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Crowborough Beacon: A historic delight in Sussex

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Why we’d rather be playing this mixture of moorland and heathland situated above the Sussex Downs

Crowborough Beacon NCG Top 100s England Methodology

Crowborough Beacon Golf Club sits high above the county on elevated moorland ground, offering glorious views over the Sussex Downs.

Though it situated on moorland ground, the course itself has plenty of heathland qualities, including large swathes of heather around the layout.

The fairways are tree-lined at times, as well as some being severely undulating, thanks to its elevation. Formed in 1895, Crowborough Beacon has been one of Sussex’s best golf courses ever since.

History

Crowborough Beacon Golf Club was founded in 1895, making it one of the oldest golfing venues in the county of Sussex. Since then, in the 130 years since, the club has a long and storied history.

Horace Rawlins, winner of the the very first US Open – also in 1895 – returned to England shortly after his victory at Newport Golf Club to become the Assistant Professional at Crowborough Beacon.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of Sherlock Holmes, was Captain of the club in 1910, while Enid Wilson – a three-time winner of the British Ladies Amateur Championship, was a member as well. 

What makes Crowborough Beacon Golf Club special?

Thanks to its location on very elevated ground, during a round at Crowborough Beacon you can take some time to enjoy the views across the Sussex Downs and out towards the South Coast.

Bernard Darwin said it best: “The first thing that will strike the golfer who comes fresh to Crowborough is the wonderful view. I do not suppose there is a wider or more beautiful one in all England.”

There is an enjoyable variety of holes throughout the layout at Crowborough Beacon, with the course taking on a mixture of heathland and moorland properties.

England's Top 100 Courses Crowborough Beacon

Where does it rank?

96th in England, 5th in Sussex

Where is it?

Crowborough Beacon is located in the south of England, around 25 miles from the south coast and the English Channel. The club sits just outside the town of Crowborough, in the county of Sussex. It sits just off the A26 which runs from Maidstone to Newhaven. Crawley and Royal Tunbridge Wells are close by, while the centre of London is around 40 miles to the north of the venue.

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Get in touch with Crowborough Beacon

For more information about the club and course, visit its website or call them on 01892 661511.

Now have your say

Have you ever had the pleasure of playing at Crowborough Beacon? Let us know your thoughts with a post on X, formerly Twitter!

About the author

Matt Coles
Matt Coles

Mention a European country, and Matt will tell you which resorts make the National Club Golfer Top 100s: European Resorts list. He might even throw in who designed the golf course and how many rooms the hotel has got at each one…

Matt got into the game of golf from a young age, following his old man to the local golf club. He fell for the sport, and now can’t seem to go a day without thinking about how to improve his game (Thanks Dad!). Matt has been a member of Howley Hall GC in Leeds since 2020, and is just about managing to maintain a single-figure handicap. He likes to remind people that he once broke 75, but won’t tell people that it was on a shortened course during the winter.

He moved to Leeds after graduating from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class Honours degree in Sports Journalism. Matt joined NCG after almost five years travelling the world with the Professional Squash Association, working on events in all four corners of the globe.

Matt currently plays a Cobra King LTDx driver and RadSpeed 3-wood. TaylorMade monopolise the rest of his bag, with a SIM UDI, M5 irons and both Milled Grind and HI-TOE wedges, along with a Monza Redline putter. He uses a Vice Pro Plus golf ball, because he’s a bit different…

Away from golf, Matt is a Manchester United fan, and a keen runner, having ran the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon (his first and possibly last), in May 2023.

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