[Ben Stephens]

SEACROFT (1895) – Lincolnshire's only Championship Seaside Links Course

Designer – Tom Dunn

"Lying in noble splendour as the only true seaside links on the East Coast between Hunstanton and Seaton Carew, comparatively little known, but it is an absolute gem"
DONALD STEEL (Classic Golf Links)

This is the only Seaside Links Course in Lincolnshire. I first played it 10 years ago and can remember the old clubhouse and the golf course. Last week I made my second visit after a long travel to Skegness from the Midlands (made longer by poor roads, tractors and speed cameras!!) I was disappointed to see the old clubhouse replaced by a poorly designed new clubhouse – the old one was grander and white rendered building which is more suited to the contextual surroundings.


Image of New Clubhouse and 1st tee

I played in a pro-am that my club pro came second with an impressive 68. We played the back nine first and then the front nine – my camera ran out of battery hence the black and white images from my mobile phone.

I got some comments seasoned pros that had better knowledge of the course than I had, they complained that there has been a lot of tree/gorse removal, the course being too short and the fairways were in bad condition.

I believe that this course has a lot of potential but it is not being fulfilled maybe due to a lack of money invested into the course and the approach taken by the club to make it more of a holiday course rather than a championship course.

I have read Ran’s review of Seacroft in 2000 in the Courses by Country Section which also has a photo of the old clubhouse. Here is the link to that article – http://golfclubatlas.com/courses-by-country/england/seacroft1

Seacroft’s website - http://www.seacroft-golfclub.co.uk/

All Hole yardages from the medal tees.

FRONT NINE –  3381 yards par 36


HOLE 1 -   409 yards par 4 SI 9
Medium/Long par 4 opening hole into prevailing wind


Hole 1 – view from tee


Hole 1 – view from fairway


Hole 1 – fairway cross bunker


Hole 1 – closer view to green from fairway


Hole 1 – rear view


HOLE 2 – 369 yards par 4 SI 5
Medium length par 4 to raised green


Hole 2 – view from tee – unfortunately I had my worst shot here – a push slice in a left to right crosswind and hit one of the houses on the right!


Hole 2 – view of fairway from 1st green


Hole 2 – view from right of fairway


Hole 2 – closer view to green from fairway


Hole 2 – view of right slope of green


Hole 2 – rear view


HOLE 3 – 341 yards par 4 SI15
Short/Medium par 4 with blind tee shot over hill down to a small valley area then up to a raised green


Hole 3 – view from tee, a blind shot over a marker post


Hole 3 – view to green from marker post


Hole 3 – view from fairway


Hole 3 – rear view


HOLE 4 – 184 yards par 3 SI 11
Medium/Long par 3 to raised upside down bowl like green


Hole 4 – view from tee


Hole 4 – view from 15th fairway


Hole 4 – view from fairway


Hole 4 – view from front right of green


Hole 4 – view from right of green, runoff area and pot bunker


Hole 4 – rear view


HOLE 5 – 439 yards par 4 SI 3
Long par 4 with flat fairway which gives hole a bit of inland feel


Hole 5 – view from tee


Hole 5 – view from fairway


Hole 5 – view from right of fairway


Hole 5 – rear view from 6th tee


HOLE 6 – 343 yards par 4 SI 17
Short/Medium length par 4 downwind to a well bunkered long and narrow green


Hole 6 – view from tee


Hole 6 – view from right of fairway


Hole 6 – view from right of green


Hole 6 – rear view


HOLE 7 – 422 yards par 4 SI 1
Long par 4 aptly named Spion Kop for the mound on the right hand side of fairway where the 6th tee is on top of.


Hole 7 – view from tee


Hole 7 – view from right of fairway


Hole 7 – view from fairway


Hole 7 – closer view to green from fairway, green obscured by a mound in front of green


Hole 7 – view of 7th fairway from 6th tee, the 13th green and practice area in background (not great picture quality!)


Hole 7 – view of green from 6th tee


Hole 7 – view of green from 8th medal tee


Hole 7 – rear view showing mound in front of green


Hole 7 – rear view


HOLE 8 – 390 yards par 4 SI 7
Medium length par 4 with blind second shot to green if on left side of fairway (safe area)


Hole 8 – view from tee, road is out of bounds – a scary tee shot


Hole 8 – view from fairway


Hole 8 – blind view to green from left of fairway


Hole 8 – closer view to green from left


Hole 8 – rear view


HOLE 9 – 484 yards par 5 SI 13
Short par 5 into prevailing wind on furthest point away from clubhouse


Hole 9 – view from tee


Hole 9 – view from fairway


Hole 9 – view from left side of fairway


Hole 9 – view from right side of fairway


Hole 9 – fairway bunker!


