12 May 2014
Posted by BonnieF 
On a slightly soggy trip to East Sussex National , Your Golf Travel explains why even when the golf course is water logged it’s a good weekend away!
Getting there … The course is laid out across the rolling hills of the South Downs providing a real sense of isolation as you wind your way across the picturesque countryside. It’s easiest to drive, however, it’s only a five minute drive from Uckfield train station so if you are arriving by train you can always arrange a taxi from there at little extra cost.
When to go … I happened to visit during that period of torrential rain earlier in the year, which meant that much of the course was closed due to flooding – don’t go then. Particularly from London it’s an easy venue to get to, making it a great weekend escape either with friends, or for a mini break with your other half as the food, spa, and service are also worth sampling!
What to do … It’s all about the golf. There are multiple courses, we played the East, which measures 7,138 yards from the gold tees and boasts some serious tournament pedigree, having previously hosted two European Opens, five European Challenge Tour events and four Q Schools. Four sets of tees make the East accessible to all standards of golfers. Personally, I would tackle the blues which bring the course to a slightly less ambitious 6,760 yards.
Who to take … Thanks to the presence of the spa and a great restaurant it is a good place to visit with your other half. I took my girlfriend, who was even taken with the golf course – to quote: “I’m certainly no golfer (I’m usually the designated cart driver), but I was taken by how beautiful the courses were. Even without the golf, they made for a lovely Sunday morning walk.”
Favourite feature … The 7th is a long par 5 with a shallow green that is beautifully framed by the surrounding mounds and trees, while the back nine is a terrific stretch of holes capped by the 17th, which is well guarded by a creek that runs from tee to green. All in all, both courses look spectacular and I’m itching to go back and tackle them.
Top Tips:
– The fairways are wide and undulating, allowing you to really open up the shoulders and let rip off the tee. But stray from the short stuff at your own peril, with an army of strategically placed bunkers ready to swallow any errant drives or approaches.
– The East course really grabbed right from the opening hole: a risk/reward type downhill par 4, where a creek separating fairway from green demands a correct assessment between laying up with an iron or pulling the driver.
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