insideKENT Magazine Issue 97 - April 2020 | Page 32

GOLF
G O L F IN KENT
CONT.
CHART HILLS GOLF CLUB
KNOLE PARK GOLF CLUB
LEEDS CASTLE
LONDON GOLF CLUB
London Golf Club, Ash
www.londongolfclub.com Etchinghill Golf Course, Folkestone
www.pentlandgolf.co.uk/etchinghill Knole Park Golf Club, Sevenoaks
www.knoleparkgolfclub.co.uk
As the only Joint Venture Partner Golf Club of the
European Tour, London Golf Club provides an
oasis of golfing tranquillity in 700 acres of idyllic
Kent countryside, just 20 miles from the capital. The 6,101 yard Leas Course is Etchinghill’s main
18 hole golf course. Stretching across the beautiful
Kentish downland countryside, it comprises five par
3s, ten par 4s and three par 5s, posing a fantastic
challenge to golfers of all abilities. The magnificent
Elham Valley lends its name to the versatile Valley
Course. The course is made up of nine holes played
from multiple tee positions to give the option of nine
or eighteen holes. This 5,592 yard course combines
four par 3s, twelve par 4s and two par 5s into a
wonderfully impressive test for all golfers. The par
three Academy Course is popular with families and
beginners alike. Extending over an area of stunning
natural parkland, it offers great golf challenges for
every golfer. Unique amongst golf courses in the United Kingdom,
Knole Park Golf Club is located within 1,000 acres
of outstanding parkland, home to the finest deer
herd in the south east. Regularly named as one of
the top 100 courses in England by golf magazines,
Knole Park Golf Course, at just under 6,500 yards
from the green (back) tees, with a par of 70 and a
CSS of 71, is a course steeped in history and a truly
inspiring place to play. The club hosts the Kent
Youth Championship, is the home of the prestigious
Kent Cob Amateur scratch competition and has
hosted the English Seniors Championship and a
number of TP Tour events.
The Heritage course is a Jack Nicklaus Signature
design that bears all the hallmarks of the 18 time
Major Champion. Host to the 2008 and 2009
European Open, the course provides an exhilarating
test for golfers of all abilities. The International
course is naturally firmer and the quick undulating
fairways force a links-style approach, while short
holes over water provide dramatic respite. Home of
the 2018 and 2019 Staysure PGA Seniors
Championship, and having hosted both the Volvo
World Match Play Championship and Regional
Open Qualifying, this course proves a tough test for
the most talented of golfers while providing the
opportunity to shoot some great scores with a number
of risk-reward holes.
Leeds Castle, Leeds
www.leeds-castle.com/golf
The par 34, 2,843 yard course was originally built
on the 500 acre Leeds Castle Estate in 1931 by Sir
Guy Campbell of West Sussex GC fame. The course
has recently benefited from a new irrigation system,
bunker landscaping, the levelling and relaying of all
tees, as well as input from top agronomists STRi to
make the course look great 365 days a year.
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Chart Hills Golf Club, Biddenden
www.charthills.co.uk
The award-winning course at Chart Hills in the
High Weald of Kent has Sir Nick Faldo’s clever
hand all over it. He designed the course, making it
a diverse and challenging one that is one of the most
popular in the south east of England. It’s in a great
location too – just 20 minutes from Ashford
International Station yet sitting in 200 acres of the
most gorgeous Kentish countryside you can imagine.
When you join Chart Hills you will also gain access
to the fantastic intelligent golf online management
system, making it easier for you to plan and organise
your game, view your handicap and the course status.
Westgate & Birchington Golf Club,
Westgate-on-Sea
www.wabgc.co.uk
Westgate and Birchington is a cliff top, 18 hole
course of 4,877 yards, with stunning views over the
sea between the towns of Westgate on Sea and
Birchington. The clubhouse at Westgate and
Birchington is open daily, offering refreshments to
members and visiting golfers alike. The dining
area affords beautiful views over the course while
the lounge and the bar are the perfect places to
relax after a round of golf. Both members and visitors
are welcome.