Chart Hills Golf Club

Faldo's Bold Lines Through Kent

The golf course at Chart Hills Golf Club opened for play in August 1993 as Sir Nick Faldo's first European design, supported by American architect Steve Smyers. They set the routing across more than 200 acres of gently rolling Kent countryside, using a central oak woodland and the existing contours to separate the holes.

The fairways twist across pronounced slopes before reaching large greens with strong internal movement. Bunkers range from small, deep pits to broad sandy hazards, while lakes repeatedly influence the safest route. Good scoring depends on choosing a suitable line from the tee and leaving an approach angle that avoids the strongest defences.

A major 2020-21 project closed all 18 holes while the fairways were stripped, new irrigation was installed, and more than 30,000 tonnes of sand formed a four-inch cap. The work was designed to improve year-round playing conditions while retaining the Faldo-Smyers layout. Chart Hills will host the English Legends on the Staysure Legends Tour in August 2026, adding a new professional tournament chapter to its modern history.