Ultimate England
ENGLAND’S TOP 5 LINKS
1. Royal Birkdale (9)
2. Royal St. George’s (10)
3. Royal Lytham & St Annes (11)
4. Royal Liverpool (12)
5. Hillside (13)
England’s Golf Coast stretches 40 miles from Liverpool to Blackpool, where you will find over 20 top-class layouts led by Royal Birkdale, Royal Lytham & St. Annes and Royal Liverpool. Add to that Hillside, Formby, Southport&Ainsdale, West Lancashire and Wallasey and you have an incredible links tour!
ENGLAND GOLF COURSES
1. The Grove
2. Stoke Poges
3. Berkshire
4. Swinley Forest
5. Sunningdale
6. Wentworth
7. St. George's Hill
8. Walton Heath
ENGLAND GOLF COURSES
1. The Grove
The Grove was expertly designed by Kyle Phillips following his success at Kingsbarns. Adhering to a traditional English parkland feel, the course—which opened in 2003—is highly renowned for its impeccable conditions. Ernie Elms praised the course as the best-conditioned golf course in Europe, and it is named in Golf Monthly’s list of Top 120 Courses in Great Britain and Ireland. The Grove was also the venue for the World Golf Championship in 2006 and the British Masters in 2016.
2. Stoke Poges
The Stoke Poges course at Stoke Park Club was designed by Harry Colt and opened in 1908. The course was recently extended to 27 holes and is considered one of the best parkland courses in the South of England—even the entertainment industry was struck by Stoke Poges’ beauty, and it was featured in two Bond movies. The course’s Colt nine underwent reconstruction in 2016; the Alison loop in early 2017; and the Lane Jackson nine is expected to be completed by late 2017.
3. Berkshire (Red and Blue)
Herbert Fowler designed the Blue and Red courses at Berkshire in 1928 and few changes have been made since then. While the Blue is flatter and shorter than the Red, both courses rank among the British Top 100 and feature the same natural hazards. The charming heathland courses play well together; the club even holds its own Berkshire Trophy, a tournament for the sport’s top amateurs, and has attracted a distinguished list of winners.
4. Swinley Forest
Harry Colt designed Swinley Forest in 1909 and famously described it as his “least bad course”. The course lives up to its backward praise: it ranks #4 in England’s Best Courses, according to Golf Digest, and is #61 in the world. The course’s five par 3s are each unique and golfers can expect a challenge at each hole of the renowned course.
5. Sunningdale
For over 100 years, ranked England’s #1 course by Golf Digest in 2016 and stands at #23 in the World’s Top 100 Golf Courses. The New Course isn’t far behind: it ranked #6 on Golf Digest's Top 10 Golf Courses in England. With an iconic pairing of two highly-acclaimed golf courses, many consider Sunningdale to be the ideal golfing venue.
6. Wentworth
The Wentworth Golf Club consists of three courses: the East, West, and Edinburgh. The West Course is the most recognized and ranks at #20 of England’s Best Golf Courses according to Golf Digest. It was designed in 1926 by Harry Colt and later updated by Ernie Elms; the course winds through a heavily wooded area and is maintained to USGA standards. The West Course is a veteran venue of golf championships, such as the Ryder Cup, Canada Cup, World Matchplay and PGA Championship. The East Course is gentler than the West, also a Colt masterpiece, and the Edinburgh is the club’s newest course, opened in 1990 and designed by John Jacobs.
7. St. George’s Hill
The Red and Blue courses at St. George’s Hill were designed by Harry Colt in 1913 and are known for their dramatic shifts in elevation. Considered Colt’s best design, St. George’s Hill is a sought-after course that is a welcome challenge to players. It also ranks 8th of England’s Top 10 Golf Courses according to Golf Digest.
8. Walton Heath
Walton Heath enjoys a rich history of golf success: its Old and New championship courses have hosted nearly ninety amateur and professional championships and events. Herbert Fowler designed the inland links courses; the Old opened in 1904 and the New a few years later. The New Course was named England’s 19th Best Golf Course, according to Golf Digest, and ranks among the UK’s Top 50 Golf Courses, while the Old Course ranks in the World’s Top 100 Golf Courses.