Prince’s Golf Club Course Review – Himalayas & The Lodge

Following up on a recent review of Prince’s, I headed back to play the Himalayas nine (Prince’s is made up of three loops of nine holes, the others being the Shore and Dunes).  Making a short break of it, I was able to get a flavour of the full experience now on offer down on the Kent coast in Sandwich. 

Himalayas Course

If you’ve read any of my past blog posts, you may have picked up that I love links golf (I don’t try very hard to disguise it).  Nothing beats it in my book, so Prince’s will always have a head-start in winning me over.  Not that it needs to try very hard. Having played the Dunes and Shore course previously, I already knew the golf here is hugely enjoyable.  Troon Golf’s work managing the course has led to exceptional conditioning, too, so unless the Himalayas nine was going to come as a shocking disappointment I knew before teeing it up that I was going to have some fun.

And that’s exactly what I did. The course is terrific – challenging without being so brutal you wished you stayed in bed, and rewarding when it needs to be. Like any links course, you’re at the mercy of the weather but on a bright and breezy day this is a purist’s heaven.

Whether it’s your first, tenth or nineteenthhole of the day, the opening par 4 on the Himalayas course demands your absolute attention. It’s not the gentle left to right shape that’s the worry, it’s the sight of a fence along the left side that the prevailing wind is set to push your drive towards (and possibly over).  No ‘looseners’ here; the pressure is on for a precise drive.  Get your drive away successfully and the approach is a lot simpler, though the wind continues to be a factor.

The second is one of the strongest of any of the 27 holes at Prince’s. A tough dog leg left par 4 with several fairway bunkers waiting to punish the greedy or misplaced tee shot. Stray into one of these and par becomes virtually impossible, but if you can find the fairway the rising second shot is no less challenging. If you’re good/lucky enough to reach the green in regulation, the broadly sloped green still makes par a challenge and this one of the toughest holes on the course.

The par 3 third offers several angles of play from the variety of tees, and it’s another hole where avoiding the bunkers is paramount. The green is slightly hidden from view and this testing hole makes the opening section of the Himalayas especially challenging.

If you’re going to score well on the Himalayas, it’s the middle third of holes (holes 4 to 6), where you need to pick up shots.  The first opportunity is on the short par 4 fourth. The tee shot seems to steer you towards the watery ditch running down the right side, but persuade yourself to favour the left side of the fairway and you’ll be rewarded with a short iron to this large shared green. There are some wonderful contours on the putting surface here, and I’m sure many Prince’s members enjoy using them to feed the ball close to the pin. Of course, for the less experienced, these same contours can leave the most awkward of greenside shots if you finish in the wrong place.

The fifth hole is often played with help from the prevailing wind, and the drive provides a unique tunnel-straight view of the fairway from the tee. It’s an inviting opportunity to open the shoulders, but a miss on either side will doubtless leave you thrashing away in the rough in frustration on your second (and perhaps third and fourth) shots. The approach shot plays up to a large long green, but it’s still a good chance to score.

The yardage on the par 5 sixth can extend to over 600 yards playing from the tips, and having turned back into the wind it can feel even longer! Miss the fairway bunkers from the tee, however, and despite its length, the holes presents a good opportunity to score as there’s plenty of width as it runs along the coast. Best played (and likely to be the only option) as a genuine three-shotter, just make sure you get up on your approach as anything short will run back towards you.

Perhaps the signature hole, the par 3 seventh is fantastic. A long yardage, wind set to wreak havoc with your club selection combined and an angled green make for a devilish tee shot.  There are drop-offs short and left, too, so you’ll be manufacturing all sorts of shots in an effort to make a par.  Forget the outcome, though, as this is arguably the best hole on the course and one to be savoured.

Avoiding the fairway bunker is the key to the eighth, although this lengthy par 4 has a rippled fairway that seems to encourage tee shots towards the longer grasses. The green is the opposing half of the fourth green, so don’t be surprised to find others putting across your line.

The final hole on the Himalayas is a superb dog leg left par 4 aimed out towards the pine trees in the distance. Played from a raised tee, this semi-blind hole hugs sweeping dunes on the left of the fairway. From the fairway and at the green side, it’s easy to favour the right as you look to avoid the unforgiving grasses to the left, but missing the green to far right and you’ll face an incredibly tough up-and-down from the greenside swales. It’s a fine finish to a lovely course.

The Lodge at Prince’s

Opened a year ago, The Lodge at Prince’s is an excellent accompaniment to the golf course.  The accommodation, set out as 38 bedrooms, is deliberately versatile and flexible to suit parties of different sizes and families as well as golfers. The beds are large and comfortable, bathrooms sparkling clean and modern, and there are nice extra touches, such as golf bag storage in each room. There’s nothing nicer than staying just a stone’s throw from the course and the bedrooms all enjoy views extending across the links of Prince’s, Royal St. Georges, the clubhouse and the English Channel, so you’re constantly reminded that you’re in classic golfing territory.

The Brasserie On The Bay

I don’t propose to be much of a restaurant critic but having sampled lunch, dinner, and breakfast in The Brasserie On The Bay at Prince’s, it’s a career I am willing to consider!  Many golf clubs are raising the bar when it comes to dining experiences these days, and I can genuinely say that The Brasserie On The Bay sets the very highest standards.  The dining room is intimate, relaxed, and modern and the contemporary menu makes very most of seasonal and fresh produce, changing on a regular basis. At the time of my visit, the starters included Smoked Haddock Tartlette and Terrine of Wild Duck, followed by main courses of Braised Pork Cheek with Roasted Belly, and Slow Braised Beef. The desert menu included Baked Chocolate Veloute and Coconut Panna Cotta amongst others. The number of options is deliberately modest (always a good sign), and I doubt any visitor, however demanding, could take issue with the quality.  I thought it was superb.

I retired to my room a very full and content man, but was already looking forward to breakfast which, when morning arrived, didn’t disappoint.  Smoked Salmon with Scrambled Eggs & Toasted Brioche was first-class and with the choice of Full English, Kippers and Field Mushroom & Gruyere Omelette also tempting me, I made a mental note to return as soon as possible.

My Verdict

Given its history and the recent financial investment, it didn’t come as a surprise to me that the golf course at Prince’s was so good and so well-conditioned.  I came without any particular expectations of the accommodation and food and was immensely impressed.  The Lodge at Princes and The Brasserie On The Bay combine to make Prince’s an absolutely first-rate golf destination. And as for value, I know you can enjoy a weekend package of two rounds of golf, one night’s accommodation with dinner and breakfast for just £195 per person, which I genuinely believe make’s Prince’s one of the best priced packages on offer in the UK. Of course, you don’t have to stay overnight to enjoy Prince’s but I can heartily recommend it if you get the chance.