Hole 9 – closer view to green from fairway


Hole 9 – view of green from left side


Hole 9 – rear view

[Ben Stephens]

BACK NINE – 3111 yards par 35


HOLE 10 – 153 yards par 3 SI 18
Short par 3 with green on top of ridge


Hole 10 – view from tee


Hole 10 – closer view to green


Hole 10 – view to right side of green


Hole 10 – rear view of green


HOLE 11 – 538 yards par 5 SI 4
Medium/Long par 5 downwind


Hole 11 – view from tee


Hole 11 – view from fairway


Hole 11 – closer view to green from fairway


Hole 11 – view to right side of green


Hole 11 – rear view


HOLE 12 – 210 yards par 3 SI 12
Uphill long par 3, last time I played this hole it was surrounded by gorse bushes now all of it has been cleared which exposes the hole more. I believe it would have been a better hole if it was a short par 4 dogleg left with tees located behind the 11th green which will bring a rumpled fairway into play more.


Hole 12 – tee shot


Hole 12 – front view of green showing rumpled fairway before green


Hole 12 – rear view


HOLE 13 – 499 yards par 5 SI 6
Short/Medium par 5 dogleg right to a well guarded raised green


Hole 13 – view from tee


Hole 13 – view from right of fairway


Hole 13 – deep fairway bunker


Hole 13 – closer view to green from fairway


Hole 13 – shelter in dune


Hole 13 – deep front left greenside bunker


Hole 13 – rear view


HOLE 14 – 175 yards par 3 SI 16
Medium par 3 downwind


Hole 14 – view from tee


Hole 14 – view to front of green


Hole 14 – rear view


Hole 14 – view from 15th tee showing how high the green is on top on ridge


HOLE 15 – 400 yards par 4 SI 2
Medium par 4 with blind tee shot


Hole 15 – view from tee


Hole 15 – view from fairway


Hole 15 – rear view


HOLE 16 – 313 yards par 4 SI 14
Great short par 4 using mounds as an effective centreline hazard


Hole 16 – view from tee
 

Hole 16 – view from fairway


Hole 16 – closer view to top of mound


Hole 16 – view to front of green from top of mound


Hole 16 – rear view


HOLE 17 – 414 yards par 4 SI 18
Medium par 4 through a shallow valley


Hole 17 – view from tee


Hole 17 – view from right of fairway


Hole 17 – view to front of green


HOLE 18 – 409 yards par 4 SI 10
Medium length par 4 finishing hole with a camber shaped fairway


Hole 18 – view from tee


Hole 18 – view to fairway from right side of 17th green


Hole 18 – view from left of fairway looking back to tee and 17th green


Hole 18 – view from left of fairway showing camber in fairway


Hole 18 – view of green from front left side


Hole 18 – rear view

[Ben Stephens]

Here are two additional images taken from the clubhouse of what the bunkers on the course were like in the early year – large flashed up sand bunkers

[Jamie Barber]

Gents, would you recommend a visit? I'm visiting the in-laws in December and have a free day. They are close to Woodhall Spa so planned to visit there (played it already a couple of times), but I've never played Seacroft ...

[Scott Warren]

Looks like there are some great greens there, Ben. Cheers.

[Anthony Gray]

  Ben,

  Well done. I love the bunkers place at the bottom of the mounds. I love the hole that huhugs the road. Is the second shot blind?

  Anthony

[Adrian_Stiff]

Nice pics Ben, some interesting holes there

[Ben Stephens]

Jamie - I would recommend playing there - the greens are interesting shapes and there are subtle hollows and bumps on the fairways as you would see on a typical links course - if I were you I would stick with Woodhall Spa and Seacroft if you are in this area. Another one I've enjoyed playing is Sleaford - an inland links - great drainage perfect for winter golf with interesting shaped greens. The greens at Seacroft roll very well this time of year but the fairways are in poor condition but that does not eliminate the fun aspect of playing this course.

