Links ClassicChampionship Venue

Hunstanton Golf Club

Hunstanton, Norfolk · Designed by George Fernie (1891); revised by James Braid & James Sherlock · Est. 1891

Hunstanton, on the north-west Norfolk coast at Old Hunstanton, is widely regarded as the finest links in East Anglia and one of the best in England — a regular Open Final Qualifying venue and a fixture in the Top 100 of Britain and Ireland. Founded in 1891 and refined over the years by James Braid among others, it occupies a superb strip of duneland between the beach and the neighbouring Royal West Norfolk, its firm, fast fairways running through classic sandhills.

At par 72 over around 6,700 yards, it is a serious championship test with subtle, beautifully contoured greens rated among the best in England, and the North Sea wind is a constant companion. It is also the scene of one of golf's most extraordinary feats: in 1974 the amateur Bob Taylor holed the par-3 16th in one on three consecutive days — a record that may never be equalled.

Welcoming, historic and of genuine championship quality, Hunstanton is the anchor of a wonderful north Norfolk links pairing with Brancaster.

Holes worth knowing

116th (par-3) — the hole where amateur Bob Taylor famously holed in one on three consecutive days in 1974; a fine short hole in its own right.
2The dune fairways — firm and fast through classic sandhills, with the North Sea wind and the beautifully contoured greens the great defences.

Highlights

The finest links in East Anglia (1891)
Open Final Qualifying venue, Top-100 GB&I
Superb dune-set greens, refined by James Braid
Scene of Bob Taylor's hole-in-one on three straight days (1974)

Good to know

→Hunstanton is the best links in East Anglia and a regular Open Final Qualifying venue — a genuine championship test, not just a seaside round.
→The greens are among the finest in England — subtle and quick, so pace and reading are everything.
→It sits right beside Royal West Norfolk (Brancaster) — the two make a superb two-links north Norfolk pairing.
→Bob Taylor's three-days-running ace at the 16th in 1974 is one of golf's great oddities — ask in the clubhouse about it.
→Old Hunstanton's striped cliffs, the wide beach and the north Norfolk foodie villages (Burnham Market, Wells-next-the-Sea) make a lovely non-golf day.