Notts Golf Club, Hollinwell
Ask the architects and the amateur champions where the best heathland golf in England hides and the answer, more often than you would think, is Hollinwell. Tucked into a wooded valley in north Nottinghamshire, well off the tourist trail, Notts Golf Club is a Willie Park Jr design of genuine championship class: long, natural and beautifully kept, and a fraction of the price of the famous Surrey names.
Photo: Hollinwell via Google, contributor Remskin Cole.
The verdict
Hollinwell is the heathland course that golf's insiders keep for themselves. It has the breeding of the great names, an original layout by the Open champion Willie Park Jr, later shaped by J.H. Taylor and Tom Williamson, yet it sits an hour and more from the Surrey honeypot and asks a fraction of the green fee. What you get is championship heathland golf, played over rolling, wooded ground with rock outcrops, silver birch and heather, on turf that drains and runs all year.
For the travelling golfer this is the value play of English inland golf. Hollinwell is a regular host of the Brabazon Trophy and the English Amateur, so you walk the same fairways as the best amateurs in the country, and you can pair it with Lindrick and Woodhall Spa for a Midlands and Lincolnshire heathland week that rivals anything in the south for quality and beats it for cost.
Hollinwell at a glance
- Founded
- 1887 (Hollinwell 1901)
- Designer
- Willie Park Jr
- Type
- Heathland
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 7,250 yds
- Green fee
- From £95
Founding, designer, par and yardage verified June 2026; Notts Golf Club was founded in 1887 and has played at Hollinwell since 1901, on a Willie Park Jr layout later revised by J.H. Taylor in 1902 and Tom Williamson in 1912. The course plays par 72 and stretches to around 7,250 yards from the championship tees. Indicative 2026 visitor green fees run from around 95 pounds in winter to around 175 pounds in the May to September peak. Always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Hollinwell opens with a downhill drive into the valley that frames the round and tells you at once this is natural golf shaped by the land rather than bulldozed onto it. The fairways tumble between birch and heather, the greens are set on the contours, and the famous rock spring that gives the course its name, the Holy Well, sits beside one of the early holes.
The strength of the layout is its variety and its honesty. The par 3s ask precise, committed iron play to greens defended by sand and slope, the longer holes reward a drive held against the camber of the fairway, and there is barely a flat lie or a blind shot on the property. At around 7,250 yards off the back it has the length for the modern amateur game, which is why the Brabazon and the English Amateur keep coming back.
What lingers is the quality of the turf and the peace of the place. You can play Hollinwell on a weekday in autumn, with the bracken turning and the heather still showing colour, and have one of the best heathland courses in Britain almost to yourself. For the connoisseur of inland golf, that is as good as it gets.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A private members club that welcomes visitors year round except Saturdays, bank holidays and Friday and Sunday mornings |
| Green fee | Around 95 pounds in winter, around 120 pounds in spring and autumn, and around 175 pounds in the May to September peak in 2026 (indicative) |
| Booking | Book ahead through the club; a deposit is required to secure the tee time, and weekdays are the easiest to arrange |
| On the day | A walking heathland course in a quiet wooded valley; trolleys and buggies are available subject to conditions |
| Getting there | At Kirkby in Ashfield in north Nottinghamshire, around 25 minutes from Nottingham and close to the M1 |
| Best months | May to October for the firmest turf, with late summer and autumn the most beautiful as the heather and bracken colour |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026 from the club; they change without notice, so always confirm directly before booking with Notts Golf Club or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
Hollinwell sits between Nottingham and the Peak District, so you can base yourself in the city for restaurants and history or out toward the hills for country quiet. Nottingham is around 25 minutes away with a full range of hotels, and there are comfortable country house and golf hotels closer to the course for groups who want to roll out of bed and onto the first tee.
The real prize is the cluster of heathland nearby. Lindrick is a short drive north, Woodhall Spa and its Hotchkin course lie east into Lincolnshire, and the whole region offers championship inland golf at sensible prices, which makes a three or four course Midlands week easy to build.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Hollinwell.
Stay and play the English heathland
We secure the tee times at Hollinwell, build a Midlands and Lincolnshire heathland week around Lindrick and Woodhall Spa, and sort a base and transfers. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Hollinwell questions
Who designed Hollinwell and how old is Notts Golf Club?
Notts Golf Club was founded in 1887 and moved to its present home at Hollinwell in 1901, on a course originally laid out by the Open champion Willie Park Jr. J.H. Taylor revised the bunkering in 1902 and Tom Williamson extended the layout in 1912, shaping the heathland course played today.
What is the par and yardage of Hollinwell?
Hollinwell plays as a par 72 and stretches to around 7,250 yards from the championship tees, with a standard scratch score of 76. Visitors usually play from the yellow tees at around 6,600 yards, though the members' white tees of around 6,900 yards are available on request.
How much does it cost to play Hollinwell?
Indicative 2026 visitor green fees run from around 95 pounds in winter to around 175 pounds in the May to September peak, with the club having reduced its peak rate for 2026. Fees change by season and year, so always confirm current rates directly before booking.
Can visitors play Hollinwell?
Yes. Visitors are welcome year round except Saturdays, bank holidays and Friday and Sunday mornings. Bookings require a deposit, and weekdays are the easiest time to secure a tee time on this much sought after heathland course.
What tournaments has Hollinwell hosted?
Hollinwell has a long championship pedigree as a regular host of leading amateur events, including the Brabazon Trophy, the English Amateur and the British Boys, and it has staged professional qualifying and senior events over the years.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Founding year, designer, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.