Tee off with a sea view at nearby North Norfolk golf courses Sheringham or Royal Cromer.
It’s been said that golf is ‘a good walk spoiled’. Happily though, there’s plenty of room for both here in North Norfolk. Add one of the UK’s lowest rainfalls, and sandy, free-draining soil, and you’ll be heading our way with clubs packed if you’re partial to a game. There can be few finer coastal golf courses in the UK than the enticing trio within a short drive of The Harper.
Let’s begin on the sweeping links of the Royal West Norfolk Golf Club. Between the sea and the salt marshes at Brancaster, just beyond über-desirable Burnham Market, it’s a wonderfully atmospheric place to play, with the added challenge of the 8th and 9th holes being at the mercy of the tides. And it’s not often the walk from clubhouse to course takes you across a beautiful beach. Scolt Head National Nature reserve is just beyond. It’s an invigorating experience.
Take the coast road east from The Harper, through Blakeney, Salthouse and Weybourne, and the terrain turns decidedly hilly (for Norfolk) as you approach the smart little seaside town of Sheringham. On the road into town, past Jenny’s Crabs & Lobsters, you’ll find the fairways of Sheringham Golf Club, a gorgeous green swathe between the cliffs and the passing steam trains of the North Norfolk Railway.
Among the most scenic golf courses in Norfolk, its clifftop appeal is matched only by Royal Cromer Golf Club, a few miles further along the coast. This venerable old course was granted its royal charter in 1888, and it’s a pleasure to play with its rolling terrain, terrific sea views and glistening white lighthouse, a local landmark high above the town.
