Best golf breaks in England
Golf breaks in England is a huge topic: England alone has over 2,500 golf courses, covering about 1,500 km2. It is not easy to choose which ones to play. However, it is a pleasant pastime to plan your golf vacation. The vast majority of golf courses in Britain are meticulously cared for, have an impressive golf history, and will for sure give you an excellent golf experience any day in the season. There are many beautiful golf courses throughout England, and we cover some of the most renowned, to begin with. Golfers and tourists can choose from a wide range of golf courses and plan their golf vacations accordingly.
So let´s dig in and suggest a selected number of best golf breaks in England and we add hotels to stay at nearby, that will stand out as especially superb at a fair price.
The golf courses also offer high-class golf resorts to add to your golf vacation. All you need to do is book a golf resort using the links below and you will stay in very comfortable circumstances, and more often than not right next to a splendid golf course.
Sunningdale Golf Club tops the Golf breaks in England list for the overall impression
Sunningdale Golf Club is a popular golf course located in Sunningdale, Berkshire, about 30 minutes drive from central London. It has two courses: old course and new course. Quite logical. The golf club itself was founded in 1900 in an area of Chobham Common that originally belonged to St. John’s. John’s College, Cambridge.
The old course in Sunningdale is probably the closest to golf perfection you can get in England, and that says a lot. The staff of this traditional club are really friendly and the caddies are well informed and enthusiastic. The landscape is beautiful with greenery and wonderful views with a rich selection of trees nestled along the golf holes.
The Old Course is one of the best park lanes in the UK. With many birdies options, the golf course is a wonderful place for a round of golf and has a special atmosphere around it. It could be classified as a bit short these days with advances in equipment technology, but it does not remove the visual appeal that characterizes the best golf courses, and so easy to play it is not!
The new Sunningdale course is a par 70 course and is a little tougher than the old one, with more bunkers and denser trees around the course. However, there are many who say it is a tougher golf test than the old course.
Sunningdale is arguably one of the most prestigious and venerable golfing venues in England.
Where to stay near Sunningdale Golf Club
Royal Berkshire
Royal Berkshire, in Ascot, is located in the financial district and near a train station.
Nestled on 15 acres of stunning gardens in the heart of the Berkshire countryside, this elegant country hotel is. Full of character, the Royal Berkshire was originally built in 1705 for the Churchill family.
The Royal Berkshire has 63 rooms and a beautiful mix of traditional and contemporary styles. The manor house includes traditional single-style rooms, while the new wing is completely modern.
Overlooking the gardens there is an exciting new restaurant that serves excellently executed food in an elegant setting. Polo Bar and Lounge has a cozy fireplace to have a brandy next door, or an outdoor terrace to enjoy some English tradition with afternoon tea.
Stoke Park
With 300 acres of beautiful parks, the luxurious Stoke Park features boutique rooms, an award-winning restaurant, and a sumptuous spa. The hotel is located in the Buckinghamshire countryside, 2 miles from Slough. The luxurious spa features a swimming pool, Italian marble steam baths, and a beauty center. Elegantly decorated with antiques, works of art and handmade furniture, the rooms at the Stoke Park Hotel have flat-screen TVs. The rooms also have marble bathrooms with soft bathrobes. There is also a gym, multi-surface tennis courts and the impressive 27-hole Stoke Poges golf course. With 3 AA rosettes, the Stoke Park restaurant, Humphry’s serves modern British cuisine and fine wines. There is also an authentic Italian restaurant and a juice bar, and the informal Orangery offers breakfast and afternoon tea. Surrounded by historic gardens and lakes, Stoke Park is just a 15-minute drive from Windsor, with its famous castle and racecourse. London Heathrow Airport is a 20-minute drive away.
Highclere Hotel
This family-run hotel is located in rural Sunninghill, 1.6 km from Ascot, a 2-minute walk from shops, restaurants and pubs. Heathrow Airport is only a 20-minute drive from the Highclere Hotel. Each room has a flat-screen TV, a private bathroom with a shower and tea/coffee-making facilities.
Many golf courses are a 10-minute drive from the Highclere Hotel, including the 18-hole Sunningdale golf course, just 2 miles from the property.
Donnington Valley Hotel and Spa
Overlooking a picturesque golf course, Donnington Valley Hotel has a luxurious health club and spa along with an award-winning restaurant. Its elegant rooms are located in beautiful countryside, but only 2 miles from downtown Newbury. The rooms feature air conditioning, a flat-screen satellite TV, free tea and coffee, a laptop safe and Egyptian cotton bedding. All marble bathrooms have a hairdryer, while some also have bathrobes and slippers. Donnington Valley’s Spa features an 18-meter pool, a modern gym, and a dance studio. Guests can also relax in the hot tub, sauna, steam room, aromatherapy room or in one of the 7 treatment suites. The Wine Press Restaurant is famous for its wine list of more than 300 wines, as well as for its varied seasonal menu. Donnington Valley Golf Club is located next to the hotel and offers a challenging 18 hole course. The park’s quiet course is set against the cataloged clubhouse of grade II.
