Aldeburgh (Championship)

Aldeburgh (Championship) Golf Club | NCG Top 100s: GB&I Golf Courses

Rankings

1st

20th

38th

86th

One of the oldest golf clubs in Suffolk, founded in 1884, Aldeburgh is also perhaps the most easterly situated golf course in the NCG Top 100s in Great Britain and Ireland.

The likes of Willie Fernie, Harry Colt, Willie Park Jr and JH Taylor all had a say in the design of the Championship Course, and it remains one of the great tests in southern England.

With views of the River Alde and the North Sea, Aldeburgh certainly has the scenery. The course itself is a tough test of golfers of all abilities, measuring at more than 6,600 yards without a single par-5 on the card for the men.

The course is also one to play year-round, depending on the British weather. The course plays well throughout the winter, with no preferred lies or temporary elements to the course.

Visit Aldeburgh's website here.
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A Brief History of Aldeburgh (Championship) Golf Club

Aldeburgh Golf Club is one of the oldest on our list of the best courses in Great Britain & Ireland, having been founded back in 1884.

Scotsman Skelton Anderson was the man who first saw the promise that the land Aldeburgh was constructed on had. He then enlisted countrymen John Thomson and Willie Fernie, who had won the 1883 Open Championship, to design the course.

The original clubhouse was built in 1890 and early in the 20th Century, the club lost the use of some holes south of the road into the property.

Willie Park Jr, JH Taylor, Harry Colt, Hugh Alison have all made changes to the course over the years. The latest changes came via Ken Moodie just after the turn of the 21st Century. He added new tees and more bunkering to ensure the course remained a tricky test.

The River Course, which is the second track at Aldeburgh - a 9-hole lay-out, was designed and constructed in the early 1970s. The course opened in 1975.

Aldeburgh (Championship) Review | NCG Top 100s: GB&I Golf Courses

From the back tees, the Championship Course at Aldeburgh measures 6,603 yards. That doesn’t sound too long, but when you consider that it is a par 68 and there are no par 5s, then it makes it all that bit tougher. Only two of the par 4s on the 18-hole Championship layout measure at less than 400 yards.

The course opens up with three consecutive par 4s, each over 400 yards. The 2nd features eight bunkers, five of those surrounding the green. The shortest hole on the golf course follows to provide a small period of respite. At just 119 yards, distance is not the problem with the par 3 4th. The sleeper front bunker runs all the way around the front edge of the green, and the green itself is 50 yards long.

The 5th provides incredible views of the Alde as it plays downhill from an elevated tee box. The 6th is then the hardest hole on the property. A dog-leg left par 4 requires a tee shot down the right hand side so you are able to see the green from the fairway. Another long par 4 follows before the second par 3 on the front side. At 186 yards to a shallow green, keeping it on the surface is difficult. The front nine ends with a 402-yard par 4, which features three fairway bunkers in the landing zone.

A wide fairway kicks off the back side, with an incredible hazard in the middle of the fairway at 300 yards. 10 bunkers are in play on the 11th, a 467-yard par 4, one of the longest on the course. Sleeper faced cross bunkers sit in front of the 12th green, the first sub-400-yard par 4 on the layout. A pair of dog-leg lefts, at 13 and 14, are followed by a 203-yard par-3. Bunkers surround the narrow green, on what is the longest of the 3s on the Championship Course at Aldeburgh.

The finishing stretch continues with the 478 yard par 4 16th, the longest hole on the course. Usually played into the prevailing wind, it plays more like 500, which only the big hitters reaching in two. The penultimate hole is a par 3, and the easiest hole at Aldeburgh. The Championship Course comes to a close with a 435 yard par 4, running gently uphill back towards the clubhouse.

Our Panellists Notes for 2025

Dan Murphy: Look out for some major alterations to Aldeburgh in the very near future under the careful eye of Mackenzie Ebert. The results are eagerly awaited

Steve Watton: Perhaps England’s toughest inland test? Can’t wait to return to play the new holes

David Walker: This heathland has gorse-lined fairways, firm sandy soil, no par 5s and a host of long par 4s. But my favourite hole is the famous sleeper-surrounded 120-yard 4th

Read more about our panellists here.

FAQs about Aldeburgh Golf Club

Where is Aldeburgh Golf Club located?

Aldeburgh Golf Club is located on the eastern tip of England, on the Suffolk coast. It sits next to the River Alde, which runs inland from the North Sea, with the Suffolk and Essex Coast and Heaths National Landscape to the south. Ipswich is the nearest big city, 30 miles from Aldeburgh. The centre of London is just over 100 miles to the southwest.

Saxmundham is the closest train station, a couple of miles from the entrance to the golf club. Trains run through Saxmundham on the Lowestoft-Ipswich line on a regular basis. London Stansted Airport is the nearest for international visitors who are coming to play in the eastern part of England. Stansted is situated approximately two hours from Aldeburgh by car.

Are there any other NCG Top 100s: England venues nearby?

Aldeburgh is one of four venues in the southeast of Suffolk that stakes a claim on a spot on the NCG Top 100s: England list. Thorpeness is basically next door, while Woodbridge (Heath) and the Purdis Heath Course at Ipswich are within 25 miles. Royal Worlington & Newmarket – the other Suffolk venue on the list – is 55 miles northwest of Aldeburgh.

What golf facilities does Aldeburgh Golf Club offer?

Along with the Championship Course, the venue is also home to the 9-hole River Course, which sits on the other side of Saxmundham Road. There is also a driving range next to the River Course, along with a short game area. The putting green sits by the clubhouse for those finishing touches before you take to either course.

What are the green fees at Aldeburgh Golf Club?

The price of a green fee at Aldeburgh Golf Club changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend.

For more information on current green fees at Aldeburgh, visit their website here.

Visit Aldeburgh's website here.
Go back to the NCG Top 100s Homepage.

Website

http://www.aldeburghgolfclub.co.uk/

david.wybar@aldeburghgolfclub.co.uk

Phone

+44 (0) 1728 452890

Address

Saxmundham Rd, Aldeburgh IP15 5PE

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