7 Day England South Coast Golf Itinerary
The south east corner of England holds one of the great concentrations of links golf anywhere, the championship dunes of east Kent around Sandwich and the timeless turf of Rye across the Sussex border. This is a seven day plan that links them into one journey, six rounds of true seaside golf with the white cliffs, Canterbury and the Channel for company. Here is the day by day, with indicative green fees, short drive times and where to stay.
Photo: Royal St George's Golf Club, Sandwich, via Google.
Who this trip suits
This is a links lover's week, built for golfers who want the real, raw, running game on classic English coastline without the long hauls of a Scottish or Irish tour. It suits a fourball, a society or a couple who play, and it rewards a sound ball striker who enjoys a stiff breeze and the puzzle of links angles. Three of the courses, Royal St George's, Royal Cinque Ports and Prince's, have hosted or qualified for the Open, so you walk genuine championship ground, while Littlestone and Rye add depth and charm that golf insiders prize.
The great advantage here is geography. The whole trip sits in a small, beautiful corner of the country, so the daily drives are short and you spend your time on the tee rather than the motorway. Fix the two trickiest pieces first: a visitor day at Royal St George's and guest access to the private Rye, then slot the rest of the links around them. A car is useful but the legs are gentle, and London is little more than an hour away at either end.
The 7 day plan
Littlestone Golf Club
Open on the edge of Romney Marsh at Littlestone, a fine and underrated old links with the fingerprints of Laidlaw Purves and later Alister MacKenzie on its closing holes, an easy first round to find your links rhythm. It is honest, breezy and full of character, a proper warm up before the championship courses up the coast. Settle into the trip with a seafront evening near Dungeness.
Royal Cinque Ports
North to Deal and Royal Cinque Ports, a magnificent and exacting links that hosted the Open in 1909 and 1920 and would have again but for the sea, with a brutal, beautiful closing stretch into the prevailing wind. Indicatively around 400 pounds or more in high season. It is many a purist's favourite on this coast, a stern, old fashioned examination that sets the tone for the week. A short hop from Sandwich for the night.
Royal St George's
The centrepiece. Royal St George's, the first English Open venue and host of the Championship 15 times, most recently in 2021, is a wild, rumpled links of huge dunes, blind shots and devilish lies, laid out by Dr William Laidlaw Purves in 1887. Indicatively around 400 pounds or more. Visitor days are limited, so book ahead, take it on with respect, and enjoy walking the same fairways as the game's greatest champions. The handsome town of Sandwich is the natural base for the Kent leg.
Prince's Golf Club
Next door to Royal St George's sits Prince's, where Gene Sarazen won the 1932 Open, now a thoroughly modern 27 holes of Shore, Dunes and Himalayas nines reworked by Mackenzie and Ebert. Indicatively around 175 to 225 pounds, the best value marquee round of the week. It is big, generous and great fun, with the Pegwell Bay nature reserve alongside, and the on site Lodge makes a convenient base. A relaxed day in the heart of the Kent links cluster.
Rye Golf Club
Cross into East Sussex to Rye, the most private and treasured links of all, the Harry Colt course among the dunes near Camber that is home to the Oxford and Cambridge Golfing Society's President's Putter. It is a members club, played as a guest rather than bought, famed for its peerless par 3s and firm, fast turf. The route in is through a member or a planner, and it is worth every effort. A charming night in the ancient hilltop town of Rye.
Cooden Beach Golf Club
Wind down on the Sussex coast near Bexhill at Cooden Beach, a friendly, well kept seaside course right by the shingle, the gentlest test of the week and a fine way to round off the golf without a championship grilling. Indicatively a modest green fee by the standards of the trip. Play in the morning, then take the afternoon for the coast, the South Downs or an early run back toward London. A relaxed final round to close the week.
Drive times and logistics
| Leg | Indicative drive |
|---|---|
| London to Littlestone, Romney Marsh | Around 1 hour 45 minutes |
| Littlestone to Royal Cinque Ports, Deal | Around 40 minutes |
| Deal to Royal St George's, Sandwich | Around 15 minutes |
| Royal St George's to Prince's, Sandwich Bay | Around 10 minutes |
| Sandwich to Rye, East Sussex | Around 1 hour |
| Rye to Cooden Beach, near Bexhill | Around 35 minutes |
| Cooden Beach back to London | Around 2 hours |
Drive times are indicative and traffic dependent. A car is the easiest way around, though the legs are short. Green fees and visitor days change, so always confirm directly before booking. Find places to stay along the Kent and Sussex coast.
Where to stay and how to play it
Two bases handle the whole week neatly. Spend the first four nights in or around Sandwich, the perfect medieval town in the centre of the Kent links cluster, with Littlestone, Deal, Royal St George's and Prince's all within easy reach and the on site Lodge at Prince's a comfortable golf focused option. Then shift west for two nights to the lovely hilltop town of Rye for the Sussex rounds at Rye and Cooden Beach. Hire a car for the flexibility, keep the daily drives short, and let the order flex around the confirmed Royal St George's visitor day and the arranged guest access at Rye. If you would rather anchor in one place, Sandwich reaches everything except Rye within a comfortable drive, at the cost of a longer hop on the Sussex days. Seven days is generous enough to play all six and still keep an afternoon for Canterbury or the cliffs.
Plan your south coast links week
We arrange the Royal St George's visitor day, secure guest access to Rye, book the rest of the tee times and sort the hotels in Sandwich and Rye. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
South coast golf trip questions
How many days do you need for a south coast England golf trip?
Seven days lets you play the great links of east Kent and East Sussex at a civilised pace, with Littlestone, Royal Cinque Ports, Royal St George's, Prince's and Rye across six rounds and time for Canterbury, the white cliffs and a day off. It is a compact corner of England, so the driving is short, which means more golf and less road than a touring trip further afield.
What are green fees on the Kent and Sussex links in 2026?
Indicatively for 2026, Royal St George's and Royal Cinque Ports sit at the top, around 400 pounds or more in high season, while Prince's is more accessible at roughly 175 to 225 pounds and Littlestone around 90 to 130. Rye is a private members club, played as a guest, so its access is arranged rather than bought. All figures are indicative, vary by season and change, so always confirm directly before booking.
Can you play Royal St George's and Rye as a visitor?
Royal St George's at Sandwich welcomes visitors on set days with a tee time booked ahead, so it is playable with planning. Rye Golf Club near Camber is a private members club and is not on open sale; the route in is as the guest of a member or through a trip planner who can arrange access. Royal Cinque Ports, Prince's and Littlestone all welcome visitors on most days. Always confirm current access directly before booking.
When is the best time to play the south coast links?
Late spring to early autumn, from May to September, brings the firmest turf and the best chance of settled weather on this exposed corner of the coast, and it is also when the championship clubs are busiest. Spring and autumn offer easier tee times and lower rates with a little more weather risk. The links here drain well and play year round, but the wind off the Channel is always part of the test.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts and indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.