Royal Birkdale Golf Course
Royal Birkdale Golf Club is in the top 3 on Golf breaks in England
Royal Birkdale is located in the beautiful city of Southport, on the northwest coast of England, and many see this impressive region of the country as the golf capital.
Royal Birkdale Golf Club was built on land reclaimed from the sea.
Royal Birkdale Golf Club, afternoon tee-off
In addition to providing an impressive framework for the superb golf game, there is also plenty of room from one hole to the next in the magical setting, which always gets 5 out of five star in golf course ratings.
Vegetation depends on weather conditions Royal Birkdale Golf Club can often be experienced as lush, green and vibrant. Mixing between the very high dunes and forest sections requires different blows. Look in one direction and you will see nothing but the grass and sandy beaches; turn towards the other side and you will see yourself against a wall of dense vegetation.
Royal Birkdale Golf Club has the most difficult opening hole and a particularly demanding finish hole. In the first, the fairway passes to the left beyond a bunker cut on the side of the landing area and then to the landing area with bunkers on both sides.
A number of changes to the course were made by Hawtree’s son Fred Jr. in the 1960s. The father had a great influence on the architecture of the course. The son’s most significant work was to add the amazing Par Three 12th hole, which was part of his father’s original plan, but not built at the time due to insufficient funds. He also added several hundred yards to the layout by placing a pair of greens and tees and advising on the removal of an allegedly long par three as hole 17. Unbelievable because the club thought a short hole at the end of a tournament was unsuitable. A third generation Hawtree, Fred Jr.’s son Martin, later helped the club redesign and redesign all eighteen greens after the Open (1991). With targets for the right blow, often cut into canyons against the dunes and shielded from the wind, there are some very attractive green spots here which, thanks to the upgrade, are now in excellent shape year round.
Where to stay near Royal Birkdale
The Stamford
The Stamford boutique guest house is located in the heart of Southport, just a few minutes walk from the boardwalk, the famous Lord Street Boulevard in Southport and the convention center.
The rooms silently shout luxurious serenity; Beautifully designed, spacious and with high-end beds and pillows. The bathroom comes standard in all our rooms at The Stamford
For golf guests, the Stamford offers individual golf lockers and a dryer drying room in a safe basement area.
The Stamford offers a flexible self check-in through smartphones, which allows direct access to your room.
The Shelbourne Apartments
The Shelbourne Apartments is located in Southport. Little Theater Southport and Southport Theater are cultural attractions, and some of the area’s attractions include Splash World and Southport Pier.
The Shelbourne Apartments offers 7 accommodations with washer/dryers and DVD players. These individually furnished accommodations have separate living rooms and include sofa beds. The rooms in this 4-star apartment have a kitchen with a large fridge/freezer, hob, microwave and separate dining room.
The Royal Birkdale Golf Club is about 7 minutes away by car.
The Scarisbrick Hotel Southport
The Scarisbrick hotel in Southport is ideally located in the heart of the city, on Lord Street main boulevard, in the middle of Southport’s lively nightlife.
This traditional characteristic building is in a prime location, giving access to everything Southport has to offer while combining elegant and stylish décor with modern luxury.
The elegant Knightsbridge restaurant serves a European menu and a world wine list. Knights’ Cocktail Bar has a resident pianist, and Maloney’s Kitchen offers fresh coffees and afternoon teas.
The spacious and bright rooms at the Scarisbrick Hotel have a desk and wireless internet. All rooms have a private bathroom, tea and coffee making facilities and a TV with satellite channels.
The Prince Of Wales Hotel
The Prince of Wales Hotel in Southport is a beautiful reminder of Britain’s Victorian heritage, an elegant building with landscaped gardens. Throughout the reception, living room and bedrooms, the decoration has remained intact, according to the elegant and stylish character of the building.
The Colonial restaurant serves excellent traditional fayre dishes and the Clubhouse bar, inspired by true Golf style, has a pleasant atmosphere. WIFI is free for all guests and is available in all public areas of the hotel.
The Prince Of Wales Hotel is surrounded by a large number of attractions that appeal to all tastes. It is truly a paradise for golfers, with six different courses to choose from, including the world-famous Royal Birkdale and Royal Lytham St. Annes Championships.
