Feature Review: Littlestone Golf Club

As I reached ‘Ocean Drive’ and start travelling down the pot-hole and puddle-strewn excuse for a road, I suspected my sat nav had made a slight error. I stuck with it, though, showing a somewhat misguided faith in my technology, and it was only after meeting a dog walker coming up the adjacent beach that I decided to turn around. As it transpired, the ‘not suitable for vehicles’ sign had only been placed at one end of the road, and after reversing 200 meters, asking two different people for directions and mistaking a bed and breakfast for the clubhouse, I eventually found my way to Littlestone Golf Club on the Kent coast.

Links experience

I had only played two previous rounds of links golf in my life, struggling on both occasions with my high ball flight, and as I stepped out the car to be confronted with howling winds, despotic rain and gloomy overhead conditions, I wasn’t confident of breaking my run of poor links form. I decided to keep an open mind and stay positive, however. After all, we are so fortunate in this country to have access to many world-class links golf courses and, what’s more, links golf is the purest test of golfing aptitude you can find anywhere in the world.

I was playing in a competition put on by the Golf Club Secretary magazine, and after a few putts and the realisation my waterproof was far too tight, I met my playing partner and headed to the first tee. I had heard a fair amount about Littlestone Golf Club, given its history as an Open Championship and Women’s British Open qualifying venue. Fortunately, my playing partner hired a caddy for the day, and on the way round I was treated to a fair few stories and anecdotes from days gone by.

Front nine

Jeff, the caddy, also revealed the front nine was the place to make your score, with the majority of the back side playing directly into the prevailing wind. Naturally, after hearing this information, I hit my drive on the straightforward 300-yard par-4 first hole into the cabbage and lost my ball. After playing the easiest hole on the golf course, I had no points.

The second hole at Littlestone is a brilliant par 4. The tee is exposed, and drives must avoid three fairway bunkers dotted down the right hand side of the fairway. From the ideal position, a mid to long iron still remains, but the second shot is one of the more difficult approaches I have encountered. There is a gap, no more than ten yards wide, in line with the middle of the fairway and the flag, but two huge mounds, both left and right, lie in wait. Anything pushed or pulled will settle in sand or heavy grass mounds, and anything thinned will run up a steep slope at the back of the green.

I played steady golf after the first, and standing on the tee of the par-3 6^th, I was two behind my handicap. The sixth is the shortest par 3 at Littlestone, but trouble lurks everywhere. The green is substantially raised and very hard to hold, especially if the pin is tucked behind an enormous bunker protecting the left hand side of the green. If you miss the putting surface left and run down the steep bank, as I did, an up and down is nigh on impossible. 

The sixth is followed by the par-5 7th, arguably the best long hole on the golf course. Drives are hit from an exposed tee to a fairway that turns slightly left at the 200 yard mark. Anything hit too straight will find some of the longest rough on the course, and anything left will find sand or a series of grassy mounds. After a good tee shot, the decision must be made whether to take on a ditch that dissects the fairway some 130 yards short of the green. Approaches should ideally be worked in from right to left, using the contours, but must be perfectly executed to find an undulating green. A great thinking hole.

Closing stretch

I reached the turn three shots behind my handicap, not where I needed to be approaching the tougher nine holes. To make things worse, the rain was the heaviest it had been all day and the wind had picked up considerably. I played some good golf and managed to par four of the next six holes, a necessity given the treacherous final three, arguably the hardest closing stretch I have encountered on any golf course.

The par-4 16th is one of the most difficult holes I have ever played. It is a 470 yard monster, and plays directly uphill and into the prevailing wind. The hole doglegs to the left at 250 yards, and unless you get around the corner the green is out of reach. Lay-ups must avoid a cluster of bunkers on the right hand side of the fairway and thick, wispy rough left. The green sits some 50 yards above the level of the fairway, and is one of the smallest, thinnest targets on the course. If you walk to the 17th tee with a bogey on your card, you are thrilled.

Things don't get any easier on the 17, though. The 200 yard par 3 is the longest and hardest short hole on the course. Tee shots are hit from an elevated tee, and must carry at least 150 yards to avoid landing in cabbage. The green itself slopes heavily from back to front and is protected on all sides by thick rough and sand. If you come up short and left you will find the deepest bunker on the course, leaving a completely blind second to a green some 10 yards above the level of the sand.

Finishing it off

I had negotiated the 16th and 17th with two rather satisfactory bogeys, and I needed a par on the 18th for 35 points. Drives are hit from an elevated tee to a fairway that turns gently from right to left. Numerous fairway bunkers litter the landing and lay up areas, but you should have no more than a wedge for your third if you hit two well executed shots. The green, though, slopes significantly from back to front, and is protected by two deep pot bunkers and numerous run-off areas. I succumbed to one of the run off areas but managed to make a bogey six. I had recorded 34 points in bad conditions and, according to Jeff, had a great chance of winning.

It wasn't to be, but that didn't detract from a great day on the links. Littlestone is tough but fair, with some brilliant holes and the best closing stretch I have played. Overall, I would give the course a rating of 7/10.