Wentworth Club at Virginia Water, one of the great heathland courses near London

Ranked · 7 courses · updated 2026

The Best Golf Courses Near London

London is ringed by the finest concentration of heathland golf on earth. South and west of the city, on the sandy soil of Surrey and Berkshire, lie a cluster of courses by Harry Colt, Herbert Fowler and Willie Park Jr that golfers cross oceans to play, all within an hour of the capital. Here are the seven we rate most highly near London, ranked, with our verdict on each and how to play it.

See the ranking Plan a heathland trip

By the GolfForKings editorial desk · How we rank · Last reviewed June 2026

Photograph: Wentworth Club, Virginia Water, via Google

How we chose them

The golf near London is really the golf of the Surrey and Berkshire heath, a belt of sandy, pine and heather covered ground that the great Edwardian architects turned into the template for inland golf the world over. We have kept this list to the courses within comfortable reach of the city, roughly an hour by car or train, and judged them on architectural quality, championship and club pedigree, the condition and character of the heathland, and the experience of playing them as a visitor. These are courses where the routing, the bunkering and the firm, true turf matter more than raw length.

Access shapes any trip here: most are private clubs that take visitors on limited days, and the most exclusive need a member's introduction, so a little planning goes a long way. Every detail was checked at the time of writing. The order and the verdicts are our editors' view, so reasonable people will reorder the list. See our guide to the Surrey and Berkshire heathland and our best heathland courses in England for more, and our concierge will build the trip.

The ranking

Sunningdale, Old Course

Berkshire · Willie Park Jr, later Harry Colt · opened 1901

For many the finest inland course in England and the spiritual home of heathland golf, the Old Course was laid out by Willie Park Jr in 1901 and refined by Harry Colt, the club secretary, who planted the pines and heather that give it its secluded, perfect atmosphere. It is not long, but the strategy, the green sites and the sheer beauty of the place make every round a treat, and with the New Course alongside, Sunningdale offers the best 36 holes near London. The benchmark against which the rest are measured. An essential round and the natural anchor of a heathland trip.

Read the Sunningdale Old profile

Wentworth, West Course

Surrey · Harry Colt · opened 1926 · BMW PGA Championship host

The most famous course near London thanks to television, Harry Colt's West Course at Virginia Water opened in 1926 and hosts the European Tour's flagship BMW PGA Championship each May. The Burma Road, as it is known, is a long, tree lined test through the exclusive Wentworth estate, recently re bunkered and re greened for the modern game, with a dramatic par 5 closing hole the pros know well. More parkland in feel than the purer heaths, but a thrilling championship round and the most accessible of the marquee names. A bucket list round on a course you have watched for years.

Read the Wentworth West profile

Walton Heath, Old Course

Surrey · Herbert Fowler · opened 1904 · major and Ryder Cup host

Herbert Fowler's 1904 masterpiece at Walton Heath plays more like a links than any course this far inland, an exposed, windswept expanse of true heath where the heather is punishing and the ground game is essential. It has hosted the Ryder Cup and the AIG Women's Open and remains one of the great championship tests near London, all the more impressive for surviving largely as Fowler intended. The wide horizons and the firm, fast turf give it a wild, big course feel. A stern, magnificent round for the purist. Pack for the wind.

Read the Walton Heath Old profile

Swinley Forest

Berkshire · Harry Colt · an early Colt design near Ascot

The connoisseur's favorite, an early Harry Colt design near Ascot that the architect himself reputedly held in special affection, a short, intimate course of superb par 3s threaded through pine and heather in glorious seclusion. There is no fuss and no length here, just one beautifully judged hole after another and an atmosphere of quiet, old world privacy that few clubs can match. It is among the hardest to access, a private members retreat, which only adds to the allure. A jewel, and the round heathland devotees most want to play.

Read the Swinley Forest profile

St George's Hill

Surrey · Harry Colt · opened 1913 · Weybridge

Often called the most beautiful of all the heathland courses, Harry Colt's St George's Hill opened in 1913 at Weybridge, set among dramatic elevation changes, mature woodland and vivid heather on an exclusive private estate. The plunging, climbing holes and the framing of each tee shot make it a thrilling, photogenic round, and many rank it with Colt's very best work alongside Swinley. It is a private club where access takes planning, but it rewards the effort completely. A spectacular, undulating round and a Colt masterpiece in full color.

Read the St George's Hill profile

The Berkshire, Red Course

Berkshire · Herbert Fowler · opened 1928 · Ascot

Herbert Fowler's pair of courses at The Berkshire near Ascot are among the most loved near London, and the Red, with its unusual sequence of six par 3s, six par 4s and six par 5s, is the pick, a glorious romp through silver birch, pine and heather. It is pure, classic heathland golf of the highest order, immaculately kept and blissfully peaceful, with the Blue Course alongside for a perfect 36 hole day. Visitor access is limited but obtainable midweek. A heathland day to savor and one of the most charming rounds in the country.

Read the Berkshire Red profile

The Addington

Surrey · J.F. Abercromby · opened 1914 · Croydon

The closest great heath to central London and the most idiosyncratic, J.F. Abercromby's 1914 design at Croydon is a wild, rumpled course of plunging valleys, towering par 3s and heather strewn carries that has enjoyed a celebrated restoration in recent years. Long a cult favorite among architecture buffs, it offers the boldest, most dramatic golf on this list and is a comparatively accessible green fee just a short hop from the city. A thrilling, quirky and increasingly admired round. Proof that the best London golf is closer than you think.

Read the Addington profile

Designers, opening years and host events verified June 2026 from the clubs and leading databases; most are private members clubs, and visitor access and green fees vary by day and season. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking. Check tee time availability.

Plan your London heathland golf trip

Tell us the group size, the rough dates and the courses on your list, and we will build it. One concierge secures the visitor tee times, including where public booking is limited, sorts the lodging near Ascot or Surrey, and costs the whole trip to the head, with no obligation.

London golf questions

What is the best golf course near London?

Sunningdale is the course most often named the finest near London, a club whose Old and New courses are widely held to be the pinnacle of heathland golf. Wentworth's West Course, host of the BMW PGA Championship, and Herbert Fowler's Walton Heath are its closest rivals, while Swinley Forest and St George's Hill, both by Harry Colt, are connoisseurs' favorites. All sit in the Surrey and Berkshire heathland belt within an hour of the city. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.

Are these courses near London open to visitors?

Most are private members clubs that welcome visitors on limited days, usually midweek and at a premium green fee, often with a handicap certificate required. Wentworth and Sunningdale take visitor bookings through their offices, while the more exclusive Swinley Forest and St George's Hill are harder to access and typically require a member introduction. A golf trip operator can secure tee times where public booking is limited. Always confirm access arrangements directly before booking.

When is the best time to play heathland golf near London?

Heathland courses drain well and play firm and true from late spring through autumn, with May to September the prime window for the best conditions and the heather in color. The sandy soil means they are often playable in winter when parkland courses are wet, so a crisp winter round is a real option. Book midweek for the best visitor access and rates. Always confirm conditions before booking.

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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designers, course details and host events verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.