Chart Hills Golf Club

Chart Hills golf club, a 1993 Sir Nick Faldo & Steve Smyers design set into the Kent countryside. Ranking in the Rolex top 1000 courses in the world, Chart Hills currently sits 8th in Kent. Chart Hills is a golf club that has held tournaments ranging from Junior Opens to European Tour Qualifying (2000) & The Ladies European Tour (2004 - 2007).

Chart Hills is a course I have spent many a society days playing, due to its value for money. My latest experience came on the 19th April 2018, my first round since the redesign. Again Chart Hills offered great value for money at £45 for the day. The day consisted of a Sausage Bap on arrival, 18 holes of golf and a hot meal after our round. Chart Hills made the extra effort with complimentary tees, pencils, course planners & a range token.

Before breakfast, around 10 of the society descended on the full grass range. Some got themselves warmed up, others helped their friends out with a few pointers. Its very rare now days, you can find a full length grass driving range to hit balls on.

A few missed putts on the putting green, a pocket full of Chart Hills tees and a sausage bap later, we were ready to tee off. The first tee shot is one of the toughest I play all year. The fairways sits across you with any miss hit finding the many bunkers you need to fly off the tee. Strangely for the better than average player, the further back you tee off, the easier the tee shot becomes. Off the Blue tees, I took aim at the last bunker and shut my eyes, Fairway found!

Settling into a round at Chart Hills has always been tough. The 1st hole is a birdie opportunity straight away, followed by a tough par 4 & a medium length par 3. You can find yourself quickly behind the pace with a slow sloppy start.

I find the next section of the course a pleasure to attack, its a chance to get scoring clubs in your hand and take on flags. The back 9 has a similar feel to it, a nice mix of tough par 4's, birdie-able par 5's and inviting par 3's.

The 17th at Chart Hills is their signature hole. Playing 147yds off of the Oak tees and surrounded by water, it has the feel of a very famous par 3 at TPC Sawgrass. As any great par 3 should, you can make anything from a 2 to a card wrecker. During Instagram live I did manage to fat my tee shot into the water, much to everyone's delight. In my 4 ball only 1 player kept their 118 yard approach dry, Tom Denney went on to make the only par on the hole.

What are my favourite holes at Chart Hills?

6th - Par 4, 289 yards (Blue tee) - A fun risk reward hole, although I feel the risk is just to high. A water hazard just right of the green is ready to swallow any leaked tee shot from anyone brave enough to take it on. A well positioned 220yrd tee shot just right of the fairway bunker, will leave you a scoring club in your hand to a narrow green. A chance for a birdie, but get yourself out of position and you can easily walk off with a bogey or worse

15th - Par 4, 402 yards (Blue tee) - Stretching to 481yds off the Oak tees, the 15th asks questions of every shot you hit. A fairway bunker & out of bounds protect the left, whilst a solitary tree protects the right side. Run offs short and right makes distance control a premium with your approach. A par on the 15th is one of the best on the course and you will feel like you are gaining a shot on the field.

16th - Par 5, 482 yards (Blue tee) - Whilst only 482 yards off the blue tees, playing up hill, this short par 5 still requires two very good shots to give yourself an eagle opportunity. From the tee, your drive requires a 250yrd carry over the cross bunkers. Once the tee shot has been navigated, (depending on conditions and ability) realistically you are looking at a long iron up the hill over the sea of bunkers to a large green. Although the green is not overly tricky, the banks right & long of the green makes for a tricky chip down the hill towards the run off to the left of the green. Although I see this hole as an eagle or birdie opportunity, the average golfer will see this as a long snaking slog up the hill. Par is a good score on the hole, although birdies and eagles can be had.

Chart Hills has fallen out of the UK's top 100 courses, the redesign and renovation work by the new owners will bring back the glory days. Chart Hills still remains a championship setting and offering great value for money.

Thank you for taking time out of your day to hear about my Chart Hills experience. I would love to hear your experiences of the course & top 3 holes in the comments below.

GOC