Littlehampton Golf Club

Origins

A meeting at Littlehampton's Terminus Hotel on 16 February 1889 brought together about 25 people who enrolled as members and formally established the club. The original course had nine holes, with its outward section running through coastal sand hills. Access was initially an unusual part of club life: the River Arun separated the links from Littlehampton town, and a ferry was the only direct route to the club room and first tee.

That arrangement continued until Henry, the 15th Duke of Norfolk, opened the Swing Bridge on 7 August 1908. The official club history says a decision was made in 1893 to expand the course to 18 holes. Independent historical accounts generally place completion of that expansion in 1894.

Design Philosophy

The identity of the original nine-hole designer is not documented by the reliable sources reviewed. The layout now associated with Littlehampton owes much to a later collaboration between Frederick George Hawtree and J. H.

Taylor. Their work altered the routing, reconstructed several greens, lengthened existing holes and tightened the bunkering. The course occupies contrasting ground: an outward section among sand hills and lower land closer to the River Arun toward the finish.

Historic commentary cited by the club noted that although two or three closing holes crossed marshier terrain, the round avoided weak or commonplace holes. The modern course retains short, defended par threes, revetted pot bunkers and greens whose contours remain a central part of its architectural character.

Development

The most consequential redesign took place in the early 1920s. The club's course-tour material attributes specific work to Hawtree in 1923, while secondary architectural histories say Hawtree and Taylor's broader reconstruction was completed before 1926. Few wholesale routing changes have been reported since that period, but the club continues to modify individual bunkers and install drainage.

The practice provision now includes a short-to-medium iron ground, bunker space, a large putting green and a chipping green. The clubhouse was refurbished in 2025, updating its restaurant, formal and informal bars, function areas and balcony overlooking the course and River Arun.

Recognition

Littlehampton has received increased attention as one of the less widely known traditional links courses in southern England. In October 2024, Golf World placed it among the 'next 50' courses immediately outside the publication's Great Britain and Ireland Top 100 Links ranking. Independent architecture coverage also identifies it as the only true links course in West Sussex and credits the surviving Hawtree and Taylor green complexes as a principal strength.

Today

The club remains privately owned by its membership but permits visitor play after 10am on weekdays and after 11am at weekends, subject to availability. The main White course measures 6,226 yards, plays to par 70 and carries a 70.3 course rating with a slope of 130. Additional Yellow, Orange and Blue ratings provide shorter configurations for men and women.

Current investment is focused on bunker work, course hardware and drainage intended to improve year-round playability while retaining the established routing.