Prince’s Golf Club

Sarazen’s Open, now in three loops.

Prince’s sits at the northern end of Sandwich Bay, its fairways running between the dunes and the shingle shore of the Kent coast. It hosted one Open, in 1932, when Gene Sarazen won with a total of 283 and showed off the sand iron he had just invented. Today the club offers 27 holes as three nines, Shore, Dunes and Himalayas, so a visiting group can play a different 18 on each day of a short break. It also has its own lodge at the gate, and from March to October it sells visitor tee times on every day of the week.

Prince’s Golf Club green fees and tee times.

Tee times are booked online through the club’s booking system and paid in full when you book; the green fees page does not say how far ahead the sheet opens. The tee sheet runs seven days a week in a four-ball format, so it suits small groups and visitors who are happy to join others. Your 18 pairs two of the three nines, and the club will try to honour a requested pairing. Saturday and Sunday tee times in the low season (November to February) are only sold as part of the Lodge’s Winter Links Package; weekdays and Fridays can be booked on their own. The club says no handicap is needed, though it warns higher handicaps may find the links hard. The club is cashless and takes cards, including American Express. For anything the system cannot do, phone the golf office on 01304 611118 or email office@princesgolfclub.co.uk.

The courses at Prince’s Golf Club.

Shore nine

At 3,419 yards and par 36, the Shore takes its name from the beach it borders along Sandwich Bay. The Links Suite at the Lodge looks over its 5th green.

Dunes nine

The longest of the three at 3,436 yards, par 36. It finishes at the clubhouse, where the Spike Bar serves the club’s well-known sausage rolls between loops.

Himalayas nine

The shortest loop, 3,376 yards and par 36, and the one with the most history on show. Pádraig Harrington unveiled the Sarazen Bunker by the 9th green in 2011, and a plaque by the 4th tee marks where Laddie Lucas, born in the old clubhouse, landed his crippled Spitfire during the war.

The round, in perspective.

Charles Hutchings, the 1902 Amateur Champion, laid out the first 18 holes with the club’s first secretary, Percy Montagu Lucas, in 1904, on land given by the Earl of Guilford; the course was completed late in 1906. The links was all but obliterated as a training ground in the Second World War. From 1950 Sir Guy Campbell and John Morrison rebuilt it as 27 holes, reusing many old greens: the club says 17, Wikipedia says 14. Since 2017 the McGuirk family, the owners, have had Martin Ebert’s firm restore the course. Each nine is a par 36 and starts and finishes by the clubhouse, which opened in 1985.

Know before you go.

Handicap

None required

Format

Four-ball tee sheet, seven days a week

Low-season weekends

Saturday and Sunday only with the Lodge Winter Links Package

Payment

In full at booking; cashless on site

Buggies

Brochure: limited number, book ahead. Course status page: medical certificate only

Dress

Collared, sleeved shirts tucked in; no denim, tracksuits or trainers

Make the trip work.

Arrive at least 30 minutes early and check in at the pro shop. The drive in runs through the private Sandwich Bay estate, which charges a road toll, but Prince’s guests do not pay it. The club’s 2026 guest brochure says range balls are included with green fees, and the range has Toptracer, which makes a warm-up worthwhile on a windy morning. The club does not use temporary greens in winter, which matters if you are weighing the cheaper low-season rates. On Sundays the clubhouse serves a carvery that needs booking, with only a short sandwich menu otherwise, so plan lunch accordingly.

The club puts Gatwick 79 miles away, about 1 hour 45 minutes by car, and Heathrow 105 miles, about 2 hours 30 minutes, both finishing on the A299 to the Sandwich bypass. Central London is about 75 miles. High-speed trains from St Pancras reach Sandwich in about 1 hour 45 minutes; take a taxi from the station. There are two electric-car charging points at the clubhouse and two at the Lodge.

Where it is.

Nearby: 1. Royal St George’s Golf Club (2 km) · 2. Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club (7 km) · Compare all Kent’s links tee times

Somewhere to settle in.

The Lodge stands at the entrance to the club. With its two apartment blocks it has 38 bedrooms, including twelve Lodge rooms with club storage and the Bay and Links suites. Its bar has a summer terrace, a pool-and-snooker room, and the 1932 Grill, where dinner runs from 6pm to 8.30pm and is best booked ahead. The club’s own gins include Smugglers’ Landing, named Best Matured Gin in England at the 2025 World Gin Awards. Sandwich, Deal and Canterbury add more choice.

Make a trip of it.

Royal St George’s is the immediate neighbour, with visitor days on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and Royal Cinque Ports at Deal takes visitors from Monday to Thursday. With Prince’s open all week, a group can fit all three around the others’ visitor days. Prince’s is due to host the Walker Cup in 2030 and has shared Amateur Championships with both neighbours. Away from golf, Sandwich Bay has a bird observatory on the estate road.

Find your season.

The club prices three seasons: low from November to February, a spring rate in March, and high season from April to late October. Rates fall to the low-season price from 26 October because of course maintenance. Winter play is on full greens, and the south-east coast is one of the drier parts of Britain, so the course often plays firm.