Royal-St-George´s-Golf-Club
The Royal St George´s golf club
– Host to the 149th Open 2020
Royal St George’s Golf Club is one of the finest golf clubs in the UK and one of the courses which alternately in Scotland and England hosts The Open Championship. The course has hosted 13 editions of The Open since 1894 when it became the first club outside Scotland to host the championship.
Royal St George’s in Kent has thus played an important role in golf history. In 1894 it became the first club outside Scotland to host the Open Championship. To date, the course has held 14 open championships, which is still more than any other club outside Scotland in the UK.
Royal St. George’s has a classic link design that offers a true golf test and requires you to have the whole bag in play. The four par 3 are decidedly excellent.
Royal-St-Georges-Golf-Club 18th hole
The club because of its immense prestige and famous history was awarded royal status by King Edward VII, who has been instrumental in making it an important golf course for golfers all over the world.
At 495 yards, the Royal St George is a daunting view, especially when facing the impressive bunker on the hill in front of the tee. Once on the fairway, an intermediate or 5th club must deal with a deep recess in the left front of the green.
The magical holes are carved into hills and valleys, providing an incredibly diverse challenge. The golf bunkers are deep and pretty punishing, yes they can cost the entire scorecard that day, and the magnificent undulating greens are impeccable. The first nine holes are the most picturesque, while d is one of the last nine holes they are among the most demanding in world golf, presenting a truly unique challenge.
Where to stay near Royal St. George
The Sands Hotel
The Sands Hotel offers boutique-style accommodation and great views of the Thanet coast. Just around the corner from the revitalized old town, this oceanfront hotel offers free Wi-Fi and high-quality dinners at the elegant Bay restaurant.
All rooms The Sands Hotel have air conditioning, flat screen TV, wardrobe, desk and safe, and many have sea views. All have an elegant bathroom, all with a bathtub and some with a walk-in shower.
The contemporary Sands Hotelairy and Bay restaurant and bar offers a variety of breakfasts, including full English and vegetarian. There is also a continental buffet with pastries, cereals, yogurt and sausages and cheeses.
The Salutation
Luxury guest house in Sandwich with free parking
In addition to a bar / lounge, this non-smoking guest house features a meeting room and multilingual staff. Free Wi-Fi is also available in public areas and parking without free valet parking. Other amenities include barbecue grills and picnic areas. All 17 rooms offer free Wi-Fi.
The Salutation offers 17 accommodations. This hostel in Sandwich offers free Wi-Fi access.
A hotel located where you want to be.
The Kings Arms Hotel
The Kings Arms Hotel is a 3-star inn with free breakfast and restaurant.
In this inn you will find a restaurant, free breakfast and free self parking. The WiFi connection in public areas is free. All 6 rooms offer free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs with digital channels, and free toiletries.
The Kings Arms Hotel offers 6 accommodations with free toiletries. Flat screen TV with digital channels. Guests can browse the web using complimentary wireless Internet access.
St. Enodoc Golf Club
St. Enodoc Golf Club
St. Enodoc is located in the southwest corner of England and it is definitely worth discovering its golf course. A true link course with fresh grass, there are many challenging holes, some very unusual hazards, and some sensational coastal views. e have to choose between 2 18 hole golf courses.
Holywell Course: Almost since golf was first played here there have been holes on the north side of the present clubhouse, at times part of the now Church course and at times part of a shorter nine-hole course. Some of the original holes were of Braid’s design; after additional land was acquired it was extended in 1982 with the building of the current holes 5 to 12 to make a full 18 holes. With some further modifications and the addition of some bunkers, we have the current layout of 9 par 3s and 9 par 4s for a total length of 4082 yards.
St Enodoc’s Church course is a James Braid design that enjoys a justified reputation as one of the West Country’s finest links layouts. It may not look it but the par 5 1st is one of the easier holes even if you have to thread your way carefully between the sand dunes. Pars are harder to come by on the long par 4 2nd and 3rd holes. A real flavor of the course can be obtained by watching our course flyovers.
The 6th really sticks in the mind – a 378-yarder that kinks left at driving distance then climbs up to the green. A hidden fairway bunker may catch out longer players seeking a view of the green but laying up short and to the right, leaves a blind shot over the cavernous “Himalaya” bunker you simply don’t want to be in. Rumour has it that it is the biggest bunker in Europe but it does have a few rivals for the title. Use your head on this one because it’s very easy to make a costly mistake here.
Where to stay near St. Enodoc
The St Enodoc hotel
The St Enodoc Hotel is located in Wadebridge, next to a golf course and next to the sea.
The hotel has a terrace and views of the river, and guests can enjoy a drink at the bar. Free private parking is available on-site.
The St Enodoc Hotel offers 20 accommodations with safes and free mineral water. The beds have premium linens. Flat screen TV with digital channels.
