I have enjoyed more trips to this beautiful county over the years than I can now actually remember. Its big guns such as Aldeburgh, Ipswich and Woodbridge - coincidentally each with 27 fine holes - keep me coming back and are the best golf courses in Suffolk. But there are also plenty of less obvious delights that offer a great deal in the way of charm and interest.
Felixstowe Ferry
Oddly, one of the county’s other bigger names also boasts 27 holes - perhaps it’s a Suffolk thing! Felixstowe Ferry is home to a traditional links of championship quality that is the only such course in the county. It also boasts the sporty, 9-hole Kingsfleet Course that is ideal for newcomers, for a warm-up or for practice. The club dates back to 1880 and its Martello Course is the fifth-oldest in the country.
It is named after the tower that sits by the 17th green and which served as its first clubhouse. Just over 100 of these structures were built in the early 19th-century, of which fewer than half remain. This easy-walking links has four par 5s, three of which come in the space of four holes from the 7th.
It is a particularly strong test when the wind is up, but happily I was spared which may account for how I managed birdies at the last of these as well as the drive-and-pitch 3rd. The short 12th is very unusual as you play over the old Ferry Road to a green up by the clubhouse, and the holes from here to the end are particularly strong and make for an excellent climax. The 9-hole Kingsfleet Course is on the other side of the road and is ideal for practice or a quick nine.
Charm on tap
30 miles up the coast as the cormorant flies is the lovely town of Southwold where I very much enjoyed staying with my wife at the Swan Hotel which is owned by the Adnams Brewery. Informal but smart, friendly, great food, delicious ale, comfortable and stylish rooms, terrific but unfussy service - exactly my kind of place.
We also took the opportunity to enjoy tours of both the brewery and the gin distillery… not on the same day I hasten to add! If this is your sort of thing, I would very much recommend both.
Southwold
Just on the outskirts of this charming town, Southwold’s 9-hole course is a delightful and varied layout that is a mere four years the junior of Felixstowe. James Braid visited a number of times and is credited with the design. Most unusually, it is bookended by short holes, each of which is right outside the clubhouse. The 6th to 8th holes are over the road beyond the feature water tower on lower ground closer to the coast.
Despite their lack of bunkers, they are just as testing, and the whole course is engaging all the way. I actually started with a two which cruelly raised my hopes before I deposited balls into the gorse on 7 and 8. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed my visit.
Stowmarket
The county also has some fine inland golf, and one of its prettiest courses forms an admittedly badly-drawn triangle with Felixstowe and Southwold. Stowmarket moved to its current site to the west of the town in the 1960s, and its gently undulating woodland course twists and turns all the way with no two holes seeming to run in the same direction. Each nine concludes with a short hole, and there are three more including the 4th which is a driver-demanding 242 yards from the yellow tees. I really liked the par-4 17th, despite not managing to finish it, and there are plenty of strong holes all the way to keep you on your toes. It is also a very friendly club, and I greatly enjoyed my post-round pint.
As you can tell, I am a huge fan of Suffolk. It has a timeless charm and peace that is unlike most other counties, and the bonus of a small but surprisingly strong stock of interesting and attractive golf.
