Chart Hills

The course at Chart Hills is one of the newest golf courses on the NCG Top 100s: England list, dating back to only 1993.

Nick Faldo was the man to design the golf course, despite still being in his golfing prime at the time. Chart Hills has the distinction of being the only venue in Europe to play host to a Signature Faldo Design golf course.

The layout has played host to the Ladies European Tour and the European Tour Qualifying School over the course of its history. Maria Hjorth won the Ladies English Open in back-to-back years on the LET in the mid-2000s.

Chart Hills has recently undergone a transformation, with renovation and refurbishment pushing the course to another level. The course is well put together and still exceptionally bunkered, with undulating fairways and the odd water hazard here and there to keep you on your toes. If you want to go through a real challenge, the back tees take the layout to more than 7,100 yards. However, there are plenty of teeing options to bring that down to a more manageable length, all the way through to the 5,500-yard Reds.

You will see throughout your round that there are many holes on the course that present you with a number of different ways of attacking them. The 1st, a sweeping left to right dogleg par 5, is a great example. You could hit any club off the tee depending on how much you want to try and take off the corner, with the longer hitters perhaps aiming at the last of the four bunkers on the corner. The 2nd is a great par 4, with both your tee shot and approach played over water. The second shot is over a small stream, which really shouldn’t have too much influence on your shout. The large bunkers and row of trees behind the green might, though...

The 3rd is the opening par 3 at Chart Hills, playing 167 yards off the Blues (6,650 yards in total). Five bunkers are in view, but the putting surface is large enough that you shouldn’t have too many worries. A cracking do-gleg left par 4 follows, one where the tee shot has to be aimed out right to stay safe of two water hazards. The green is surrounded by four large bunkers, a feature of the Faldo design at Chart Hills. The ‘Anaconda’ bunker on the 5th is the largest bunker anywhere in Europe – some 200 yards in length. It winds its way down the right side of this par 5, before then dissecting the fairway in two. There is every chance that if you find it with your driver, you will play two or three shots from it.

6 is a short par 4 of just 300 yards, but with a large sand trap on the left of the fairway, and water to the right of the green, the safe play is with an iron down the right side. At 205 yards, the 7th is the longest of the quartet of par 3s at Chart Hills. The miss is left, with five bunkers to the right of this long but narrow putting surface. The 8th might be 400 yards, but it is a pretty simple hole. The fairway is wide enough, and although there is a stream running across the fairway, it is around 30 yards shy of the green, giving you plenty of space with your approach. The front nine ends with a relatively short par 4, but one that features no fewer than 12 bunkers. If you can miss them all, you have a shot at birdie.

Like the front side, the back nine also begins with a dog-leg. This time, it is to the left, and it is a par 4, but you have to carry the tee shot over sand, just like on the opening hole. 11 is one of two par 3s on the back side, and at 156 yards, with a large green, this is a birdie chance for those hitting their irons well. The 12th is a 530-yard par 5, playing slightly downhill off the tee. A good drive will give you a chance of making it to the green with your second shot, but beware of the stream, that runs across the fairway some 50 yards shy of the green. The hardest hole on the course follows at 13, one that feels like it plays much more than its yardage of 417. It is almost a 90-degree dog-leg left, with the tee shot having to be hit well out to the right, avoiding a large water hazard that sits to the left of the fairway. From there, a long approach shot is required to a green flanked by sand on its left.

That begins a tricky closing stretch at Chart Hills, with the 14th also featuring both a stream and sand. The stream is in the wrong spot for some, with the question being driver to try and get past it, or lay up short of it and have a longer second shot. 15 is a tough par 4 along the boundary of the course, with out of bounds down its left side, with the 16th being the last of the par 5s. At 499 yards, it seems like it should be relatively easy, but the 16th has 13 bunkers snaking round the fairway. Then there is the cute par 3 17th, which is 125 yards to a tiny little island green. The closing hole is a lengthy par 4, and in true Chart Hills style, you end with a approach shot to a green that is surrounded by sand.

Dan Murphy: The Chart Hills renaissance continues with course presentation hugely improved under the new ownership. Watch this space as a future rise looks highly likely in the years ahead.

Chris Myatt: Undergoing a transition. The design has always been solid but the condition of the fairways and bunkers are improving rapidly

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Where is Chart Hills located? 

Chart Hills Golf Club is situated in the southeast corner of England, a few miles west of the town of Ashford. It sits in between the villages of Standen and West Hill, with both the A229 and the M20 running close by the venue. The centre of London is just over 50 miles to the northwest of Chart Hills, while the coast of the English Channel is around half that to the southeast.

Headcorn is the nearest train station, located around three miles to the north of Chart Hills. Trains run through Headcorn from London Charing Cross to Dover Priory and Ramsgate. For those coming from further afield, London Gatwick Airport is just over an hour away, with London Stansted and London Heathrow – the latter being the busiest airport in the United Kingdom – around 30 minutes west of that.

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

Chart Hills is one of several golfing venues on the NCG Top 100s: England list to be located in the southeast county of Kent. The Open Championship trio of Prince’s, Royal Cinque Ports and Royal St George’s are all around 90 minutes to the east of Chart Hills. Littlestone and Rye are both within just 45 minutes to the south of Chart Hills, while Knole Park is the same distance to the northwest.

What golf facilities does Chart Hills offer? 

Along with the stunning Faldo-designed golf course, Chart Hills is also home to a glorious turf driving range. There is also a large putting green and a specialised short game area, both of which are high quality and provide the perfect place for golfers to hone their skills prior to their round.

What are the green fees at Chart Hills? 

The price of a green fee at Chart Hills 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 Chart Hills, visit their website here (opens in a new tab).

Visit the Chart Hills website here (opens in a new tab).

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