Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club

Royal Cinque Ports was the first stop on a week-long trip to the UK starting off in Deal and what a fantastic course to start with. Situated on the South East coast of England and in a mini golfing mecca that includes Royal St Georges and Prince’s, it is a traditional links course with a traditional feel to it. An old school clubhouse, driving range out in the field and a course that still mandates long socks. The first hole is rather straight forward with an interesting set up playing parallel to the clubhouse. From the second hole onwards is where the magic begins. The best way I describe it is a puzzle. Whilst it does not have the high dunes of other notorious links courses, it has just enough to keep you second guessing every tee shot. Little undulations protect the fairways, some slightly large ones protect the greens and that’s not even to mention the large pot bunkers littered everywhere. The second hole is the perfect example, on the face of it it is nothing more than a straight, 330 meter par 4 but when you get up to the tee box all you see is subtle undulations that kick your ball one way or another. The front 9 is great, the majority of the holes run along the coast and offer stunning views. After 9 you reach the halfway house, grab a sausage roll, a refreshment and head out for the back 9. The stretch of 15-17 are some of the best holes in golf, the undulations come out of nowhere, all of a sudden there’s bigger drops and sharper turns in the holes. The 16th might have one of the craziest openings to a green I’ve seen, huge pot bunkers protecting the left side, large waste bunkers down the right and through the middle isn’t a flat piece of land. Once you get onto the green you’re then greeted with a multi-tiered complex with run offs in all places. Royal Cinque Ports is one of the most strategic courses I’ve played and one that most definitely requires a few rounds before truly getting to know the intricacies of it. Thanks to them for their reciprocal agreement with Royal Cape and generous hospitality.

Wat een ervaring om hier te spelen. Een echte links die iets of wat saai start met hole 1 voorlangs het clubhuis waar een beetje een slice zo naar binnen kan vliegen. Daarna begint het. Goed geplaatste punkers en gigantische greens en run off area’s waarbij vaak het stuk tussen green en tee helemaal gemaaid is. De rough was op sommige plekken goed hoog, maar vaak konden we de ballen wel vinden. We speelden mee met een wedstrijd en we hadden vanaf hole 2 regen tot de laatste hole. Toen klaarde het weer op. Dus echte links condities, maar dan net over de top. Uiteraard een uitgebreide proshop en daarnaast ook prima ontbijt en lunch in het clubhuis waar het barst van de historie. Tevens een mega puttinggreen en een typisch kleine drivingrange zonder overkapping, maar dit keer wel dicht bij het clubhuis. Vriendelijke mensen ook, zeker ook de dame in de halfway house.

Quel magnifique parcours plus typé nature. Le retour est dantesque avec des reliefs déments! L’entretien est superbe!

RCP is an amazing venue on the coast. The holes are creative, diverse & true links. A traditional links the front 9 heads out along the coast before looping and then heading back. The favorite hole for me would be the par 5, 16th. The quality of the greens and turf was excellent. , We played Royal Cinque Ports as part of a 54 hole loop, the Hagen54. When practicing for the 1920 Open, Walter Hagen and Jim Barnes played all three links as if they were one course.

I played it as part of the Hagen54 and decided to approach it a little differently than usual. I started on hole 11, completing the back nine first before moving on to the front nine. The back nine was enjoyable, but it simply could not match the beauty and character of the front nine. That stretch was the real highlight of the round. This was a true links experience with the wind sweeping across the fairways and the challenge of well-placed pot bunkers demanding precision on every shot. I loved every moment of it. The course was in excellent condition and the views from the top of the bank were nothing short of spectacular. I will definitely return to play it again and soak in that unforgettable atmosphere.