The bathrooms are equipped with a shower/bathtub, toiletries, and a hairdryer. This Wadebridge hotel offers free Wi-Fi access. Housekeeping is offered daily and you can request an iron and ironing board.
Guests appreciate the quiet location of the hotel.
Padstow Harbor Hotel
This non-smoking hotel features a bar/lounge and coffee or tea in public areas. Free full breakfast, free Wi-Fi in public areas and parking without free valet parking are also available. Other amenities include a seasonal outdoor pool, a dry cleaning service and free newspapers. The 58 rooms with different decorations have free Wi-Fi and room service.
Padstow Harbor Hotel offers 58 accommodations with coffee/tea makers and hair dryers. Each accommodation is furnished and decorated individually. Digital television is provided. The bathrooms are equipped with a shower/bathtub and toiletries.
Guests can browse the web using complimentary wireless Internet access. Services for business people include desk and telephone.
Padstow Harbor restaurants, including those of the famous chef Rick Stein, are just a few minutes walk away.
A seasonal outdoor pool is open during July and August, while the hotel also has beautiful gardens for guests to relax.
St Moritz Hotel
Surrounded by the captivating Cornwall coast, just outside the thriving beach resort of Polzeath, the hotel’s collection of luxurious rooms, suites, apartments and villas is just a short walk from the coast. Take a dip in the indoor or outdoor pools, enjoy the restaurant and bars, relax in the Cowshed spa and experience all that the spectacular North Cornwall coast has to offer.
The St Moritz has an elegant selection of accommodations to choose from, with rooms, suites, penthouses and apartments and villas with kitchens.
St Moritz offers its guests an exclusive bolthole perched on the north coast of Cornwall and is the perfect place to create memories. The finish is super elegant and contemporary, the location is unbeatable and the Guest Host team is always available to plan your stay from beginning to end.
St Moritz Hotel is 2.3 km from St Enodoc Golf Club
Ganton Golf Club, England
Ganton Golf Club
Nestled between impressive heaths in the heart of Yorkshire, the Ganton Golf Club is located on the Vale of Pickering between York and Scarborough, nine miles from the sea. Ganton presents a number of threats; Mostly deep bunkers and the risk of loosing your ball in the heath. Classified as a heath course, it is a popular opinion that the course is closer to being an inner link golf course. Either way, Ganton’s risk-reward nature guarantees an exciting round of golf.
Ganton has more than 100 devilish bunkers and the direction of the holes is constantly changing. so the ever-present wind is in play. It is a serious test of golf, since many of the main players of the game have already discovered its cost over the years.
This beauty of Yorkshire offers a rare mix of sandy happiness and heathland with a touch of attractive links. It is full of punishing bunkers and wrapped in impenetrable heather.
Ganton has hosted the Ryder Cup, the Walker Cup, and the Curtis Cup and, if you take golf seriously, Ganton is a course not to be missed.
Where to stay near Ganton Golf Club
Corona Spa Hotel
The Crown Spa Hotel, the first Scarborough hotel built in 1845. The interior of the Crown still contains many of the original architectural features, so it often appears in many film and television productions. Along with an excellent restaurant, the hotel includes the Crown Spa for spa treatments and gym facilities that include a 40-foot pool, a large hot tub, 5 heat experience rooms and a well-equipped gym and studio.
The Crown Spa Hotel has a luxury leisure center, European restaurant, spa treatment and modern gym.
The rooms are distributed over 4 floors which are accessed through modern elevators and corridors decorated with good taste.
Ox Pasture Hall Hotel
Ox Pasture Hall Hotel Scarborough and Yorkshire Coast are one of the best luxury boutique hotels in Yorkshire. The hotel is located on 17 acres of lovely gardens and grounds in the magnificent North York Moors National Park. Ox Pasture Hall Hotel is elegant, elegant and unique, with a lot of rustic style and charm. A warm and cozy refuge in a country house where you will be taken care of from the moment of your arrival until it is time to separate. At the Ox Pasture Hall Hotel you will find extreme comfort, the fruits of a well-thought-out kitchen, and a beautiful country setting beyond compare. Ox Pasture Hall is also a dog-friendly hotel.
The Royal Hotel Scarborough
The Royal Hotel dates back to the 1830s, and its grand imposing architecture, including the famous staircase and the atrium of The Royal, still retains all the characteristics of the Regency Period.
The Royal Hotel Scarborough rooms are spacious, spacious, and bright and retain many vintage features, such as aged pine floors and original ceiling details. The rooms have been modernized with large flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi and efficient central heating.
All local Scarborough attractions and facilities are within walking distance of the hotel.
