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Chart Hills, England |
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Chart Hills Golf Club
Weeks Lane
Biddenden
Kent
TN27 8JX
England |  | Nick Faldo, Steve Smyers |  | James Cornish |
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 | +44 (0)1580 292222 |  | M25, then M20, turn off at Leeds Castle |
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Golf Club Website
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 | Welcome 7 days. After 1pm Mon,Wed,Sat,Sun. Before 1pm Fri. |  | David Colyer |
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Chart Hills Golf Club is set in the peaceful rural heart of the Garden of England where old oak trees stand guard and where there is sand, lots and lots of sand.
This is Nick Faldo’s first European design and the discerning American designer, Steve Smyers, supported him, opening for play in 1993. They have created a big and attractive golf course with acres of water and sand to trip up the very best golfers, or as Steve Smyers said: “You feel a great course; it thrills you and sometimes frightens you. But in the end, it will challenge the best in you.”
Despite the English rural location, Chart Hills feels like a commercial American golf and country club complex. The service is first class – they are geared towards corporate and society golf and naturally, it has mandatory buggy paths weaving their way along each of the holes.
The design is bold and uses the natural contours of the land to good effect. The fairways twist and turn in every conceivable direction, heading towards the huge and frighteningly undulating greens. The bunkering is daring in the extreme, extravagant and exceptionally varied, ranging from small deep pot bunkers to the huge serpent-like “Anaconda” bunker on the par five 5th that wiggles along for more than 200 yards. Water hazards feature extensively at Chart Hills. These, too, come in all shapes and sizes and are frequently in play, especially on the short par three 17th where the green is an island.
A round of golf at Chart Hills is a memorable experience. The course is always immaculately maintained and the variety of the holes will keep you thoroughly entertained from your first drive to your last putt.
The course is owned by Leaderboard Golf Limited, which includes the sister properties of The Oxfordshire Golf Club near Thame and Dale Hill Golf Club in East Sussex. | |
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If the above course review article is not accurate, let us know by clicking here |
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 |  | | Average Reviewers Score: |  | | | Played Chart hills yesterday. There are no bad points or amazing points about Chart hills.
To the course. Even off the back tees its no monster due to the run you get off the tee with driver. Sometimes maybe 100 yards. But you dont need to take driver every hole and you have to think about your tee shot every hole, which for a new course is good design. Bunkers (and there are lots of them, and lots which i visited) are well positioned but of good quality. There were quite a few in GUR status and quite a bit of aesthetic work being done on the course, but this didnt detract from the day. Greens were superb. Up there with Open championship courses ive payed this year for trueness if not speed. Water is everywhere but only in play on a few holes. 17 is similar to sawgrass 17th, but is very short so only nerves could make you hit it in the drink.
Off the course the welcome is great and very helpful. Club shop is small but adequate. half way house is good and is needed after the walk up the 9th. Spike bar is clean and friendly. Visitors locker room is superb. Practise facilitites are great also.
