Graeme Porter

The Burstead is a very good parkland course near Billericay, Essex. On the day that we played (25th August 2017), it was shown at its splendid best, the weather was glorious and we had a great day's golf. The day started with a full English breakfast, the catering staff were friendly and helpful. In fact all the staff from the Pro to the admin staff were excellent. The course was in great condition, with a number of challenging holes, including two 200 yard plus par threes on the back nine. Plenty of course management is required to get round, which for me is a big plus about the course. Highly recommended and I will look to play there again, sometime soon.

I now know why this course has been the venue for a number of both major amateur and professional competitions including the Ryder Cup (1949), the Curtis Cup (2000), and the Walker Cup (2003) as well as three Amateur Championship (1964, 1977, 1991). It is a fantastic course, which is steeped in history and tradition, but is still a friendly and welcoming place. Initially, I was a bit overwhelmed by the place, just by looking at the names on the honours boards in the bar areas. The course on the day was in great condition, considering it is only April, the fairways and greens were extremely quick and some of the bunkers were more like ravines, it is a stern test for any golfer.