England Golf: 2026 Season Outlook
England packs two of golf's great traditions into one country: a celebrated links coast and the finest heathland courses on earth, both within an easy reach of London or the northwest. With the Open returning to Royal Birkdale in July, 2026 is a landmark year. Here is the outlook, the courses and the timing.
The headline: an Open year on a deep bench
English golf runs to a long season, and 2026 will reward planning. The heathland belt around London plays beautifully from spring to autumn and even holds up in milder winter spells, while the links coast is at its best in high summer when the turf firms up. May to September is the prime window across the country, though the wise visitor still packs for changeable weather.
The defining event of the year is the 154th Open Championship, returning to Royal Birkdale from July 16 to 19, the eleventh time the great Southport links has hosted golf's oldest major. It is the centrepiece of an English golf year with extraordinary depth, from the heaths of Surrey and Berkshire to the championship links of the coast.
The courses that anchor a trip
The links headliner is Royal Birkdale, the Open host set among Southport's towering dunes, fair but exacting and widely rated the finest course in England. Down in Kent, Royal St George's brings rumpled, big shouldered links golf to Sandwich, while in Lincolnshire Woodhall Spa offers the most ferocious bunkering in the land on a heathland inland gem.
The heathland belt is the country's quiet glory. Sunningdale in Berkshire, with its Old and New courses, sets the standard for tree lined, sandy parkland golf, and nearby Wentworth hosts the BMW PGA Championship on its famous West Course.
How to plan it for 2026
England splits neatly into two trips. A London base puts the heathland belt within reach, with Sunningdale, Wentworth, St George's Hill and Walton Heath all a short drive from the capital and one another. For the links, the northwest around Southport delivers Royal Birkdale and Royal Liverpool, while Kent and Lincolnshire reward a dedicated run to Royal St George's and Woodhall Spa.
For 2026, the Open at Royal Birkdale will dominate the calendar in July, so plan tee times well ahead if you want to play the area around the championship. Aim your golf at the May to September window, book the marquee courses early, and treat any quoted green fee as indicative for 2026, confirming directly before booking.
What it means for your trip, and our take
For a 2026 England trip, decide between the heathland belt and the links coast, or stitch both into a longer tour. Target high summer for the links and the warm shoulders of spring and autumn for the heaths, and build the year around the Open if a major buzz appeals.
Our take is that England offers more variety than almost any golf country in the world, the only place you can pair the best heathland golf on earth with a genuine Open links in the same week. With Royal Birkdale hosting in 2026, there is no better year to go. Book early, plan around the championship, and enjoy a deep, deep bench of golf.
Plan your England golf trip
From an Open links at Royal Birkdale to the great heaths of Sunningdale and Wentworth, tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs the trip, with no obligation.
Questions
When is the best time to play golf in England?
May to September is the prime window, with the heathland belt around London also holding up in milder winter spells and the links coast at its best in high summer. Pack for changeable weather in any month.
Which are the best golf courses in England?
Royal Birkdale, the 2026 Open host, leads the links, with Royal St George's in Kent and Royal Liverpool in the northwest alongside it. Inland, Sunningdale, Wentworth, St George's Hill and Woodhall Spa headline the world's finest collection of heathland golf.
Where is the Open Championship in 2026?
The 154th Open Championship is played at Royal Birkdale in Southport from July 16 to 19, 2026, the eleventh time the club has hosted the event.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Season, course and access details verified June 2026 from club, tour and golf travel sources; conditions and green fees change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.