Formby Golf Club, England
Formby Golf Club
Founded in 1884, Formby claims the most difficult par 3 to find anywhere, with precision and concentration being the prerequisites for each hole.
Formby Golf Club in Merseyside is separated from the rest of the United Kingdom by a railway line that runs north to Southport. The track flanks the east side of the field and you will almost certainly see trains making noise while playing the initial three holes. It is a unique cocktail of different golf courses with different characteristics that make Formby unique and distinguishes it.
Like most of the best courses, every hole in Formby is interesting to play. It is also challenging enough for the best players in the game and Formby is best enjoyed by those reasonably competent to keep the ball in play.
Formby’s beautiful heather is best enjoyed from afar, rather than in the middle of it, cutting desperately trying to get your ball out of the damn things. Fortunately, the thousands of pines that frame the property are rarely at stake. However, rebel golfers are likely to find Formby a very challenging golf course.
Formby is much more than a links course. It is partly linked, partly heaths, partly parks, and partly forests. Wasting time trying to classify Formby is losing its unique charm. We can think of a few courses in the world where you could play with a four-ball golf ball that prefers different things from a golf course and yet everyone walks completely satisfied.
Some of Formby’s best holes are also some of the most difficult. The section from five to nine is the most prominent part of the course, which begins with a glorious and challenging par 3, with a green that leans back and forth protected, as if needed, by three cavernous bunkers on the left and one short
The approach shot to the 6th plays blindly and, therefore, is, fortunately, one of the few greens that is not protected by sand.
Although the course doesn’t give you anything for free, Formby never feels unfair. The course simply rewards good shots and punishes the poor. Play well and you’ll score well. The conditioning of the course is always excellent and the greens are firm but receptive.
The 7 is a short par 4 with a fairway that looks so thin from the tee that you feel you are trying to land a giant plane on a street. When you get there, you will realize that it is wider than you thought, but not by much.
Only a perfectly placed starting stroke will give you a clear view of the elevated green, which tilts severely from back to front, with such a steep drop that any approach shot taken shortly can end 60 to 80 yards from the surface.
History of the course
The original 18 hole course was redesigned by the famous Willie Park and a plan of the course (dated 1912) is displayed in the Hall Bar. Alongside is the 1994 plan showing the changes that have taken place in the intervening years.
James Braid changed the original 15th – 18th layout in 1922 to provide extra length and to move the 17th when it was realised that Shireburn Road and the houses were to be constructed to its right. A stand of conifers was planted, some of which remain today.
Minor changes were introduced by Messrs Hawtree & Taylor in 1933, but the latest major change took place in the early 1970s. Construction of the container docks in Liverpool affected the flow of the river Mersey and it became apparent that the erosion would affect the shoreline near the 8th and 9th greens. In 1972 the high equinox spring tides undermined the sand hills and gale-force winds regularly blew the loosened sand across the 8th green. The Council investigated ways of combating the erosion but in the end, decided to construct new holes taking the course away from the shoreline.
New holes at 7, 8 & 9 were designed by Donald Steel of Frank Pennick & Partners, and a new 10th Tee playing to the existing 10th Green turned this into a short hole. These holes came into play in the early ’80s and were used for the 1984 Amateur Championship.
Over recent years a few changes have been made but most are of a “tweaking” nature; trees were planted in the early 70s to the right of the 1st, 2nd & 3rd holes, thus screening the railway New bunkers have been created at the 4th, 6th & 11th and others redesigned In 1997 fairway watering was introduced onto 5 holes and now extends to 18 holes. In 1998 new back Tees were built to provide a “Blue” course which has extended the length to 7028 yards (SSS 75) but more importantly has brought back into play, for the scratch golfer, most of the original drive-length bunkers.
More recently in 2005, a new, larger, practice ground was constructed on the site of the whole area of the 14th hole. This has been a significant improvement in terms of Members’ and visitors’ amenities. The new 14th lies immediately to the south of the earlier one and makes for a different but considerable challenge.
The club’s website proclaims that Formby is “truly one of the best golf courses with world championship links.” Can’t help but agree.
Where to stay near Formby Golf Club
Bliss Hotel Southport
This modern hotel offers 133 luxury rooms that have been decorated with custom furniture and beautiful soft furniture. Each room has ironing facilities, WiFi, minibar, safe, selection of highly successful films and tea and coffee making facilities.
The Marine Brassiere restaurant is the perfect place to dine with a large selection of food and drink to choose from. Use fresh local products to create varied and exciting dishes of the highest level and in the summer months, these dishes can be enjoyed in the sun on the terrace of the Marine Brassiere.
The Bliss Hotel Southport is a fantastic accommodation option when you take a golf break in Southport, adding a touch of luxury and a comfortable and relaxing stay.
