Outstanding club2026

The best golf courses in England (2026)

Find the top golf courses in England, with rankings based on verified golfer reviews. England built the finest heathland belt in the world on the sandy soils of Surrey and Berkshire, then matched it with a Lancashire links coast that has no equal south of Scotland.Read more
Based on 352 verified reviews

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The highest-rated clubs based on the combined score of course quality, facilities, and hospitality. Read more
1
Club image The Royal St George's Golf Club

The Royal St George's Golf Club

9.29
Kent18 holes
Great maintenanceLinks course
RBeenGold

Handicap 1

"Super range balls — this course offers the full premium experience from start to finish."

23 Nov 2025Read full review
2
Club image Sunningdale Golf Club

Sunningdale Golf Club

9.14
Surrey36 holes
Great value for moneyHeathland course
leahybarbara67Steel

Handicap 17.6

"Have to say the best course by far great challenging course."

14 Jul 2025Read full review
3
Club image St George's Hill Golf Club

St George's Hill Golf Club

9.07
Surrey18 holes
Great maintenanceInland course
AntoninGrimmGold

Handicap 16.9

"The most striking difference between St George's Hill and the heathland layouts in Surrey is the terrain."

4
Club image Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club

Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club

9.01
Kent18 holes
Great surroundingsLinks course
RBeenGold

Handicap 1

"What an experience to play here — one of the most memorable rounds I have had."

14 Nov 2025Read full review
5
Club image Hankley Common Golf Club

Hankley Common Golf Club

8.98
Surrey18 holes
Great surroundings
MathiasSlabbinckExpert

Handicap 16.8

"The only question I had after this round was: when can I come back and play this course again?"

20 Aug 2025Read full review
6
Club image Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club

Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club

8.92
Lancashire18 holes
Home of the 2018 Woman's British OpenGreat maintenanceLinks course
Markus4MuellerExpert

Handicap 8.8

"Just 750 metres to the beach — the setting makes Royal Lytham one of the most atmospheric links in England."

29 Nov 2025Read full review
7
Club image West Hill Golf Club

West Hill Golf Club

8.89
Surrey18 holes
Great maintenanceWoodland course
contactcoyneGold

Handicap 16.2

"Worst feature: None - I loved the course Condition: Greens, tees, fairways and bunkers were all in great condition."

13 May 2025Read full review
8
Club image Royal Liverpool Golf Club

Royal Liverpool Golf Club

8.89
Cheshire18 holes
Great maintenanceLinks course
johnhall61Expert

Handicap 3.5

"Probably the best surfaces I'd played on all year, and that in early October."

27 Oct 2025Read full review
9
Club image West Sussex Golf Club

West Sussex Golf Club

8.88
Sussex18 holes
Great maintenance
maddent1stSteel

Handicap 10

"So unlike many of the other Surrey courses that are so blighted by aircraft, rail and road noise."

28 Nov 2025Read full review
10
Club image Silloth on Solway Golf Club

Silloth on Solway Golf Club

8.71
Cumbria18 holes
Great maintenanceLinks course
AntoninGrimmGold

Handicap 16.9

"One of the top courses on the west coast of England."

11
Club image Saunton Golf Club

Saunton Golf Club

8.69
Devon36 holes
Great clubhouse
12
Club image Burnham & Berrow Golf Club

Burnham & Berrow Golf Club

8.59
Somerset27 holes
Great clubhouseLinks course
13
Club image Hillside Golf Club

Hillside Golf Club

8.54
Lancashire18 holes
Great surroundingsLinks course
14
Club image Mullion Golf Club

Mullion Golf Club

8.42
Cornwall18 holes
Great value for moneyLinks course
15
Club image Liphook Golf Club

Liphook Golf Club

8.42
Hampshire18 holes
Great value for moneyHeathland course
16
Club image Seaford Head Golf Course

Seaford Head Golf Course

8.39
Sussex18 holes
Great value for money
17
Club image Etchinghill Golf Club

Etchinghill Golf Club

8.37
Kent36 holes
Park course
18
Club image Burhill Golf Club

Burhill Golf Club

8.32
Surrey36 holes
Great maintenancePark course
19
Club image Camberley Heath Golf Club

Camberley Heath Golf Club

8.31
Surrey18 holes
Great surroundingsHeathland course
20
Club image Notts Golf Club

Notts Golf Club

8.26
Nottinghamshire18 holes
Great value for moneyInland course

Everything about the top golf courses in England

The best golf courses in England divide between two traditions that have shaped how the game is played and designed across the world. Both belong on this list, and the golfer arriving with a week and a serious intent will find that England delivers at a level most international visitors do not anticipate before they arrive. Sunningdale Old Course leads without question. It is the agreed reference point for English heathland golf, the course most consistently named by architects and experienced playing visitors as the single finest inland layout in the country. Willie Park Jr's design and H.S. Colt's revisions on naturally sandy Berkshire ground produce conditions and a strategic challenge that no other English inland course has matched. Walton Heath Old Course gives the Surrey moorland dimension and Ryder Cup credentials. Its open elevation, genuine heather rough and Herbert Fowler design place it clearly in the same heathland tradition as Sunningdale while offering a different and more exposed playing experience. Together these two establish that the London heathland belt is the most concentrated stretch of top-level inland golf in the world. Royal Birkdale is the Lancashire coast's anchor and England's most respected Open venue. Its championship record, the quality of its fairway valleys between genuine dunes, and the historical weight of nine Open Championships give this list its links credentials and its connection to the professional game at the highest level. Royal St George's at Sandwich provides the most authentic and eccentric links character on the Kent coast. Golfers who know English golf well will expect to see it, and it broadens the geographic reach beyond the London and Lancashire clusters. Woodhall Spa's Hotchkin Course addresses the inland midlands and gives the list architectural depth for golfers familiar enough with English golf to look beyond the headline names. Its bunkers are the most discussed individual design feature of any English course and make it immediately identifiable. Ganton in Yorkshire provides the northern England presence and Walker Cup and Ryder Cup credibility that confirms this list covers the full country rather than only its most visited golf corridors.

How we rank the best 18-hole golf clubs in England

This ranking of the best 18-hole golf clubs in England is based on the overall score from verified golfer reviews and represents the total experience at a club. The ranking is calculated by aggregating scores across all categories, including course design, maintenance, hospitality, facilities, surroundings, and value for money. To be included in this list, a club must have a sufficient number of reviews to ensure a reliable and representative average.

How we rank the best golf courses in England (Course Only)

This ranking isolates the quality of the playing surface from the rest of the club's amenities in England. While our "Golf Club" rankings include factors like the clubhouse and hospitality, this "Course Only" list focuses exclusively on the architectural layout, hole variety, and turf conditions. It identifies the best-rated golf courses in England for players who prioritize the technical challenge and design of the course above all else.

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