Park Pale,
Rochester, Kent ME2 3UL
Office
+44 (0)1474 823 411Pro shop
+44 (0)1474 823 658Fax
+44 (0)1474 824 446Website
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Warren Wood (Head Professional).The Course:
18 holes. Tree-lined & open parkland. Gently undulating terrain - a few slopes to climb (more so on the back-nine).
Surroundings:
Woodland.
Designer:
Original design by Charles "Hugh" Alison of Colt, MacKenzie & Alison (1920s). Significant redesign and incorporation of seven new holes by Donald Steel (1997).
51.393976
0.428477
6 mi W of Rochester.
Rochester & Cobham
Rochester & Cobham Park Golf Club: challenging the renowned coastal courses in eastern Kent, the north and west of the county is home to several excellent parkland courses. Amongst the flag-bearers is Rochester & Cobham Park, kept good company by the likes of Knole Park and Wilderness near Sevenoaks. Located on the opposite side of the River Medway to the historic town of Rochester, the predominantly open terrain of Cobham Hall's former deer park is home to this excellent Charles "Hugh" Alison design, one to test all facets of your game.
Built on an easy-draining base of Kentish chalk, the course plays on either side and through a relatively shallow valley. This absorbing and predominantly open parkland layout is based on two nine-hole loops, with a flatter front-nine, and more elevation change on the inward holes. There's no water to fear, but in spring and summer the rough beyond the fairways will help focus your straight-hitting from the tee.
Rochester's expansive layout offers plenty of space between the holes, with good-width fairways leading to subtly sloping greens, some large, some small. The pleasantly undulating and natural terrain is bounded by a wonderful variety of trees, including some seriously gnarly ancient oaks.
Other notable features of Rochester & Cobham Park include its large and (on the inside) baronial style clubhouse, excellent practice ground, and welcoming ambience to visitors. A not uncommon breeze blowing across the course may add an extra soupçon of challenge to you golf on any given day.
Pick of the holes: the risk-reward short par-4 17th, part of an excellent closing trio, encourages long hitters to have a tilt at the green, with substantial bunker defences awaiting anything hit short or offline.
Visitors welcome on weekdays, and after 1pm on weekends.
Must book in advance.
Contact club for full details, discounts, packages, etc. [Last updated: 2022].
Players generally walk this course. Golf carts available for hire.
Excellent
Rochester Golf Club began life in 1891 with a nine-hole course in nearby Higham. A change of land ownership in 1919 threatened the club with closure until it was rescued by The Honourable Ivo Bligh (lord of the Manor of Cobham, captain of the England cricket team in its first ever Ashes series against Australia, and later the 8th Earl of Darnley). Bligh offered the club a lease of part of the deer park at Cobham Hall.
From the opening holes, you'll see Cobham Hall, one of the most important former stately homes in the county of Kent. This grand Elizabethan house was formerly home to the Cobham family (Barons of Cobham), the Stewart family (Earls of Lennox) and the Bligh family (Earls of Darnley). Today Cobham Hall is a private boarding school for girls.
The original golf clubhouse was transported from Higham to the new site, but was separated from the course by the A2 road (originally an old Roman road known as Watling Street). In 1992, when the Government unveiled the route of the Channel Tunnel rail link, it was clear the the track would run straight through the clubhouse and affect several holes on the course. This resulted in a major revamp of the layout by Donald Steel, and the opening of the present course and clubhouse in 1997.
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