As a venue, Aldeburgh Golf Club is the kind of place where they do things their own way. You can only play in twoballs so our suggestion is to adopt the ‘when in Rome’ maxim. Foursomes is brilliant fun, especially round a testing heathland course like this one.
If you play Aldeburgh between May and late June, you will be presented with beautiful narrow fairways weaving their way between bright yellow gorse. You will be hard-pressed to find such an awe-inspiring sight at any golf course.
The testing long 4s are quite something, with perhaps the pick of the bunch the 11th with its positively links-like fairway rippling into the distance. Until you reach your ball, you can never be quite sure where your shot has finished, especially in the dusty summer months.
Currently, Mackenzie & Ebert (Martin Ebert) are assisting Aldeburgh with a major course review – this is being considered by the club’s members in March with a view to implementing the work over the next two years if supported.
History
Aldeburgh enjoys a rich history. Its heathland layout was shaped by no fewer than three Open champions:
Willie Fernie – winner of the Claret Jug in 1893 – was the man to shape the original course, with changes made by two-time Open champion Willie Park Jnr and JH Taylor, a five-time winner of the tournament.
Just outside the pretty seaside town of the same name on the Suffolk coast, Aldeburgh Golf Club lies half an hour from Ipswich and dates back to 1880. Only nearby Felixstowe Ferry in this part of the world is older.
The famous duo of Harry Colt and Hugh Alison, in the 1920s, also had an input, creating Aldeburgh’s famously demanding closing stretch. The course is heathland in nature and almost unrelentingly testing with a collection of demanding par 4s its calling card.
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Aldeburgh has played host to many a championship throughout its long and storied history. Just since the turn of the 21st Century, the club has hosted the English Ladies Championship, English County Championship and the English Senior Amateur Championship.
What makes Aldeburgh Golf Club special?
This is what you would call traditional golf. Aldeburgh allows no fourballs, positively encourages foursomes, has no par 5s and possesses fast-running fairways lined by sleepered bunkers and banks of gorse.
Unless your long iron play is of the highest quality, you must embrace dropping the odd shot at Aldeburgh because it will happen. And once they are gone they really do take some earning back. There are no par 5s, no driveable par 4s and only one of the short holes is an obvious chance of a two.
Where does it rank?
95th in GB&I, 33rd in England, 1st in Suffolk
Where is it?
Aldeburgh Golf Club is located on the south-east coast of England and a 40 minute drive from Ipswich.
Get in touch with Aldeburgh Golf Club
For more information about the club and course, visit their website or call them on 01728 452890.
You can play Aldeburgh on the NCG Top 100s Tour this year!
- Register now to play in our 2024 Aldeburgh event on April 17th here.
Now have your say
Have you ever had the pleasure of playing at Aldeburgh? Let us know your thoughts with a post on X, formerly Twitter!
