Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club (Deal) – Review and Rating

Translated by AI

Royal Cinque Ports lies just south of the better-known Royal St George’s in Kent, England. Locally the course is simply called “Deal.”

Royal Cinque Ports is among the most critically acclaimed courses in the British Isles, and a special experience for anyone who gets excited at the thought of playing the best classic links courses.

The course (par 71, 5,927 meters) is laid out on a thin strip of links land between Deal and Sandwich Bay. It is defined by its natural sand dunes, a prevailing southwesterly wind and the views of the English Channel. Just as at Royal St George’s, there is always danger lurking, even if you hit the fairway. Deal has even more undulating fairways, and there is always a chance of a funny bounce that sends the ball straight into the thick tufts of marram grass on either side of the fairway. You rarely play from the fairway with a completely flat stance.

The bunkers are traditional, round, deep and steep. Often all the slopes lean toward the bunkers, so avoiding them seems an impossible task, and getting out of them even more so. Think twice before flirting with them. When you eventually reach the greens, you will notice that they are large, and also some of the smoothest and fastest in the country.

This page by Kaia Means was originally published in Norwegian on our sister site Golfjournalen.no. It has been translated by AI.