A battle among the oaks: East Sussex National

The alarm sounds at 5am, sharp and unrelenting, a familiar intruder on a morning that matters. Outside, the British spring remains firmly in winter’s grasp. The darkness still clings to the horizon, cold and quiet. Yet within, something stirs, the unmistakable feeling that today is different.

This is the start of the one of our local golf society’s Ryder Cup weekends, an annual gathering of like-minded souls, 30 or so golfers chasing the game across the UK’s fairways. And this year, the Sussex countryside plays host.

As we arrive, there's a moment of quiet recognition. This is no small-time venue. The place has scale, stature and the sort of presence you expect from a course with past pedigree. The hotel looms with quiet confidence, the fitness centre gleams behind glass, and somewhere within it all, sits a golf course that’s hosted its share of serious competition. Olazabal, Clarke, Montgomerie, Faldo, Ballesteros, Els, Lyle and Torrance all past players to go into battle here.

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