Hunstanton: 2026 Access and Booking Update
On the North Norfolk coast, Hunstanton is a James Braid links of rolling dunes and fast greens, a Top 100 course in Britain and Ireland with a long Open qualifying heritage. Here is where it stands in 2026, what green fees to expect, and how to play it.
The news: a Norfolk links in focus for 2026
Hunstanton runs along the dunes at Old Hunstanton, a links dating to 1891 that James Braid shaped into the test it is today, with a celebrated set of bunkers added in 1907. It is a fixture in the Top 100 of Britain and Ireland and a long standing Open qualifying venue, and for 2026 its standing is unchanged.
There is a wider reason to look north this year. With the 154th Open played up the coast at Royal Birkdale from 16 to 19 July 2026, English links golf is firmly in focus, and Hunstanton is one of the great east coast rounds to build a trip around. The headline for travellers is the season and the rates, both worth confirming before booking.
The course, and the coast around it
The links plays as a par 72 of around 6,741 yards, a classic out and back routing through tall dunes where the wind is in play in every season and the greens run fast and true. It is the kind of honest, exposed links that rewards a flighted ball and punishes the careless, and it has the pedigree to match, including Bob Taylor's feat of acing the same hole on three consecutive days in 1974.
Hunstanton sits on the North Norfolk coast about two hours from Cambridge, and pairs naturally with Brancaster along the coast road for a two course links trip. The traditional clubhouse and walking links make it a proper championship members club experience.
How to play it in 2026
Hunstanton is a members club that welcomes visitors every day by prior arrangement, and advance booking is essential, particularly in summer. For 2026, indicative visitor green fees run from around 90 pounds off season to about 175 pounds for eighteen holes in high summer, with winter and twilight rates lower. Treat those figures as indicative and always confirm directly before booking.
Weekday tee times offer the best availability and the calmest first tee. The firmest turf and warmest weather come from May to September, though the exposed coast means wind in every season, so book ahead for the summer and pack for the breeze.
Our take
Our take is that Hunstanton is one of England's most rewarding links and a course every travelling golfer should play: pure, windswept and unfussy, with greens that test the best. In an Open year on the other coast, it is a reminder that the east has links to rival the famous names.
If you are planning a 2026 Norfolk trip, pair Hunstanton with Brancaster, book weekday tee times well ahead, and travel between May and September for the firmest conditions. Confirm the current visitor rate directly before you go.
Plan your Norfolk links golf trip
From Hunstanton and Brancaster on the North Norfolk coast to a wider English links tour in an Open year, tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs the trip, with no obligation.
Questions
Can visitors play Hunstanton?
Yes. Hunstanton is a members club that welcomes visitors every day by prior arrangement, with advance booking essential, particularly in summer. Weekday tee times offer the best availability.
What are the green fees at Hunstanton for 2026?
Indicative 2026 visitor green fees run from around 90 pounds off season to about 175 pounds for eighteen holes in high summer, with winter and twilight rates lower. Treat these as indicative and confirm directly before booking.
What is the Hunstanton course like?
It is a James Braid links from 1891, a par 72 of around 6,741 yards laid out through tall dunes on the North Norfolk coast, with fast greens and wind in every season. It is a Top 100 course in Britain and Ireland with a long Open qualifying heritage.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course, access and fee details verified June 2026 from club and golf travel sources; conditions and green fees change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.