Golf in England
The home of the Surrey heathland and the great Open links, from Royal Birkdale on the northwest coast to Sunningdale and Wentworth among the pines and heather. The courses that matter, the regions, the seasons and how to plan it.
Photograph: The Grove, Hertfordshire, via Google
Why golf in England
England gave the world two of golf's greatest gifts: the heathland course and a slice of the Open rota. Within an hour of London sits the finest concentration of heathland golf anywhere, the springy, heather lined fairways of Sunningdale, Wentworth, Walton Heath, St George's Hill and the wider Surrey and Berkshire belt, laid out a century ago by Harry Colt, Willie Park Junior and Herbert Fowler. Strike north or to the coast and you reach the championship links: Royal Birkdale, Royal Liverpool and Royal Lytham along the northwest, Royal St George's in Kent, courses that have decided Opens and made champions.
For a travelling golfer that range is the appeal. You can build a week entirely from world top 100 heathland a short drive apart, pair London golf with the theatre and the tables of the capital, or chase the Open coast where Royal Birkdale hosts the Championship again in 2026. Add the inland resorts at The Belfry, The Grove and Woodhall Spa for groups who want a hotel on site, and England covers every kind of golf trip without ever asking for a long transfer.
The regions
The Surrey heathland belt
The richest cluster of inland golf in the world, Sunningdale, Wentworth, Walton Heath, St George's Hill and Swinley Forest among them, all heather, pine and silver birch within an hour of London.
The Open links coast
The championship links of the northwest, Royal Birkdale, Royal Liverpool and Royal Lytham and St Annes, plus the dunes of Hillside and Formby, the most concentrated stretch of Open golf in England.
Kent and the South
Royal St George's at Sandwich and Royal Cinque Ports on the Kent coast, the West Country links of St Enodoc and Burnham and Berrow, and the inland resorts of the Midlands and Hertfordshire.
The courses that matter
Royal Birkdale
The finest links in England to most judges, a fair, thrilling test among the Southport dunes that hosts the Open Championship again in 2026, with flat valley fairways and towering sandhills.
Sunningdale, Old Course
The course that proved inland golf could rival the links, a heathland masterpiece of heather, pine and the famous tree behind the eighteenth, later refined by Harry Colt.
Wentworth, West Course
The Burma Road, host of the BMW PGA Championship, a long, tree lined Harry Colt test in Virginia Water that is the best known tournament course in England.
Walton Heath, Old Course
A wild, open heathland course that has appeared in the world top 100 since rankings began, host of the 2023 AIG Women's Open and a former Ryder Cup venue.
Royal St George's
The grand Kent links at Sandwich, the first English course to stage the Open and a regular on the rota, with vast bunkers and humps and hollows that test every champion.
Royal Liverpool, Hoylake
One of the oldest links in England and a recent Open host, a stern, flat seaside test on the Wirral peninsula where the wind and the internal out of bounds decide the day.
Royal Lytham and St Annes
A bunker strewn links surrounded by red brick, framed by more than two hundred bunkers and a long line of Open champions, set just back from the Lancashire coast.
Woodhall Spa, Hotchkin
England's greatest inland course away from the Surrey belt, a remote Lincolnshire heathland of the deepest, most penal bunkers in the country, owned by England Golf.
St Enodoc, Church Course
A joyful, tumbling links on the Camel estuary in north Cornwall, home of the giant Himalayas bunker and some of the finest natural golfing land in England.
The Grove
A polished parkland resort just outside London that has hosted the British Masters and the World Golf Championship, the easiest top class round to pair with a city stay.
The Belfry, Brabazon
The most prolific Ryder Cup venue in the game, a resort course in the Midlands built for groups, with the famous tenth and the watery eighteenth and a hotel on site.
Swinley Forest
Harry Colt's own favourite, a short, exquisite heathland of pines and heather near Ascot, private and serene, the connoisseur's round in the Surrey belt.
Designers and host history verified June 2026. Course profiles are added across the site as the directory grows. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.
When to go
| Season | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| May to September | Warmest, driest, daylight past 9pm in midsummer | Prime season, book the marquee tee times months ahead |
| April and October | Cooler, a higher chance of wind and rain | Quieter shoulder months with softer rates and firm heathland |
| November to March | Short, often wet days, some courses on temporary greens | Hardy golf only, the cheapest and emptiest of the year |
The sandy Surrey heathland drains better than almost anywhere in Britain and plays well into late autumn. Royal Birkdale and the Open coast will be especially busy around the 2026 Championship in July.
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Birkdale, Open host | Around £450 to £495 | Lower in spring, higher May to October |
| Marquee heathland or links | Around £250 to £500 | Sunningdale, Wentworth, Walton Heath, Royal St George's |
| A week, all in | Around £3,000 to £6,000 per person | Top tier golf, 4 to 5 star hotels, a driver, excluding flights |
Indicative third party figures for the 2026 season, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.
Getting there and around
London is the natural gateway for an English golf trip, with Heathrow and Gatwick within forty five minutes of the Surrey heathland belt and direct flights from across the world. For the Open links of the northwest, Manchester and Liverpool airports put you closest to Royal Birkdale, Royal Liverpool and Royal Lytham, while the Kent coast and Royal St George's are an easy run from London or the Eurostar. A hire car or a private driver makes the heathland cluster effortless, since Sunningdale, Wentworth and Walton Heath sit within twenty minutes of each other, and the rail network links the cities if you prefer to leave the driving to someone else.
Where to stay
Match the base to the region. For the Surrey belt, a country house hotel around Ascot, Sunningdale or Egham keeps the heathland rounds a short drive apart, while a central London hotel pairs the golf with the capital. On the Open coast, the Southport hotels sit among Birkdale, Hillside and Formby, and Liverpool makes a lively base for Hoylake. The resort courses at The Belfry, The Grove and Woodhall Spa put a hotel on the property for groups who want everything in one place. Book the resort hotels and the marquee weeks well ahead for the summer, and let one planner line up the right base for each leg.
Plan your England golf trip
Tell us the courses you want and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
England golf questions
When is the best time to play golf in England?
May to September is the prime window, with the longest daylight, the warmest weather and the heathland and links at their firmest in high summer. April and October are quieter shoulder months with softer rates. The sandy Surrey heathland drains well and plays into late autumn, while winter golf is hardy but very good value.
Which courses can you actually play in England?
Most of the great English courses welcome visitors, usually on weekdays and with a handicap certificate. Royal Birkdale, Royal St George's, Royal Liverpool, Sunningdale, Wentworth, Walton Heath and Woodhall Spa all take visitor times through the week, though the marquee mornings book months ahead and members clubs keep weekends for themselves.
How much does a golf trip to England cost in 2026?
Indicative 2026 fees run around £450 to £495 at Royal Birkdale, the Open host, and broadly £250 to £500 at the marquee heathland and links clubs such as Sunningdale and Wentworth. A week of top tier golf with hotels and a driver typically lands between £3,000 and £6,000 per head. Always confirm directly before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
English course openings, Royal Birkdale and Sunningdale booking windows and the 2026 Open build up. Every other week.