Royal Cinique Ports Review

The golf course at Deal hosted the Open Championships in 1909 and 1929 and has since hosted many International and National Championships.

It is situated 6 miles from Dover and is bordered to the East by the shingle beaches of the English Channel.

This is Links in its finest form undulating, unpredictable firm links fairways with greens to match.  This is golf in its rawest and most natural form.  A real outward and inward 9 that can be dominated by the brisk winds around the English Channel.

This form of golf is not everybody’s cup of tea, and certainly for myself not one that I initially relished.  Now however given the chance to play such courses I’d never miss it.

One of the oldest courses in the country and for me one of the best.  Some may say that golf of this form is a little unfair, but handling the nuances of the humps and bumps is a fabulous challenge.

When I think of Deal, I remember my first practice shot off the 1st in a howling gale, sailing way off course and smashing the Secretary’s window.  Next it reminds me of sky larks of which, around these links there are dozens, nothing quite like that sound when over a testing three footer!

My other abiding memory of Deal, is striving to qualify for the PGA Championship held at nearby St. Georges and being coaxed round by my good friend and former Club champion, David Hedges.

Every hole a challenge of differing types, so no one particular stand out hole, just plain brilliant – all of it!