North/Northeast from London

[Ira Fishman]

My wife and I are planning on being in London next July. We of course want to add a golf journey. We are looking at two options:


A. The Sacred Nine and then York for Ganton, Alwoody, and whatever else you recommend.


B. The Sacred Nine and then Brancaster, Hunstanton, and whatever else you recommend.


We do not drive in the UK so convenience on trains a plus. We can fit in 5 or 6 rounds of golf, but are likely to play one of the courses twice.


Thanks again as always.


Ira

[Simon Barrington]

If already taking in the Sacred Nine (Newmarket Station) then one could add Gog Magog (Old) while c. Cambridge


Then train to Bury St Edmunds to play Flempton (9), and then on to Ipswich for Ipswich GC (Purdis Heath) & Woodbridge


Finally taking the train out to the coast in Brancaster, Hunstanton & Sheringham & Cromer (if time)


Only Hunstanton & Brancaster don't have nearby Train Stations


Route Map:https://www.greateranglia.co.uk/media/12286/download?inline


Cheers!

[Mark Pearce]

My wife and I are planning on being in London next July. We of course want to add a golf journey. We are looking at two options:


A. The Sacred Nine and then York for Ganton, Alwoody, and whatever else you recommend.


B. The Sacred Nine and then Brancaster, Hunstanton, and whatever else you recommend.


We do not drive in the UK so convenience on trains a plus. We can fit in 5 or 6 rounds of golf, but are likely to play one of the courses twice.


Thanks again as always.


Ira

Alwoodley and Ganton are both fabulous (Ganton is in with a shout for best inland UK course) and it would be easy to add Moortown, Lindrick, Sand Moor and others.  Perhaps Notts or even LIndrick.  Hunstanton and Brancaster have the obvious advantage of being links courses, and Brancaster has wonderful quirk.  You could tie in Cromer and Sheringham, or venture up to Seacroft.  Both would be great trips with very different vibes.  The question, I guess is whether you want links golf or something different.

[Ira Fishman]

My wife and I are planning on being in London next July. We of course want to add a golf journey. We are looking at two options:


A. The Sacred Nine and then York for Ganton, Alwoody, and whatever else you recommend.


B. The Sacred Nine and then Brancaster, Hunstanton, and whatever else you recommend.


We do not drive in the UK so convenience on trains a plus. We can fit in 5 or 6 rounds of golf, but are likely to play one of the courses twice.


Thanks again as always.


Ira

Alwoodley and Ganton are both fabulous (Ganton is in with a shout for best inland UK course) and it would be easy to add Moortown, Lindrick, Sand Moor and others.  Perhaps Notts or even LIndrick.  Hunstanton and Brancaster have the obvious advantage of being links courses, and Brancaster has wonderful quirk.  You could tie in Cromer and Sheringham, or venture up to Seacroft.  Both would be great trips with very different vibes.  The question, I guess is whether you want links golf or something different.

Mark,


We love links (your course Elie is a particular favorite), but we also have thoroughly enjoyed Heathland courses. Fast, firm, fun, and fascinating is what we seek out,


Thanks.

[Mark Pearce]

That's fairly weather dependant anywhere inland, even in July but most links at that time of year will have a bit of run, even if it has been wet,  That said, one of the most enjoyable couple of days golfing I've had was at Ganton in the middle of a drought.  Rock hard, thin rough and angles really did matter.......

[Tony_Muldoon]

Whilst I applaud your travelling off the beaten tracks, sadly your chosen itineries look painful by train and then you'll need local buses/taxis.  Whilst this is true of many courses a quick Google confirms my fears. Sadly the eastern side of England doesn't contain its best scenery, so the journeys may not seem as 'romantic' as envisioned.


A train to Sandwich or Deal would give you a lovely base and you could more easily access. RSG, RCPGC, Princes and North Foreland.
Then another train to the lovely Rye makes Rye and Littlestone accessible.


