Lullingstone Castle Course Scorecard and Hole-by-Hole Guide
Par 72, 6,725 yards off the whites: every hole, yardage, stroke index and the course ratings
The Lullingstone Castle Course scorecard reads par 72 and 6,725 yards from the white tees, making the 18-hole course at Lullingstone Park one of the longer public tests in west Kent. This page sets out the full card: every hole with its name, par, yardage from all three tees and its stroke index, plus the course and slope ratings the operator publishes.
All the figures here come from the venue operator, Everyone Golf, and the three tee totals reconcile: 6,725 yards off the whites, 6,321 off the yellows and 5,701 off the reds. Note that par changes with the tee. The whites play to par 72, the yellows to par 71 and the reds to par 74, because three holes switch between par 4 and par 5 depending on where you tee off.
Castle Course scorecard in full
| Hole | Name | White par | White yds | Yellow par | Yellow yds | Red par | Red yds | SI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bridleway | 4 | 389 | 4 | 375 | 4 | 339 | 10 |
| 2 | Coronation Copse | 4 | 448 | 4 | 428 | 5 | 398 | 4 |
| 3 | Runway | 5 | 495 | 4 | 411 | 5 | 393 | 14 |
| 4 | The Brae | 4 | 422 | 4 | 402 | 4 | 362 | 8 |
| 5 | Table Top | 3 | 152 | 3 | 135 | 3 | 126 | 18 |
| 6 | Orchid Mound | 5 | 512 | 5 | 496 | 5 | 483 | 16 |
| 7 | Skylarks | 5 | 532 | 5 | 513 | 5 | 412 | 2 |
| 8 | Ashden Bank | 4 | 380 | 4 | 363 | 4 | 301 | 6 |
| 9 | The Keep | 3 | 188 | 3 | 166 | 3 | 135 | 12 |
| Out | 37 | 3,518 | 36 | 3,289 | 38 | 2,949 | ||
| 10 | Badgers Trails | 4 | 386 | 4 | 369 | 4 | 317 | 11 |
| 11 | Long Valley | 5 | 550 | 5 | 524 | 5 | 513 | 5 |
| 12 | Castle Prospect | 4 | 440 | 4 | 425 | 5 | 400 | 1 |
| 13 | Spirits Views | 3 | 187 | 3 | 179 | 3 | 144 | 13 |
| 14 | Dingly Dell | 4 | 332 | 4 | 318 | 4 | 297 | 15 |
| 15 | Chestnut Turn | 4 | 384 | 4 | 331 | 4 | 313 | 3 |
| 16 | Beech Row | 4 | 379 | 4 | 365 | 4 | 349 | 7 |
| 17 | Burnt Oak | 3 | 139 | 3 | 133 | 3 | 124 | 17 |
| 18 | Distant Hope | 4 | 410 | 4 | 388 | 4 | 295 | 9 |
| In | 35 | 3,207 | 35 | 3,032 | 36 | 2,752 | ||
| Total | 72 | 6,725 | 71 | 6,321 | 74 | 5,701 |
Source: Everyone Golf, 18 Hole Castle Course. Stroke index is the same from all three tees.
Where the length is
The card is front-loaded. The front nine measures 3,518 yards off the whites against 3,207 coming home, and it holds two of the three par 5s along with the longest par 4 on the card at the second. The back nine is shorter but not softer: it opens with the 386-yard 10th from an elevated tee, runs into the 550-yard 11th, the longest hole on the course, and then hits the stroke index 1 12th.
The par 3s are unusually varied. The 5th is only 152 yards to a plateau green, the 17th shorter still at 139, but the 9th at 188 and the 13th at 187 both ask for a long iron or hybrid, and the 13th sits exposed enough that wind is a real factor in club selection.
The holes that decide your card
- 12th, Castle Prospect (par 4, 440 yards, SI 1). The hardest hole on the course. It usually plays into the prevailing wind, and the operator's own hole notes put two to three clubs between an into-the-wind and a downwind approach.
