Prince's Golf Club
Prince's is the quiet third of Sandwich Bay's great triangle, sharing the same wild stretch of Kent coast as Royal St George's and Royal Cinque Ports. It is a 27 hole links of pure character, where Gene Sarazen won the 1932 Open with his new sand wedge and where the wind off the Channel sets the test on every loop. Less famous than its neighbours, every bit as honest.
Photo: Prince's Golf Club via Google.
The verdict
Prince's rewards the golfer who wants the full Sandwich Bay experience without the waiting list. The original course opened in 1906, designed by Charles Hutchings to counter the longer Haskell ball, and it hosted the 1932 Open Championship, the one Gene Sarazen took with the freshly invented sand wedge. War damage forced a rebuild, and Sir Guy Campbell and John Morrison reshaped it in 1950 into three nines, the Shore, the Dunes and the Himalayas, that combine into a stern par 72 in any pairing.
It belongs on any Kent links itinerary alongside Royal St George's next door and Royal Cinque Ports at Deal, ideally across a long weekend with the wind doing its work. The recently restored Himalayas nine has closed the old gap in quality, so all three loops now stand comparison. Firm turf, deep bunkering and the ever present Channel breeze make it a proper test and a genuine pleasure.
Prince's Golf Club at a glance
- Founded
- 1906
- Design
- Campbell & Morrison, 1950
- Type
- Links
- Par
- 72*
- Yardage
- 6,947 yds
- Green fee
- Around £155
Founding year, design history and combined par and yardage verified June 2026 from the club and Open Championship records. Prince's is a 27 hole course of three nines, Shore, Dunes and Himalayas, each a par 36; any two combine for an 18 hole par 72 of around 6,947 yards from the back tees. The original layout was by Charles Hutchings in 1906, with the present routing by Sir Guy Campbell and John Morrison in 1950 and the Himalayas nine later restored by Martin Ebert. The green fee is indicative, around 155 pounds in the peak summer of 2026, with lower shoulder and twilight rates. Always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Prince's is built from three nine hole loops, the Shore, the Dunes and the Himalayas, and the real test is the combination you draw against the wind on the day. The Shore runs out along the seawall with the bay in view, exposed and unforgiving when the breeze gets up off the Channel. The Dunes weaves inland through rumpled, classic links ground with blind shoulders and gathering bunkers. The restored Himalayas, long the weakest of the three, now holds its own with bold green sites set among the higher dunes.
The bunkering is the signature, deep and strategically placed exactly where the longer hitter wants to be, a Campbell and Morrison hallmark that demands position over power. There is no water and little tree cover, so the defence is the turf, the sand and the wind, the oldest and best in links golf.
History sits lightly here. Sarazen's 1932 Open and Laddie Lucas, the wartime fighter pilot who once crash landed his Spitfire on the course he grew up beside, are part of the fabric. Play it on a breezy afternoon and you understand why the Open once came to this overlooked corner of Sandwich Bay.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A welcoming members and visitor club; visitors are taken seven days a week, with fourballs fine and tee times bookable online |
| Green fee | Around 155 pounds in the peak summer of 2026 (indicative), with lower shoulder season, weekday and twilight rates |
| Booking | Book ahead for summer weekends and during the Open years across the bay, when Kent links fill fast |
| On the day | Walking course with caddies and buggies available; a modern clubhouse and the Lodge on site for stay and play |
| Getting there | On Sandwich Bay in Kent, about 90 minutes from London by car or train to Sandwich, near Royal St George's |
| Best months | May to September for the firmest turf and longest days, with the Channel wind a near constant |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026 from the club and public listings; they change without notice, so always confirm directly before booking. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
The Lodge at Prince's sits on site, which makes a stay and play across the three nines the natural plan, with Royal St George's and Royal Cinque Ports a short drive away for a full Kent links week. The town of Sandwich, one of England's best preserved medieval towns, offers characterful inns within minutes.
For a grander base, the coast around Deal and the countryside hotels of east Kent put you close to all three Sandwich Bay links, with fast trains and the Channel ports keeping travel simple from London or the Continent.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Sandwich Bay.
Play the Sandwich Bay links
We pair Prince's with Royal St George's and Royal Cinque Ports, secure the tee times and arrange a Kent links base with transfers. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Prince's Golf Club questions
Who designed Prince's Golf Club and when?
Prince's opened in 1906 to a design by Charles Hutchings, the 1902 Amateur Champion, built to counter the longer Haskell golf ball. After wartime damage the course was rebuilt in 1950 by Sir Guy Campbell and John Morrison into the three nine hole loops played today, with the Himalayas nine later restored by the links architect Martin Ebert.
Did Prince's host the Open Championship?
Yes. Prince's hosted the Open Championship once, in 1932, when the American Gene Sarazen won using his newly invented sand wedge. It remains the only Open held at Prince's, though the course sits on the same Sandwich Bay stretch as Royal St George's, a regular Open venue.
What is the par and length of Prince's?
Prince's is a 27 hole course of three nines, the Shore, the Dunes and the Himalayas, each a par 36. Any two combined make an 18 hole round of par 72, around 6,947 yards from the back tees. The exact figure depends on the pairing of nines you play.
How much does it cost to play Prince's?
Indicative peak summer green fees for 2026 are around 155 pounds, with lower rates in the shoulder seasons, on weekdays and at twilight. Fees change by season and year, so always confirm current rates directly before booking.
Can visitors play Prince's Golf Club?
Yes. Prince's welcomes visitors seven days a week, fourballs included, and tee times can be booked online. The on site Lodge makes stay and play across all three nines straightforward, and the club pairs naturally with the other Sandwich Bay links.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, founding year, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.