Bermuda
Member
I have moved house and now live in the heart of East Sussex and want to join a club, my main criteria is a good course with really good practice facilities and it needs to drain fairly well, any suggestions would be very welcome
Membership in East Sussex
- Thread starter Bermuda
- Start date
hairball_89
Club Champion
East Sussex National - 2 courses, excellent practice facilities
Crowborough Beacon - top top course, well draining. Not sure of practice facilities though
Lewes - course open and always in good condition as it's right on top of the downs, best greens in the area through the winter certainly IMO. Range is a bit of a let down
Dale Hill - 2 courses, good practice facilities
The Nevill - "over the border" in Tunbridge Wells, but excellent course.
Crowborough Beacon - top top course, well draining. Not sure of practice facilities though
Lewes - course open and always in good condition as it's right on top of the downs, best greens in the area through the winter certainly IMO. Range is a bit of a let down
Dale Hill - 2 courses, good practice facilities
The Nevill - "over the border" in Tunbridge Wells, but excellent course.
Canary Kid
Assistant Pro
East Sussex National near Uckfield ... two great courses. Not the cheapest though.
howbow88
Hacker
I played ESN a few years back in the Autumn and got chatting with one of the greenkeepers half way though the round, who said 'as you can probably tell, this isn't really a Winter course'. Pretty wet. Lovely in the Summer though, but it is very much a 'resort'. Both courses are nice and wide, so give it a whack and you'll nearly always find it.
Crowborough Beacon is nice but I have only played it once, in the middle of Summer.
Lewes is good and does drain well. This will sound ridiculous but I wouldn't suggest it to a driver (as in car) who lacks confidence. To get up there, you need to drive up a single lane road for about a mile, with very few passing points. The start of the climb is the worst bit and you can see it on Google Streetview. Other than that strange little thing, it's a really good course, with lots of good views.
Piltdown is also a nice course, but again, I don't know what it is like in the Winter.
Crowborough Beacon is nice but I have only played it once, in the middle of Summer.
Lewes is good and does drain well. This will sound ridiculous but I wouldn't suggest it to a driver (as in car) who lacks confidence. To get up there, you need to drive up a single lane road for about a mile, with very few passing points. The start of the climb is the worst bit and you can see it on Google Streetview. Other than that strange little thing, it's a really good course, with lots of good views.
Piltdown is also a nice course, but again, I don't know what it is like in the Winter.
Bermuda
Member
Thanks guys you have been a great help ???
SammmeBee
Journeyman Pro
And certainly not dry!!!
ADB
Journeyman Pro
I have recently joined ESN on their Flexible Scheme - min payment is £450 but that gets you 100 credits to be used throughout the year, and you can top-up as well. Its true the courses do get wet in Winter, but i've always enjoyed playing both even in these conditions. You can play in competitions but cant win any board trophys.
Depends what you want from a Club - if its Social events and a 'Club Feel' probably ESN isn't the one, but for the quality of course x 2 - I think its the best Club in East Sussex.
Canary_Yellow
Journeyman Pro
A pointless addition to the thread from me....
The Nevill is in East Sussex. The clubhouse and carpark are quite literally on the border with Kent.
Foxholer
Blackballed
R&A Course lookup compromises....Region ESX; Town/City: Kent!
Canary_Yellow
Journeyman Pro
Haha! That's funny
hairball_89
Club Champion
Yes, but depending on where 'the heart of Sussex is' he may be closer to Tunbridge Wells than places like ESN!
Canary_Yellow
Journeyman Pro
Absolutely! Sorry, my post was entirely trivial in nature!
arnieboy
Challenge Tour Pro
Depending on your location Seaford Blatchington is a great course with very good practice facilities.
hairball_89
Club Champion
Good shout, it certainly used to have a touch of a 'stuffy' reputation, but that may have changed? Also being up on the chalk, drains excellently like Lewes.
And @Canary_Yellow, I've just re-read your post... I missed your point completely!
howbow88
Hacker
I've never played Seaford, as I just cannot bring myself to drive down there and then not go with Seaford Head. I love that place so much, and have never played a better closing hole in my life.
TeeRev
Newbie
Another vote for Seaford Golf Club, Over the last couple of years I've steadily moved there full time from Seaford Head which is an excellent Municipal Course but "Blatch" although more expensive is way better in many ways and I think much better value.
Last winter was really wet and the course was playable all through, there were only a couple of closed days and not many carry only days which was much better than all of the central Sussex courses which I heard were closed a lot of the time.
The practice facilities are excellent, a large putting green, another separate practice putting green with a couple of bunkers and areas for chipping/pitching, as well as a large grass driving range and a three hole academy course. The course itself is quite a bit tougher than the "Head" but it's in great condition right now with the greens as good as I've ever seen them.
Chris Lovis is the Pro and you couldn't meet a nicer bloke, really helpful and a good teacher, the Pro Shop is well stocked and he always does good prices. There's also a proper clubhouse serving good beer and food with friendly helpful staff and there is a first year deal for new members available right now.
Last winter was really wet and the course was playable all through, there were only a couple of closed days and not many carry only days which was much better than all of the central Sussex courses which I heard were closed a lot of the time.
The practice facilities are excellent, a large putting green, another separate practice putting green with a couple of bunkers and areas for chipping/pitching, as well as a large grass driving range and a three hole academy course. The course itself is quite a bit tougher than the "Head" but it's in great condition right now with the greens as good as I've ever seen them.
Chris Lovis is the Pro and you couldn't meet a nicer bloke, really helpful and a good teacher, the Pro Shop is well stocked and he always does good prices. There's also a proper clubhouse serving good beer and food with friendly helpful staff and there is a first year deal for new members available right now.
TeeRev
Newbie
I have to agree with you on the 18th at the "Head", it's a spectacular hole, Peter Allis rated it as one of the ten most beautiful holes in the world when he opened the new clubhouse a few years ago, the rest of the course is pretty good as well and I still really enjoy playing there occasionally.
I can actually see the Head's 1st and the 18th from my bed when I open the blinds in the morning and most of the rest of the course from my roof terrace, unfortunately for the reasons I've stated above the facilities at Blatch do make it the better course overall.
I have to go out onto my back balcony to see the 9th/10th holes at "Blatch", to be realistic the view across the bay when you're up there playing them is pretty damn good as well so why don't you come along and give it a try, I'll happily take you round as my guest.
arnieboy
Challenge Tour Pro
A great post, sums the club up perfectly.
hairball_89
Club Champion
Well it looks like I need to get down to Seaford and not go to Seaford Head. Maybe I can convince them to let me on and just play the back 9 after 18 at Blatchington?! The "to play" list for 2021 is growing ever longer!
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Bermuda
Member
I am the guy that started the thread, I live in Wadhurst, and I believe the Neville is in Kent
