Littlestone Golf Club
Kent, England
(23 reviews)
Littlestone Golf Club overview
Founded in 1888 and located on Kent’s southeast coast overlooking the English Channel, Littlestone is one of England’s hidden gems. A Laidlaw Purves design originally with multiple tweaks over the years by the likes of James Braid, Alister MacKenzie and Donald Steel, there are no tricks at Littlestone with everything clearly in view from the tees.
Although overshadowed by Royal St George’s and Royal Cinque Ports, we highly recommend adding Littlestone to your itinerary, which is consistently ranked amongst the top 70 courses in England.
Littlestone Golf Course overview
A classic links course laid out over fairly flat land in one of the driest parts of Britain, which results in tight lies and fast greens, Littlestone is a challenging 6600 yards off the tips.
It is a regular Open Championship Qualifying course and although starts off gently, gets better and better as the round progresses, culminating in a final stretch of holes rivaling any in England. Look out for the views of the famous White Cliffs of Dover from the 9th green and also the distant French coast from the 17th tee, and the old brick water tower to the left of the 18th tee that is now actually someone’s house.
Signature hole
The par-3 17th hole measures 182-yards and is one of the finest par-3 holes anywhere. Depending on the wind it can be anything from a driver to 9-iron, and finding the green is a must.
Did You Know?
Alister MacKenzie was contacted in 1924 to help make improvements to Littlestone, which had been damaged extensively during World War One. He later relocated to the US and designed Augusta National amongst other masterpieces.
Accommodation near Littlestone Golf Club
The Bell Hotel
A historic 37-bedroom hotel overlooking the River Stour in the center of Sandwich town, which is less than 5 miles from three past and present Open Championship golf courses. Easy access from London.
Royal Hotel
A beautiful Georgian hotel dating back to the early 18th century, The Royal is ideally located on the seafront at Deal, which is on Kent’s east coast just 2 hours from London.
The Lodge at Prince's Golf Club
The Lodge at Prince’s offers 38 large suite-style rooms that have been built for golfers, along with multiple dining options and 27-holes of championship links golf.
