Royal Worlington & Newmarket was founded in 1893, and it is the only 9-hole lay-out to be rewarded with a spot on the NCG Top 100 list for Great Britain & Ireland.

The venue is the home club of the Cambridge University Light Blues, and due to the nature of the property, it is open year round. The course is sand-based, meaning that it drains brilliantly, and does not freeze in the winter months.


Visit Royal Worlington & Newmarket's website here.
Go back to the NCG Top 100s Homepage.

1890 saw the first golf holes constructed at Worlington, with Colonel E W D Baird and Scottish golfer Alexander Mackenzie Ross laying out a few holes on the land.

A few years later, Tom Dunn was approached to design an 18-hole lay-out, with the Royal Worlington & Newmarket Golf Club being founded in 1893. Nine holes were initially opened for play.

The other nine holes were due to be constructed on peaty soil. However, it was decided that they would not be up to the standard of the first nine. Therefore, the course has remained as a 9-hole lay-out.

Harry Colt visited Royal Worlington & Newmarket in the early 1920s. Following that visit, the 8th was made longer, with a brand new 9th hole being created. The course remains the same to present day, with only new tee boxes being added to lengthen the course in line with technological advances. 

The 9-hole set-up at the Royal Worlington & Newmarket Golf Club is a Par-37 measuring more than 3,100 yards. It is not the longest nine hole sin the history of the game, but the narrow tree-lined fairways require accuracy over power. 

A modest opening par-5 is followed by a tricky, long par-3 of 220 yards. The 3rd is a short but difficult par-4 requiring accuracy of both tee and approach shot. The 4th is an interesting par-5, requiring a deft touch on the approach. The 5th is a short par-3 where embarrassingly high scores are commonplace - you have to play it to appreciate the perils.

 The 6th is a tough par-4 over 460 yards long, the 7th a par-3 normally played in a crosswind across a valley to a quick green. The 8th is another par-4 over 460 yards long, with well-placed bunkers waiting for the unwary player. The 9th is a short par-4 where caution pays dividends, and then the Clubhouse beckons enticingly with its hospitality and refreshments.

Royal Worlington & Newmarket Golf Club is located in Suffolk, just a few miles from the racecourse town of Newmarket. Bury St Edmunds and Cambridge are both within 25 miles of Royal Worlington & Newmarket.

London Stansted and London Luton Airport are the two nearest airports for international travellers to the region, with both being within 60 miles of Royal Worlington & Newmarket Golf Club. 

Although Royal Worlington & Newmarket is only a 9-hole course, visitors have to book in for 18 holes if they are coming to play. An 18-hole round costs £90.

Due to the nature of the course, only singles, two-balls and foursomes are allowed at Royal Worlington & Newmarket. 3 and 4-balls can played on a Thursday afternoon, but only with the permission of the club secretary.

Visit Royal Worlington & Newmarket's website here.
Go back to the NCG Top 100s Homepage.