Golf in Kent
England's Open coast. Around one bay in the county's east sit three Open Championship links, led by Royal St George's and its 15 Opens, more than any course outside Scotland, with Deal's fearsome finish and Prince's 27 holes alongside. Add the Nicklaus designed London Golf Club and a coastline of clifftop courses, all under two hours from the capital. The courses that matter, the seasons, the costs and how to plan it.
Photograph: Royal St George's Golf Club, via Google
Why golf in Kent
No county in England carries more Open Championship history per mile of coast. On the great sweep of Sandwich Bay, Royal St George's, founded in 1887, has hosted the Open 15 times, most recently Collin Morikawa's victory in 2021, and its two neighbors are former Open venues themselves: Royal Cinque Ports at Deal, which staged the championships of 1909 and 1920 and still finishes with one of the hardest closing stretches in links golf, and Prince's, where Gene Sarazen won in 1932. Three Open links within one bay, all open to visitors, is a claim no other corner of the golf world outside Scotland can make.
The supporting cast covers everything else: a championship links at Littlestone on the wide skies of Romney Marsh, the Jack Nicklaus designed London Golf Club on the North Downs, clifftop golf above the Channel at Broadstairs and Walmer, and Harry Colt's handsome parkland at Canterbury. Kent is also one of the driest, sunniest corners of Britain, the garden of England runs to vineyards and oysters as well as fairways, and the whole county sits under two hours from London by road or high speed rail. As a links trip with a soft landing, it is hard to beat.
The regions
Sandwich Bay and Deal
The reason to come: Royal St George's, Royal Cinque Ports and Prince's share one stretch of duneland on the east coast. Base in Sandwich's medieval lanes or seafront Deal and walk between three Open venues.
Romney Marsh and the south
Littlestone's championship links plays over the flat, windswept marsh near the famous shingle of Dungeness, with Rye's celebrated links just over the Sussex border. Big skies, old school golf and quiet roads.
The Downs and the Thanet coast
Inland, the London Golf Club brings Nicklaus designed resort golf to the North Downs, with Canterbury's Colt parkland nearby; on the Thanet coast, North Foreland and the clifftop courses stare across the Channel.
The courses that matter
Royal St George's
The king of English links and a fixture of the world top 20: huge dunes, the deepest bunker in championship golf on the 4th, and an Open roll of honor from Vardon to Morikawa in 2021. Visitor days run Tuesdays and Wednesdays from April to October, handicap limit 18.4, with the famous dining room part of the day. The bucket list round of southern England.
Royal Cinque Ports
Deal to its friends, a magnificent, hard running links along the shingle south of Sandwich, where the back nine turns for home into the prevailing wind and the last five holes have wrecked a century of cards. Hosted two Opens and remains a top amateur championship venue. Visitors Monday to Thursday. Pure, uncompromising links golf.
Prince's
Next door to Royal St George's, Prince's staged Gene Sarazen's wire to wire Open win in 1932 and today offers 27 modernized links holes across the Himalayas, Shore and Dunes nines, plus a lodge and clubhouse built for golf trips. The most relaxed and most accessible of the bay's big three, and a natural second or third round.
Littlestone, Championship Links
A proper championship links from 1888 out on Romney Marsh, with crisp turf, devilish greens and Open final qualifying history. Quiet, traditional and far less expensive than the Sandwich courses, it anchors the south of the county and pairs with Rye across the Sussex border for connoisseurs.
London Golf Club, Heritage
The flagship of a 36 hole Nicklaus designed estate on the North Downs, half an hour from the M25, which has hosted European Tour events. Immaculate, American styled resort golf with rolling Kent views, and the strongest inland golf in the county. The International course alongside is open to green fee visitors year round.
North Foreland
On the white cliffs above Broadstairs at the county's northeastern tip, North Foreland is a breezy clifftop classic with Channel views from almost every hole and a short course beside it. A scenic, friendly counterpoint to the seriousness of Sandwich Bay, twenty minutes up the coast.
Canterbury
A Harry Colt design from the 1920s in rolling woodland on the edge of the cathedral city, regularly rated among the best parkland courses in the southeast. The right inland round when the coastal wind is up, and the city's old town makes the perfect non golf afternoon.
Walmer and Kingsdown
High on the chalk cliffs between Deal and Dover, Walmer and Kingsdown serves up downland turf, huge Channel views toward France and a couple of unforgettable clifftop tee shots. Modest fees and a warm welcome make it the value round of the east coast.