Enjoy dishes of local origin, made with love and full of flavor, classic cocktails that will tickle your taste buds and a G&T menu that will make you faint.
From breakfast to dinner, BlissKitchen has it covered.
Formby Hall Golf Resort & Spa
Located on 200 acres of green areas on the northwest coast, Formby Hall offers the best in resort, golf, spa, restaurants and events.
Home to an 18-hole championship course, a 9-hole Woodhey Dunes course and the PGA Academy, Formby Hall guarantees experienced professionals as well as beginners feel welcome.
Formby Hall Golf Resort and Spa offers 76 modern en suite rooms, a full-service restaurant, a luxurious spa and a 20 m heated pool. There is also a gym and leisure club, free parking and wireless internet.
The rooms are individually designed and have beautifully decorated living spaces with views to attract it to the outside but comfort to keep it inside.
Dukes Folly Hotel
Located on the corner of the famous Lord Street in Southport, the elegant Dukes Folly Hotel features free Wi-Fi and is close to shops.
There are 20 rooms, 6 of which are themed rooms. Each room has a TV and tea and coffee making facilities, plus a bathroom with shower. Some rooms have a bathroom or four-poster bed.
There is a modern lounge bar and an excellent breakfast is served until 10.30. Dukes Folly offers a departure time of 12.00 so you can enjoy a break if you wish.
Dukes Folly Hotel Open all year round for golf weekends, family vacations, business trips, conferences, weddings and funerals.
Historic and modern, clean and friendly, free breakfast and free WIFI, parking and printing are available to all guests.
Woodhall Spa Golf Club (Hotchkin Course)
Located deep in the majestic Lincolnshire countryside, the National Golf Center at Woodhall Spa Golf Club, the Home of England Golf, offers two magnificent designs: The Hotchkin Course, which is constantly ranked in the best moors in the world, and the excellent Bracken Course This is one of the best golf destinations in England, and with its practice and golf facilities in place, it’s easy to see why.
The revered Hotchkin course is a health paradise for any game lover, the design is one that you will remember to play in the next few years, especially the famous deep bunkering.
The club dates from 1891, but the first two nine-hole designs gave way to residential expansion as the spa town flourished.
On a good day, the summer day Woodhall Spa dazzles, so impressive is its heath environment. And the magnitude of the dangers of the course makes it a prodigious test of golf. Bunkering in particular is demanding, since not only are traps abundant and expertly located, many of them have almost vertical faces and are so cavernous. The invading heather is pleasant to look at, but it is a demon to play, while the pines, oaks and a myriad of other tree species add considerable strategic and aesthetic value.
A look at the scorecard might suggest that the final stretch of the Hotchkin Course offers ample birdie opportunities, for two par 5 and a pair of 4 short pairs within the last five holes. But many of the promising rounds have failed in one or the other of these cleverly conceived challenges. The 18 is a par 5, recently lengthened to 544 yards, with potential danger lurking from the tee to the green.
This course is recommended for professionals, but it can be played by beginners but at your own risk!
Where to stay Woodhall Spa Golf Club
The Woodhall Spa Golf Hotel
Built in 1880, The Golf Hotel Woodhall Spa is set on 7 acres of well-tended gardens, lawns and forests in the heart of Lincolnshire.
Rooms at The Golf Hotel Woodhall Spa feature dark wood furniture, satellite TV, trouser press and free tea and coffee. Each private bathroom includes a hairdryer.
Located next to the golf course, guests are also just 0.3 km from the town’s restaurants. The Golf Hotel is 32.2 km from the historic Lincoln, with its impressive cathedral in the city center.
The National Golf Center, located at the Woodhall Spa Golf Club, is home to English amateur golf.
The hotel restaurant offers a varied menu that includes local products, in an elegant setting. A large flat screen TV in the hotel bar shows live sports. Free Wi-Fi is available in the lounge and bar areas.
Apart from golf, the idyllic hotel environment offers a perfect backdrop for a really relaxing holiday or business visit.
The Dower Hotel
The Dower House Hotel, located a short walk from the Woodhall Spa Golf Club and the Kinema in the Woods, offers luxurious rooms with free parking and free Wi-Fi. Located on 2 acres of gardens and forests, this rural Lincolnshire hotel has its own bar and restaurant.
The Dower House Hotel is an elegant and intimate rural hotel, full of character and charm. Surrounded by two acres of quiet gardens located in a beautiful forest, and boarded by a private tree-lined road, the idyllic setting of the hotel is the perfect setting for a romantic wedding, a relaxing break, a business visit or a game of golf.
