leading to baron fairways in places and dead rough which made spotting your ball if you missed the fairway difficult.

Overall the layout of the course is good, although it feels tight at times. If the fairways were better I would go with a 4 but a 3.5 for me at the time of playing.

Cromer Golf Club is a lovely layout set on the North Norfolk Coast. I have played it a handful of times in varying conditions and I really do like it. Much like it's neighbour Sheringham, it's parked up on the top of the white cliffs overlooking the sea and is of course, at the mercy of the weather! Cromer can turn very quickly into a much less enjoyable round with bad conditions simply due to it's difficulty. Tough greens to hit and long grass in close proximity requires well struck shots into greens, and in howling wind and lashing rain, it only it was that easy!

The first few holes are more inland, until you make it to the 6th, then the beauty really shows. a few holes running alongside the cliffs. A stray shot could result in another kind of sand you don't want to hit from!

As well as being more challenging than it's neighbour, it offers alot of up and down holes where it's not all about reaching for your driver. Alot of holes require consideration to hit off the tee which makes it a nice change as some links courses, especially with the wind, can be long. Not really a fan of the par 3 13th, which is a completely blind uphill par three to the new players is really a cruel test having to guess where the green or pin lies. Along these few holes when you start the incline, it shows the beauty of the shrubbery in between the holes and gives a good look just over the footpath to the almost jungle like cliff a few meters away.

The two finishing holes at Cromer are lovely. A well designed last hole with punishing bunkers as well as the very short par 3 17th over the Heathy links style long grass. The 9th also getting a mention for the unique par 3 where there are pot bunkers evenly placed all around the green. With an elevated tee and being close to the sea, club selection is vital.

Cromer benefits from a small strip of land next to the first few holes which you have to drive to for a range. Unfortunately not long enough for the average golfer to hit a drive on, better than nothing! Around the traditional clubhouse, the locker rooms emit the old fashioned vibe and the travel up the stairs into the main area to view some of the big events Cromer has held throughout the years.

If you have the time to come and play on your trip to Norfolk, Cromer is definitely one to consider.

The first 5 holes here are nothing special but things pick up on the run from 6-9, which see a coastal hole, a nice drive to an angled rising fairway, a squeezed short 4 from a raised tee, and a drop shot short hole. Quality wise you are now perhaps reminded of its neighbour Sheringham. There’s now a little more land movement and the holes get a bit more diverse and rugged.

I overshot the 7th green by half a club and was in the cabbage just a few paces from the hole. My ball was gone. It left me a bit crabby, but bad shots can get punished here, especially when hitting into greens.

The Par 4 14th hole was our favourite as you drive semi-blind up towards the lighthouse, aiming to hit the angled fairway. 15 felt like a missed opportunity and could benefit from some vegetation clearance to widen the fairway and increase playability. 17 & 18 were a decent finish.

I felt the bunkering at Royal Cromer was strange. Several sand pits were oddly shaped and often in strange positions. I even wondered if green sites had been moved over the years and the bunkers left in place. And the random abundance of pot bunkers at times, especially near the greens, reminded me of an energetic toddler with a hole punch and blank sheet of A4 paper. Often less is more more or less.

Playing here was a pleasant experience and worth the effort to get to, especially if you also intend to make a full day of it and play the superior Sheringham (which I’d save for last). This course could be improved on some holes by a bit of clearance to widen fairways and allow for some more shots around the greens, along with a more general overhaul of the bunkering. However, even as it is, there are worst places to play. This is a good course in a lovely location

Super course great fun to play brilliant condition friendly clubhouse. Yet again another great Norfolk course that is not rammed with players. Played at a good pace still with time to savour the panoramic views. Not a true links nor a true parkland course Cromer is definitely hard to bracket but that matters not , can't wait to play it again and have a drink in the very friendly bar

A group of 12 played the course and enjoyed it. It was in very good condition with great views. A real joy to play and we hope to visit again.

Played here last week, for me it is an excellent course, with only one 'average' hole, the 16th, my overall sense of this course was fun, it wasn't overly long, although I believe there is plans to lengthen in places, it simply rewards good shoots, and punishes bad ones, it continues to question your club selection, with choices off most tees, so that you have to think before you hit, rather than pull the driver every time.

Well worth a visit, and i'd like to go back myself