The beautiful rolling green hills of the English countryside make a perfect setting for golf action, and unsurprisingly, this country is well known for its wealth of stunning golf courses to provide these opportunities.
If you are visiting Britain any time soon, you can expect an incredible variety of world-class courses and amenities, ranging from laid-back to challenging, parkland to heathland, and nearly everything in between.
Here are England’s top 5 must-see golf courses that you simply have to visit when you aren’t enjoying online bingo NZ games from your hotel room!
#1: Royal Birkdale Golf Club
This highly pedigreed course is world renowned, having hosted The Open no less than 9 times, the Ryder Cup twice, and numerous other prestigious championships like the Women’s British Open and the Walker Cup.
The course has been ranked 15th in Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest World Golf Courses 2018 list – so it’s safe to say that it should definitely be on your bucket list.
The Royal Birkdale is based in Southport, Merseyside, and has a length of 7,156 yards to go with its 70 par trail. It was designed by J.H. Taylor and Frederick G. Hawtree, and was established way back in 1889. Needless to say, it has been going strong ever since.
#2: Royal St George’s Golf Club
Hidden away in the dunes of Kent’s gorgeous coastline, this club boasts amazing natural beauty and an astounding reputation, having been around since the late 1880s. It is considered to be one of Britain’s best courses, and one of the world’s as well, and offers 70 par links for its guests.
The Royal St. George’s has been a highly popular venue on The Open Championship schedule in the past, and has hosted the event 14 times now. It will also be the hosting venue for The Open in 2020.
Royal St. George’s is based in Sandwich, Kent, and has a length of 7,204 yards. It was designed by Laidlaw Purves, and first opened its doors to the public in 1887.
#3: Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club
This is another British treasure that has hosted many international golfing events, including The Open Championship and the Ryder Cup.
The Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club is considered one of the more challenging links courses in England, as well as one of the quirkier venues, being surrounded by housing instead of ocean views.
With that said, its par 3 first and over 200 bunkers definitely provide enough interest to keep guests coming back for more.
The Royal Lytham & St Annes is based in the town of Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, and has a length of 7,118 yards and a 70-par link course. It was established in 1886 after being designed and built by Harry Colt and George Lowe.
#4: Royal Liverpool Golf Club
Royal Liverpool Golf Club, also known as Hoylake, is another Open Championship host to make our list. Being one of the oldest courses in Britain, this course is saturated with history, including recent records like Rory McIlroy’s first Open victory back in 2014.
The venue is characterized by its unusually flat playing surface, and offers a combination of flat, unprotected holes and wonderful undulating holes along its coastline side.
Based in Hoylake, Wirral, the Royal Liverpool Golf Club is 7,218 yards long and has a 72-par linked course. It was opened for the first time in 1869, after being designed by a trio of George Morris, Harry Colt, and Robert Chambers.
#5: Sunningdale Golf Club
Dubbed one of the most beautiful inland golf courses that the UK has to offer, the Old Course at Sunningdale stretches over heath, woodland, and sprawling lawns alike.
The course runs over a sand base which creates a links-style play, and is ranked 12th in Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest World Golf Courses 2018 list – the highest of any course in England.
The Sunningdale Golf Club is based in Sunningdale, Berkshire, and offers a 70-par course and a length of 6,627 yards. It opened its doors in 1900, and was designed by Willie Park Junior.