The 7th green is always an elusive target.

13^th hole, 435 yards; The Sea Hole rivals the 3^rd hole at National Golf Links of America and the original one at Prestwick as the finest Alps hole with which the authors are familiar. Fittingly enough, there are no bunkers around this hidden green.

Up and over we go - the blind approach to the 13th green
is often with a long iron or wood.

15^th and 16^th holes, 430 and 420 yards, respectively; Quintessential holes at Rye: long par fours over rippling ground that dish up all kinds of awkward stances from which you are supposed to hit your 1 iron. As with most of the greens on the long par fours at Rye, they aren’t particularly big and are less than 30 paces deep. Good luck.

18^th hole, 440 yards; Donald Steele, a long time contestant of the President’s Putter, rates it among the ten best finishing holes in the world and a 'suitable climax to a round worthy of the traditionalist and the conoissuer.' Any questions?

Foursomes and twosomes are the go here. Either way, a round generally takes  2 1/2 hours or less. After the 36^th hole, the bar isn’t far as the white Clubhouse overlooks the 18^th green. From the elevated Clubhouse bar, views are afforded to the English Channel.

Just as a who’s who of amateurs have played the course, a British who’s who of architects have had a hand in Rye’s development. Originally, H.S. Colt laid out the routing in 1894 (one of his very first) but little remains of his work. Tom Simpson and Sir Guy Campbell later helped the course evolve into its present state. The result is surprisingly cohesive.

As with any course that Patric Dickinson profiled in A Round of Golf Courses, let him have the last word: ' I will not say there are not greater links than Rye, but I will say and stick to it – that there are few which combine and gather into one place so many of those qualities which make the game of golf unique.'