Situated at the mouth of the River Arun, where it meets the English Channel, Littlehampton Golf Course, is the very epitome of a hidden gem. Reached by a very discreet road on the way out of the town, it’s an oasis of links golf in a region of Sussex that is otherwise dominated by parkland and downland tracks, which offer very different playing conditions, especially during the winter months.

The course is all but hidden from public view, with the raised dunes along its southern shoreline separating the course from the endless miles of pebbled beach that stretches in either direction between Brighton and Portsmouth.

Although officially recognised as one of only 252 true links courses in the world our 18-hole layout has a uniqueness all of its own with the holes located hard by the sea being genuine links, with firm, sandy playing surfaces, while those further inland offer slightly softer underfoot conditions that give it a more parkland feel, with a hint of marshland thrown in for good measure.

The course is mostly flat and easy walking and with excellent drainage it is rarely closed. It’s well bunkered, with fast fairways and fine, true greens and at just over 6200 yards from the back tees it offers a fair but testing examination for golfers of all abilities. Unusually, there are five par 3’s and three par 5’s giving a true but testing par of 70. Also, running through part of the course is ‘The Rife’, a Sussex term for a river or stream.

Littlehampton Golf Course offers the rare opportunity to experience the thrill of playing Open-style links golf in the more forgiving climate of the south coast.