Royal Norwich

When a club has 125 years of history, it is a huge decision to up sticks and move, but that is what Royal Norwich have done in recent years.

Ross McMurray of European Golf Designs was brought in to create a brand new haven for the club, and he did exactly that at Weston Longville.

Today, just a few years on from its unveiling, the new track at Royal Norwich can run as far as 7,200 yards in length, with sand, trees and water all lying in wait.

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The golf club was formed in 1893, with the original course being a 9-hole layout. It was extended to 18 holes within just a few months.

James Braid was brought in following the First World War to redesign the golf course, and in the years since, it hosted the likes of the Martini International Tournament and the Ladies British Open Amateur Stroke-Play Championship.

In 2019, the club embarked on a very ambitious project – moving homes after 125 years. The move has succeeded, though, with the new course being designed by Ross McMurray of European Golf Designs.

In just a few years, the new layout has played host to England Golf County Men’s Final and the England Girls Championships.

Ross McMurray’s design took acreage that contained a 400-year-old woodland and supercharged it. It’s a truly fabulous setting, the mature Scots pines and ancient trees combined with the European Golf Design chief’s trademark bunkering and contoured greens to provide a course that’s meant to be fun for all golfers. Not that it can’t pack a punch when required. Royal Norwich can stretch past 7,200 yards from the back tees, but landing areas from the tee are generally generous. Some of the putting surfaces are incredibly sloped but the breaks and run offs really come into play when a shot isn’t correctly struck. Find the preferred angle from your tee shot and hit the right iron and you’ll find the space for your ball to come to rest.

The opening hole is rather gentle despite measuring 375 yards from the tips. Anything down the left side of the fairway is a good start to your round, as it will give you the best view of the green. The 2nd is the first of the four glorious par 3s on the layout. Middle of the green is the safe play, even though it is only 150 yards in length. Anything missing this surface, due to the large runoffs, will find themselves with a tricky up-and-down to save par. The opening par 5 comes at the 3rd. At 555 yards, and playing as a sharp dog-leg left, this is a definite three-shotter, but it does have one of the more inviting tee shots in the round, allowing to really try and get your drive out there as far as you can. The approach plays slightly longer with the green sitting at the top of a small rise, and guarded by three bunkers in front of the surface.

The 4th is a longer par 3, at 180 yards, and it requires another accurate iron shot. The front part of the green is wider than the back, so play for that if you are unsure about your distance to the flag. At 465 yards, the 5th is the longest of the par 4s. A drive to a wide landing area, avoiding the fairway bunker on the left is key, before you try and get on in two. Approaches to this surface cannot be run up the front as there is another trap in the way, so flighting your approach all the way is the only way of finding the green. The 6th is a classic dog-leg, turning almost 90 degrees to the right. The very longest of hitters might fancy their chances at covering the two bunkers on the inside corner, but for the majority, playing down the left side is the only way to go about navigating the tough 6th at Royal Norwich.

575 yards and to a narrower fairway than most, the 7th is a tough test. Avoid the large oak tree on the right with your tee shot, and you’re in play. From there, there is a solitary fairway bunker that might be a good line for your lay up, before playing to the green. Despite this being a par 5, a par is a very good score on 7. The 8th plays as a dog-leg left, and if is a hole that you could easily find at any course in Surrey. An undulating fairway must be found on this 440-yard par 4 to give you the best chance of making it to the green in two. The front nine comes to a close with another par 5, this time one of only 530 yards. Find the wide part of the fairway before the hole moves from left to right, and you might just have a chance at reaching in two. However, four bunkers protect the green, so laying up short of the first of those might be the safer play.

10 is also a slight dog-leg left, and one where the right side is good off the tee. Don’t go too far right, though, as you will find yourself among the trees. Either short or long is the miss on the 188-yard, par 3 11th. Left and right will either find you in a greenside bunker or down a steep run-off and struggling to make par. 12 is the longest hole on the course, pushing back to more than 600 yards from the tips. This par 5 has rolling links-style fairways, and it is imperative that you play from them to have a chance at making par. Your drive needs to avoid the bunker on the right side of the fairway, before then avoiding the two more traps in the lay up area. From there, the green is shallow, and is well protected. This is a wonderful par 5, no matter which tees you play from.

13 and 14 are both sharp dog-legs, and two of the most interesting holes on the property. The 13th turns to the left, and features a bunker slap-bang in the middle of the fairway. The green is almost 50 yards long, so make sure you work out your distance before selecting your club of choice. 14 turns the other way, and the longest hitters might fancy their chances on this 320-yard par 4. However, six bunkers are in play, and the safe option is to lay up out to the right, avoiding all the trouble. The 15th tends to play longer than its carded yardage of 460, which already makes it one of the toughest holes at Royal Norwich anyway. The right side of the fairway is the key area, as it gives you the best line to one of the smallest greens on the layout.

The closing stretch at Royal Norwich begins with a tight, 400-yard par 4, and one where driver might not necessarily be the right play off the tee. It turns sharply to the left, and the fairway may well run out too soon if you use the big stick. Get your tee shot to the corner, and then make sure you do not miss this green on the right due to the steep runoffs. The par 3 17th stretches to 164 yards off the back tees. The signature hole on the course has a huge lake, angled green, and clever bunkering means a good score is never assured. The final hole is the shortest of the par 5s at 530 yards. It turns to the right, with the aiming point off the tee being the two bunkers on the far side of the fairway. Then, you have a decision to make – do you go for it with your second, or do you choose to lay up? Whichever you decide, make sure you hit a good shot, as there is plenty of danger on the last at Royal Norwich.

Where is Royal Norwich located?

As its name suggests, Royal Norwich Golf Club is located near the city of Norwich. It sits to the northwest of Norfolk’s largest city, between the villages of Lenwade and Weston Longville. The city centre of Norfolk is 12 miles from Royal Norwich, along the A1067. The A47 and A140 also run close by, with the latter taking you north towards the coastline of England.

Thanks to its proximity to the city, Norwich Airport is only ten miles away from the golf club. For a wider range of flight destinations, London Stansted and London Luton are around 100 miles to the southwest of Royal Norwich. Norwich is also the home of the closest train station, with a range of services running towards London Liverpool Street, Great Yarmouth, Liverpool Lime Street and even Stansted Airport.

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

The county of Norfolk has a number of great venues on the NCG Top 100s: England. Sheringham and Royal Cromer are within 25 miles, while Hunstanton and Royal West Norfolk are only slightly further away from Royal Norwich. To the south, the likes of Royal Worlington & Newmarket, Aldeburgh and Thorpeness are all inside 60 miles.

What golf facilities does Royal Norwich offer?

Along with the cracking 18-hole layout, Royal Norwich also has a 6-hole Academy Course to help fine-tune your game. The club also has a covered driving range with TopTracer technology, along with a short game area and a putting green that sits next to the clubhouse.

What are the green fees at Royal Norwich?

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