Rye Golf Club

Rye Golf Club, Rye, South East, England, TN31 7QS

Golf course website

6 reviews of Rye Golf Club

Played Rye with a member, and finally fulfilled a long time ambition. It was worth the wait. I can only repeat most of which has already been reported by other reviewers. Rye is a superb links course with much to commend it. There are many excellent holes situated on rugged undulating terrain. The greens are firm, and were the smoothest and truest I’ve ever putted on. I understand that they are pretty much like that throughout the year. I wish I could carry them round with me! We played off the white tees. The weather was just about perfect; a light breeze and sunshine. There are many wonderful holes. Be prepared for good and cruel bounces alike. The best of the long par 4’s – the 4th with its narrow elevated fairway and steep drop off on both sides; the 6th with a blind drive over a saddled dune and a monster approach; the 13th, a dogleg with a second shot over a high dune to a hidden green (probably my favourite), the 16th, a big drive over a fairway bunker set in a hill; and the 18th which is a superb finishing hole with the clubhouse front left of the green. Of the shorter par 4’s – all have something to offer. The 11th at the western most end of the golf course, has a large gravel pit to carry from the tee, and although it seems out of character, does offer a different challenge. There is nowhere to hide on the majority of the par 3’s. Anyone playing these holes in level par has performed a miracle. The 2nd, 5th, 7th and 14th all have run-offs and steep pot bunkers. You must hit a crisp shot to stop the ball. Only the flat 17th, which although the longest at 220 yards, offers some respite. The club were very welcoming and the three course lunch was very good. It was very nice to sit in the clubhouse sipping coffee surrounded by memorabilia, including the President’s Putter, and Bernard Darwin’s armchair. The locker room facilities were excellent, with modern shower fittings. A great test of skill. If you love links golf and have an opportunity to play it, don’t turn it down.

Posted by Peter Frost on 27/04/2014
5
Show all ratings
Overall Rating 5
  • Overall Ratings
  • Green conditions 5
  • Clubhouse 4
  • Course challenge 5
  • Staff service 4
  • Value for money 5
  • Green conditions 5
  • Clubhouse 4
  • Course challenge 5
  • Staff service 4
  • Value for money 5

Played here October, 09 . A links classic. It goes straight into my Top Ten courses .On a par with Deal (& if i was pushed to play one of them again i'd take this) & it knocks the other courses along this stretch of coastline into a cocked hat . When you arrive there's still uncertainty about what to expect as the course is hidden away behind the elevated clubhouse but once you go up the steep path & around the side of the clubhouse ,by the putting green , the course is revealed & you get a good feeling about it . There are loads of standout holes .The 4th plays along a ridge with a bank on the left & a dropdown to the right .The dogleg 6th ,a blind shot down a drop with banking on the left .The short, par 4 9th with it's humpy fairway .The 15th ,with it's ski mogul fairway & the brilliant 18th , one of the best finishing holes i've played .You have to hit two super accurate shots to have any chance & what makes it even better is the clubhouse feels as if it is actually part of the hole ,as the fairway/semi runs round it. And i haven't mentioned some of the par 3's . The course set up was clever too( i.e the 437 yard 3rd is fairly generous off the tee ,whereas the 300 yard 9th has a narrow fairway ) & the course design is tremendous.You can get away with the tee shots a bit but it comes into its' own with the approach shots .Any 2nd or par 3 shots hit less than perfectly end up in the expertly positioned greenside pot bunkers .e.g on the par 3 2nd any slight pull/push gets punished . It sounds harsh but is ,actually ,a very fair course ,rewarding good approach shots only. Factor in several elevated tee shots too (although it's not a tiring course to play ). There are no yardage indicators (except on the tees )anywhere on the course & we played it without a planner ,to make a change, as i it's rare not to have yardages ,which meant for a lot of guesswork ( & misjudgements) & entertainment . For me there was only one weak hole ,which was the par 3 17th , which standing on the tee felt like a bit of a letdown compared to the other holes .It's long & flat ,with a track running down the right & seemed a bit out of kilter. Also ,the 11th ,a great risk & reward short par 4 across water (unusual on a links) which would be the signature hole on most other course ,but here ,didn't seem to quite fit in with the scheme of things . Course condition was excellent & the greens were fantastic. The clubhouse was befitting of the course .The changing room in a funny way reminded me of Porthcawl's with the views out of the windows .There's plenty of history inside ( look out for the quirky 'windometer' machine along the corridor too) & the terrace has a superb view & one of the best settings to watch the sun go down . I must mention also, that everyone we met was very hospitable .Afterwards we were plied with complimentary tea & cake . I read that Bruce Critchley said if he had to pick only one course to play over & over he would play Rye . For links lovers this is a must play. Kevin B.