Overall chart hills is definitely worth a visit and i will for one will be back there soon. |
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| 17 September 2012
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| | This course wasn't quite as good as i had expected although still a fun day out. The greens had recently had work done so they were, understandingly, not great. I have also played the London Club and Chart Hills just seemed to be slightly worse in almost every way (apart from the price of green fees). There are plenty of bunkers and water hazards- they are well kept but, again, when compared with the quality of the sand and size of the lakes at the London club it was slightly worse. In addition to this, the course was packed which ensured a really slow round. I think this course is well worth a visit and perhaps i experienced it on a bad day- i think that The London Club is a better course in all areas, although, as a junior, the green fees are £35 compared with The London Club which doesn't have junior green fees so, on a normal day, would cost about £100- this is a huge draw for this course and will ensure that i will visit Chart Hills much more frequently than The London Club |
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| 10 April 2012
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| Response: | | | Maarten | 10 April 2012 | | So you rate a golfcourse by the size of their waterhazards? You should go play some links golf then! Royal Cinque Ports only costs 30 pounds for juniors;) |
| | | Played here at the weekend one of the windiest days of the year, lots of variety, lots of fun, you won't be reaching for your driver on every hole, you need to plan you way around. Great greens, big and fast with lots of contours. Good facilities, I'd definitely play it again |
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| 25 May 2011
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| | I recently played this course and I was impressed. The course was in excellent condition, nice fairways and true greens that were a pleasure to putt on. I would recomend to play this off the blue's and not the yellow's, it was a stern test off the blue's in a strong wind, I would imagine its often windy around this course as it is exposed. There's a lot more to this course than just bunkers, some super holes and for me only three weaker holes which are all par 3's, but not the 17th which is a cracker, short hole played to an island green. To me its very similiar to its sister course The Oxfordshire, but better!! Highly recommended. |
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| 14 November 2010
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| | I have been fortunate enough to play a number of parkland American-style courses this summer, including The London Club, The Grove, Brocket Hall and Bearwood Lakes and yesterday I played Chart Hills for the first time. This was by far my favourite as the whole experience felt more personal than corporate, and the course seemed to have more character. On arrival the staff were extremely warm and friendly and the club house was very well presented. It somehow managed to give a traditional members club feel despite being a modern design. We played off the blue tees but with a strong wind and no run on the ball this was a stern enough test off a 5 handicap. The condition of the course was very good and despite having 180 bunkers the maintenance of the bunkers, greens and tees was impeccable. The architecture of the holes makes the course hard but fair, good shots were certainly rewarded and bad shots nearly always punished. With so many bunkers, any misplaced approach shots invariably ended up in the sand. The bonus was that the bunkers weren’t over or under sanded, so as long as you hit a good shot you got a good result. The holes were very varied and required a number of different shot types. Most offered reasonable chances to putt for a birdie if played well. The most memorable for me was the 14th - the 380 yd par 4 offers a classic risk reward, with a carry of around 240 yards to fly the water leaving a clear path to the green, or lay up to 220 to leave a difficult uphill approach shot over an array of bunkers. A thinking man’s hole! I don’t think I would tire of playing Chart Hills, and I don’t think I would ever run out of new bunkers to find myself in! A truly memorable experience and highly recommended. Worth noting that Leaderboard golf offers a package to stay at the nearby Dale Hill and play both courses which is a treat well worth considering if coming from far afield. |
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| 15 September 2010
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| | Played several times this year at Chart Hills... Blues mainly with a couple off the Oak's. Rough is deep & thick; if your ball bounces in you had better have a good idea where it went otherwise it is lost. Simple. Fairways are contoured and they are lush; i have played many "top courses" and they are up there with the best - for their fairways alone. Semi rough is well defined running off the fairway and too the main rough. Bunkers are a feature on this course and if you play strategically then they wont come into play too often. If you play off the back tees then you Will go into a few more! I come off every hole and say "what a great hole that was" and for me there are 3 or 4 "great" holes on each 9 - 2, 4, 8 & 9 then 10, 12, 13, 17. All the others are very good too! This is a course that requires you to plot your way around - no doubt. Play it off the back tees then you need to not only be able to hit a long ball but be accurate too. The greens are immaculate, true and fast, they may be big but you want to attack those pins to have any chance of keeping those 3 putts off the card! Re: comments immediately below; i too play off 10 and have had some good rounds here and some bad ones too.(shockers) surely that is the point of playing a golf course; you don't want to be beat up every time? If like me you are a good 10 hc then play off the back tee's (oak's)? I have played links golf (RSG, RCP etc) and courses like this (Serapong at Sentosa - Singapore ) - this course is deservedly up there with them. In my humble opinion) |