- 7th, Skylarks (par 5, 532 yards, SI 2). A bunker guards the left of the fairway and the elevated green has a cross bunker short of it, so a mis-hit lay-up is punished twice.
- 15th, Chestnut Turn (par 4, 384 yards, SI 3). Short on paper, but trees are in play both off the tee and on the approach, with bunkers left of the green.
- 2nd, Coronation Copse (par 4, 448 yards, SI 4). The longest par 4 on the white card, on a fairway that slopes left to right more than it looks.
- 11th, Long Valley (par 5, 550 yards, SI 5). The longest hole on the course, straight but with a fairway bunker left and bunkers guarding an elevated green.
Course rating and slope
For handicap purposes, Everyone Golf publishes the Castle Course as rated 72.8 with a slope of 132 from the white tees for men, 70.8 and 131 from the yellows, and 73.3 with a slope of 133 from the reds for women. The slope rating page also splits it by nine: off the whites the front nine is rated 37.0 with a slope of 137 against 35.8 and 126 for the back, which matches what the yardage chart shows about where the difficulty sits.
A white-tee rating of 72.8 against a par of 72 means the course plays fractionally over par for a scratch golfer, and a slope of 132 is above the 113 standard, so mid and high handicappers get a useful allowance here. For a plain-English read on the challenge, see our page on how difficult the course is.
The Valley Course card
Alongside the Castle Course sits the 9-hole Valley Course, a par 33 measuring 2,381 yards from the yellow tees. It has three par 3s, the longest being the 195-yard sixth from the whites, and its stroke index 1 is the third at 388 yards. Together the two courses make Lullingstone Park a 27-hole venue. If you are choosing between them, our guide to the 18-hole and 9-hole courses compares them directly, and the guide to the Lullingstone Park courses covers the practice facilities too.
Planning your round
Lullingstone Park is at Parkgate Road, Chelsfield, Orpington BR6 7PX, in the Darent Valley near Eynsford, and it is open seven days a week. It is a public pay-and-play venue, so visitors and non-members can book a tee time and play either course. See our pages on green fees, how to book a tee time and the cheapest times to play, or start from the Lullingstone Park golf homepage.
One practical note for anyone printing this card: yardages are measured to the centre of the green and tees can be moved forward or back on the day, so treat the numbers as the published card rather than a guarantee of what you will walk. Check the tee markers before you play a long par 3.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the par of Lullingstone's Castle Course?
Par 72 from the white tees. The yellow tees play to par 71, because the third hole drops from a par 5 to a par 4, and the red tees play to par 74, with the second and twelfth both playing as par 5s.
How long is the Castle Course at Lullingstone Park?
6,725 yards off the whites, 6,321 off the yellows and 5,701 off the reds. The white card splits 3,518 yards out and 3,207 yards back, so the front nine is the longer half.
What is the hardest hole on the Castle Course?
Stroke index 1 is the 12th, Castle Prospect, a 440-yard par 4 that the course describes as invariably playing into the wind. Stroke index 2 is the 532-yard 7th, Skylarks, and stroke index 3 is the 15th, Chestnut Turn.
What is the course rating and slope of the Castle Course?
The white tees are rated 72.8 with a slope of 132 for men, the yellows 70.8 and 131, and the red tees 73.3 with a slope of 133 for women. Everyone Golf publishes the front-nine and back-nine splits as well.
Does Lullingstone Park have a 9-hole course too?
Yes. The Valley Course is a par 33 of 2,381 yards from the yellow tees, which makes the venue a 27-hole site. It is the usual choice for beginners, juniors and anyone short of time.
Is the Castle Course the same as the Championship course?
Yes. The 18-hole course at Lullingstone Park is named the Castle Course, and is the venue's championship layout. The 9-hole course alongside it is the Valley Course.