Posted by Kevin B. on 15/10/2009

The Old Course at Rye is the most challenging course I have ever played. I was lucky enough to play in perfect conditions(without any wind!) and to play really well (for me) (hcp 9). I was absolutely delighted with a +15 score! The par 4s are truly the best test you will ever have - very long, blind, doglegs, etc. The par 3s are of the best quality - you need pinpoint accuracy and touch to hit and hold the greens. The putting surfaces are better than any I have played anywhere. Absolutely true, perfect and as fast as Augusta - and I'm not kidding! Rye is genuinely the ultimate test of skill. If you are fortunate enough to be invited to play - acccept immediately - it will be an experience you will never forget and the hardest golf you'll play.

Posted by Jon Anniss on 01/06/2004

I had the opportunity to play this oldfashioned linkscourse in Oct 2003. Though it might semm easy and the par is 68 I must admit it is one of the hardest courses I've played, mainly depending on the difficulties in hitting the right spot for the next shot. There are no magnificent views at Rye, there are no breathtaking dunes at Rye - but each hole has its own charm and each hole is testing Your ability to play in sidewind, downwind and upwind. I love the course and would not hesitate if I ever had the chance to play it again. Scoring was of no interest that day but each shot was interesting. Staff was friendly and the things kept in Men's bar bore the air of golfhistory.

Posted by Åke Appelgren on 21/10/2003

To play at Rye is to almost step back in time. Firstly, there’s the clubhouse: understated from the outside, oozing history and tradition inside, mandatory jacket and tie, upper crust membership and fantastic food. That’s before you’ve even got to the course, which is equally (and delightfully) unpervaded by modern trends. Foursomes and twoballs are played here. There’s a single Par 5, and a short one at that, and five Par 3s to produce a total Par of 68. Nine of the Par 4s are over 400 yards – no wonder Rye has a reputation for being one of the hardest places to play to your handicap. The sixth is the most impossible Par 4 I’ve ever seen. At 468 yards, none of which is remotely downhill, you need to absolutely nail a blind drive and then at least a 5 wood to get anywhere near a green that is viciously guarded by bunkers. If the wind is anything other than calm or assisting (unlikely), it’s virtually unreachable in two. The most challenging of the other Par 4s are the 411-yard fourth, routed along the top of a line of dunes where even a vaguely loose drive on either side has had it; the 430-yard thirteenth, with a long, completely blind approach to a bunkerless green; and the demanding 439-yard 18th, a fitting finale to the round. The collective reputation of Rye’s Par 3s stands among the best in the country. Personally, I wouldn’t quite rate them that highly but the pick of the bunch is definitely the famed 159-yard 7th – anything not on the green is seriously punished. Needless to say, the greens as a whole are lightning fast – you barely have to look at the ball and it goes flying. There are some quirky elements here as well, particularly a big lake on the 11th - when did you last see one of those on a links course? Rye doesn’t have the isolated beauty of some other links courses and it’s a shame there’s a road adjacent to 1, 2 and 3. Nevertheless, as far as I’m concerned, you can stick the vast majority of your pretentious, 7,000+ yard, American-style target-golf country clubs - blighted by 5-hour rounds and riddled with water features, tarmac buggy paths and every other artificial embellishment you can think of - back where they came from. For those who are lucky enough to play at Rye (you have to know a member), it’s a beautiful reminder of how golf was meant to be played. 8.75/10 ‘Young P.’

Posted by 'Young P' on 13/04/2003

This is a great course. I have been lucky enough to play on two occasions. OK, so I spent most of my time in horrendous rough ! - but, if you can hit straight then the true links fairways are so tight you could almost putt the ball 100 yards ! - and then you have the greens ... I have played over 50 courses in the UK and several in the US ( a couple of USPGA venues too)and the greens at Rye are teh best I played - fast, true and always a challenge. If you can get an invite to play it is well woth it !

Posted by Bernard Carter on 13/05/2001

Course information

Number of holes 18
Year opened -
Designer -
Style links

Tee information

TeesYardsParSSS
Competition
Men's630868
Ladies'

Green Fees

Summer/High season

Weekday round-
Weekday day-
Weekend round-
Weekend day-

Winter/Low season

Weekday round-
Weekday day-
Weekend round-
Weekend day-

Facilities

This venue has not entered its facilities yet.

Do you own this venue? Contact Us to complete this information.

Add a review

Optional. We may use it to send you Uk Golf Guide news.