Royal New Kent Golf Club

You simply have to play this golf course …. My favorite Strantz course, stunning scenery, every hole is an architectural masterpiece from the ‘horseshoe’ par 5 2nd hole right through to the tough but exciting 18th …. I have been blessed to play many of the worlds best courses but this one is number 2 on my list behind Spyglass and perhaps equal to Sunningdale in the UK …. Don’t be put off by the reviews that say the course is too tough …. The is a tee box for everyone …. Don’t worry about your score and cone play one of the worlds best courses …. Oh and by the way it’s only $75 to play 18 holes !!!!

If you want something different and not something you can always play. This was a fun, yet very challenging round.

This was my first time playing Royal New Kent after hearing about it for the past few years. I had the third tee time of the day and was playing as a single behind a foursome and a twosome. The foursome let me play through on the par-3 third hole, and the twosome a few holes later. After that, I had the course to myself.

Of the Mike Strantz courses I’ve played—Tobacco Road and Tot Hill Farm—Royal New Kent is by far my favorite layout. Nearly every tee shot felt like a photo opportunity. Each hole was visually stunning and unlike anything I’d experienced before.

My only issue was the course condition. While the greens were in good shape and the course overall was solid, it could use some cleanup around the edges. Some bunkers had weeds growing in them, and the fairways were a bit too long—more like a first cut than tightly mown fairways. That meant drives had little to no rollout, which was a letdown on the longer holes where every yard counts.

Despite that, I would absolutely recommend playing here. It’s one of the most spectacular pieces of golf property I’ve ever seen. If you're in the area and have the chance to play it, don’t pass it up.

First time playing this course, as an average golfer and someone who doesn’t hit the ball long, I usually play from white tees (or equivalent). The white tee yardage measures roughly 6,200 total yards at this course. The next choice drops to 4,900 yards. Many of the holes have forced carries off the tee and limited bailout areas when approaching the green - that’s a challenging combination. Quite a few holes are spread very far apart- I can’t imagine how much concrete had to be poured for the oaths and it seems the course infrastructure might be outpacing resources for maintenance. If you’re an above-average golfer, I’d recommend playing it. For others, I’d recommend other more enjoyable courses in the area.

Awesome course, very challenging and well kept. Cart path to fairway transitions need improvement it was very rough thats the only critique everything else was top notch. Pro shop staff were very nice. Restaurant staff was awful passed on food and drinks there, some drama between bartender and chef. nothing a patron needed to see or hear. Cart girl was very nice and made the rounds quickly. Can’t wait to go back.

The course is beautiful. It has a very interesting layout. It can be very challenging for a golfer like myself who is lacking in skills. Plan on donating some golf balls to the forced carry holes.

Fantastic course! Quite a challenge for newcomers like my friend and me, but let me tell you, it was an absolute blast playing on such a stunning course. The only downside was the lack of a beverage cart person to help us stay hydrated, especially with the scorching heat we were playing in.

Great course, in great shape. Greens were quick, fairways were pure, and the bunkers were decent. Super fun layout, but not for the faint of heart. Really tough course for anyone above ~12 handicap. Lots of forced carries, blind shots, and tough holes. But somehow it is all fair and not gimmicky

The round took 5 and a half hours. Maybe the longest round I ever played. Spent 10 minutes on every tee box waiting on the group ahead. The course needs rangers to keep the pace. Slow play definitely spoiled would could be a great round.

The course has a lot of unexpected twists and turns that you would expect from a Strantz designed course. The tees fairways and greens were all in pretty good shape although a few spots on the course were a little rough around the edges. The bunkers need a little attention but we just played rake and place which worked fine. The pace of play was fine. The staff was friendly. The carts have really spongy breaks so get comfortable with them before you hit some of the big downhills. There are plenty of tee options to fit any type of player.

I absolutely love the layout. Strantz was a genius in seeing holes with the existing topography. Greens were fast and true. A few of the tee boxes were really chewed up, but didn't affect play. My only complaint was paying $100 for a round, then being forced to pay $5 for a small bucket of balls. This really cheapend the course. Other than that, great experience.

Many of the bunkers were filled with water making them water hazards, not sand traps.

The score card did not have any helpful pictures to show the golfer where the fairway went, left, right or if there were gullies or streams you had to hit over.

The golf carts definitely should have had GPS with it to give you a fighting chance of the yardage.

Too many blind shots without any pole to give the golfer a direction as to where to hit the ball.

This course was much too difficult and I would not recommend it to anyone unless they have the course on their phone to tell yardages/distances.