Knole Park

Knole Park is one of a number of venues on the NCG Top 100s: England list to be located south of London, but the only to be in a National Trust estate. 

The course, designed by J.F. Abercromby in the 1920s, runs through the Knole Park estate, so you’ll be sure to find a deer or two on your way round. 

Playing as a Par 70, and with newly added championship tees to extend the course by 250 yards, Knole Park is a great test of golf.

Visit the Knole Park website here.

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The history of the club dates back 100 years, with Knole Park celebrating its centenary year in 2024. 

J.F. Abercromby was the man who designed the original layout at the venue, which had to undergo reconstruction following the Second World War. 

The course was extended during those renovations, reopening again in the 1960s as the Par 70 course that we see today. New irrigation and drainage has been added in more recent years to bring the course up to another level. 

Remember Strawberry Fields by The Beatles? The video was filmed in Knole Park, with the famous foursome striding over the fairways of the golf course at times. 

The course meanders magically through Knole Park, with stunning vistas providing a magnificent backdrop to your round. It's on National Trust land adjacent to Knole Park itself – a 15th-century country house and deer park. You will certainly encounter some deer on your way round the course and that only adds to the vibe. Knole Park Golf Club is entertaining and engaging from start to finish. Its six short holes ensure you are always kept on your toes. The unusual topography, plus the bouncy, quick-draining turf, ensure you need to think carefully about your clubbing and shot selection. 

The course plays as a par 70, and from 6,669 yards off the Championship tees, that is no mean feat. The opener is the first of those six par 3s, and plays more than 190 yards from the tips. Three tough par 4s follow, all of which are over 400 yards. The 2nd does have a generously wide fairway, but four greenside bunkers make it a tricky hole. 3 and 4 cross over each other, near the 3rd green, with the latter being a dog-leg left, the right side of the hole being lined with thick trees. Anything right off the tee will see you reaching into your bag for another golf ball. 

The 5th is another long par 3, which then brings you to the hardest hole on the course. Although by this point in the round, you feel like the course has opened up and has come out of the trees, the length of the 6th hole, along with the dog-leg right and the five greenside bunkers, make it a very difficult prospect. The 7th and 9th are the two par 5s on the front side at Knole Park, with the former only 485 yards. Find the fairway and there is a definitely a chance of going for it in two. The same can’t be said of the 9th – the longest hole on the property at 566 yards. In between sits the third of the six par 3s on the course, and again, it is around the 190-yard mark. 

From the longest to the shortest, the back nine starts with the 170-yard par 3 10th. 11 is a sharp dog-leg right, and requires a solid drive just to get to the corner. Find the fairway, and you will still have at least a long iron or hybrid in hand for your second. The 12th is the longest par 3 on the course, tipping the 200-yard scale. It does play to a large green, and as long as you clear the four bunkers that sit short of the putting surface, there is not too much trouble. 13 could be drivable for some at 325 yards, but most will hit an iron to this wide fairway to give themselves the best chance of coming away with a par, if not birdie. 

The closing stretch at Knole Park begins with the longest par 4 on the course – the 499-yard 14th. There is a wide fairway, meaning you can go at your drive a bit more than you might possibly otherwise. However, a narrow green with trees right and sand left, and coming in with one of the longest clubs in your bag, that makes it tough! Like the front side, the back nine also has its pair of par 5s late on. They come at 15 and 17, with both coming close to 550 yards in length. The former turns to the right off the tee, and features no sand traps, while the 17th has three fairway bunkers and a pair of traps either side of the green. In between lies the sixth and final par 3 – the 16th – with the closing hole being a 440-yard par 4. Again, there is a wide fairway to aim at, though anything wildly right will go out of bounds. The green is generous, but two large bunkers to the left are there to guard it. 

Greg Webber: An expansive, picturesque course where the fairways are shared with the deer. Changes in elevation make it a challenging par 70

Sean Arble: Despite some prosaic holes, there are enough lovely examples wonderfully dispersed to keep the golfer engaged. Another positive aspect is one cannot imagine this course would exist anywhere but England

Dan Murphy: A endlessly interesting design on a piece of land that is dramatic in places. Judicious tree removal would make it even better in my eyes

Read more about our panellists here.

Where is Knole Park located?  

Knole Park is situated in the southeast portion of England, by the nearby town of Sevenoaks. The city of London is only 30 miles away to the northwest by road, with the golf club located right by the M25/M26 junction, while the A21 and A25 both run close by the venue. The golf club runs through the National Trust location of Knole Park.  

Sevenoaks is the location of the nearest train station to the golf club, just over a mile from Knole Park. The station sees train run through to London Charing Cross and London Blackfriars, from Dover Priory and Hastings in the southeast. When it comes to international travel, guests looking to play at Knole Park are spoilt for choice. All of London’s five major airports – Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and London City – are within a 90-minute drive. London Gatwick is the closest of those, just 25 miles west of Knole Park.  

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

South of London, there is an abundance of high-quality golf courses, with plenty of venues on the NCG Top 100s: England list being situated in that part of the country.

The Addington, Tandridge, Royal Ashdown Forest (Old), Piltdown, Chart Hills, New Zealand, St George’s Hill and Walton Heath, with its Old and New Courses, are all within an hour’s drive from Knole Park. 

What golf facilities does Knole Park offer?  

Along with the golf course, Knole Park also has its own high-quality practice facilities. There is a driving range to the north of the property, which has both matted and grass tees. There are also two practice greens as part of the short game area, with a pair of bunkers next to one of them to work on those tricky sand escapes. Finally, the putting green sits just outside the clubhouse, and in view of the 1st tee. 

What are the green fees at Knole Park?  

The price of a green fee at Knole Park 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 Knole Park visit their website here.