Chart Hills
Nick Faldo's first course design, opened in the 1990s in the Weald with vast bunkers, water and one of the most demanding closing holes in the county. Revived in recent years after a period of closure, it adds a modern championship parkland to the heart of rural Kent. Confirm current visitor arrangements before travelling.
Sandwich Bay base
The golf trip writes itself: stay in medieval Sandwich or on the seafront at Deal, play Royal St George's on its visitor days, bracket it with Deal and Prince's, and let the lodge at Prince's or a Kent country pub do the evenings. Three Open venues, one parking spot.
Founding years, designers and Open history verified June 2026. Course profiles are added across the site as the directory grows. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.
See the best England courses ranked Check tee time availability
When to go
| Season | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| April to October | Dry, firm links, long days; Kent is one of Britain's sunniest corners | Prime season and the Royal St George's visitor window; book months ahead |
| November to March | Cooler, windier, links stay open and quick draining | Excellent value winter golf; Royal St George's winter Tuesdays bundle the famous lunch |
| July and August | Warmest and busiest, seaside towns in season | Glorious but book everything early; Royal St George's takes Tuesday only in August 2026 |
The Channel wind is the great variable on this coast; the same links can play three shots harder from one day to the next.
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Royal St George's | Around 400 pounds | 2026 visitor fee, dining room experience included; winter Tuesdays around 215 with lunch |
| Royal Cinque Ports and Prince's | Roughly 150 to 250 pounds | In season; Prince's published peak weekend rate around 155, shoulders lower |
| Littlestone, clifftop and downland courses | Considerably less | The county's value layer, especially midweek and in the shoulders |
| A long weekend, all in | Around 1,200 to 2,500 pounds per person | Three to four rounds with lodging and a car, excluding flights; the Royal St George's day sets the ceiling |
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
Kent is the easiest great links destination in the world to reach from London: the high speed train runs from St Pancras toward Sandwich and Deal in well under two hours, and by road the M2 and M20 put Sandwich Bay about two hours from central London and the airports. The three Open venues sit within minutes of each other, so one base covers the marquee golf, with Littlestone forty five minutes south and the London Golf Club an hour back toward the capital. A car helps for the clifftop and inland courses, and the Eurotunnel at Folkestone even lets an ambitious group bolt on a French round.
Where to stay
For the full links immersion, stay at the lodge at Prince's, which puts 27 holes outside the window and the other two Open venues five minutes away, or in the medieval lanes of Sandwich, one of England's best preserved old towns. Seafront Deal, with its pier, pubs and seafood, is the most characterful base for a buddies trip, while Canterbury works for groups mixing golf with the cathedral city. London serves as the bookend for international visitors flying in and out.
Plan your Kent golf trip
Tell us the courses you want and roughly when. One concierge secures the Royal St George's visitor day, builds the bay around it and costs the whole trip to the head, with no obligation.
Kent golf questions
What is the best golf course in Kent?
Royal St George's at Sandwich, founded in 1887, is the best course in Kent and one of the best in the world: it has hosted the Open Championship 15 times, more than any course outside Scotland, most recently Collin Morikawa's win in 2021. Its neighbors complete a remarkable bay: Royal Cinque Ports at Deal hosted the Opens of 1909 and 1920, and Prince's next door staged Gene Sarazen's 1932 win. All three welcome visitors.
Can visitors play Royal St George's?
Yes, on set days. In 2026 the club takes visitor bookings from April through October, principally on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with a handicap index limit of 18.4 and proof required on the day. The 2026 green fee runs around 400 pounds and includes the club's famous dining room experience, with reduced winter Tuesday rates that bundle lunch. Demand is heavy, so book well ahead and always confirm directly.
How much does golf cost in Kent in 2026?
Royal St George's is the premium at around 400 pounds with dining included. Royal Cinque Ports and Prince's have generally sat in the 150 to 250 pound band in season, with Prince's peak weekend rate published around 155 pounds and shoulder rates lower. The county's other links and downland courses, Littlestone, North Foreland, Canterbury and the clifftop courses, cost considerably less, and winter golf is excellent value. Always confirm directly before booking.
When is the best time to play golf in Kent?
April to October is the prime season, when the links are firm and fast and Royal St George's runs its visitor days. Kent is one of the driest, sunniest corners of Britain, so the season stretches long, and the links stay open and very playable through winter at lower rates, with the wind off the Channel the main variable. Book the marquee tee times months ahead for summer.
Related
The Tee Sheet
New course openings, the Open rota windows and the trips our concierge is quietly building. Every other week.