Better late than never
I’d only played Seaford Head on the chalk cliffs in East Sussex once 35 years ago, with torrential rain ruling out the closing stretch along the clifftops. In April, I finally got to finish that round!
Why so long? I don’t really know, but this time I wallowed in glorious sunshine and a gentle breeze for my first ‘away’ game since golf’s return. Hitting it to 6ft on the 1st was nice, and as I turned to face the sea on the par-3 4th, I had flashbacks of early holiday golf at Mullion in Cornwall. Inspired, I hit a 7-iron to 6ins!
The course drops down early on before a gradual ascent from the 7th that steepens dramatically on the
11th and 12th, a short, almost vertical par 3 where my previous round had ended.
Once on top, the views are magnificent and the walking is easy all the way to the steeply downhill par-5 18th, where even shorter hitters might hope to get home in two.
I loved it and won’t be waiting another 35 years to revisit. I doubt I’ll reach 92 anyway, and if I do, there’s no way I’ll make it up that 12th hole!
Did you know? The nearest course with holes so close to the chalk clifftops is Walmer and Kingsdown 86 miles away on the East Kent coast.