The world's finest heathland golf sits in a tight belt southwest of London, where a group can play half a dozen famous courses from one base. Here are the eight we would build an English buddies trip around, ranked, with our verdicts and where to stay.
An English buddies trip is a different animal to a sunshine break. The golf is the star, classic heathland and links of the highest order, and the appeal is how easily a group can string several legendary courses together from one base. We weigh the quality of each course first, then access, since many are private and need arranging, and how it fits a group week of golf, pubs and the running match. The verdicts are ours, and we have flagged the region and access for every entry.
The center of gravity is the heathland belt around Surrey and Berkshire, where Sunningdale, Wentworth, Walton Heath and their neighbors sit within a few miles of one another southwest of London. That cluster alone can fill a brilliant long weekend from a single hotel. We have added the Midlands resort golf of The Belfry, the best stay and play option for a self contained group, and a links day on the Kent coast for groups who want the full range of English golf.
Reviewed June 2026 by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designers, opening years and hosting history verified at publication. How we research and review.
From the heather and pine of Sunningdale to the Ryder Cup history of The Belfry and the Kent links, ranked with our verdicts and the reasons to take the group there.
The finest inland golf in England and the natural centerpiece of a heathland trip. Two world class courses, the Willie Park Jr Old from 1901 and the Harry Colt New from 1923, run through heather, pine and silver birch, with the famous halfway hut and a clubhouse steeped in the game. Play both in a day and you understand why this is the dream English buddies round. Private, so arrange ahead.
The Burma Road, Harry Colt's championship course and the long time home of the BMW PGA Championship, a tree lined par 72 that the pros know intimately. Recently restored and toughened, it is the most televised course in England and a thrill to play. With three courses, a hotel and group facilities on the estate, Wentworth doubles as a base for the wider Surrey belt.
Wild, windswept heathland on high ground south of London, the Herbert Fowler Old Course is one of the great tests in English golf and hosted the 2023 AIG Women's Open. Firmer and more exposed than its Surrey neighbors, with a brilliant New Course alongside for thirty six holes in a day. A favorite of low handicappers and a must for a serious golfing group. Private, visitors welcome by arrangement.
The most famous resort in English golf and a four time Ryder Cup venue, the Brabazon is pure theatre, from the drivable 10th to the water guarded 18th where so many Ryder Cup matches were settled. Not the purest design on this list, but the on site hotel, the three courses and the group facilities make it the easiest self contained buddies base in the country. Bookable, group friendly and great fun.
One of Harry Colt's masterpieces, a dramatic, hilly heathland course threading through one of the most exclusive addresses in Surrey, all elevation, heather and tumbling fairways. Less known to visitors than Sunningdale or Wentworth but rated by purists as their equal, it is a wonderful addition to a Surrey itinerary and a course a group will not stop talking about. Private, by arrangement.
Two superb Herbert Fowler courses, the Red and the Blue, through classic Ascot heath and pine, beloved for their unusual variety, the Red famously has six par 3s, six par 4s and six par 5s. Quietly one of the best thirty six hole days in England and a perfect, less heralded stop on a heathland tour. A members club with a welcoming visitor tradition.
Arguably the finest heathland course in the land and, crucially for a group, genuinely accessible as the home of England Golf. Laid out by Harry Vardon and reshaped over the years by Harry Colt and Colonel Hotchkin, it is famous for its cavernous, sandy bunkers and its remote, peaceful setting. Worth the trip into Lincolnshire for a group that wants greatness it can actually book.
For a group that wants links as well as heathland, the Kent coast delivers. Royal St George's, the only English course on the current Open rota and a regular host, anchors a trio with Royal Cinque Ports and Prince's, all within a few minutes of one another at Sandwich. A day or two by the sea gives an English buddies trip the full range, from heather to dunes. Visitors welcome by arrangement.
The honest truth is that most of the great English courses are private members clubs, played by arrangement rather than turning up, and green fees at the famous names run high. That is the trade for golf of this quality, and the reward is a group week that strings several legends together. The simplest base is the Surrey heathland belt around Ascot, Windsor or Weybridge, from which Sunningdale, Wentworth, Walton Heath, St George's Hill and The Berkshire are all a short drive. For a fixed price, fuss free option, a Belfry stay and play package keeps the whole group under one roof.
Late spring and early autumn give the best weather and the firmest, fastest heathland, though the sandy soil drains so well that these courses play through much of the year. The figures below are indicative per head costs for a typical golf few nights, excluding flights, to help set the budget.
| Base | Style | Indicative per head |
|---|---|---|
| The Belfry resort | Stay and play | $900 to $1,800 |
| Surrey heathland belt | Premium private clubs | $1,800 to $3,500 |
| Kent links day | Open venue golf | $400 to $900 per round |
Compare live tee times through our partner: check tee time availability. Group lodging near the courses: find hotels in England.
An English buddies trip lives on access: getting the group onto the great private heathland clubs in the right order, with a base that keeps everyone together and the pub sorted for the evening match. Tell us the group, the budget and the courses on your wish list, and we will shape the itinerary, arrange the tee times and book the lodging around the golf.
We secure the rounds at the famous clubs, sort the transport and handle the logistics so the organiser can play. Groups of any size, from a fourball to a full society.
The heathland belt southwest of London, around Surrey and Berkshire, is the prime buddies base, with Sunningdale, Wentworth, Walton Heath, St George's Hill and The Berkshire all within a short drive of one base near Ascot or Windsor. The Belfry in the Midlands is the best stay and play resort option.
Sunningdale, on the Surrey and Berkshire border, is widely regarded as one of the finest inland courses in the world, with the Willie Park Jr Old Course and the Harry Colt New Course. Woodhall Spa's Hotchkin in Lincolnshire is the other great heathland claim to the title.
Indicative 2026 costs run from around $1,200 to $2,500 per head for a few nights in the Surrey heathland belt, excluding flights, with green fees at the famous clubs running high. A Belfry stay and play resort package is the simplest way to keep a group together at a fixed cost. Always confirm directly before booking.
Late spring and early autumn, May, June and September, are the prime months for the best weather and the heathland courses at their firm, fast best. Midsummer is reliable and busy, while the heathland drains well and can play through much of the year in dry spells.
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