
Crowborough Beacon Course
Crowborough Beacon Golf Club



About this course
Crowborough Beacon Golf Club sits on the High Weald of East Sussex, occupying elevated heathland terrain at approximately 800 feet above sea level. The course was designed by Harry Colt and opened in 1895, with Alister Mackenzie contributing modifications in the 1920s. This collaboration between two significant figures in British golf architecture produced a layout that takes advantage of the natural contours and sandy soil characteristic of heathland golf. The routing moves across rolling ground with heather, gorse, and mature trees defining the playing corridors. The elevation provides expansive views across the Sussex countryside, and the sandy subsoil ensures good drainage year-round. Colt's original design established the strategic framework, while Mackenzie's later work refined bunkering and green complexes in his characteristic style. The course measures around 6,200 yards from the back tees and presents a traditional members' club experience rather than championship length. Crowborough Beacon operates as a private members' club with a history extending back to the Victorian era. The club has maintained its heathland character through successive generations, and the layout remains relatively true to its early twentieth-century design principles. The combination of Colt's routing sensibility and Mackenzie's tactical refinements gives the course a place in the broader narrative of English heathland golf, though it occupies a quieter position compared to the more celebrated Surrey and Berkshire examples of the genre.
Quick facts
- Location
- Crowborough, East Sussex, England
- Access
- Public
- Year built
- 1895
- Holes
- 18
- Designer(s)
- Alister Mackenzie, Harry S. Colt
- Par
- 71
- Length
- 6,319 yards
- Difficulty
- 71.6/131
- Course Vaults score
- 6.8
Getting there
The journey to Crowborough Beacon Golf Club typically begins at London Gatwick Airport, roughly forty minutes north by road through the rolling countryside of the Sussex Weald. The drive climbs steadily from the airport's lowland sprawl into the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, where hedgerows give way to open heathland and the landscape takes on a wilder, more elevated character. As you approach Crowborough itself - perched at over 700 feet above sea level - the final ascent delivers you to one of the highest points in Sussex, where the club's heathland fairways spread across Ashdown Forest's ancient commons with sweeping views that stretch, on clear days, all the way to the South Downs and the English Channel beyond.

FAQ
Common questions about Crowborough Beacon
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
Crowborough Beacon has a Course Vaults score of 6.8 out of 10 based on 5 logged golfers.
Crowborough Beacon was designed by Alister Mackenzie and Harry S. Colt.
Yes. Crowborough Beacon is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at Crowborough Beacon is 71.
Crowborough Beacon plays 6,319 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at Crowborough Beacon is 131.



