We know Scotland is the birthplace of golf and arguably the top destination in the world for the golf lover. But, believe it or not, its neighbor to the south is an excellent place to play golf, too—England is much more than fish and chips and football (soccer).
To get the rundown on what makes England such a good destination for golf, we caught up with the founder of Halcyon Golf Travel, Jack Sallis, a lifelong golfer who has represented England at the international level and teed off at every course worth its salt in the UK. His insider knowledge is top-tier, so we were excited to get the scoop from someone with a thorough understanding and appreciation for what makes England so great, from its golf courses to, yes, football clubs and cuisine.
Why take a golf trip to England?
VARIETY: HEATHLAND AND LINKS GOLF
In England, you are able to play a mixture of links golf, heathland and parkland courses. What is heathland golf, exactly? Often described as “inland links”, heathland courses have firm, sandy fairways similar to those on seaside links courses. However, heathland courses are inland and have better protection to the elements than links courses. This, combined with the beautiful colors of the yellow gorse and purple heather, provide extremely pleasant playing conditions. England has six heathland courses in the world’s top 100 but the creme de la creme would be Sunningdale, “the Augusta of England,” which boasts two courses in the world’s top 50.
To get the perfect mix of links and heathland, you need to check out Halcyon’s Southeast England tour
Blooming heather found on a heathland golf course
PLAY WORLD-CLASS COURSES WITH VERY LITTLE DRIVE TIME
There are 11 world top 100 Courses in England. Six are within two hours of London Heathrow Airport and you can play them all on Halcyon’s Surrey sandbelt tour.
Another world-class cluster of courses is in the northwest, where you’ll find three Open Championship courses (Royal Birkdale, Royal Lytham and Royal Liverpool) as well as half a dozen more quality links courses, all on one short stretch of coastline. For a comprehensive tour of the northeast, check out the England’s Golf Coast sample tour.
CATCH A PREMIER LEAGUE MATCH
If you love football, you can easily pair the golf trip of a lifetime with a visit to some of the biggest clubs in the Premier League. If you opt for a northwest trip with a home base near Liverpool, you can catch a game at Liverpool, Manchester City or Manchester United. If you’re staying in the capital, the best London-based teams to watch would be Chelsea, Arsenal or Tottenham. In either case, though, you can venture to a smaller club, if you’d prefer. (Sallis is a Nottingham Forest supporter so we’re sure he’d be willing to whip up a bespoke trip for you.)
NIGHTLIFE
With Liverpool and London being the main cities within proximity of quality golf courses, you won’t have a hard time finding excellent cuisine and traditional pubs.
The nightlife is stellar but not everything has to be centered around Michelin-rated gastronomy. If you’re a fan of music, Liverpool and London are home to some of the most famous rock acts of all time, including the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.
HIDDEN GEMS
England has more than 2,000 courses—more than Scotland and Ireland combined—so there are plenty of hidden gems you can brag about to your friends. Some of the hidden gems on offer can be found in Halcyon’s Mackenzie Classics tour, where you can play Alister MacKenzie’s first-ever design (Alwoodley), whose 10th hole is the inspiration for the 13th hole at Augusta National.
Alwoodly
COUPLES TRIPS
Golf isn’t only for the boys. The Southeast of England makes for a perfect trip for couples. Combine wonderful heathland and links courses with a variety of off-course activities such as a visit to Chapel Down Vineyard which produces some of the best sparkling wines in Europe (Southeast England has the same climate as the Champagne region did 40 years ago). You can take a guided tour of Windsor Castle (the largest and oldest royally occupied castle in the world), go to musicals in London’s famous West End, shop world-class designer retail and find some of the best dining in Europe. Sail down the Great River Stour through the ancient town of Canterbury with views of the Canterbury Cathedral, a World Heritage Site.
The 10 Best Golf Courses in England
Now that you know why you should visit England for a golf trip, let’s get into what you really came for: the 10 best golf courses in England, according to Halcyon’s Jack Sallis.
10. Silloth on Solway (Links)- Well and truly off the beaten track, you’ll be walking on uncharted territory for 99 percent of golfers visiting the UK. This links-style course is thrilling from start to finish with turbulent fairways, sunken punchbowls and the odd blind shot played over windswept sand dunes. With a sub £100 green fee, this could possibly be the best value green fee in the UK if you’re willing to make the journey.
Silloth on Solway
9. Hollinwell (Heathland). Hollinwell is a beautiful heathland course in Nottinghamshire that weaves through acres upon acres of protected land of special scientific interest. This hidden gem has 20 truly individual championship holes which are a test even for the very best amateur and professional golfers. A charming quirk is the natural spring found beneath the eighth tee. Known as “The Hollinwell”, this natural source of water is regularly enjoyed by golfers and was originally discovered by monks in the 14th Century traveling to Newstead Abbey. The former home of Lord Byron, Newstead Abbey and its gardens are open to the public and just a five-minute drive away from Hollinwell.
