East England – Best in County Rankings 2023

This is the sixth and penultimate editorial relating to our English county revisions for 2023, covering the counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

East England can by no means be classed the strongest golfing region in the country, but there are still around a dozen nationally ranked courses within its geographical boundaries, all of which are well worth travelling the extra mile to play.

Bedfordshire

The John O’Gaunt course at the 36-hole John O’Gaunt Golf Club in Sutton (pictured above) has been our #1 in Bedfordshire since we began ranking English counties more than a decade ago and it still leads the way in the county listings.

Described as “a pretty course, with mature trees in pleasant surroundings” by a recent reviewer, this layout dates back to the early 1950s, shortly after the Pioneer Corps left the Sutton Park premises they had occupied during World War II.

The club hosted the Boys’ County Finals just a few months ago, with Surrey winning the event from Yorkshire in second place.

Luton Hoo

We’ve added the course at Luton Hoo Golf Club to the chart at #10, replacing Bedford which is now closed. Opened for play around twenty years ago, this 18-hole layout lies mainly within a Grade 1 listed park designed by Capability Brown, which meant only minimal earth moving was allowed during construction and sand bunkers were not permitted.

Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Bedfordshire.

Cambridgeshire

The Old course at Gog Magog Golf Club in Shelford Bottom (pictured above) has also enjoyed its status of #1 in Cambridgeshire since 2012 and it retains this position in our latest chart revision. The original 18-hole layout was created in 1901, a year before the golf club was founded, and it’s been improved down the years by a number of eminent architects such as Willie Park Junior, John Abercromby and Martin Hawtree.

Cambridge Country Club

Two newcomers enter the county chart, the first of which is Cambridge Country Club at #10. This place opened as Bourn Golf & Leisure thirty years ago, with the 18-hole layout occupying a 120-acre rolling property outside the little village of Bourn, where golfing fairways now replace the farming fields that were once evident here.

The other new entry for Cambridgeshire is the course at Cambridge Meridian at #12.

Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Cambridgeshire.

Essex

The 18-hole layout at Thorndon Park Golf Club in Brentwood (pictured above) is another course that retains the #1 county ranking it first achieved more than ten years ago. Designed by Harry Colt shortly after the Great War, this woodland track occupies part of the South Park of Thorndon Hall which was acquired for the purpose of establishing a golfing layout a century ago.

Ken Moodie and his Creative Golf Design firm consult at the club and he directed a major refurbishment in 2019, removing trees and bushes as well as renovating greenside bunkers.

Ingrebourne Links

The North and East nines at the 27-hole Ingrebourne Links Golf & Country Club comprise our highest new entry for Essex, soaring straight into the county chart at #5. Set out on a large former landfill site, the rolling fairways and gently undulating greens are styled as an inland links, with revetted and timber-faced bunkers thrown in for good measure.

We also add another two courses to the Essex listings: the Championship layout at Crondon Park Golf & Country Club [at #18] and Rochford Hundred Golf Club [at #22].

Abridge

The most impressive upward move in Essex is made by the course at Abridge Golf Club in Romford which climbs five places to #6. A 1960s Henry Cotton design, the course was described in a review recently as “a thoroughly well-kept course, set in undulating woodlands… in immaculate condition with tee boxes, fairways and greens all manicured... both challenging and fair.”

Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Essex.

Hertfordshire

Opened for play twenty years ago, The Grove in Rickmansworth (pictured above) is still our #1 for Hertfordshire. Designed by Kyle Phillips, the layout staged the WGC-American Express Championship in 2006, three years after its inauguration, with Tiger Woods winning the event by a comfortable 8-shot margin from runners-up Ian Poulter and Adam Scott.

The Grove’s greens keeping team renovated all ninety bunkers on the layout in the summer of 2020.

Harpenden Common

The highest of three new chart entries for this county arrives at #29 and it’s the 18-hole layout at Harpenden Common Golf Club, which began life as a rather basic 9-hole track back in 1931. More land became available in the mid-1990s, allowing Ken Brown and Martin Gillett to double the size of the layout, producing the 18-hole track that’s in play today.

The other Hertfordshire newcomers are the courses at Royston Golf Club [at #30] and The Hertfordshire Golf & Country Club [at #32].

Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Hertfordshire.

Norfolk

Retaining it’s #1 title in Norfolk, the course at Royal West Norfolk Golf Club (pictured above) also features prominently in both our England Top 100 [at #16] and Britain & Ireland Top 100 [at #43]. The club was established in 1892 and not much has altered here since Holcombe Ingleby, solicitor and politician, laid out the course more than a hundred and thirty years ago.

Just the other week, a reviewer neatly summed up Brancaster (as it’s commonly called) when they posted: “From the moment we arrived and had to literally walk across the beach to get to the first tee it was clear this would not be a typical experience. The gate that guards the entrance to the first tee gives the deserved impression that you are about to enter a special place.”

Swaffham

We’re augmenting the Norfolk standings with a couple of new entries, the first of which is the course at Swaffham Golf Club (new at #11). The original 9-hole course was designed by Captain B.K. Wilson, the Royal North Devon secretary, then Steve Marnock and Jonathan Gaunt were called in to add another nine holes when more land was acquired at the start of the new millennium.

The other new entry [at #12] is the course at Bawburgh Golf Club outside Norwich.

Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Norfolk.

Suffolk

The Championship course at Aldeburgh Golf Club (pictured above) climbs one place into the top spot in our revised Suffolk standings. Situated on heathland close to the tidal Alde estuary, the course was founded in 1884 and it’s been upgraded a number of times down the years by the likes of Willie Park Junior, J.H. Taylor and Harry Colt.

Plans are now in place to begin work next year on developing a couple of new holes and upgrading a couple of other holes, with Martin Ebert overseeing the work.

Flempton

Another Suffolk club where Martin operates is the wonderful little 9-holer at Flempton Golf Club, near Bury St Edmonds (up three to #7). The course dates back to 1895 but J.H. Taylor then redesigned the layout when an additional 12-acre tract of adjacent land was purchased eleven years later. Flempton is cleverly configured with three returning 3-hole loops, and, in the words of a reviewer last year, “delivers in a modern way” whilst retaining “the charming feel of golfing yester-year”.

Two new courses also now grace the Suffolk chart: Haverhill Golf Club [at #11] and Gorleston Golf Club [at #12].

Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Suffolk.

Jim McCann

Editor

Top 100 Golf Courses