Which England County Has The Best Golf Courses?
With over 1,800 courses etched into its landscape, England contains more golf than any other country in Europe.
By pure volume, Yorkshire is the undisputed king. With 200+ courses, it is a golf haven for its players. Though most doesn’t always mean best. For championship pedigree, Lancashire is host to a nearly unmatched history of Major Tournaments. While Surrey is a county that is home to a dense collection of elite clubs. The question is, which county is best?
To truly explain what makes English golf special, it begins with the diversity of its courses. A morning can be spent navigating a heathland masterpiece before heading to the coast to experience a classic links-style track. Of course, a trip isn’t complete without the classic parkland courses found inland.
In this blog, we will dissect the best counties and dig deep into which county truly offers the best combination of quantity, quality, and accessibility in England.
Ranking England’s Best Golf Counties
Before we begin, our rankings of these courses will be based on a collection of criteria.
Course Quality & Rankings: Quality is not just a feeling or personal preference; it is a calculated measure that has been judged by experts. We analyze the ranking–how many courses in a county are consistently featured in the Top 100.
Championship Heritage: We look at the history of the championship pedigree and the historical background of tournaments on these courses.
Course Density: Time is everything when trying to maximize a trip. We analyze the spacing of the courses and the effects of traveling to each location.
Terrain Diversity: We evaluate the style of each course, speaking to its play style and the challenge each course presents.
Accessibility: Unless you can get to it, it isn’t great golf. We will analyze the proximity to airports, local accommodation, and logistics of completing the perfect tour.
Year-Round Playability: Courses should be played at their best. A key factor is the playability in different parts of the year, from weather to the course’s conditions and drainage.
Visitor Access: Beyond just travel to the course, we look at public vs private clubs and how accessible the course is to a visitor.
#1 – Surrey: England’s Heathland Capital
If you created a 20-mile radius around Woking, in the heart of Surrey, you would encompass more world-class golf than anywhere else on the globe. No other region has a quality-to-area ratio like this anywhere else in England.
To see a top-100 course in most countries, it takes an excursion. In Surrey, they are your neighbors. The county consistently ranks between 10 and 15 courses in the UK Top-100, giving it more top experiences and tournament history in a single county than anywhere else in Europe.
This high density of courses has served as a gravitational pull for the game’s elite. Surrey has played host to the Ryder Cup twice, including what very well might be the greatest team ever. The 1981 US Ryder Cup team featured Nicklaus, Watson, Trevino, and Floyd, who throttled Team Europe at Walton Heath.
Since the 80’s, Surrey’s flagship course, Wentworth’s West Course, has been the host of the BMW PGA Championship. This “Fifth Major” for European players has become a favorite of the world’s best.
To a golf course architect, Surrey has more than just a reputation; it is geological art. While much of England’s inland turf sits on moisture-retaining clay, Surrey lies on the Bagshot Sands. This is a century-old deposit of free-draining sandy soil that created the world-famous “Sandbelt.” The drainage creates a pristine condition for the soil for year-round playability.
What truly makes Surrey special is just how convenient it is. For travelers, the transition from the airport to the course can be daunting. Most travelers will fly directly into London Heathrow, making the greens only minutes, not hours, away.
Surrey’s Championship Golf Courses
Sunningdale is the crown jewel of England’s golf capital. Harry Colt’s The Old Course is arguably one of the most beloved courses worldwide. Featuring a stellar showcase of a player’s game, this is famously where Bobby Jones scored his perfect 66. It has served as a timeless blueprint since its inception.
Two decades later, Harry Colt returned to create the New Course. This time, creating a more rugged links-style course with open fairways across the heathland. The Old Course and New Course are permanent fixtures on the world’s Top-100.
While the pros usually take most of the spotlight at Wentworth, Sunningdale is home to elite amateurs. The Walker Cup has traveled across the Atlantic, but its roots are in Sunningdale. The amateur match play broke the standard for coastal golf tournaments and showcased the healthland to the world.
In 1904, Herbert Fowler had a mission to design a course with pure traditionalism. He let the elements do the talking, embracing the qualities of the heathland.
Championship history runs throughout Walton Heath. The Ryder Cup’s modern origins can be traced back to what is considered the “Dream Team” of golf. In 1981, Team USA, with the 36 combined championships from its players, took on the first iteration of Team Europe.
There is no shortage of championship history here. Walton Heath has been the longtime keeper of the world’s elite as the primary venue for US Open Qualifying. Players take on 36 holes in what is coined “The Longest Day in Golf”.