All rooms at Dower House are elegantly furnished and feature a flat-screen TV, alarm clock, telephone, trouser press and tea and coffee making facilities with homemade cookies. There is also a bathroom with a shower or a bathtub with a hairdryer.
The hotel’s Seasons restaurant overlooks the gardens and offers a variety of freshly cooked dishes. Light meals are also served in the bar.
Admiral Rodney Hotel
In the attractive city of Horncastle, this Grade II listed inn offers en suite rooms and a restaurant. It is located halfway between the city of Lincoln Cathedral and the coastal resorts on the east coast.
All rooms at the Admiral Rodney Hotel are decorated in elegant and bright colors and feature a flat-screen TV. Other features include a desk and tea and coffee making facilities.
Guests of the Admiral Rodney Hotel can dine at the Courtyard restaurant or enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of the Rodney bar. The kitchen uses fresh local ingredients to produce à la carte English and traditional pub classics.
The Admiral Rodney Hotel has ample free parking for guests, with 24-hour surveillance cameras in operation.
Walton Heath Golf Club, England
Walton Heath Golf Club
Located in the Surrey moors, this long journey with small greens presents a challenge for any golfer. The Old Course at Walton Heath is among the best in England and is a classic heather design. With a clear influence on the links, the field has a robust appearance, but through the heather 18 notable holes are cut that combine to formulate one of the most challenging championship events in the country.
The first 9 can play hard in a stiff wind, like links, but there is a better chance of a couple coming home. Hole 16, par 5 is possibly the signature hole. The approach requires pinpoint accuracy with heather on the left and a huge bunker that absorbs anything slightly right or cuts at the edge of the green.
The Old Course really starts on the fourth tee. Yes, hole 2, 461 yards will be a good start for the British Masters, and the third hole of 289 yards is a nice short risk-reward par 4, but it’s not until 4 that the full scale of this vast and exposed gap does really hits you, and you start to appreciate the timeless nature of golf here.
As the round progresses, you will realize that in this Walton Heath Spartan landscape, each hole somehow becomes memorable.
It is probably fair to say that the visiting golfer does not feel safe from receiving a warm welcome in the most prestigious and traditional clubs in Britain, but the atmosphere around the Walton Heath Golf Club, one of the best golf courses in England, is warm, open and inclusive. For visitors there is a notional disability limit of 20, but the club does not really impose it. You are also free to play whatever you want.
The club now faces the only barometer of the game’s modernity, the length of the socks, with short socks accepted six years ago and ankle socks in 2016. That said, many members still prefer the long option.
Where to stay
Holiday Inn Express London – Epsom Downs
A family hotel located on the grounds of the Epsom Downs racecourse, 3.2 km from the center of Epsom, with free parking and breakfast included.
Each of the 120 rooms at the Holiday Inn Express London Epsom Downs is contemporary, bright and spacious, with a comfortable bed that makes falling asleep easier than ever. The colorful rooms feature a flat-screen TV with Freeview channels and a desk. All rooms have air conditioning and a bathroom with a hydromassage shower.
The standard hotel rooms in Epsom have a double bed and a folding sofa bed to accommodate 2 adults and up to 2 children up to 18 years. The Holiday Inn Express London – Epsom Downs double rooms have two single beds to accommodate up to 2 people.
Cranleigh Hotel
In the heart of Reigate, this Victorian house is now a small and charming hotel that offers free parking, free Wi-Fi and fully renovated rooms with bathrooms.
With an excellent location, right in the center of this historic market town, the Cranleigh Hotel is just a few minutes walk from Reigate, with many golf courses. We are at the foot of North Downs.
This stunning Victorian house has a beautiful and peaceful garden. The well-appointed boutique-style rooms are spacious and comfortable, with flat-screen TVs and comfortable king-size beds. The full traditional English breakfast is freshly prepared to order and lighter continental options are also offered.
While in Reigate, you can also visit some of the restaurants within walking distance of The Cranleigh Hotel.
The Arora Gatwick / Crawley Hotel
The Arora Hotel Gatwick / Crawley is located in the heart of downtown Crawley. This award-winning four-star luxury hotel offers elegant accommodation with 432 superior, premier and family rooms, excellent meeting, conference, training and banquet facilities, a restaurant and two bars, internet cafe and atrium with free WIFI access, a luxurious Health and Fitness Club and on-site parking, as well as Park & Fly packages for 4, 8 or 15 days.
Combined with magnificent fountains at the entrance and an impressive 4-story waterfall cascade in the atrium, the Arora Hotel Gatwick / Crawley is an impressive place for all your business and leisure travel needs.
The Arora Gatwick / Crawley Hotel Grill is a modern local restaurant that celebrates the products for which Sussex and the surrounding counties are famous. Morgan’s Pub shows live sports and serves abundant pub food. Guests can also enjoy a drink with a view in the Palm Bar or relax in the Coffee Real Bar Lounge.
