10 of The Best Golf Courses in Suffolk

Suffolk is one of the greatest regions of England for golf as there are many brilliant venues that can deliver a first-class golfing experience.

From heathland to a true links, Suffolk is home to some outrageously good and unique golf courses that present a brilliant challenge.

Below, we provide information on ten of the best golf courses in Suffolk – will you be planning a golf tour here soon?

Purdis - Ipswich Golf Club

Ipswich Golf Club is another historic site. Suffolk is seemingly full of them, which makes it such a special place to golf. There are two courses located on site but better players will be immediately interested in the Pudis Heath Course, which was designed by legendary golfer James Braid. He used the natural contours of the heathland surroundings to create a course that is susceptible to cross winds, making judgement very difficult. The smaller offering can be played twice to create the traditional 18 holes.

Golfshake Review: "Stunning heathland course. Excellent condition with superb greens. A must play if you are in the area."

Aldeburgh Golf Club

Aldeburgh Golf Club is home to two courses: a riveting championship layout and a shorter 9-hole loop. Through offering courses of varying difficulty, the club is a great option for golfers of all abilities. The main layout is built on sandy heathland but it exudes a feel of a links on many of the holes. The club also encourage visitors in the winter, as they claim there is never any need for preferred lies, temporary tees or greens!

Golfshake Review: "Played Alderburgh recently in an amateur Tour event, the course exceeded my expectations, found it a really great test of golf."

Woodbridge Golf Club

Woodbridge Golf Club is steeped in rich history considering they first opened their doors back in 1893! Naturally, a lot has changed since then and the club is now home to two courses, a traditional 18-hole layout and a 9-hole loop. Whatever course you decide to tackle, both are set in beautiful surroundings on a classic heathland setting. The Heath Course is the longer of the two and will demand pinpoint accuracy throughout, whilst the Forest is arguably one of the finest 9-hole offerings in the area.

Golfshake Review: "The course is well kept and green run really well. Given the nature of its location also a great course to play during the winter months as drains well."

Stowmarket Golf Club

Stowmarket first opened for business in 1902, having moved sites on several occasions during their lengthy history. From the tips, the course just exceeds the 6,000-yard marking, which isn’t super long by today’s standards. Perhaps the most unique part of Stowmarket Golf Club is that the course finishes on a par 3, which is far from traditional. Golfers will need to be at their most accurate as tree-lined fairways threaten to dampen the good scoring party.

Golfshake Review: "Exceptional. A picturesque parkland course that is consistently maintained to a superb standard."

Felixstowe Ferry Golf Club

Felixstowe Ferry Golf Club is the only links course available in Suffolk, which is one of only 246 true links tests throughout the entire world! There are two courses located on site, a championship 18-hole layout and a shorter 9-hole course. The Martello Course – which is the longer option – is one of the oldest golf courses in England, having opened for play back in 1880. Also supplied by the club are brilliant practice facilities which include a driving range that is available for both indoor and outdoor play.

Golfshake Review: "Very good course has a nice mixture of holes and some lovely scenery perfect for a lunch time round and reasonably quite."

Royal Worlington & Newmarket Golf Club

Royal Worlington & Newmarket Golf Club was founded in 1893 and operated as a traditional members club. Interestingly, it is the only 9-hole golf course to be included in Golf World’s Top 100 in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which highlights just how impressive this short course is. Golfers commonly repeat the 9 holes to make up the traditional 18 and there are some really challenging holes on offer, like the par-4 6th that measures beyond 460 yards long.

Golfshake Review: "Great fun little layout this. Fairways are mostly generous with some blind fairway bunkers from tees. Avoid those and the green complexes are next thing to cath you out, some of them are very tough. Very enjoyable for golfers of any abilties."

Bungay & Waveney Valley Golf Club

If you’re looking for an inland heathland test, then look no further than the impressive Bungay & Waveney Valley Golf Club. The course resides in a horseshoe-shaped loop that was formed by the River Waveney. With plenty of gorse and a mixture of pine and birch trees, the course is set in 64 acres of land that drains well and is a pleasure to walk. Due to the size of the small greens, the real challenge will be controlling the golf ball as opposed to spraying driver everywhere and risking adverse lies.

Golfshake Review: "Little Gem This course is absolutely lovely. The staff are all friendly and food is excellent."

Bury St Edmunds

Bury St Edmunds is an exceptional golf club that is home to two fabulous golf courses. The championship offering extends beyond 6,600 yards from the tips and the back nine provides a remarkable golfing challenge that will require careful consideration. The club opened for play in 1924 and due to the strength of the 18-hole loop, it is a very popular golf club. Accuracy will be the most useful tool as finding fairways is mandatory for a good score. The smaller, 9-hole course is perfect for newcomers to the sport as it provides a gentle introduction to golf.

Golfshake Review: "Great greens and challenging bunkers makes this course a good course, would recommend to all"

Flempton Golf Club

Having opened for play in 1895, Flempton Golf Club is a hidden gem that resides deep into the Suffolk countryside. The golf course found at Flempton can be best described as heathland, with a heap of pine trees and gorse resting on gently undulating land. What’s interesting about Flempton is the fact it’s a 9-hole course yet still boasts a terrific reputation. Remarkably, the short layout has been designed with inspiration from a clover leaf, as every three holes return you to the clubhouse.

Golfshake Review: "One of Suffolk's hidden gems...one of the best 9 hole courses in East Anglia"

Halesworth Golf Club

Halesworth Golf Club is located just a few miles from the stunning Suffolk Heritage Coast and the gorgeous golf course is set in 190 acres of beautiful countryside. Halesworth is a popular local hub, with plenty of golfing facilities to justify a visit. The 18-hole championship golf course will challenge any level of golfer, whilst novices may feel more comfortable tackling the 9-hole academy layout. What rounds off the offering at Halesworth is a 10-bay driving range, putting green and a pro shop stocked with all the popular brands.

Golfshake Review: "The course was in fabulous condition and I will definitely be looking to visit again. Well worth a look if you get the chance."

Related Articles

Golf Courses in the East of England

Best Golf Courses in the East of England