Chapel Lane, Forest Row,
nr East Grinstead, East Sussex RH18 5LR
Office
+44 (0)1342 822 018Pro shop
+44 (0)1342 822 247Fax
+44 (0)1342 825 211Website
Visit websiteGolf pro
Tim Cowley (Head Professional) and his brother Sam Cowley (Asst Head Professional).The Course:
18 holes. Heathland course. Undulating terrain - several slopes to climb.
Surroundings:
Woodland.
Designer:
Original design by brothers and founding members William R. and Francis A. Lee; some input from the two other founding members: Robert Birch and Rev A.T. "Archdeacon" Scott. Later modifications made by Harry Hunter and longstanding Ashdown professional Jack Rowe (1897); final significant changes made by Jack Rowe (1922).
Above distances are for the Old course.
Also at Royal Ashdown Forest is the 18-hole West course (par-68; 5,537 yds from back tees). The West course was laid out as a 9-hole course in 1889 (and known as the Ladies Course), then transformed to 18-holes in 1932 in time to host the English Ladies Championship. Today the West is open to golfers of all handicaps; tee time availability is rarely a problem and 3 and 4-ball play is welcome even at weekends.
The West Course is surrounded by quiet woodland and defended by ample heather, especially in its middle section. An excellent course in its own right, its challenge lies not in length, but in the demand for accuracy and course management.
51.088759
0.042132
14 miles W of Crawley
Leave the M23 motorway at exit 10. Follow the A264 direction East Grinstead. After 5.7 mi turn right at T-junction onto the A22. Follow A22 through East Grinstead direction Eastbourne/Forest Row. In Forest Row turn left onto the B2110 direction Tun Wells. After 50 yds turn left at mini-roundabout, still B2110 to Tun Wells. After o.4 miles turn right at chapel into Chapel Lane. After o.4 mls at top of hill turn left into golf and follow signs to clubhouse.
Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club: exuding plenty of heathland and woodland charm, the delightful Old Course at Royal Ashdown Forest meanders through beautiful rolling Sussex countryside and woodland. Along the way there are many fine views to admire, out onto the surrounding wooded hills.
Set in the heart of the ancient Ashdown Forest, golfers appreciate that little has changed over the club’s long history. With longish carries from the tee boxes, and small heather-clad mounds providing good defences to the greens, the absence of any sand bunkers (due to local conservation laws) does not necessarily mean you are in for an easy time.
Heather, humps, hollows, pools and streams remain nature’s defence against shooting a low score. At 249 yards for both men and women, the downhill par-3 11th remains a bit of a monster; it's one of many excellent and challenging holes that make-up a fabulous back-nine. On the front-nine, holes like the risk-reward par-5 5th, short par-3 6th and doglegging par-4 7th are also sublime ... and all menacingly defended by water ditches.
West course: alongside the Old course, and with its own facilities in the clubhouse (and own car park), Royal Ashdown Forest is also home to the heathland-parkland hybrid West course. Shorter and at times more compact than the Old course, the also bunkerless West contains many testing and attractive golf holes. Well worth including in a day's outing to Royal Ashdown Forest.
Worth noting that the West course plays best outside of the winter months (when winter tees are continually in use). The West drains less well than the Old course after prolonged wet weather, especially its opening (1 thru' 6) and closing (14 thru' 18) stretches.
Visitors welcome on weekdays and weekends. The Old Course is traditionally a 2-ball course, i.e. singles and foursomes. 3-ball and 4-ball golf is permitted at certain times.
Must book in advance. Handicap required.
Contact club for full details, discounts, packages, etc. [Last updated: 2023].
Players generally walk this course.
Good
Ashdown Forest & Tunbridge Wells Golf Club was formed in 1888, with "Tunbridge Wells" being dropped from the name in 1901. When the great Bobby Locke played here in 1936 he went round in a score of 72, scoring 4 at every one of the 18 holes.
Queen Victoria conferred the Royal prefix on Ashdown Forest GC in 1893, based on the patronage of her cousin the Duke of Cambridge. By royal prerogative, 19 English golf clubs use the "Royal" title, namely: Ascot, Ashdown Forest, Birkdale, Blackheath, Cinque Ports, Cromer, Eastbourne, Epping Forest, Household (Windsor Castle), Liverpool (Hoylake), Lytham & St Annes, Mid-Surrey, North Devon (Westward Ho!), Norwich, St George's, West Norfolk (Brancaster), Wimbledon, Winchester, Worlington & Newmarket.
England's 35th best course (Golf World, 2023).
Britain & Ireland's 95th best course (Golf World, 2024).
Wych Cross, Forest Row, Ashdown Forest, East Sussex RH18 5JR
+44 (0)1342 824 988
Visit websiteSurrounded by Ashdown Forest, which inspired A.A. Milne's Winnie The Pooh stories, the Ashdown Park Hotel & Country Club offers luxury accommodation and amenities in the heart of East Sussex. This country house hotels offers a combination of elegance, style, award-winning dining and outstanding business and leisure facilities.
No
Royal Ashdown Forest
Hever; Piltdown; East Sussex Natl.
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