East Sussex National (West)

East Sussex National is blessed to have two great golf courses, with the West Course at the resort taking a spot on the NCG Top 100s: England list.

The idea of Brian Turner, with the design work of Robert E Cupp, saw both the West and East Courses opened at the end of the 1980s.

The West is a tough test, pushing to more than 7,000 from the tips, and with visits from the European Tour in its storied history.

You can check out our full piece on the East Sussex National resort here.

Visit the East Sussex National website here.

Go Back To NCG's Top 100s Homepage.

The history of East Sussex National dates back to the mid-1980s, with the idea coming from Canadian entrepreneur Brian Turner to create a world-class golfing venue.

Robert E Cupp was the man drafted in to create the two golf courses, having done a lot of work alongside Jack Nicklaus when it comes to golf course design.

It wasn’t too long before the club was hosting big tournaments, with the European Tour visiting East Sussex National in the 1990s for the European Open and the Qualifying School.

There's plenty of length, water, design subtleties, bunkers and, above all, slick and contoured greens to challenge us as it is. This is a fun course to putt on. It really does reward those with a good touch and who can appreciate the severity of some of the contours, which are not always apparent. However, the West course was beautifully manicured and, although tough, a fair test. The West runs out to 7,100 yards from the Golds and has plenty of trouble lurking, including water hazards, tree-lined fairways, and strategically placed bunkers. The Blues, which are the typical tees to play from, see the course play at a more comfortable 6,625 yards.

The opening hole on the West Course at East Sussex National is just 358 yards from the Blues, and it is a tricky dog-leg left par 4 The fairway is wide, but your tee shot must be down the right side of the fairway to make sure your view of the putting surface is not blocked out by the thick trees down the left side. The 2nd is the first of the quartet of par 5s – all of which are at least 500 yards. The tee shot is played through a funnel of trees, with the hole then opening out towards a row of seven fairway bunkers, which split the fairway into two sections. There are two more sand traps by the green. The dome-shaped green on the par 3 3rd – the opening short hole on the West Course - is difficult to find, especially with the water looming to the right of it.

The 4th is the Stroke Index 18, the easiest hole on the course, and you can see why. It is just 350 yards, and with a generous fairway. The green is narrow, and with four bunkers guarding it, but it should only be a wedge or low iron from the fairway. The shortest of the par 5s comes at the 5th, at just a nudge over 500. The hole is arrow straight, but it does have a narrow fairway. The longer hitters will certainly fancy their chances of getting home in two on 5. The 6th is a slight dog-leg left par 4, before you come to the longest of the four par 3s. The 7th is some 235 yards from the Golds, and still almost 200 from the Blues, so it will require a long iron or hybrid for most. Four bunkers sit in front of the putting surface, and there are plenty of runoffs on the sides of the green.

Two tricky par 4s see the conclusion of the front nine, with the 9th being the hardest hole on the opening side. The 8th is the longer of the two, coming in at 410 yards from the Blues. The miss is to the right off the tee, as there is plenty of space to the right of the fairway. Trees line the left side, while there is just the solitary bunker on the hole, on the right edge of the fairway. The front nine’s finisher is another slight dog-leg left, with the line of the tee being over the edge of the trees that are on the left side. The 9th is the start of a tough stretch of holes, with 10 and 11 also being par 4s of more than 400 yards. The 10th is a dog-leg right, with a wide fairway, but there is water in front of the green, making the second shot on this par 4 more difficult.

The 11th turns to the left, with four bunkers on the far corner of the fairway. There is another trap to the left of the putting surface. 12 is the opening par 5 on the back nine of the West Course, a hole that requires a tee shot down the right side of the first part of the fairway. Both sides are lined with trees, with the second part of the hole being lower in elevation than the first. After the par 3 13th comes the hardest hole on the course – the 444-yard par 4 14th. A slight dog-leg right, the tee shot comes through a funnel of trees, and anything leaking too far right will see you reaching into your bag for a second golf ball. The green is angled diagonally away from you, with three bunkers to the right of the surface.

The closing stretch no the West at East Sussex National begins with the 15th. A medium length par 4, playing uphill and with a generous fairway, it doesn’t sound too difficult. However, the green has a few different levels and portions, which means that the angle of attack is significant if you want to get anywhere near with your approach. 16 is the shortest hole on the course at just 110 yards from the Blues, but the green is narrow and with three sand traps guarding the right side. From shortest to longest, the penultimate hole is over 560 yards and a proper three-shotter for all bar the very longest of hitters. The final hole on the West Course is a narrow one, with trees lining both sides of the fairway. It is only 380 yards, so it is not the longest, but finding the fairway is crucial to have any chance of par, let alone birdie.

Where is East Sussex National located?

East Sussex National is where it says it is. It’s in East Sussex! It is just outside the village of Little Horsted, and only 20 miles from Eastbourne and the south coast of England. By road, the city centre of London is around 50 miles to the north. The A22 and the A26 run close by the venue.

Uckfield is the closest train station to East Sussex National, and it is the final stop on the Southern line from London Bridge. Trains run every hour in both directions, with a travel time of around 75 minutes to get to London Bridge. The station is just a couple of miles from the resort. London Gatwick is easily the closest major international airport to East Sussex National, sitting just 25 miles to the northwest of the resort. Gatwick is the second busiest airport in the country behind London Heathrow, which is 60 miles from the resort to the northwest.

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

The West Course at East Sussex National is one of several golf courses on the NCG Top 100s: England list to be in that portion of the country, south of London. Piltdown is just a few miles to the north of ESN, while the likes of Royal Ashdown Forest’s Old, Chart Hills, Rye, West Sussex and Tandridge are all within an hour from the venue.

What golf facilities does East Sussex National offer?

Not only does East Sussex National have two wonderful golf courses that exceed 7,000 yards, but the Golf Academy at the resort is the perfect place for guests and members alike to practice their skills. The Academy is home to its own 3-hole practice course, with one par 3, one par 4 and one par 5. There is also a driving range and short game area to complete the practice facilities at East Sussex National. Plans to develop and upgrade the practice facilities at the resort are in place.

What are the green fees at East Sussex National?

The price of a green fee at East Sussex National 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 East Sussex National visit their website here.

Visit the East Sussex National website here.

Go Back To NCG's Top 100s Homepage.