The New Course, which is hardly new, opening in 1907, is a nice contrast to the Old Course layout. Instead of opening with a grueling par three, it has a more casual start to build confidence before the back nine trek. The famously long back nine will introduce you to the true charm of Walton Health. Rather than being enclosed by trees at Sunningdale, the elements are at play in this wide-open space.
No tour of the County would be complete without a visit to St. George’s Hill. Often cited as the purest form of Harry Colt’s genius, this private club meshes the beauty of its landscape with unparalleled exclusivity.
The atmosphere is pure excellence. You won’t find crowds here, no rowdy course conversations, just the sound of tee shots through the pines. This elegance continues throughout the course. The club is renowned for its maintenance. The greens are fast and true, and from the fairways to the edges of the heath are masterful.
#2 – Lancashire: Championship Links Heritage
Lancashire is home to a trifecta of Royal clubs—Royal Lytham & St Annes, Royal Liverpool (Hoylake), and Royal Birkdale, the host of the Open Championship this year in 2026. This forms one of the most concentrated groups of elite championship venues in the world.
Within Lancashire, you can find as authentic a links-style course outside of Scotland. Its role in shaping championship links golf is not merely incidental; it is part of the foundation. This Victorian-era development was driven by travelers and locals who recognized that the sandy, poor-quality soil that was not suitable for farming was perfect for the Scottish national game.
The county has a history of challenging what links golf means. While Royal Birkdale and West Lancashire offer traditional, coastal views with natural rolling dunes, the region also features many hybrids. There are plenty of fairways framed by trees that contrast sharply with the exposed Royal Liverpool.
Of course, great golf is only great if you can reach it. With Lancashire’s proximity to Manchester Airport, you can be standing on the first tee within an hour of wheels down.
Lancashire’s Premier Links Courses
Playing host to the Open Championship 10 times and the Ryder Cup twice, Royal Birkdale stands high above its peers. The grounds of Birkdale are full of history. Legendary moments like Jordan Spieth’s thrilling finish in 2017, or the first-ever Ryder Cup tie.
To be such a constant host of such prestigious tournaments, the conditioning must be as elite as its players. The course boasts a minimalist approach, with the goal of a true links surface. While most links courses require blind shots over the contours of the hills, Birkdale has natural valleys between the dunes.
Royal Birkdale’s final holes comprise a legendary gauntlet that demands both strategy and execution. This four-hole stretch encompasses the bunker-strewn 15th, the historic 16th, the dramatic dune-framed 17th, and the artistic finale of the 18th. Serving as a right of passage for Lancashire golf.
What makes Royal Lytham & St Annes especially unique amongst the Open venues is its urban setting. As you navigate the fairways, you are surrounded by suburban housing. This otherwise quiet neighborhood is turned into a championship venue. In its most recent Open in 2012, Adam Scott saw the challenge of the course as a late collapse lead to an Ernie Els victory. On Lytham, patience is key.
The routing is a bit quirky. The shifting direction forces a constant recalculation of the crosswind. With upwards of 175 pot bunkers playing the primary defender on this course, no hole is a lay-up. Every shot requires a strategy.
While the “Royals” of the Lancashire coast take most of the spotlight, Hillside Golf Club is the gateway to the Claret Jug. As a premier Final Qualifying venue for The Open, it is here where the journey begins.
While the big-name courses often are the primary focus of English golf, Hillside continues to rank amongst England’s finest links. It is the quintessential “hidden gem”. It offers all the prestige and challenge of a Top 100 venue but retains an intimate atmosphere that is often lost at more commercial courses.
Links golf is played on the ground as much as in the air, and the playing conditions here embody that mantra perfectly. The strategy will be in play with the coastal winds. Masters of the “bump-and-run” will have the upper hand here.
#3 – Kent: Championship Links & The Garden of England
Tucked away in the southeast corner of England is a coastal stretch that rivals any destination in the world. Kent’s Sandwich Bay is a densely concentrated area of championship golf. Within a short radius along the bay, you will find legends such as Royal St George’s and Royal Cinque Ports.
Kent holds a special place within English golf as one of the pillars of the Open Championship. To host one Royal is an achievement, but the county proudly plays home to two. Since the early 1900’s, both St. George‘s and Cinque Ports have held Royal titles.
The unique geography of Sandwich Bay has created a true links environment. Making it pristine conditions for coastal golf.
