Iconic British golf club with over 120 years of history under threat of destruction by sea

Ed Griffiths
Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:25:03 +0000

Britain's most easterly golf course faces the prospect of losing part of its layout to the North Sea, prompting plans to shift two holes away from the eroding clifftop.

Gorleston Golf Club in Norfolk sits along one of the fastest-eroding stretches of coastline anywhere in Europe.

The 18-hole course, positioned between the town and the village of Hopton, now risks having holes four and five claimed by the sea imminently.

Planning officers at Great Yarmouth Borough Council have recommended approval of the relocation scheme, with a decision expected at a meeting on April 8.

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Council officials warned that losing the holes to erosion "would severely [affect] the viability of the golf club".

The club proposes relocating the endangered holes roughly 400 metres westward onto land it already owns, establishing a protective buffer from the advancing shoreline.

This move has been years in the making, with the club having acquired 50 acres of additional land at the start of the millennium specifically to guard against the threat of coastal erosion.

Course architect Simon Gidman, acting as the club's agent, confirmed that erosion has plagued the site for some time, with the southern portion of the course bearing the brunt of the damage.

The northern section enjoys greater protection thanks to the sea wall at Great Yarmouth.

Despite existing coastal defences along Hopton-on-Sea beach, the threat to the course remains severe.

The location that draws more than 2,500 golfers annually, thanks to its spectacular North Sea vistas, has become the very source of the club's predicament.

Gidman explained in his report to the council that the disparity in erosion rates across the course stems from the protective infrastructure to the north.

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The Great Yarmouth sea wall shields that end of the layout, leaving the southern holes far more exposed to the relentless action of the waves.

The club's position on such a rapidly retreating coastline has made intervention unavoidable.

The 120-year-old club hopes construction can commence this spring, with the aim of having the relocated holes ready for play by 2028.

Gorleston Golf Club ranks among the oldest courses in East Norfolk.

It has served players for more than a century.

Each year, approximately 2,500 visitors make the journey to experience the course's dramatic seaside setting.

The stunning panoramic views across the North Sea, which have long attracted golfers, now pose an existential challenge for the historic venue.

Acting swiftly to secure the club's future, officials are eager to see the council grant approval next week so work can proceed without delay.