England’s great golf sits in two clusters of links and one belt of heath. On the north-west coast, five championship clubs stretch from Hoylake on the Wirral up to St Annes on the Fylde, three of them Open venues. In east Kent, Royal St George’s, Prince’s and Royal Cinque Ports line the shore between Sandwich Bay and Deal. South-west of London, Sunningdale leads the sandy heathland country of Berkshire and Surrey, where pine and heather replace dunes. Nearly all of these are private members’ clubs, yet each sets aside visitor days, and that weekly pattern, not the green fee, is what shapes a trip. Several only take visitors on two or three weekdays, and most of the north-west shuts to visitors over winter. The reward for working around the diary is a short-hop trip by rail: every course here can be reached by train and taxi, and some are a short walk from the platform.
Kyle Phillips’s parkland beside a Georgian mansion, where Tiger Woods won in 2006.
Where to base yourself.
Southport & the Sefton coast
The densest base in England. Royal Birkdale and Hillside are neighbours at Hillside station, and Formby is a few stops south at Freshfield, so three links share one Merseyrail line. Birkdale’s 2027 visitor sheet was already full in October 2026, which makes Hillside, at £315 midweek in summer, and year-round Formby the practical anchors.
Hoylake & the Wirral
Royal Liverpool, venue for thirteen Opens, sits on an old racecourse at the tip of the Wirral, a short walk from Hoylake station. Visitor times run on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, booked by phone or email rather than online. Liverpool city centre is about half an hour away by train, which suits golfers who want evenings in town.
Lytham St Annes & the Fylde
Royal Lytham & St Annes opens with a par three and counts 166 pot bunkers. Its Dormy House sleeps golfers yards from the 1st tee, and weekday green fees and online booking are published. Manchester Airport is about an hour away. The Open returns here in 2028, so book any summer round that year with care.
Sandwich Bay & Deal, Kent
Royal St George’s and Prince’s share the Sandwich Bay dunes, with Royal Cinque Ports just south at Deal. Visitor days differ sharply: two at Royal St George’s, four at Deal and seven at Prince’s, whose Lodge stands at the gate. High-speed trains from St Pancras reach both Sandwich and Deal, each a short taxi ride from the clubs.
Berkshire & Surrey heathland
Sunningdale’s Old and New courses are the reason to base yourself around Ascot or Windsor. Visitors play Monday to Thursday, May to October only, with an 18.4 handicap limit for men. Heathrow is about 20 minutes away and Sunningdale station a few minutes’ walk from the club, while The Berkshire and Walton Heath are nearby.
When to go.
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
April to September is high season and carries the top rate almost everywhere. Four of the north-west clubs, Birkdale, Hoylake, Lytham and Hillside, stop visitor golf from November to February and reopen in March, when spring prices are lowest. Formby stays open all year at £155 on winter weekdays. Kent stretches the season further: Prince’s plays on full greens through winter, and Royal St George’s has 2027 visitor dates from March to November. Sunningdale takes visitors only from May to October and shuts to them from late July to the end of August. That month also leaves Royal St George’s with Tuesdays only, so June and September are the easiest summer months to string rounds together.
Getting around.
Driving is on the left, and most visitors fly into one of the London airports or Manchester. Use Heathrow or Gatwick for Sunningdale and Kent; Sunningdale is about 20 minutes from Heathrow, while Sandwich and Deal are roughly two hours from either airport by road. For the north-west, Liverpool John Lennon and Manchester are both within about an hour of every club. Trains make a car optional. Merseyrail serves Hoylake, Formby and Hillside from Liverpool, the St Annes branch from Preston serves Lytham, Southeastern runs from St Pancras to Sandwich and Deal, and South Western Railway takes about 50 minutes from Waterloo to Sunningdale. London to Liverpool is a long drive, so most golfers treat north and south as separate trips.
Plan it well.
Plan around each club’s visitor days first and fees second. Royal St George’s takes visitors on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Royal Liverpool on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, and Royal Birkdale on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Booking routes vary from online tee sheets at Formby, Prince’s and Lytham to email or phone at Sunningdale, Hoylake and Hillside. Handicap rules vary just as much: 18.4 for men at Royal St George’s and Sunningdale, 24 at Birkdale, 28 at Formby, and no certificate at Prince’s or Deal. Most clubs take full payment well ahead with strict refund terms, so fix your dates before you pay. Expect jacket-and-tie rules in some clubhouses.
Questions golfers ask.
Can visitors play the Open courses in England?
Yes. Royal Birkdale, Royal Liverpool, Royal Lytham and Royal St George’s all set aside visitor times, usually on two or three named weekdays. Demand varies: Birkdale reported 2027 fully booked in October 2026, while Hoylake’s 2027 diary was open and Lytham had published its 2027 rates. Weekend visitor golf is rare at all four.
Which English championship courses need no handicap certificate?
Prince’s and Royal Cinque Ports, both in Kent, ask for none, though Deal can refuse anyone it judges not proficient. Every other course covered here needs proof of a handicap. Royal Liverpool and Hillside require one but publish no maximum, and Lytham advises 21 for men and 30 for women.
Where can I play links golf in England in winter?
Formby on the Sefton coast and Prince’s at Sandwich Bay both sell visitor times through the winter, with Formby from £155 and Prince’s from £100 midweek in 2026–27. Royal St George’s and Royal Cinque Ports have priced visitor rounds into December 2026. The other north-west links close to visitors from November.
How much does a round at an English Open venue cost?
Summer 2027 weekday rates run from £420 at Royal Liverpool and Royal Lytham to £430 at Royal St George’s, which includes lunch, and £495 at Royal Birkdale. Shoulder months are far cheaper: Lytham charges £280 and Royal St George’s £235 in March 2027.
Is it better to base an English golf trip in the north-west or in Kent?
The north-west has more courses close together, with five championship links, none more than about an hour from Southport. Kent has three, but it has the longer season and Prince’s weekend tee times. Combine Kent with Sunningdale for a southern trip using London airports and trains.
