Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club – Old Course

Surely the most natural of all courses with not a bunker in sight. Lovely views to boot. A totally natural heathland; the absence of bunkers adds to the ethereal nature of it. With heather regeneration in full swing in addition to ditches, streams and wiry rough, RAF’s Old has few enemies.

The Top 100 Golf Courses in Britain and Ireland

Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club, founded in 1888, is ranked by Golf World magazine as one of the top 100 clubs in the British Isles. It is the home of two 18-hole golf courses - the Old and the West. The Old course is used by the R&A as an Open Championship Regional Qualifying venue and it hosted the full international match between England and Spain in 2007. Famous for having no bunkers, the Old Course's reputation as a true test of golf is undiminished thanks to uncontrived hazards of heather, narrow fairways, hollows and streams.

• Course has: Bar
• Course does not have: Buggy Hire
• Course does not have: Driving Range
• Course has: Practice Green
• Course has: Pro Shop
• Course has: Restaurant
• Course has: Trolley Hire
• Course has: Dress Code
• Course has: Club Hire
• Course does not have: Handicap

• 3 out of 5 Not what it used to be! 09 July 2015

  By Local Golfer

  This used to be a very daunting golf course with trouble everywhere; if you went off line, you lost your ball. Now it's been opened up, not only is it comparatively easy (because it's short by today's standards and no bunkers) but the holes have lost there privacy and exclusivity. In the summer too, it gets very dry and a good shot can suffer from a wild bounce.

• 2 out of 5 o k but wont be back 15 September 2009

  By bandito24

  quite a nice course but not sure how or why it is rated so highly. very randomly cared for . it is quite difficult if you are not straight but im not sure that this should give it a rateing of 45 in country. it is a nice wlk and you are aware of that by the amount of people walking there dogs on the course and that along with the hikers it does not make it too relaxing. the course is on common land and there is far too much going on for my likeing. at £75 per round you would expect better. In fact i really cant think of a reason why you would pay that amount a second time. old course club house run down, paint peeling, showers old and dirty with tiles falling off walls needs a lot of love and attention  

• 2 out of 5 o k but wont be back 15 September 2009

  By bandito24

  quite a nice course but not sure how or why it is rated so highly. very randomly cared for . it is quite difficult if you are not straight but im not sure that this should give it a rateing of 45 in country. it is a nice wlk and you are aware of that by the amount of people walking there dogs on the course and that along with the hikers it does not make it too relaxing. the course is on common land and there is far too much going on for my likeing. at £75 per round you would expect better. In fact i really cant think of a reason why you would pay that amount a second time. old course club house run down, paint peeling, showers old and dirty with tiles falling off walls needs a lot of love and attention  

• 3.5 out of 5 Keep it Straight off the tee 15 March 2009

  By steven garnham

  We used to play the East Susex national quite a lot and always drove past this course,it is quite easy to miss and not know there is a golf course tucked away behind the trees. This is a true Parkland course,most treelined with quite heavy rough along the edge of the fairways,if you drift off the fairway you will struggle to score round here.Some lovely holes that you just want to walk off with a par on,others that look easy but are not. Highly recommended but keep it on the fairways(you have been warned).

• 3.5 out of 5 Naturally wonderful 13 April 2007

  By Fazerace

  Very raw and natural. The beauty of ashdown forest is all around and it's a hard and fast course. Go too far off line and you are in the fern, the undergrowth and you won't find your ball. Lovely, lovely course...