Do not let the legendary reputations of these courses intimidate you; unlike the “members-only” approach of many American and Scottish clubs, Kent’s courses provide an open and welcoming atmosphere. Not only is it more accessible to get yourself on the course, but Kent is also the closest championship links to London and international airports such as Heathrow and Gatwick. Making it a pain-free travel destination.
It is a perfect bookend to a South East England tour. After days battling the Walton Heath in Surrey, you can travel just 90 minutes to conclude your trip with the salty dunes of Kent.
Kent’s Premier Championship Courses
Royal St. George’s stands in an elite class as one of just 10 courses to be in the current Open Championship rotation. To date, it has hosted the world’s oldest major 15 times.
Like many coastal courses, the elements can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. Countering the obstacle of the wind is a much less flat fairway than other English courses. A great drive can catch a downslope and add plenty of yards to your shot. Of course, an offline shot may take a different route into the rough. Sheer power alone will not win rounds at St. George’s.
There is a charming and “old-school” personality to the course. On the 4th hole, golfers will face a towering bunker that requires a blind shot off the tee. The world-famous par-3 on hole 6 is a green surrounded by a crowd of dunes. This hole is the photographic highlight of the round.
St. George’s is the truly undisputed flagship course of Kent, being an anchor to the county’s prestige.
If St. George’s is the flagship course, Royal Cinque Ports is for the connoisseur. It is a traditional experience that is best described as fun and truly authentic.
It is the epitome of an “out-and-back” routing. The course is built through the dunes, rather than around. From the opening shot, where you are required to lace a ball over a public road, the experience plays like the 19th-century origins of the game.
While no longer a current host of The Open, there is a championship history at Cinque Ports. It is a premier Final Open Qualifying venue and the permanent host of the Halford Hewitt, the largest amateur tournament in the world.
Though not as famous as its neighbor, it is a favorite among serious golfers. The ground game is crucial, where creative use of the slopes is key. The greens are some of the most unique in all of England, which demand precision and an expert read.
No carts will be found here; it is a true walking experience. As you step back in time and tap into the traditions of the game, it is highly recommended that you take a caddie along with you.
Countering the traditional neighbors, Prince’s is a modern energy to the county, still with world-class conditions and accessibility.
The experience will never feel repetitive here. Begin with The Shore; Known for its proximity to the sea and its championship history. The Dunes features some of the most dramatic green complexes on the property, requiring sharp short-game skills. Finally, the Himalayas. Recently redesigned, this loop is now considered by many to be the highlight of the property. The natural aesthetic brings all the elements into play here.
The Shore played host to the 1932 Open Championship. Today, Prince’s remains a perennial host for Final Open Qualifying and the Amateur Championship. It has also been selected to host the 2030 Walker Cup.
Prince’s prides itself on being the most approachable of the championship links in Kent. If you are an incredibly ambitious player, the club is a part of the “Hagen 54” challenge. This is an annual event where golfers play all 54 holes of the three Sandwich Bay courses in a single day, inspired by Walter Hagen’s completion of this in 1920.
#4 – Yorkshire: Northern Golf Heritage
Yorkshire is the inland empire of England. No course in the mainland is finer than Ganton. A perennial contender for the Top-100 every year, it is one of only a handful of clubs to have hosted the Ryder Cup, Walker Cup, and Curtis Cup, cementing its status as a global heavyweight.
Yorkshire’s history with the Ryder Cup is as prestigious as it comes. It has hosted the match on three separate occasions at three legendary venues: Moortown, Ganton, and Lindrick.
Courses here are defined by the geology of the land. The character is defined by the moorland and heathland. Rarely found outside the British Isles, the exposed terrain and sandy soil foster an authentic experience that dictates the score of every hole.
For course architecture buffs, Yorkshire is a pilgrimage rather than a vacation. Dr. Alister MacKenzie, the visionary behind Augusta National and Cypress Point, was a Leeds resident and a member of several local clubs. His very first design, Alwoodley, often called “The Original MacKenzie,” was where many of his trademark strategic principles were first tested. Just minutes apart, Moortown and Sand Moor courses showcase his evolution, featuring undulating greens and bold bunkering that are now considered masterpieces across the globe.
Located right in the hub of Northern England, world-class courses are extremely accessible. Manchester Airport and Leeds Bradford are both within an hour’s drive of the major courses, making it easier than a remote destination such as the Highlands of Scotland.
Ask any expert, and they will include Ganton as one of the top courses in the country. The secret to Ganton is the hybrid nature of being an inland course with roots as an outlet to the North Sea. This gives it a surface similar to a coastal course like St. Andrews, while being inland.
Like Birkdale and Lytham, it belongs to an elite group of courses that have hosted the Triple Crown of international match play.
