How to Play Royal St George's
Royal St George's at Sandwich is the grandest links in England, a par 70 of 7,204 yards laid out among the great dunes of the Kent coast and the most frequent English host of the Open Championship, fifteen times and counting. Founded in 1887 by William Laidlaw Purves, it is a private members club that opens to visitors on set weekdays, with a handicap limit and a dress code to match its standing. Here is exactly how to play it in 2026, what it costs, and when to go.
Photograph: Royal St George's Golf Club, glen28wright, via Google
The short answer
Book a visitor day directly with the club. Royal St George's welcomes visitors on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from April to October in 2026, with extra Tuesday access through August, and you reserve a tee time in a three or four ball through the club's online platform. A handicap index of 18.4 or less is required and is checked when you arrive, so bring proof. The indicative 2026 green fee runs from around 165 pounds in winter to around 330 pounds in peak summer, with the round including the club's dining room experience. Always confirm current visitor days, requirements and fees directly before booking.
How to book, step by step
| Detail | 2026 position | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor days | Tuesdays and Wednesdays, April to October; extra Tuesdays through August | No weekend visitor access; plan around the published weekdays |
| How to book | Online platform, in three or four balls | Or through a trip planner as part of a Kent links itinerary |
| Handicap limit | Index of 18.4 or less | Verified at check in; bring proof of handicap |
| What is included | Round plus the dining room experience | Caddies available; a strict club dress code applies |
Visitor days and requirements verified in June 2026 from the club's published information; they can change season to season, so always confirm directly with Royal St George's or your trip planner before booking. Check tee time availability.
Royal St George's green fees, 2026
| Period | Indicative 18 hole fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Peak summer | Around 330 pounds | Firmest links conditions; visitor weekdays only |
| Shoulder, spring and autumn | Between the winter and summer rates | Quieter and cheaper than high summer |
| Winter | Around 165 pounds | Lowest rate of the year, weather permitting |
| Caddies | Additional, paid locally | Well worth taking on a first visit |
Green fees verified indicatively in June 2026 from the club's published rates and recent seasons; they change without notice, so always confirm current fees directly before booking. The 2026 fee includes the dining room experience.
The round, caddies and what to expect
Royal St George's is a walking links of real scale, set among the biggest dune ridges in English golf, with blind shots, tumbling fairways and the famous deep bunkering that has tested Open fields since 1894, when it became the first English course to host the championship. The most recent Open here was won by Collin Morikawa in 2021. A caddie earns the fee on a first visit, reading lines that the dunes hide and greens that run firm and fast in summer. Bring your best wind game and a respect for the club dress code, and allow time for the clubhouse and the dining room that come with the round.
When to go and what to pair it with
Play in the April to October visitor season, with high summer giving the firmest turf and the best weather at peak price, and the spring and autumn shoulders quieter and cheaper. Because access is limited to set weekdays, build the trip around those days. Sandwich sits at the heart of the finest cluster of links in England: Royal Cinque Ports at Deal is minutes away and Prince's shares the same stretch of coast, so three championship links fill a long weekend with ease. A morning tee time catches the calmest wind and the emptiest course. Pair the three and you have one of the best links trips in the country.
Plan a Royal St George's and Kent trip
We hold the Royal St George's visitor day you want, check the handicap and dress requirements, and build the week around Royal Cinque Ports and Prince's for a complete Kent links run. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Royal St George's booking questions
How do you book a tee time at Royal St George's?
Royal St George's is a private members club that welcomes visitors on set days through the season. For 2026 the published visitor days are Tuesdays and Wednesdays from April to October, with an additional Tuesday only access through August. Bookings are made in three or four balls through the club's online platform, and a handicap index of 18.4 or less is required, verified on check in. You can also book through a trip planner as part of a wider Kent links itinerary. Always confirm current visitor days and availability directly before booking.
How much does it cost to play Royal St George's in 2026?
The visitor green fee runs roughly from around 165 pounds in the winter months to around 330 pounds in peak summer, with the 2026 fee inclusive of the club's dining room experience. The exact rate depends on the date, so treat these as indicative figures. Royal St George's is an Open Championship venue, so the summer fee sits in the upper bracket for English links, though still below the dearest Scottish names. Always confirm current fees directly before booking.
What is the handicap limit at Royal St George's?
Visitors must hold a handicap index of 18.4 or less, and the club verifies your handicap when you check in on the day of play. This is a genuine championship links and one of the sternest tests in England, so the limit is enforced. Bring proof of your handicap, and be ready for a demanding round in the wind off the Kent coast. Always confirm current visitor requirements directly before booking.
When is the best time to play Royal St George's?
The visitor season runs April to October, and the summer months bring the firmest, fastest links conditions and the best weather on the Kent coast, at peak price. The spring and autumn shoulders are cheaper and quieter. Because visitor access is limited to certain weekdays, plan around the published days rather than the weekend, and pair the round with Royal Cinque Ports at Deal and Prince's next door for a complete Kent links trip. Always confirm current visitor days and rates directly before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts, visitor days and indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.