Purdiss Heath and Woodbridge are good suggestions but I hope never to spend another night in Ipswich. Aldeburgh is one of Britains most charming coastal towns and home to a tough, free draining links/heath hybrid. Both Purdiss Heath and Woodbrige are also top notch.
You do seem keen to see Royal Worlington.  Both Bury St Edmunds and the smaller Thetford are good bases with the latter having a fine statue of Thomas Paine, who should be better known to Americans (at least based on the ones I've talked to ).


Alwoodley is close to Moortown and Sandmoor which have some reputation. Better to stay in Leeds and whilst I haven't been there in several years, the prospect of a return doesn't excite me.


I may be another trip entirely, but I'd throw Liverpool into the mix. It is a great and underated city with many fine links accessible by local train and short taxi rides.


Good luck and keep us appraised.

[Adam Lawrence]

I must say the idea of trying to do Ganton by train fills me with horror. The Transpennine Express line does run quite close to the course, but there's no station nearer than Seamer, about six miles away, where I can't for a moment imagine that taxis would be easily available. I think you'd have to go into Scarborough, which is ten miles from the golf course and would be quite an expensive cab ride.

[John Handley]

I haven't played the course yet but I have an awesome trips next year in the same vein:


Moortown
Alwoodley
Ganton


Woodhall Spa 2x
Brancaster
Hunstanton


Sherwood Forest
Hollinwell


I am super excited and from everything I know, people love these courses.

[Richard Fisher]

This all sounds super. It's just the 'by train' piece that worries some of us Brits on this chain! And I write as a proper railway-buff-anorak too...Tony M and Adam have already hinted at some of the challenges in store. Seventy years ago this would all have been so much easier, not least getting from The Sacred Nine to York, but in 2025 I wish you luck.


I did have a group of Porthcawl friends who were trying to reach by train all of the clubs featured in the 'Legendary Golf Clubs' coffee-table book from c1998, and I think they eventually succeeded, at least within Great Britain. But given that was a work in which Porthcawl itself featured as 'A Hidden Gem', you can see how it generally stuck to the Main Line.


In fact a good number of the classic UK seaside courses that owed, at least in part, their development to the Railway Connection are still thus served, with sad exceptions like Turnberry and Cruden Bay. Hunstanton, Dornoch and Porthcawl lost their local branch lines during the 1960s but may still have an authorised rail-bus connection. It's getting to some of our classic inland venues by train that can be really difficult.

[Mark Pearce]

I must say the idea of trying to do Ganton by train fills me with horror. The Transpennine Express line does run quite close to the course, but there's no station nearer than Seamer, about six miles away, where I can't for a moment imagine that taxis would be easily available. I think you'd have to go into Scarborough, which is ten miles from the golf course and would be quite an expensive cab ride.

The Hull Trains page for Seamer station provides a number to call to book taxis.  I imagine this can be done in advance.  They may well come from Scarborough but it's not *that* hard to arrange.....

[Mark Pearce]

I note that trains to Seamer run from York.  If I were doing this trip I'd probably consider staying in York and getting the train to Leeds (for Alwoodley/Moortown).  York's less than 2 hours by train from London, so that part of the trip, at least, works well.....

[Ira Fishman]

As always, I greatly appreciate the advice. You convinced me that we should do some by train and some by private transport. You also prompted me to not come back to London to fly home but rather to travel even further north to play Goswick, Gullane, and return visits to either NB or Kilspindie. There fortunately is a direct flight from Edinburgh to DC that we have used before.

[Tony_Muldoon]

I haven't played the course yet but I have an awesome trips next year in the same vein:


Moortown
Alwoodley
Ganton


Woodhall Spa 2x
Brancaster
Hunstanton


Sherwood Forest
Hollinwell


I am super excited and from everything I know, people love these courses.

All great choices.


Only if you're looking to tweak things. At Woodhall you are only 40 mins from Seacroft 'a hidden gem' thats getting an upgrade from Clyde Johnson.
Don't underestimate the travel time to Brancaster. On a good day you can see the course from Seacroft but it will take at least 2 hours by car, depending whether the Combine harvesters, caravans etc,  are on the roads that day.