West Sussex Golf Club
West Sussex Golf Club
The Golf breaks in England top list must include West Sussex Golf Club. With a backdrop of Sussex Downs framed by old pine trees. This beauty continues on the golf course itself. In fact, it is recognized as one of the most attractive golf clubs in the country, thanks to the incorporation of natural features such as heather and gentle hills.
“West Sussex has no detractors, merely happy throngs of ardent admirers. It is everybody’s idea of what a good golf course should be. In the modern world where length is cardinal, its secrets lie within the noble terrain of heather and pine and the inspiring backdrop of the Sussex Downs. It is the variety, charm and challenge of individual holes that sets it apart, something rarely achieved.
West Sussex’s strength is there are no weaknesses.”
You can play in the West Sussex Golf Club at any time of the year since it is almost always open. After a storm, the sandy subsoil dries quickly. In addition, the shelter offered by Downs means that snow and frost are almost never a problem. If the course needs to close, it usually lasts a couple of hours maximum, nothing that spoils your vacation. This makes West Sussex an excellent choice if you want to continue playing late in the season or if you want to start early.
It’s hard to say which is the best hole in West Sussex, because the ninth hole is possibly the only “easy” hole in the card. The most spectacular sequence, however, begins with the second shot in the fourth and ends with a glorious green shot on the seventh. The green is elegantly perched on a background of tall pines. Then comes the fifth, a very attractive short hole whose placement surface appears, from the tee, almost overwhelmed by the sand. The sixth is a colossal and intimidating descent 3 par 3: you must hit on a sea of heather and a natural pond to find a seemingly tiny target that goes back to the trees and out of bounds. The seventh requires a long and ascending blowout to carry some heather and thick bushes, not to mention a huge sand bunker. I don’t think it’s hyperbole to suggest that this stretch of holes compares with the fourth to seventh in Pine Valley. Believe me, the sixth in Pulborough is as hard as the fifth in Pine Valley.
The 12th hole is a wonderfully large, and par 3. 13th hole is often cited as the best par 4 on the course: bunkers around against the green are intimidating, and the 14 crosses fairway bunkers and a green embedded between sand and water.
Visitors are welcome most days at West Sussex Golf Club. The only requirement is that you be a guest of a club member or yourself a member of another golf club, whether in the United Kingdom or abroad.
Where to stay
The Roundabout Hotel
Surrounded by beautiful hills of South Downs, the beautiful gardens of this converted Tudor house are isolated by tall trees. The hotel is on the outskirts of West Chiltington, a charming town with 3 vineyards where award-winning wine is produced.
The Roundabout hotel serves good food with a traditional touch in its restaurant, with locally sourced ingredients. Guests can enjoy afternoon tea and snacks in the separate lounge and bar, with wood-burning fireplaces, exposed wooden beams, and views of the garden.
Brand toiletries, free Wi-Fi and a flat-screen TV in each individually designed room. Tea and coffee making facilities are also included.
The Roundabout Hotel offers 24 accommodations with coffee/tea makers and complimentary toiletries. The beds have Egyptian cotton sheets. A flat-screen TV with digital channels.
Checkers Hotel
Checkers Hotel is located in the great town of Pulborough, just outside the South Downs National Park. It offers free Wi-Fi and free parking. The local area is famous for horse and motor racing, as well as being a popular fishing destination.
The rooms at Checkers Hotel have a private bathroom, a flat-screen TV and tea/coffee making facilities.
A varied full English breakfast is offered in the varied breakfast menu and is served in the bright and spacious greenhouse. Guests can also relax in the garden and take shade under the beautiful Magnolia tree.
Antiques, collectibles, jewelry, furniture are available at The Corn Store, which is a 5-minute walk away.
Tyrol House
The beautifully decorated family home with its mix of antiques and modern furniture has high-quality textiles and walls adorned with paintings and paintings. A large and elegant lounge for guest use has a TV, an open fireplace and French windows that open to the beautiful secluded garden, where guests can relax.
The Tyrol House rooms (en suite or with private bathroom) are elegantly furnished with ultra-comfortable mattresses, Egyptian cotton bedding, soft towels, smart TV (complete with Netflix and Amazon Prime) and are decorated with luxury toiletries, fresh flowers and other details. – Typical of the care and attention lavished by these Wolsey Lodge hosts.
The dining room is the setting for delicious breakfasts, which are prepared to order. You can enjoy two-course dinners, by appointment, overlooking the garden and, in good weather, guests can dine outdoors. This lovely B&B admits dogs, expect your pets to be as warmly welcomed as you are!
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