Wide horizons, hole by hole
Eighteen holes across open marshland on the Suffolk coast, with room to swing and sea air all the way round.
Generous fairways and fast, true greens — a coastal course that's a pleasure to walk.
Generous fairways and fast, true greens make Saltmarsh a pleasure to walk. It plays gently in still air and turns into a proper coastal test when the wind gets up off the estuary — clever golf, not punishing golf.
Five holes that stay with you after the round — though on a breezy day the estuary is quite capable of nominating a few more of its own.
3rd · Big Sky · Par 5
Turn for the third and the whole marsh opens out under that huge Suffolk sky — hence the name. It's a rolling three-shotter with nothing to crowd you: swing away off the tee, take on the second as far as you fancy, and enjoy one of the most open, unhurried holes on the coast. Downwind it's a birdie waiting to happen; into the breeze it just asks for three honest, easy swings.
4th · The Estuary · Par 4
The estuary comes into view along the whole right-hand side of the fourth, and it will happily tempt you into taking on more than you should. Hug the water for a short, simple pitch in; bail out left and you've a longer look but a safe, dry one. There's no penalty for playing it sensibly here — just a slightly less bragworthy story on the deck afterwards.
7th · The Spit · Par 3
A short hole with a big personality. The seventh plays across a scrape of sand to a slim green perched out on the spit, the sea air pushing at everything you hit. It rewards a committed, well-struck iron and quietly punishes a half-hearted one — so pick your club, trust it, and make a proper pass. Find the putting surface and you'll walk off grinning.
14th · The Dunes · Par 4
The fourteenth is where the marsh turns to dune: a tumbling fairway threading through the marram to a green tucked down in the hollows, half-hidden until you're almost on it. It's the prettiest walk on the course and a lovely, natural par four — keep your drive in the fairway's folds and let the ground feed your approach toward a green that sits soft and inviting below.
17th · Tide's Reach · Par 5
The last of the big holes, and a fitting one. The seventeenth sweeps out along the water's edge with the tide murmuring beyond the fence, stretching you back out toward the shore before the run home. Three good blows and you're rewarded with the finest view on the round; get greedy with your line and the estuary is right there, waiting. Play it long, play it easy, and enjoy every yard.
The full scorecard
| Hole | Par | SI | White | Yellow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. The Saltings | 4 | 5 | 398 | 370 |
| 2. The Pond | 3 | 17 | 162 | 134 |
| 3. Big Sky | 5 | 1 | 511 | 483 |
| 4. The Estuary | 4 | 11 | 372 | 344 |
| 5. Reedbeds | 4 | 3 | 431 | 403 |
| 6. Sea Breeze | 4 | 7 | 388 | 360 |
| 7. The Spit | 3 | 15 | 171 | 143 |
| 8. Marram Way | 4 | 9 | 401 | 373 |
| 9. The Turn | 4 | 13 | 405 | 377 |
| 10. Salt Flats | 4 | 6 | 412 | 384 |
| 11. Long Marsh | 5 | 2 | 528 | 500 |
| 12. The Channel | 3 | 18 | 198 | 170 |
| 13. Tern's Rest | 4 | 10 | 421 | 393 |
| 14. The Dunes | 4 | 16 | 386 | 358 |
| 15. Driftwood | 4 | 4 | 444 | 416 |
| 16. The Hollow | 3 | 14 | 224 | 196 |
| 17. Tide's Reach | 5 | 8 | 519 | 491 |
| 18. Home | 4 | 12 | 430 | 402 |
Around the marsh
