England has 60 of the UK's top 100 golf courses — from the Surrey heathland south-west of London to the Lancashire and Yorkshire links of the North, and the remote coastal courses of Norfolk, Devon, and Cornwall. Here's the complete picture.
England's Finest Golf Courses
The South East: Surrey, Kent and Berkshire
The highest concentration of top English courses is within an hour of London — ten Top 100 courses in Surrey alone, plus Kent's outstanding links coastline.
Surrey's Top 10
| Course | Rank | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Walton Heath (Old) | #23 | Open heathland, Ryder Cup history |
| Swinley Forest | #34 | Exclusive woodland, very limited access |
| St George's Hill | #47 | Private woodland, special occasion access |
| Hankley Common | #56 | National championship venue, accessible |
| Woking | #65 | Classic heathland, welcoming to visitors |
| Walton Heath (New) | #69 | Companion to the Old, same great setting |
| Worplesdon | #72 | Beautiful heathland, excellent conditions |
| West Hill | #77 | Underrated heathland gem near Woking |
| The Addington | #82 | Unusual parkland-heathland, Croydon |
| New Zealand Golf Club | #90 | Quirky name, serious heathland course |
Berkshire
| Course | Rank | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Sunningdale (Old) | #14 | England's finest inland course |
| Sunningdale (New) | #21 | Almost as good, more accessible |
| The Berkshire (Red) | #59 | Ascot heathland at its best |
| The Berkshire (Blue) | #68 | Red's excellent companion |
Kent
| Course | Rank | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Royal St George's | #7 | England's best links, Open venue |
| Royal Cinque Ports | #39 | Deal links, Open qualifying pedigree |
| Prince's | #67 | Three 9s, next door to St George's |
| Littlestone | #96 | Remote Romney Marsh links |
East and West Sussex, Hampshire
| Course | Rank | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Rye | #50 | One of England's most private and admired |
| West Sussex | #62 | Pulborough heathland, outstanding conditions |
| Royal Ashdown Forest | #95 | No bunkers, natural heathland, East Sussex |
| Liphook | #71 | Quiet Hampshire heathland, excellent value |
| Blackmoor | #93 | Woodland heathland, Alton area |
| Hayling | #92 | Island links in Chichester Harbour |
| Hindhead | #87 | High Surrey/Hampshire heathland |
The South West: Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset
Cornwall and Devon
| Course | Rank | Character |
|---|---|---|
| St Enodoc (Church Course) | #55 | Camel Estuary dunes, Betjeman's course |
| Saunton (East Course) | #43 | North Devon dunes, one of England's finest links |
| Royal North Devon | #85 | England's oldest links, Westward Ho! |
| Trevose | #76 | Atlantic headland, North Cornish coast |
Somerset and Dorset
| Course | Rank | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Burnham & Berrow | #52 | Somerset dunes links, underrated and excellent |
| Parkstone | #73 | Poole heathland and pines |
| Broadstone | #84 | Dorset heathland, outstanding condition |
| Ferndown | #81 | Classic Dorset heathland club |
The Midlands and East
Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire
| Course | Rank | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Woodhall Spa (Hotchkin) | #26 | England's greatest inland course outside Surrey |
| Notts (Hollinwell) | #53 | Spectacular Nottinghamshire heathland |
| Sherwood Forest | #70 | Heathland through pines and silver birch |
| Seacroft | #88 | Lincolnshire seaside links, quiet gem |
| Beau Desert | #94 | Staffordshire heathland, Cannock Chase |
| JCB Golf & Country Club | #97 | Modern parkland, exceptional facilities |
| Little Aston | #86 | Classic West Midlands parkland |
Norfolk and Suffolk
| Course | Rank | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Royal West Norfolk | #45 | Brancaster, tidal marshes, atmospheric |
| Hunstanton | #64 | Straightforward links, North Norfolk coast |
| Aldeburgh | #75 | Suffolk heathland-links, characterful |
| Royal Worlington | #79 | 9-hole masterpiece, best 9-hole course in England |
| Ipswich (Purdis Heath) | #89 | Suffolk heathland, very well maintained |
The North: Lancashire, Merseyside, Yorkshire
England's Open Championship heartland. Merseyside has five Top 100 courses alone.
Merseyside and Lancashire
| Course | Rank | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Birkdale | #8 | Open Championship venue, Southport |
| Royal Lytham & St Annes | #12 | Open venue, inland links |
| Royal Liverpool (Hoylake) | #13 | Classic Open links, Wirral |
| Formby | #31 | Sand dunes and silver birch, Merseyside |
| Hillside | #49 | Birkdale's neighbour, underrated and excellent |
| West Lancs | #60 | Windswept links near Southport |
| Southport & Ainsdale | #66 | Ryder Cup venue, classic dunes links |
| Wallasey | #83 | Wirral links, home of the Stableford scoring system |
Yorkshire
| Course | Rank | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Alwoodley | #35 | Leeds heathland, private and excellent |
| Ganton | #40 | North Yorkshire inland links, spectacular |
| Moortown | #74 | Leeds heathland, Ryder Cup 1929 |
North East
| Course | Rank | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Seaton Carew | #78 | County Durham links, one of England's oldest |
| Goswick | #80 | Northumberland links, Lindisfarne views |
North West
| Course | Rank | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Silloth on Solway | #57 | Cumbria's remote links, Solway Firth |
| Delamere Forest | #91 | Cheshire woodland, excellent parkland |
How to Gift a Round at an English Course
A Swyng voucher at the right value covers the green fee at any of these venues. For private clubs (Swinley Forest, Rye, Alwoodley, Ganton), the recipient may need a member introduction — a helpful note to include with the gift.
For Open Championship venues and other accessible clubs, the voucher plus a direct booking call is all that's needed.
See also: bucket list golf courses UK, golf experience days near London, links golf guide UK, best golf experience days UK.
Browse England golf experience vouchers on Swyng or use our Gift Finder for a recommendation.
Sandy Grewal
Golf Expert & Writer
Sandy is a lifelong golfer and gifting enthusiast who has spent over 15 years reviewing golf equipment and experiences. From luxury golf breaks to the perfect stocking fillers, Sandy knows what makes a golfer smile.