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| 19 July 2010
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| | Whether you like Chart Hills GC pretty much entirely depends whether or not you like American style country club courses. I personally am not a fan, so this will have influenced my rating I'm afraid. I just found the whole place soulless - and I agree with a previous reviewer that it feels like an average piece of land turned into quite a good golf course, rather than a classic design in a great setting. There are no bad holes, but there are very few really memorable ones either. However, my main problem with Chart Hills is that the course is too easy. Huge wide open fairways, non-existent rough and massive greens mean it's very difficult not to score well. Sure there are ridiculously huge nests of bunkers which look like a terrifying prospect on the course map - but you'd have to be very wild off the tee to find any of them, and the impression I get is that they're just 'for show', or 'gimmicky' to quote another previous reviewer. (And although there's a bit of water, that doesn't often really come into play either, apart from on the par 3 17th obviously.) I played the course on a very still day, and as far as I can tell, when the wind isn't blowing the course doesn't really have any defences. I shot a +5 77 (5 shots UNDER my handicap of 10) off the blue tees, without the benefit of a stroke saver (as they were being reprinted at the time.) The only shots I dropped were from 3 putting, as the greens are massive, and very fast. No real strategy is required, as to quote the guy in the pro shop, with most of the holes it's 'what you see is what you get.' Maybe I was just having a good day, but I'm not so sure: I reckon as long as you can hit the ball reasonably straight, you'll have no trouble scoring well at Chart Hills. For me, the '37th best course in England' should represent rather more of a challenge than this. (It's nowhere near as interesting or as tricky as other 'new' courses like St.Mellion or Brocket Hall, which bizarrely are ranked lower than Chart Hills.) It seems to be geared up entirely for corporate golf and society days - and as such is a great venue for that kind of thing, as the welcome, facilities, practice areas, and the condition of the course are all second-to-none. But although good in lots of ways, for me it just lacks any charisma or interest. (No charisma? Who'd have thought that in a course from Nick Faldo....) |
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| 04 October 2009
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| Response: | | | Nick Lambert | 05 November 2009 | | Isn't every course straightforward if you hit the ball straight?! I'm a 7 handicapper and CH is a great strategic test of golf. Yes, it's not a US Open style set up but Augusta and St Andrews (Faldo's inspirations for CH) are wider set ups with very fast undulating greens and they seem to rank very highly! Also many holes are structured so drives to the 'safe' parts of the fairways are played from hanging lies. Very Faldo actually! Also "what you see is what you get" amongst golf cognoscenti translates as very fair i.e. it is not tricked up. I've taken many low handicappers as guests and all have loved CH. Perhaps our reviewer should play the course off the backs (7,150 yards) i.e. as the course is intended to play and see how easy it is then.
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| | | Un joli parcours auquel il manque encore un peu de maturité... Que de bunkers, pas tous utiles !!! En revanche, de belles infrastructures... |
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| 25 May 2009
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| Response: | | | Keith Baxter | 27 May 2009 | | English translation of above review: A lovely course that needs to mature a little. A lot of bunkers, not all useful. But beautiful infrastructures... |
| | | Cracking golf course, great layout with no bad holes. Interesting greens, good condition and quick, dispite the fact the course had been heavily used over the previous few days. I would rate this over any other inland course in Kent and if only it was a little closer to where i live i'd joining in a flash! Good clubhouse and practice facilities on top of everything else. |
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| 29 September 2008
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| | A good course but not "great"
I think Faldo has designed many better since he did this one.
I know the place is known for its bunkers, but I think many of them are unnecesary. |
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| 26 September 2008
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| Response: | | | Kirkus | 10 August 2009 | | Really enjoyed Chart Hills, played it on a blisteringly hot day when the fairways were rock hard and the ball was running. Very tricky course but with lots of great holes on it. My only slight criticism is that it all feels a little bit "man made" and with so many bunkers it is almost a little bit "gimmicky". The par 3s aren't great either, until the 17th, which is a gem. |
| | | I thought the course and all it facilities were fantastic and at £65 great value compared to other courses played recently (Sunningdale, Brockett Hall & Woburn).
Excellent condition even though there had been a lot of overnight rain that meant bunkers were flooded in certain areas.
Greens very true and well kept but aforementioned rain probably slowed them a little.
Will be going back for more.
