Felixstowe Ferry (Martello)

One of the oldest courses in England, dating all the way back to 1880, Felixstowe Ferry is a historic golfing venue in Suffolk.

The Martello Course is one of two layouts at Felixstowe Ferry – alongside the 9-hole Kingsfleet Course – and it runs along the East Anglian coastline.

It is the only true links course in the county of Suffolk, and it plays like one. You will find pot bunkers galore, and have to deal with the typical sea breeze, during your time at Felixstowe Ferry.

Visit the Felixstowe Ferry website here.

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The founding date of 1880 makes Felixstowe Ferry Golf Club one of the oldest golfing venues in the whole of the United Kingdom, not just England.

Tom Dunn laid out the original golf course, and Willie Fernie – the Open Championship in 1883 – would be the Club Professional shortly after his lifting of the Claret Jug.

Shortly after the First World War, names such as Harry Colt, Alister MacKenzie and James Braid were all involved with the design and redesign of the new 18-hole layout. Martin Hawtree redesigned a trio of holes on the back nine in the late 2000s.

The 18-hole course at Felixstowe Ferry is named after the Martello Tower, which sits next to the 17th green. The building was used as the clubhouse for the first four years of the club’s history.

The Martello Course is the championship offering at Felixstowe Ferry Golf Club, and the layout is the only true links course in the county of Suffolk. There are great views over the Deben Estuary, but don't let them distract you from the challenge at hand. It is not the longest course in the world, with his par 72 layout coming in just over 6,400 yards. However, with the constant sea breeze coming in over the coastline, it won’t be that easy!

The opening hole is lengthy from the tips, at almost 430 yards, but if you can avoid the two fairway bunkers on the right side, and the road down the left side, then you will have a clear approach to the green. The 2nd is the opening par 5, coming in at 546 yards from the tips. Playing as a slight dog-leg to the right, there is a fairway bunker on either side to avoid. Two more bunkers sit 25 yards in front of the green, so if you are going for it with your second, make sure to cover those when it comes to distance. Both 3 and 4 are generous par 4s. The former is only 305 yards, and there is only one bunker, down by the green. A large fairway allows you to have a crack with driver and then it will only be a wedge into the putting surface. Your drive down 4 has to be far enough down the right side so you have a clear view of the green, as a copse of trees sits front left of the dance floor to block your view.

The 5th is the opening par 3 on the Martello Course, and it is the shortest hole on the layout at just 135 yards. A bunker on each side of the surface is the danger, guarding a small green, with a stream running some 40 yards in front, but that should not cause any trouble. The 6th is the hardest hole on the course – the Stroke Index 1. Playing as a dog-leg to the right, it plays slightly longer than its carded 449 yards. There is no danger off the tee, so it is a grip and rip type tee shot. Four bunkers down by the green make your approach more difficult. You then come to back-to-back par 5s, and the first sign of water. The tee shot down 7 – a 490-yard par 5 – is played with a stream winding its way down the left side. That stream then moves its way across the fairway, but there is plenty of space to lay up if you opt not to take on the green with your second.

The second of those par 5s is some 45 yards longer, and plays in the opposite direction. The 8th is almost 540 yards and features a stream running down the entirety of its right side. Two bunkers also are in play at the landing zone for your tee shot, while two more are down by the putting surface. For most, the 8th will be a three-shotter. The front nine ends with a mid-length par 3. The 9th is 160 yards from the tips, and is played to a green that features four bunkers around it. Anything pulled too far left might well find itself landing on the 6th green instead. The 10th is another par 5, making it three in the last four holes. Again, water is in play, mainly down the left side, and it gets wider down by the green. In total, there are six bunkers in play on 10, with two of those being cross bunkers some 70 yards from the green.

11 is a cracking little dog-leg right, which plays around the boundary of the course. Anything to the right of the fairway will be in trouble, so play out to the left. Trees sit behind the green, while two bunkers are to the front. The 12th is only 144 yards, but there is plenty of danger. Five bunkers guard the green, including three large traps in front of it. The clubhouse sits to the back right, so don’t take too much club...

From there, you’re down by the coast for the next section of the course. 13 is the first of those holes, and at 336 yards, it is a gentle par 4. Find the fairway and you should only have a low iron or wedge into the small green. The 14th tee sits in the shadow of the Martello Tower, and it is a hole that has seven small pot bunkers in play. Two are on the left of the fairway, with five more down by the green. 15 also runs along the coastline of East Anglia, and if you can avoid the three fairway bunkers (two right, one left), then you have a good chance of making birdie.

The 16th is the last of the par 3s, and the longest of those at more than 200 yards. One bunker sits to the right of the green, but it is the distance that will cause the trouble for most. The penultimate hole is the longest par 4 on the back nine, and it is one of the narrowest fairways on the course. Three fairway bunkers are in the landing zone, with another large bunker sitting in the centre of the fairway some 60 yards from the green. The final challenge on the Martello Course is a short par 4 of just 324 yards. Carry the ball far enough to each the fairway and there isn’t too much trouble from there. There are three bunkers in front of the green, but if you get your distance right with your approach, you’ll be in good shape and perhaps have a chance at making birdie on the last.

Where is Felixstowe Ferry located?

As its name might suggest, Felixstowe Ferry Golf Club is located by the coastline. It is situated just outside the town of Felixstowe on the Suffolk coast, with the course looking out over the North Sea. Ipswich, the biggest city in the county of Suffolk, is only less than 15 miles to the northwest, while the A14, which runs from Felixstowe all the way west to the southernmost point of the M6, is the best route for those driving to this part of the country.

Felixstowe has its own train station, with the station being the last stop on the line. Trains terminate at Felixstowe, before running through to Ipswich via Greater Anglia Services. London Stansted is the closest major international airport to Felixstowe Ferry, sitting some 60 miles by road to the west of the golf club. London Luton is also within 100 miles from the venue.

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

There are four Suffolk-based venues that feature on the NCG Top 100s: England list, with all of those within an hour’s drive from Felixstowe Ferry. Thorpeness and Aldeburgh are north, along the coastline, while Woodbridge (Heath) and the Purdis Heath Course at Ipswich are inland.

What golf facilities does Felixstowe Ferry offer?

Felixstowe Ferry Golf Club has a recently upgraded driving range, which now offers both covered and open-air practice bays. There is also a putting green and a short game area at the range, along with a second putting green by the clubhouse as well. The venue also has the 9-hole Kingsfleet Course, which is a great place to spend a couple of hours to hone your game.

What are the green fees at Felixstowe Ferry?

The price of a green fee at Felixstowe Ferry 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 Felixstowe Ferry, visit their website here.