THE NORTH NORFOLK COAST

Rob Smith steps back in time to revisit some personal favourites along East Anglia’s northern coastline

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I have been heading up to Norfolk for a fairly regular fix of the most natural seaside golf, on and off, for more than 30 years. And while the county has its fair share of very enjoyable and varied inland courses, to me there is something even more alluring about its coastal offerings. I was therefore very much looking forward to a short, early season trip with my fellow Golf Monthly courses obsessive, Jeremy Ellwood. This would give us a chance to reflect following a lengthy spell dedicated to preparing the 2023/24 Top 100 and Next 100 rankings, as well as juggle ideas for future coverage of courses of every shape, size and style.

Three to four hours from home was enough to make it a proper trip, while still close enough to risk taking a chance with whatever vagaries the golfing gods might throw at us during the wettest March in over 40 years. The lure of the north Norfolk coast is that it really does feel like a step back in time, in a totally good way, with period architecture and villages, big skies and a real feeling of space.

Hunstanton 

Late on a bright Monday morning, our first port of call following an unusually clear journey was the excellent links at Hunstanton. A chat with friendly secretary Chris White suggested we should make hay while the late winter sun shone as the forecast for the following day was strong wind and rain.