KING’S LYNN GC – Tightest course in the UK?!
Made a trip into Norfolk (‘Naar-falk’) to play in a society day at Kings Lynn. The golf club has been in existence since 1923 and moved to its current site near Castle Rising (10 miles away from Hunstanton) The course was designed by Peter Alliss and David Thomas in the 1970s.
It is a traditional English course on a fine turf with peaty sub-soil seen on many heathland courses. Most fairways are undulating and the first fairway bunker from the tee was on the 8th! There are lots of heather but only under or by the trees not in the direct line of play – I believe it would have made the course more attractive in places if there was more heather in the ‘open spaces’.
Alliss and Thomas have been quite clever routing the course with a number of medium par 4’s with doglegs and utilising the natural slopes as well. I am surprised that they went on to design ‘Americanised’ courses which was not their forte one wonders what the Belfry would have been like if they approached it in an ’Anglicised’ way.
www.kingslynngc.co.ukEnjoy the pics and hope you all don’t get claustrophobic! Some holes took the driver out of my hands!!!
FRONT NINE
HOLE 1 – Medium straight par 4
Tee shot
Fairway
Closer view to green
Front of two tier green
Rear view
HOLE 2 – Short par 4 dogleg left
Tee shot
View from left side of fairway
Closer view of green – note the big dip left
Quite steep dip
Rear view
HOLE 3 – Medium/long dogleg left par 4 – hardest par 4 on the front side
Tee shot
View to green (right) from fairway
Clearer view to green from left side of fairway
First fairway bunker 70 yards short of green its hidden from back – I would fill this one in
Steep faced bunker as seen on older heathland and links courses
Rear view
HOLE 4 – Medium dogleg left par 4
Tee shot
Closer view of fairway
Bottom of fairway – green is left in background on a raised level
View to green from right of fairway
Looking back to tee from fairway showing the rolling landscape
Rear view from 5th tee
HOLE 5 – Short par 3
View to green from right hand tee
View to green from left hand tee - better sightline
HOLE 6 – Medium dogleg left par 4
Tee shot
View to 7th green from 6th tee
Closer view to fairway and green one of the flattest on the course
Front of green
Rear view
HOLE 7 – Medium dogleg right par 4
Tee shot
Tree in middle of fairway – original tree died and replaced by this newer one a few years back
Closer view of green
Rear view
Side view showing slope of green
HOLE 8 – Medium dogleg right par 4
Tee shot – 1st fairway bunker off tee!
View from fairway – green is uphill right
Closer view of green – KL has a number of bunkers 20/30 yards short of the green
Don’t miss left - deep bunker!
Rear view
HOLE 9 – Medium par 5
Tee shot
Fairway – green is behind a lone tree in background
Closer view of green
Valley of sin like dip if front of green
Side view of green
Rear view
BACK NINE
HOLE 10 – Medium dogleg right par 5
Tee shot
View to green from fairway
View of hole from heather/tree area
Front of green
Rear view
HOLE 11 – Long par 4
Tee shot – I would have preferred that the heather shown left to spread the area between the tee and fairway
View to green from fairway
View to green from left – flag is tucked behind bunker
Rear view
HOLE 12 – Long par 3
Tee shot
Bank in front of green
View of green from right
View to green from 11th fairway
HOLE 13 – Short/medium dogleg left par 5 – there is a ditch about 240/250 yards choice of laying up of fly it!
Tee shot
View towards green in front of ditch – I would remove the bunker in view
View to green from 100 yards
Front of green
Rear view
HOLE 14 – Long dogleg left par 4
Tee shot
View to green from right side of fairway
View of green from left side of fairway – ditch is 110 yards short of green
Closer view of green
Rear view
HOLE 15 – Short/medium par 4
Tee shot
View to green from fairway bunker
Closer view to green
Rear view
HOLE 16 – Short par 3
Tee shot
Closer view of green
Rear view
HOLE 17 – Medium dogleg left par 4
Tee shot
View to green from fairway
Closer view to green from fairway
Looking back to tee from middle of fairway showing the undulations
Front of green
Rear view
HOLE 18 – Medium dogleg left par 4
Ladies tee shot – further right of mens tee
Tee shot
View to green from fairway with clubhouse in background
Closer view to green from fairway
Front of green
Side view showing dip
Rear view from putting green
Here’s one for Mayhugh – a cocktail glass shaped mushroom in the heather!