Championship Course

Rochester & Cobham Park Golf Club is a spacious championship parkland course in Kent, laid out within historic deer-park land associated with Cobham Hall. The present course combines two generations: a 1920s layout linked with Colt, MacKenzie and Alison, followed by a major Donald Steel redesign in 1997. The result is a modern championship course with a genuine classical inheritance.

The course occupies broad parkland south of Rochester, with mature trees, open grassland and gentle movement through the ground. Its scale allows holes to sit comfortably apart and gives the property a calm character despite its accessibility from London and the Thames corridor. The land is not dramatically hilly, but enough elevation exists to create different lies, changing horizons and interesting approaches.

Golf in Rochester dates to the late nineteenth century. Rochester & Cobham Golf Club was formed in 1920 when play moved into the deer park at Cobham Hall. The 1920s course is credited by the club to H. S. Colt, Alister MacKenzie and C. H. Alison. In 1997 Donald Steel undertook a substantial redesign, bringing the course to modern championship standards while retaining the scale and spatial qualities of the historic park.

Steel’s work was an evolution rather than an erasure of the earlier course. He kept the broad parkland concept but introduced new greens, modern specifications and a more balanced strategic sequence. The strongly contoured putting surfaces are one of the defining elements of the current course. Length from the championship tees and surface quality allow Rochester & Cobham Park to stage elite qualifying events while functioning as a traditional members’ club.

The club lists eighteen holes, 6,597 yards and par 71 from the men’s championship tees. The greens are built to USGA principles and are particularly noted for their undulation and subtle breaks. Strong par threes, demanding par fours and long par fives are influenced by changing winds across the park. Bunkers and green positioning reward control of trajectory and angle without relying on repeated forced carries.

Rochester & Cobham Park offers substantial long-game and short-game practice facilities, a well-regarded clubhouse and an active competition programme. In 2026 the course is one of fifteen Regional Qualifying venues for the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. This is a strong endorsement of its championship credentials. Visitor access, competition days, maintenance arrangements and temporary restrictions remain dynamic.

Historic Kent club ; moved to Cobham Park in 1920 ; Colt, MacKenzie and Alison heritage ; redesigned by Donald Steel in 1997 ; 18 holes ; par 71 ; 6,597 yards ; strongly contoured greens ; Regional Qualifying venue for The Open 2026.