West Sussex Golf Club

Strategy Beyond the Yardage at Pulborough

The golf course at West Sussex Golf Club was completed in September 1930, when play began on ground discovered by Commander G.W. Hillyard. Guy Campbell and C.K. Hutchison led the design, with S.V. Hotchkin also credited for shaping the layout. The course officially opened the following year.

Its par of 68 hides a demanding structure. Five par threes and several long par fours place pressure on iron play, while the sandy subsoil keeps the turf firm and quick. Heather defines many edges, and bunkers sit where a careless line is most likely to finish. Four holes need no bunkers at all because the natural ground provides enough defence.

The sixth is the course's most discussed hole. This long par three crosses a pond marked as out of bounds before rising to a green set among heather. Later, the 16th plays across a heath-covered ravine to a shallow green on a natural hillock. These holes show how West Sussex creates difficulty through natural ground and exact distance control rather than sheer length.