Willingdon

Willingdon Golf Club sits on the South Downs above Eastbourne, one of the more distinctive settings in East Sussex golf. The downland turf here is classic links-adjacent terrain — firm, fast, and shaped by the chalk escarpment rather than any architect's whim — and the views across the Weald and toward the coast can stop you mid-swing if you let them. It's the kind of course where the land does most of the talking.

The club itself has been part of the local golfing fabric for well over a century, drawing members from Eastbourne and the surrounding villages who value a proper downland walk over resort frills. Downland courses in this part of England tend to reward low running shots and creative course management far more than pure power, and Willingdon is no exception.

The par of 69 signals a shorter, tighter test rather than a bombers' track, which suits downland golf perfectly — the premium is on accuracy, positioning, and reading ground that seldom behaves the way a manicured parkland would.