Ganton doesn’t rely on water hazards; it uses bunkering to play defense. Featuring over 100 traps, the course is all about placement. The massive “Himalaya-style” pits are described as some of the most gorgeous in the world.
The conditioning of the course is immaculate due to its sandy base and advanced drainage. Many courses will be muddied in the winter, but Ganton stays firm. The club’s high standard of maintenance makes it an ideal spot for a late-season or spring tour.
No comprehensive tour of English golf is complete without Ganton. It represents the pinnacle of the heritage of northern golf.
#5 – The Midlands: Parkland Excellence and Inland Gems
The Midlands is home to the English Parkland Style Courses. Defined by mature, tree-lined fairways, lush conditioning, and strategic water hazards, these courses offer a more controlled scene than the coast.
The volume of quality golf is intimidating. Within an hour of the hub of the Midlands, you can see multiple Top-100 courses, including The Belfry, Hollinwell, Sherwood Forest, and the hidden gem of Beau Desert.
With Birmingham International and East Midlands Airport providing direct access only about 30-40 minutes from a championship course.
One of the best parts about the Midlands is the value found in these counties. While unholding a championship standard, these courses are typically more accessible than the premium green fees paid in some of the higher-demand courses. While experiencing similar luxury, the value of your round can best be spent here.
While many travelers spend their time on the coastal links of the Surrey sandbelt, connoisseurs find their way to a quiet corner of Lincolnshire. Woodhall Spa is not just a golf club; it is the spiritual home of English amateur golf.
You can’t talk about The Midlands without mentioning The Belfry. It is the only location to have hosted the Ryder Cup four times. It is woven into the history of European golf.
This was the stage where modern European golf was established. In 2002, Paul McGinley dove into the greenside lake after his winning putt on 18. The legendary Sir Nick Faldo’s hole-in-one on 14 has lived in golf lore forever. It is moments like these that have built the prestige of the European tour.
Beyond the greens, The Belfry is a world-class multi-course facility. The resort features the PGA National, England’s only PGA-branded course. Along with the more accessible Derby Course, offering 54 holes of golf in total.
The true magic is being able to play through history yourself. Many major courses are exclusive to the world’s best. At Belfry, they encourage you to walk the same fairways as these legends. If you’re a Ryder Cup fan, this is a must-play round.
Experience England’s Best Golf Counties with Premier Golf
England holds a storied place in the world of golf, where the sport’s ancient foundations and modern legends are woven into the very fabric of every fairway.
From rugged coastal links to pristine inland heathlands, every county has its own unique flair. Whether you are looking to play world-renowned championships or discover hidden gems, Premier Golf is here to help you cross these “bucket list” courses off your map.
Our travel specialists possess deep local knowledge of every region, ensuring your itinerary is seamless. We design bespoke tours tailored to your taste. Whether you want to dive into a single county or embark on a larger UK expedition that extends into Scotland or Ireland, we can make your dream vacation a reality.
Through strategic regional selection, we can identify climates and course types that make world-class touring possible in almost any season.
FAQs
Surrey is widely recognized for having the greatest concentration of top-quality courses within a relatively small area, while counties such as Yorkshire and Lancashire have high overall course counts. However, for sheer density of elite layouts, Surrey leads the way.
Surrey is considered England’s premier golf county thanks to an unmatched cluster of world-ranked heathland courses: Sunningdale, Walton Heath, and St George’s Hill among them. Championship pedigree, accessibility, and year-round playability set it apart.
Surrey blends history, design pedigree, and extraordinary depth of top-100 courses. Its heathland terrain creates firm, fast-running conditions comparable to links golf, and its proximity to London airports makes it ideal for international travellers.
Few countries combine such variety: coastal links, inland heathland, parkland classics, and moorland treasures, within such accessible distance. With over 1,800 courses, England offers incredible depth at every level, from Open Championship venues to hidden gems.
Lancashire takes centre stage. Home to iconic Open Championship venues including Royal Birkdale and Royal Lytham & St Annes, Lancashire boasts deep tournament heritage that continues to define elite links golf.
Yes. The country’s best courses are often clustered, perfect for itinerary building. Surrey’s heathland greats sit within minutes of one another, while Kent and Lancashire offer championship links grouped tightly along their coastlines.
Yes, many of England’s leading venues, including Royal Birkdale, Sunningdale, Royal St George’s, and Walton Heath, welcome visiting golfers on designated days. Premier Golf can secure ideal dates and help structure a seamless trip.
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