King's Lynn

Having celebrated its 50th year at its current location in 2025, King’s Lynn Golf Club has a history dating back more than a century.

The club was originally founded in 1921, with James Braid designing the first course. After the move to its present site, Dave Thomas and Peter Alliss combined for the very first time to produce the current 18-hole track.

A round at King’s Lynn is not necessarily about power, with accuracy being the key throughout. Trees line both sides of every hole, with plenty of dog-legs to worry about, and working out the right distance for your tee shots.

Visit the King’s Lynn website here. 

Go Back To NCG's Top 100s Homepage.

As a golf club, King’s Lynn dates back more than a century, but the current course has only been in operation since 1975.

Originally founded in 1921, the great James Braid was brought in to design and lay out the new 18-hole course. It would officially open two years later, and would be the home of the club for more than five decades.

King’s Lynn Golf Club then moved to its current location in 1975, and it was the first course to be designed by the partnership of Dave Thomas and Peter Alliss.

King’s Lynn is one of those clubs where you know as soon you arrive that you are going to enjoy yourself. You might reasonably expect to find a parkland course in a place like this but in fact this is a fast-running woodland layout with patches of heather and no shortage of doglegs. The key to success – and it is easier said than done – is to hit your tee shots not only straight but also the right length, otherwise you will spend much of the day attempting ambitious recovery shots before eventually accepting the necessity of a chip back out to the fairways.

From the very beginning, you can see that positioning your tee shots is all-important. The opening hole is long and straight, with trees lining either side. It is 380 yards, so driver might not necessarily be the play off the 1st tee. The 2nd, which looks promising on the scorecard at little over 300 yards, is one where you must hit the fairway, and preferably the right side of it at that. The 3rd and 4th turn in opposite directions and must be treated with respect. The former moves to the right, and is the Stroke Index 1 at King’s Lynn. Anything pushed too far left of the fairway may find itself running into the fields that sit next to the property’s boundary. The 4th is a hole where it is imperative that your tee shot finds the right side of the fairway, otherwise you might not have a view of the putting surface.

The first of the three par 3s at King’s Lynn comes at the 5th. It is also the shortest hole on the property at just 130 yards, and played to a small green. The approach to the green must carry all the way, with a bunker sitting in front of the surface. 6 runs along the property edge, with fields down the left side once more. The green on this 400-yard par 4 sits in the corner, with trees all around it. The 7th has one of the wider fairways on the front nine, and at 365 yards, it is another hole where drive might not be needed. Finding the short stuff is the key, before taking on your approach to the putting surface. Another dog-leg right par 4 comes at the 8th, with making it to the corner being the ideal spot once more. From there, there is a lengthy approach to a green protected by two bunkers and trees on three sides.

The front nine concludes with a par 5 that is so straight, it looks narrower than it is, seemingly no more than a corridor if your driver is not behaving itself. At 516 yards, it needs a good drive to have a chance of getting home in two, but for most, laying up to avoid the fairway bunker with your second is the right play. The 10th makes it back-to-back par 5s around the turn, and it plays as a dog-leg right. At 498 yards, it is reachable, but only if your drive puts you in play at the corner. The longest par 4 on the course then follows, with the 11th coming in at 435 yards from the tips. Another arrow-straight hole, the green is tucked away in the corner of the property, with tree protecting three sides of the putting surface.

The 12th is a long par 3, one of more than 200 yards from the back tees. It might require a fairway wood for some, and with how narrow this par 3 is, it requires a very accurate approach. 13 is the last of the par 5s at King’s Lynn, and it plays as a dog-leg left. Anything right off the tee will see you reaching into your bag for a second ball, as all there is to the right of this fairway is trees... Lots and lots of trees. If you find the right side of the fairway, there is a chance of taking a crack at this green with your second shot. Even if you don’t, it’s a good chance of getting a shot back after a difficult stretch of holes. 14 is another brute of a par 4, coming in at more than 420 yards. Another dog-leg left, the green is long and narrow, requiring two accurate shots to come away with a par.

The closing stretch at King’s Lynn features a trio of par 4s all less than 385 yards, plus a short par 3, so there is the chance to score well on the last few holes. 15 is a straight par 4, 360 yards, but a bunker on either side of the fairway can catch your eye from the tee box. The green has another bunker sitting to the front right of the surface. The 16th is the par 3, but at only 152 yards, this is gentle. The two bunkers both sit in front of the green, so as long as you carry it to the surface, you should be alright. There is some room on either side for anything slightly awry. The penultimate hole at King’s Lynn is another cracking dog-leg left par 4. At 383 yards, it is the longest of the closing quartet, and it has a wide fairway. Aim for the right side of it to give yourself the best angle to a long a narrow green that has a solitary bunker for company. Another dog-leg left brings you home. It is one where again, the right side of the fairway should be favoured, and there is a bunker sitting in front of the green, so your approach must carry all the way to the surface. Get both of those shots right, and you could come away with a birdie on 18.

Where is King’s Lynn Golf Club located?

King’s Lynn Golf Club is, as its name suggests, near the town of King’s Lynn in the north of Norfolk. It is just four miles by road from the centre of the historic town, while Peterborough and Norwich – the two nearest major cities – are both around 50 miles away from the club. The A148 and A149 are both close by the venue, while the coastline of the country is only a few miles to the north of King’s Lynn Golf Club.

King’s Lynn Station sits on the end of a train line, with services operating on a regular basis to and from London Kings Cross. Those services stop at Ely and Cambridge on route to the nation’s capital. Norwich Airport is the closest international airport to King’s Lynn, located around an hour away to the east. However, for those travelling from further afield, East Midlands Airport, London Stansted Airport and London Luton Airport are both around two hours away. The country’s biggest airport – London Heathrow – is around three hours from King’s Lynn.

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

The big four in terms of golf in Norfolk are not too far away from King’s Lynn. Royal West Norfolk and Hunstanton are within half an hour, while Sheringham and Royal Cromer are an hour away to the northeast. One of Suffolk’s finest – Royal Worlington and Newmarket – is also within an hour’s drive to the south.

What golf facilities does King’s Lynn Golf Club offer?

To the southwest of the clubhouse sits the practice ground, which includes a full-length driving range. There is also a short game area there, along with a putting green which sits between the clubhouse and the opening tee box.

What are the green fees at King’s Lynn Golf Club?

The price of a green fee at King’s Lynn 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 King’s Lynn, visit their website here.