8. St Georges Hill (Heathland). Try your hardest not to let your jaw drop to the floor as you drive through the private St Georges Hill estate on your way to the golf club. Here you’ll find some of the largest and most beautiful private homes in the UK but the cream of the crop is the golf clubhouse. Sitting elegantly above the golf course, it’s almost as beautiful as the 27 holes that adorn this golf estate and has one of the all-time greatest terraces to enjoy a post-round pint. Part of the great cluster of golf courses surrounding London, you won’t have to travel far to find other world-class layouts.
7. The Berkshire (Red and Blue) (Heathland). Played through towering pine trees with splatterings of heather, The Berkshire is among the most spectacular golf sites in the UK. We’ve cheated here by including both courses at The Berkshire but a 36-hole day here is highly recommended. Like many traditional courses in England, The Berkshire has a two-ball rule, meaning that on each day, one of the courses is designated for speedier two-ball play. If there are four of you, you can play foursomes (alternate shot). When visiting, we’d suggest staying in the historic town of Windsor, a perfect base for a South England golf trip with plenty of traditional pubs and riverside restaurants. Windsor Castle sits proud in the center of the town. Certainly the most magnificent castle in Europe, this current royal residence is open for public and private tours.
6. Hankley Common (Heathland). Perfectly mown fairways carved through seas of purple heather brush. Not a building or road in sight. Hankley Common is pure tranquility and pure heathland at its finest. Hankley has the benefit of being located just southwest of London and within a 45-minute drive of four other golf courses on this top10 list. You really don’t have to travel far for a jam-packed world-class golf trip in England. Play the course in September when the heather is in bloom for a truly jaw-dropping experience.
Hankley Common
5. Ganton (Heathland). Although classified as Heathland, Ganton comes as close to an inland links course you can find. The course in northeast England is located in a former North Sea inlet, giving it a lot of links characteristics such as sandy, fast-draining soil which is perfect for golf. Its soil composition facilitates the growth of heather, gorse and broom which line the fairways. They all bloom at different times of year, so no matter when you visit, you’ll be greeted with beautiful color. Ganton has tested the greatest players over the years and has proven popular with the pros when it hosted a Ryder Cup, Solheim Cup and Walker Cup.
4. Royal Cinque Ports (Links). A former Open championship course with the most unique set of greens in England. You’ll find greens as big as football pitches and as small as stamps, huge collection areas, generous punch bowls, treacherous upturned saucers and even a half pipe! Fun from start to finish and with some of the best practice, pro shop and clubhouse facilities in the country. This part of the country is especially great for couples golf trips. As well as three world-class golf courses to play, you can tour award-winning vineyards, visit castles and cathedrals, enjoy historic river cruises or even make a quick stopover to France on the train (30 minutes under the English Channel).
3. Royal St Georges (Links). The course is known for being quirky in its layout and also its traditions. You must adhere to a strict dress code which includes jacket and tie in the clubhouse at all times as well as knee-high socks if you wish to wear shorts on the course. Don’t let this put you off as the club is generally very welcoming to visitors and has one of the best clubhouse lunches anywhere. Definitely worth dressing up for!
2. Royal Birkdale (Links). Royal Birkdale defines what a championship links course should be: beautiful but natural, difficult but fair. After significant investment in the course in 2024, the closing five holes now presents the best risk/reward finish of any golf course in the UK, which will make for spectacular viewing for the 2026 Open Championship. Birkdale is surrounded by half a dozen more world-class links courses (including Royal Liverpool and Royal Lytham) so you can tick off a bunch of bucket-list courses all in one easy golf trip. You’re within touching distance of four Premier League football clubs (Liverpool, Eveerton, Man City, Man United) and the bustling city of Liverpool, home of the Beatles.
1. Sunningdale (Old and New) (Heathland). Cheating again here by including two golf courses in one spot but, in Sallis’s opinion, this is the best 36-hole venue in the world. You simply can’t pick a winner between the Old and the New which are both regularly ranked in the world’s top 20. The Old Course will charm you from start to finish; you won’t find a blade of grass out of place as you meander through the pine trees and heather-lined fairways of this enchanting oasis. A course of pure enjoyment, it will present you with plenty of birdie chances and punish only your bad shots. The New Course is longer and will test your skill with every club in your bag but it comes packed with charm, beauty and excitement equal to that of The Old. The halfway house is shared by both courses and it’s customary to stop here for a beer and a sausage. Members’ dogs are allowed and you’ll see them roaming the fairways and feasting on sausages at the halfway house — yet another contributing factor to this place’s magical vibes. Sunningdale is a private club but allows a restricted number of visitors to play each year so make sure you book early or get in touch with us at Halcyon to secure your tee time.
Sunningdale
This article was written in partnership with Halcyon Travel.
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