Royal Cinque Ports runs north from the town of Deal along a narrow strip of links behind a high shingle bank. It hosted the Open twice, in 1909 and 1920, and was due to stage it twice more before the sea broke through and the championship moved to Sandwich. It has since been used for final qualifying for the Open. For visitors the appeal is a championship links with no handicap limit, a straightforward online booking system, and a back nine that is longer than the front, so the round tends to build towards its finish.
Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club green fees and tee times.
Visitors play Monday to Thursday. Mondays and Thursdays are for three- and four-balls, while singles and two-balls are welcome on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, in the afternoons according to the green fees page. Book through the online visitor system linked from the club website, or by phone on 01304 374007 or email to office@royalcinqueports.com. No handicap certificate is required, but the club reserves the right to refuse anyone it judges not proficient enough. Payment is taken in full when you reserve. Cancel more than 28 days out for a full refund; between 14 and 28 days you lose half, and inside 14 days you lose all of it, including for illness or flight problems.
INDICATIVE GREEN FEE · CHECKED NOVEMBER 2026From £150
Visitor green fee, Monday to Thursday, 19 October to 10 December 2026. The published rate for 1 April to 7 October 2027 is £295; no rate is listed yet for winter or March 2027.
19 Oct to 10 Dec 2026
£150
1 Apr to 7 Oct 2027
£295
Junior (17 and under)
£75
PGA, BIGGA, GCMA or CMAE member
50% of rate
Prices change by season and booking route, so confirm the current rate with the operator. Official rates ↗
The round, in perspective.
The club was formed in February 1892, and its first nine, built by greenkeeper Harry Hunter with help from his brother Ramsay, was in play for a first medal that June. Hunter began a second nine in 1897 and the full 18 opened in 1899. J H Taylor won the 1909 Open here and George Duncan the 1920 Open, after which holes 8 to 13 were reworked. High tides in 1938 and a gale-driven sea breach before the 1949 championship flooded the links, and both Opens moved to Royal St George’s. The scorecard gives 7,367 yards at par 72, with an outward half of 3,567 and an inward half of 3,800. The long par fours come late: the 12th is 460 yards, the 13th 485, the 15th 476 and the 18th 454.
Know before you go.
Visitor days
Monday to Thursday
Group size
Three- and four-balls Mon & Thu; singles and two-balls Tue & Wed
Handicap
Not required; club may refuse players it judges not proficient
Tees
Club tees unless permission given
Pace
3½ hours for two-balls, 4 hours for four-balls
Dress
Tailored trousers or shorts, no denim; knee-length socks with shorts
Phones
Emergencies only on the course
Make the trip work.
Check in at the professional’s shop at least 15 minutes before your time, and change in the clubhouse rather than the car park, which the club specifically asks. Men in shorts need knee-length socks; the shop sells them if you forget. Pace targets are firm: three and a half hours for a two-ball and four for a four-ball. The Halfway Hut by the 9th green sells hot and cold food. The clubhouse bar opens at 8am and closes at 8pm in summer and 6pm in winter. Each spring the club is taken over by the Halford Hewitt, a foursomes knockout for 64 old boys’ teams from public schools, played at Deal since 1925 and named after the club treasurer, later captain, who gave the cup.
Deal is roughly 1 hour 45 minutes from Gatwick and about 2 hours 30 minutes from Heathrow by road, via the M20 and Dover or the M2 and A256. The club is on Golf Road at the northern edge of Deal, on the way to Sandwich Bay. Southeastern trains run to Deal, including high-speed services from London St Pancras, and a taxi from the station takes a few minutes.
Deal’s seafront has small hotels and inns within a short drive of the course, among them the Royal Hotel on Beach Street. The Lodge at Prince’s, at the entrance to the neighbouring Prince’s links, suits groups who want to stay on a course. Sandwich, a few miles north, has inns on its quay, and Canterbury, about half an hour inland, has the widest choice of hotels and restaurants.
Make a trip of it.
Royal St George’s and Prince’s share the same stretch of Sandwich Bay just to the north, and the three clubs have co-hosted Amateur Championships, including 2013. Royal St George’s takes visitors on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so play Deal on a Monday or Thursday to keep both open. Off the course, Deal Castle, a Tudor artillery fort, and Walmer Castle are both run by English Heritage, and Deal’s pier is a short walk from the seafront hotels.
Find your season.
The current rate table covers 19 October to 10 December 2026 and the 2027 high season from 1 April to 7 October. Nothing is published for 11 December to the end of March, or for 8 to 18 October, so ask the office about those weeks. The links has flooded in extreme storms, most famously in 1938 and 1949.
No. Published visitor play runs Monday to Thursday only. Groups of three or four play on Mondays and Thursdays, and singles or pairs on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Larger parties go through the separate societies page rather than the visitor booking system.
Do I need a handicap certificate for Royal Cinque Ports?
The club does not ask for one. It describes the links as demanding and says it may refuse access to anyone it considers not to have proficient golf, so newer golfers should think about the long back nine before booking.
What is the cancellation policy at Royal Cinque Ports?
Full refund if you cancel more than 28 days before play, half refund between 14 and 28 days, and nothing within 14 days. The club does not make exceptions for flight disruption, injury or illness, so travel insurance is worth having.
Why did Royal Cinque Ports lose the Open?
Deal hosted the Open in 1909 and 1920. It was awarded the 1938 and 1949 championships, but February high tides in 1938 and 80mph gales that broke the shingle banks before 1949 moved both to Royal St George’s. The 1915 and 1942 Opens it was due to host were lost to war.
Last checked 10 November 2026. This is an independent planning guide, not a first-hand review or a booking service. Check live availability, access, fees and travel details with the operator before booking. Airport suggestions are starting points for route planning.
