232 - Royal Cromer Golf Club

Location: Cromer, England

Rating: 8.4

Next stop, Royal Cromer, a course in a setting I’ve yet to play. Set up on the cliffs of the eastern part of Norfolk and a stark contrast to Hunstanton and Royal West Norfolk, this is a bit of a hidden gem.

The club is very understated, you arrive at a small car park with an overflow area down the road, a small putting green sits in front of the clubhouse and a chipping green at the top of the hill, providing a fantastic view of the first tee. No driving range on site but a field down the road where you can take your own balls. Nothing glamorous but once you work your way through the first few holes you get a glimpse of the stunning scenery that follows.

On a Friday afternoon with a busy field, the flow was at a good rate, no real hold ups to note of with several societies in the field. The 1st is a gentle par 4, a fairway sloping drastically to the right and bending in the same direction, there is a bit of trouble but nothing to be too worried about. From there the first of the raised tees with a lovely downhill par 4 with the green nestled in front of a beautiful old farm cottage. The 4th is probably where the magic begins. The tee box sits atop a hill and offers a great view towards the cliffs and the rest of the course.

When you eventually get to the 6th, you are teeing off with the cliffs literally right beside you, luckily the 10th fairway is just to the left so plenty of space to bail out but anything wayward to the right and consider that ball gone. The 7th is a works back up the hill with a challenge hole that bends to the right and leaves an approach to a raised green nestled beneath thick gorse. The 8th leaves one of the best views from the course from the tee box with the sea to your left and the rest of the course beneath you to the right. The 9th is another great hole, a downhill par 3 with the green tucked in behind no less than 7 bunkers.

A few more holes on this part of the property follow before moving up to the top of the hill and a slightly different feel with each hole hidden from the next. The 14th has a blind tee shot with the Cromer Lighthouse in the distance. This last stretch of holes was definitely tougher with thicker bush lining each fairway. With the sun setting we came down the 18th which shares its fairway with the 1st and made our way to the bar for a beer. A stunning course, with 18 holes that offer something different from the next and in fantastic condition. With a twilight rate of £75 it is an absolute steal!