In Volume 1 of The Confidential Guide to Golf Courses, Tom Doak published that.

“Since it lies within a Royal forest, the terms of Royal Ashdown’s lease are that the club would not make any artificial construction on the ground, including sand bunkers, and the lack of bunkers is the reason the course is well known. But only a really fine layout could thrive when all that was done was to level off tee and green sites, establish fairways, and let fly. Some of the carries from the tees are reminiscent of Pine Valley, and though the standard of holes is not as uniformly good, holes like the 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, 12^th and 17^th would fit nicely on the best course in the world, which is something very few other courses can claim. Plus a round here highlights how modern architects use bunkers and water as a crutch when design ideas run low. Two things are for sure: Ashdown would be better if 5 to 7 bunkers could be built to lend strategic interest and the world would be better if more Ashdown type designs that strictly adhere to nature would be forthcoming.”

Royal Ashdown Forest received a score of 7 out of 10 from Tom Doak and two of his co-authors.