Anthony - the hole that hugs the road is the 8th - the b/w photos do not show the hole well - my camera ran out of battery!! yes the 2nd shot is blind if you go left off the tee - it is semi blind if you go closer to the road off the tee.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Gents, would you recommend a visit? I'm visiting the in-laws in December and have a free day. They are close to Woodhall Spa so planned to visit there (played it already a couple of times), but I've never played Seacroft ...

Yes Jamie it's an excellent fun course and I'd welcome your opinion of the place.  Superficially it resembles the land Princes is built on with a series of small dunes parallel to the coast.  However Dunn and Later Sir Guy Campbell sized the opportunities this presented.  Par 3’s that play plateau to plateau, drives to blind fairways and some excellent use positional blindness on the two shotters.  Although Campbell worked on Princes he was forbidden to have any blindness there by the owner.


There are a no of memorable holes and at least at the start it reminds you of Hunstanton running out along a road. My favourite is 13 where Tom Doak mentions a notable choice is offered the golfer. After hitting your drive you have to choose between the direct rout of 200 yards pus across some broken ground OR to continue in the direction you’ve just hit over a ridge of dunes to a hidden fairway.  The line of charm was never more deadly. You can see it in Ben’s photo. The green is to the upper right of the photo and the hidden fairway is in the centre ( I believe it's not that hidden as it should be in this photo as it was taken from high ground?)


Hole 13 – view from right of fairway


Both times I’ve been there was at Easter and the ground wasn’t so patchy as that but it’s a little rough and ready.  A very friendly place and (at least it used to be) good value for money.

I am sure that this place can be blown apart by a top level golfer on a calm day but for most of us a little wind and we are going to have fun seeing our ball hit the green and then run off again.  I hope you do make it Jamie this course deserves to be better known.


Thanks for the excellent report Ben.

[Ben Stephens]

Thanks Tony - at Hole 13 the green can be easily reached if you have a good drive we all went too far right rather than hit left of that deep fairway bunker. The winning pro had a 67 it is the kind of course where you can get lots of birdies as well as bogies.

Seacroft can easily be extended by 1,000 yards due to its space available but in some ways it would lose the fun aspect. I have not played a course before where there are 6 consective holes that is not a par 4! Fromm Hole 9 to 14 it goes 5,3,5,3,5,3!!! Having played the back nine 1st I had played 7 par 4's in a row from 15 to 3! 

Cheers
Ben

[Sean_A]

Ben

Thanks for the pix. I think the course looks VERY good.  Tony is right, it sort of reminds me of a mix of Hunstanton, Princes and Weston super Mare.  A lot of ground hugging stuff with sudden rises (very similar to WsM). 

Ciao

[Mark_Rowlinson]

My wish came true! Lo and behold a tour of Seacroft. Thanks Ben. There is a map on the wall of the boardroom which is a proposed rebuild of the course by MacKenzie. It didn't use the new land they had obtained and therefore wasn't carried through. Obviously someone at the club didn't think much of Mac's effort for they tore the map in half. Nick Leefe has a photocopy which one day he'll scan for Mac buffs.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Ben, it looks very soft and green - is that just the lighting or does it play that way?

No Brian  its  true links.

[Ben Stephens]

Ben, it looks very soft and green - is that just the lighting or does it play that way?

Brian,

I last played Seacroft 2 yrs ago - it was a damp and mild November - links courses look greener in the winter but it was firm playing conditions as far as I can remember. It is underrated and I always look forward to playing it as there are so many different holes rather than one playing like the other. The short par 4 16th has a big rough mound in front of the green which is an effective hazard and the 18th fairway has a big spine going through the middle. Time you went to Skeggy!

Cheers
Ben

[Ben Stephens]

My wish came true! Lo and behold a tour of Seacroft. Thanks Ben. There is a map on the wall of the boardroom which is a proposed rebuild of the course by MacKenzie. It didn't use the new land they had obtained and therefore wasn't carried through. Obviously someone at the club didn't think much of Mac's effort for they tore the map in half. Nick Leefe has a photocopy which one day he'll scan for Mac buffs.

Mark

I think you mean the boardroom in the old clubhouse the new one recently built is a poor 'cheap' replacement aesthetically. Would look forward to see Mac's recommendations as there is far more land beyond the south of the course by the 10th and 11th holes.

Cheers
Ben
 

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