Eaton Golf Club is something of a rarity when it comes to English golf courses. A true ‘members club’ (of which there are increasingly fewer these days) that celebrates its centenary year in 2010, it is notably different from other courses due to its very urban location. Yet, tucked away off the A11 Newmarket Road and only a couple of miles from the centre of Norwich, it is a picturesque course characterised by parkland enclosed by mature trees and undulating fairways.

 

Designed in part by the four times open champion JH Taylor, the 18-hole course, at 6118 yards and par 70, is relatively short. However, with the many trees, cavernous bunkers, dips and elevations, it is a demanding course that will challenge even the most able golfer. Visitors are welcome and the Club makes an ideal venue for corporate and teambuilding events.

The club has an on-site Professional’s Shop, operated by fully PGA qualified Head Professional Mark Allen, where you can purchase all manner of branded golfing accessories, including clothing, footwear, clubs and balls. Mark specialises in custom fitting and is happy to advise on all aspects of buying golf equipment.

Along with the Pro Shop, Mark offers a comprehensive teaching programme for all ages and abilities. This now includes a personal one-to-one Mentoring Package that will see every aspect of your play analysed and improved through targets, on line support, practise schedules and drills - perfect if you want to give your game a serious edge.

As we make our way around the course, we are made aware of certain noteworthy holes (inside information!);

Firstly, Hole 2 - only 159 yards, but a demanding Par 3. This is probably attributable to its yawning bunker before the green, the side of which offers a sheer vertical drop reminiscent of a ‘death slide’ at fun fairs.

Fortunately, our group get through without too much trouble and after clearing the green we ring the bell to let the golfers coming up know that we have moved to the next hole. (We’re told that new bells for this purpose were donated by last years Captain).

At 457 yards and with a sloping fairway, Hole 3 is generally thought to be the toughest, with a stroke index of 1.

Hole 5 runs along Marston Lane (which itself links to Marston Marsh Local Nature Reserve), which is eventually crossed to access holes 12-16.

On the 11th, there were a couple of sandy pars (apparently, when the ball goes into the bunker, but the player still pars the hole).

Hole 13 is the apparently ‘easiest’ hole with a Strike Index of 18 (so not unlucky in this instance!). By the time my group finishes at the 13th, the match is all square.

As we traverse the course, one notices distance markers along the fairway. These assist golfers in their choice of club. Trees too have been planted with distance markers on their surrounds. There are plans, apparently, to plant more tress and narrow the fairways, which will make the course an even tougher challenge.

After the 17th hole, the teams were ‘dormie’ 1 (when the score is such that one team is the same number of points ahead as there are holes still to play; thus that should one hole be halved, that leading team will win the match). In the end though, it seems that competition is equally as important as the experience itself - a great outdoor activity to get the blood pumping, we must have walked miles that morning (we were shattered). The golfers we tailed suggested that it takes a ’certain person to take up golf’, adding ‘one that is masochistic’ (perhaps because each round throws up new cruel and unusual challenges, no matter how familiar one is with the course).

After our experience, it is easy to see why Eaton Golf Club has been called a ‘golfing oasis’ and a ‘hidden gem’. The attractive, excellent course belies its unique proximity to the City Centre and still possesses all the qualities of a more rural golf club (accessibility, plenty of greenery, peace and quiet!). As you make your way back to the 18th (purported to be one of the most difficult finishing holes in the County), there is plenty of opportunity to experience flora and fauna, with wildlife seemingly at ease with the golfing community.

If you’re particularly ill fated, you may even find yourself victim to the ‘legendary’ golf ball-stealing Crow that swoops down and collects balls for some unknown purpose. Less of a myth, we were actually witness to such criminal behaviour during our game - annoying perhaps, but it makes an interesting tale to recount back at the clubhouse!

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