Rye Golf Club Old Course Key Information
The Old Course at Rye offers honest, quintessential links golf from start to finish and is a textbook example of golf course architecture from probably the master of them all, Harry Colt.
A day at Rye is a day well spent giving you the opportunity to enjoy golf as it was intended to be played over 100 years ago.
The booking process maybe a little tricky but there’s no arrogance there and it's worth the effort if you can secure a game.
REASONS TO PLAY RYE GOLF CLUB OLD COURSE
– Historic and pure links course harking back to golf as it used to be
– But always maintained in great condition with excellent playing surfaces
– Predominantly a members' club so if you get the chance to play, grab it with both hands
RANKINGS
UK and Ireland Top 100 Golf Courses 2025/26 - 61
This hugely characterful layout is not only one of the best golf courses in Sussex but also one of just two in the county to feature in our Top 100 Golf Courses UK & Ireland rankings.
West Sussex is my home county, with the club of the same name the western half's only Top 100 club and Rye then on the coast in the extreme east of the county. By a slightly strange coincidence, both have a par of 68, both have just one par 5 and on both courses, it is the opening hole.
From my experience, there is very much an element of 'right, I must take advantage of this opening hole' at both, for at Rye in particular, there are certainly a string of tough par 4s to come on both nines. Among them is the long and testing dogleg-left 6th over and around a dune ridge that I have never come close to mastering. And it's never an easy task to find the hog's back fairway on the 4th on a calm day, let along in any sort of wind.
Founded in 1894, the original layout at Rye was designed by a 25-year-old Harry Colt. Even at that young age his talent for visualising and creating attractive and exciting holes was evident. Indeed, Colt was the club’s first captain and Rye, his very first design, was one that would switch him from his career as a solicitor into that of a golf course architect.
The course at Rye is something of a timeless classic that has been largely unchanged since the 1930s. But it will still present a strong challenge, particularly when the wind is up. It’s a classic links layout played over fast-running and undulating turf.
The superb par-3 7th has a green featuring run-offs on all sides plus sand to negotaite, while on the back nine, the 13th is a cracking hole where the blind second shot will generally be played with a long iron (or more) over a dune.
Although times for visitors are limited, bookings will be taken on weekdays by appointment.
When you do play, you’ll be made to feel very welcome. Be sure to allow yourself time for what is always an excellent lunch in clubhouse.
What's new for 2025/26? What our panellists said…
Who wouldn’t relish an invitation to play down at Rye! Old-school charm and a tough test of interesting, and some unique, golf holes. There are good views over the course and Rye’s second, 14-hole course, the Jubilee laid out on ground given up by the receding sea line. This was my third visit and there are some famously blind shots, but who said no shot is ever blind the second time you play it? This is a course that may frustrate you the first time you play it, but not the third time. Golf as it really should be, still alive and kicking at this remote links.
Rye is a wonderfully designed course and it’s easy to see why when you see the mix of stellar names that have worked here in the past. The dune ridges are central to the design and the routing brings you close to, over, along and around them, which makes for some fantastically interesting golf. As a test, there must not be a more exacting 6,300-yard golf course. The set of par 3s is particularly memorable and many of the par 4s (4, 6, 8, 9, 13, 15, 16 & 18) are insanely good. The abundance of hazards to be negotiated is superb, leaving you with a feeling that your game has been fully examined.
Rye Golf Club Old Course Location
Best Courses Near to Rye Golf Club Old Course
Best Places To Stay Near Rye Golf Club Old Course
The Gallivant - Book now at Booking.com
Opposite Camber’s golden beach, Gallivant Hotel offers elegant rooms with homemade cake and luxury toiletries. Just a couple of minute's drive from Rye Golf Club, The Gallivant restaurant serves a variety of menu options, using seasonal and local produce.
The Hope Anchor - Book now at Booking.com
Built around 1750 for local sailors and ship builders, The Hope Anchor is thought to have once sheltered the Tenterden Gang, who used its old secret passages for smuggling. Relax beside the log fire in traditional snug bar, and enjoy the individually styled bedrooms, some of which have a four poster bed. It's in the centre of Rye just a mile and a half from the golf club.
Rye Golf Club Old Course Gallery
Rye Golf Club Old Course Historical Top 100 Ranking UK&I
- 2025/26 - 61
- 2023/24 - 65
- 2021/22 - 65
- 2019/20 - 57
- 2017/18 - 54
- 2015/16 - 58
- 2013/14 - 61
- 2011/12 - 71
- 2009/10 - 77
Frequently Asked Questions
Are visitors welcome at Rye?
Invitations to visiting golfers are made at the Secretary’s discretion. Smaller groups are more easily accommodated. To arrange a visit - email the secretary
Is Rye a twoball course?
Yes - "All play is in two ball format with foursomes preferred, especially in the morning. No three or fourball golf is played. Players wishing to play their own ball, rather than foursomes, will generally be invited to play late morning or after lunch".
What is the dress code at Rye?
Information on the club website reads as follows:
When meeting before play, golfing attire may be worn in either bar. For gentlemen, a jacket and tie or roll neck is mandatory after 11.00 a.m. in either bar. In the Dining Room, gentlemen must wear jacket and tie.
Ladies may wear golfing attire when meeting before play in either bar. After 11.00 a.m. ladies are expected to dress appropriately when using the bars or dining room so as to complement the dress code applying to gentlemen in these areas.
Ladies and gentlemen may wear golfing attire in the Darwin Bar after 4.00 p.m. daily.
A high standard of dress is expected on the courses and may include the wearing of tailored golf shorts but, for men, only with long socks with a turnover top.
