One of England’s finest links courses has a little bit of everything, including a touch of the incredible
If you travel approximately 120 miles in a northeasterly direction from central London—a less than three-hour car journey if timed right—you reach the northern part of the county of Norfolk. This quiet and seemingly remote corner of England is best known for its ancient network of canals (the Norfolk Broads), some beautifully wild and windswept beaches, and for being a birdwatcher’s paradise. Connoisseurs of links golf will also find the region home to two exceptional 18-hole layouts: Royal West Norfolk, sometimes called Brancaster, and Hunstanton.
Although they may be geographically close and were founded just a year apart in the late 19th century, in terms of character Royal West Norfolk and Hunstanton are the proverbial “chalk and cheese.” Anyone familiar with the two finest links in Devon (in southwest England) will notice some uncanny similarities with the comparison between Royal North Devon and Saunton.
With its plethora of railway-sleeper-faced bunkers, salt marshes, and a quaintly atmospheric clubhouse, Royal West Norfolk can look and feel somewhat like Prestwick or Rye, and, indeed, rather like Royal North Devon. In contrast, Hunstanton presents a longer, more straightforward (yet arguably more difficult) “modern” championship links test, one more akin to Western Gailes or Royal Cinque Ports—and, yes, similar to Saunton.
Hunstanton’s most defining natural feature is a central spine of duneland that runs almost the entire length of the property. Skillfully utilized by architect James Braid, the dunes shape or influence a majority of the holes, with many possessing either an elevated teeing platform or a slippery plateau green, or occasionally both.
As for the routing, with the exception of the sequence between the 12th and 14th where the course careens up, over, and across the sandhills, it essentially meanders out and back in traditional links fashion with the inward holes mostly occupying land closer to the sea. This second nine might appear more exposed to the elements, but the omnipresent wind, Hunstanton’s greatest defense, typically confronts players everywhere, and from every conceivable direction.
The par fours at Hunstanton present an interesting mix of challenges. For example, on the front nine, the stroke-index one 3rd usually demands a really precise long iron approach, and though the 6th is a fairly short four, a deft touch is required to pitch onto a high crowned green. On the back nine, the ever-narrowing 11th—where you tee off adjacent to the shore at the furthest point from the clubhouse—is considered by many to be Hunstanton’s finest two-shotter; however, the left-to-right 17th and arrow-straight 18th, where both the drive and approach are aimed directly at the clubhouse, combine to create a memorable finish.
Notwithstanding the quality of the par-four holes, it is surely the collection of superbly crafted par threes—4, 7, 14, and 16—that elevate Hunstanton to its status as one of England’s premier links.
From the back tees, the 4th is the second shortest of the quartet, yet no fewer than eight bunkers encircle the putting surface. Only one protects the magnificently dune-framed 7th, but it is cavernously deep and defiantly sprawls right across the entrance to the green so the tee shot must carry it. The 219-yard 14th is a blind par three, which, suffice to say, plays more like a par-three-and-a-half. And finally, rivalling the 7th as the best short hole is the slightly downhill 16th, where the North Sea provides a marvelous backdrop.
Actually, the 16th at Hunstanton is marvelous for another reason. As you approach the tee, a stone memorial relates how in 1974 Robert Taylor achieved three holes-in-one here on three successive days while representing Leicestershire in the Eastern Counties Foursomes tournament. Apparently, Taylor used a 1-iron on the first day (hit straight into the wind), then a 6-iron on the second and third days. Marvelous? Perhaps miraculous is more appropriate.
