Royal West Norfolk Golf Club
The village is home to one of the most famous links golf courses in the UK. Known as the Royal West Norfolk Golf Club, it is a 6457 yards long, Par 71. In general golfing standards, this is not considered as being particularly long, however, the closing nine holes can often be played directly into a strong westerly wind which can more than make up for this lack of length.
The Royal West Norfolk Golf Club was founded in 1892, its design being from a Mr Holcombe Inglby. There has been little alteration to Ingleby's design which can be seen at the Clubhouse. Many of the original holes are still played today. Two holes in particular, the 8th and 9th, are played over salt marsh, which can be flooded to some considerable depth when the tide is in.
The course is one of the last remaining "Artisan" clubs in the country, this being the original right of the working men and women of Brancaster and Brancaster Staithe to play on the course themselves, the right coming from the fact it was built into common land. The Village club was formed to accommodate the village players, and relations between them and the parent, Royal West club, are mostly cordial and positive.
Despite the course's renown and reputation, its inaccessibility and lack of surrounding land means it will never hold a major championship. Rising sea levels mean that it is expected to be lost completely to the North Sea by around 2015-20.
Read more about this topic: Brancaster
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