North Foreland

NORTH FORELAND

Par 70, 6,188 yards

Location: 1.5 miles north of Broadstairs.
Green fees: All week £40; Open week £65.
Contact: 01843 862140 or www.northforeland.co.uk

It’s not strictly a links course but there’s no denying North Foreland is a superb coastal track overlooking the cliffs near the popular seaside resort of Margate. Originally created as a nine-holer by dynamic duo Herbert Fowler and Tom Simpson in 1903, it was extended to the full 18 holes nine years after opening. Its unique coastal location, where the English Channel becomes the North Sea, provides breathtaking vistas from virtually everywhere on the par 70, 6,198 yards course which, being exposed to the elements, is a hard nut to crack.

Based on fast-draining chalk, North Foreland is in fantastic condition all-year round and boasts lightning quick greens with subtle undulations. The stirring climax features a potential card-wrecking par 4 penultimate hole followed by an even tougher final challenge. The 18th is a near 200-yard par 3 where you need to take careful aim from an elevated tee, the raised final green sitting beyond a valley.