Royal Cromer

Royal Cromer is the epitome of clifftop golf, with the course sitting high above the Overstrand Cliffs and looking out to the beach and the North Sea. 

14 Open Championships. That’s the total of the three men who helped shape the golf course. Old Tom Morris designed the 18-hole layout, with JH Taylor and James Braid later having their way with the course as the years went by. 

Host to the Ladies British Amateur Championship in its early years, the course was actually the birthplace of the idea for Curtis Cup, though that would only begin three decades later. 

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Royal Cromer Golf Club was founded in 1888, originally starting out life as a 9-hole venue. Incredibly, eight days before the club was officially opened, the Prince of Wales agreed to become Patron of the Club, granting the royal title. 

Henry Broadhurst, an MP at the time, laid out the original nine, but it was the great Old Tom Morris that was brought in when the course was changed into an 18-holer.  

1905 saw the venue play host to the Ladies British Amateur Championship, and shortly after that, JH Taylor was drafted in to make developments to the course. Further improvements were made a decade later by James Braid, taking the total tally of Open Championship wins by the designers of Royal Cromer to 14. 

Royal Cromer offers spectacular scenery, a rich history and top-class seaside golf. Perched on a clifftop overlooking the North Sea, this historic masterpiece is one of the finest courses on the Norfolk coast. Gorse and bracken, sandy hills and a bracing wind are your main obstacles. The Par 72 layout now plays at an extended length of 6,550 yards, with the length coming through the opening salvo of holes. 

The course begins with a quartet of par 4s, with only one of those being less than 385 yards in length. The opener is a tight dog-leg right, with a drive hit straight before you make the slight turn towards the green. Three fairway bunkers will be out of reach for all bar the longest of hitters. The 2nd is generous with is width, but there are three greenside bunkers to be wary of. The shortest of the opening set is the 3rd, at just 308 yards from the Whites. It plays as a sharp dog-leg left, with the green hidden behind a run of trees. Your tee shot must reach the corner so you have an unobstructed view of the putting surface with your second shot. The 4th is the longest par 4 on the course at 454 yards. It is arrow straight, but there are six bunkers to avoid.  

The first of Cromer’s par 5s comes at the 5th. ‘Woodside’ plays with trees on both sides of the fairway to begin with, before it opens out towards the green. At 511 yards, the bigger hitter can try and hit a high draw around the corner to give themselves a chance of reaching the green in two. The 6th is the Stroke Index 1, just to add to the difficulty of the start at Royal Cromer. It is called ‘Cliff Hanger’, and you can understand why as you stand on the tee, and look out to the North Sea and over the Overstrand Cliffs. A 453-yard par 4 lies in wait, so don’t get too distracted by the view on show. 

The 7th and 8th run in opposite directions, with the 7th running west. It is a slight dog-leg right, but there is not too much in the way of trouble on the drive, bar the three small bunkers on the fairway. The 8th is much shorter, at just 310 yards from the tips. Anything left off the tee will find thick gorse, so the play is a long iron to keep it on the straight and narrow. You will still only have a wedge into the green. You have to wait until the turn before you find the first short hole at Royal Cromer. That comes in the form of the 157-yard 9th. It might sound easy, but the small putting surface is surrounded by SEVEN pot bunkers, so good luck! 

The back nine begins with a pair of par 5s – the 10th being the longest hole on the course. It is almost 540 yards from the tips, and it is very narrow, with thick rough on either side. Finding the fairway is more important than distance, so play this as a three-shotter. 11 plays in the opposite direction so the wind will be hindering you at some point over these two par 5s. 11 features trees down its left side, along with seven bunkers – although these are all relatively small. The 12th is the shortest par 4 on the course at less than 290 yards, so some will be tempted to take it on. The fairway gets wider the further you hit it, but there is trouble behind the putting surface, so be careful on your approach. 13 is the first of two par 3s on the back side at Cromer, and the longest at 180 yards. However, there is no trouble – no sand, no gorse, no trees – at the green. The putting surface does slope away on all sides though, so aim for the middle of the green. 

The 14th is the picture-perfect hole at Royal Cromer, thanks to the fully operational lighthouse standing majestically next to the green. It is a tough par 4, dog-legging from right to left around a copse of trees, but if played well, can yield a birdie opportunity. The same can be said of 15, which turns the opposite way. Seven bunkers within the last 50 yards are the challenge to avoid. 16 is short, at just 316 yards, and played to a generous fairway, while the 17th is the shortest hole on the property at just 120 yards. Four deep pot bunkers guard the front of the green, so make sure to get your ball past them! It is a tricky par 4 to finish at Royal Cromer, with the green guarded by five bunkers, four of those being the pot variety and located down the left side of the putting surface. Trees at the back and gorse on the right make it a difficult shot for your final approach of the day.  

Greg Webber: Ongoing work including tee re-alignment and naturalisation of paths and the areas between holes is continuing to enhance the visual and playing experience

Dan Murphy: Our panel have reported back with real positivity on the direction of travel here – the presentation has been taken to the next level on this characterful clifftop course

Read more about our panellists here.

Where is Royal Cromer located?  

Royal Cromer is located on the northern coastline of Norfolk, overlooking the Overstrand Cliffs down to Overstrand Beach and Cromer Beach, and out to the North Sea. The golf club is just to the east of the town of Cromer, and just over 20 miles of the city of Norwich – the biggest city in the county of Norfolk. The A149 runs through Cromer itself, with the A148 also running to the town from Norfolk.  

Both Cromer and Roughton Road Stations are within a couple of miles from the golf club. They both sit on the same train line, which sees trains run on an hourly basis in both directions, from Norwich to Sheringham. Norwich Airport is just to the north of the city, and around 20 miles from Royal Cromer, but it does only operate limited flights. International visitors looking to travel to Norfolk to play at Royal Cromer will be best flying into either London Stansted or London Luton Airports – both of which are around 115 miles from the venue.

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

Royal Cromer is one of four venues on the Norfolk coastline that is listed in the NCG Top 100s: England, with Sheringham just a short drive along the coast to the west. Royal West Norfolk and Hunstanton are the other two venues, both of which are just over an hour from Royal Cromer.

What golf facilities does Royal Cromer offer?  

Along with the championship-standard golf course, Royal Cromer is also the home to a full-sized driving range, which sits slightly away from the clubhouse – down by the 2nd green and 3rd tee. There is a short game area by the clubhouse, which includes a chipping green and practice bunker, along with a putting green on the walk to the opening tee box.

What are the green fees at Royal Cromer?  

The price of a green fee at Royal Cromer 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 Royal Cromer visit their website here.