All staff very hospitable from bar to pro shop to starter.
thank you very much Chart Hills |
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| 16 June 2008
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| | i have played many fine courses in the south east, Wentworth, The london cluband St Georges including Chart hills. Iand many others rate this golf club very highly, The condition will rate any top golf course. The greens will match augusta, running at 13 on the stimp from may to september the best time to play it to when it is in mint condition! the quality of the service was inpectable everything was good from the drive in where they take your clubs out your car to the impectable golf and the drinks after. This course was built to hold big events! I went up to play in the Pro-am and watch the ladies compete in the ladies english open, i managed to play with Linda Wessberg who said " it is the best course we visit on the tour". i personally enjoyed playing it and if you want a challenge, go off the oaks, you will be challenged and enjoy it! i highly recomend it to any golfer! |
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| 09 July 2007
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| | I play reguarly at Chart Hills and would not choose another golf club to play at. The course is superb and members are friendly. . |
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| 07 July 2007
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| | I arrived at the course with high expectations, given previous comments and also the fact that this was a Nick Faldo design. I wouldn't say i was disappointed, but the course wasn't quite what i thought it would be. There are some interesting holes here, and a few stick in the memory as being very cleverly designed, and make you really think about what shot to hit. Very rarely do you step onto the tee and pull the headcover of your driver straight away. Maybe it was because we played in March, but the course is not very pleasing to look at. Unlike playing a great inland course like sunningdale, or a classic links, you feel as if this was just a piece of land turned into a golf course, rather than a classic design in a great setting. Still it is worth playing once, and i would probably go back. But would rate more lowly ranked courses above Chart hills i think. |
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| 14 March 2007
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| | The layout of Chart Hills really is very good indeed. It is not overly long from the Blue tees, but does present numerous challenges particularly the 'risk/reward' Par 4s and 5s. In particular the 2nd and 5th going out and 10, 13 and 15 are excellent.
I really enjoyed my 2 rounds and was made to feel welcome in the clubhouse. The only surprise is the Par 3s, which apart from 17 are truly forgetable. They lack interest and crucially for a course of this quality - distance. Over all though, a really great course. |
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| 20 April 2006
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| | Very impressed with Chart Hills. The vast amount of bunkers (138 of them) are a key factor but the variety of holes for me is the biggest plus point. No one hole is anything like any of the others, so you are kept so interested from start to finish. The degree of difficulty against playing to handicap is extreamly fair – think about your shots and positioning and you should do well – badly planned golf is punished severely in either the bunkers or in the many water hazards around the course. Too many great holes to mention here but the one for me is the 17th … think Florida, think Sawgrass, think island green – any shot short, left, right or long is wet, simple as that …. Great drama …. Thank you Mr Faldo ! |
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| 27 March 2006
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| | GREAT COURSE play it every day if i could...
In every way chart hills could be one of the best courses in the country. |
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| 03 March 2006
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| | This is a very good test of golf, long enough but also a test of strategy. In great condition all year round but make sure you remember your sand wedge as you will go in at least one bunker. |
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| 19 February 2006
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| | The first 12 holes were excellent, but unfortunately it took us nearly 4 hours to complete them. I think this was caused by too many four balls with buggies. |
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| 12 October 2004
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| | A fabulous course in superb condition. The layout is a real strategists delight with many shot options presented on every hole and no real benefit to being a long hitter except for a couple of holes perhaps. Presented in great condition with the feel of a seaside links when the wind blows. Most definitely worth a vist and also a higher position in this list. Let down a touch by the club house facilities and locker rooms that could do with a bit of TLC. |
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| 02 July 2004
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| | Great inspiration from the great Nick Faldo. A visually and technically intimidating course winding through this beautiful Kent valley. Requires the full repertoire of shot making and every club in your bag. Fantastically conditioned course with very good greens. Play off the Oak markers for a proper challenge. Great reception staff, service and facilities. |
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| 01 June 2004
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| | One of the best new inland courses. Very entertaining with varied holes. Kept in great condition. Great service and food. Ideal for society days. |
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| 01 April 2004
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