Best of English Golf

[Mark Chaplin]

Ganton is stretching the reasonable distance from London criteria a touch too far.

The great links and heaths have a subtlety that's best served by playing them slowly (and twice) rather than dashing around playing as many as possible. It's also a very expensive way of playing golf.

I'd spend full days at;

Sandwich
Deal
Rye
Pulborough
Sunningdale
Swinley Forest
Walton Heath

And you've never be more than 90 minutes from LHR.

[Mark Pearce]

Mark and James' lists look far more likely.  Wentworth and Hankley don't belong in this schedule.  Rye (for all that I don't liove it like others) and Swinley have to be on the list.

[Sean_A]

If one was wanting to experience the best of English golf within decent distance of London how would you best do it?

Here is what I got from my local expert :

"One week depending on how keen and cost tolerance.  Most places have two courses worth playing so I would say within an hour or so of London in order of days of play:

Day One: Royal St Georges and Royal Cinque Ports
Day Two: West Sussex
Day Three: Walton Heath x 2
Day Four: St Georges Hill
Day Five: Wentworth x 2
Day Six: Hankley Common
Day Seven: Sunningdale x 2

Courses left out but worth a shout include Rye (but better in winter), the Berkshire (x2), Worplesdon, West Hill, Woking and Woburn. Queenswood is impossible to get on so don't know if any good but newer courses like the Wisley, the Grove and the London Golf Club are all pretty solid but more North American."

Thoughts? Agree? Rerank? Add any others?

How expert is your local?  Just joking!

Not a bad list, but I'd adjust it to get rid of Wentworth and perhaps Hankley Common also? Assuming its mid summer so you have plenty of daylight how about something like this...

Day One: Royal St Georges and Royal Cinque Ports
Day Two: Walton Heath x 2
Day Three: West Sussex and Royal Ashdown Forest
Day Four: St Georges Hill and Woking
Day Five: Berkshire x 2
Day Six: Sunningdale x 2
Day Seven: Huntercombe

Walton Heath, The Berkshire and Sunningdale are three 36 hole clubs that will give great experiences. Then days 3 and 4 are pretty much interchangable with also Swinley Forest, New Zealand or perhaps a little further south Liphook? Huntercombe is a last day experience of something a little different, more downland than heathland, but as a Willie Park Jnr course, certainly worth seeing. In fact your or my itinerary is all a little similar? How about this to get a little more links golf into the equation:

Day One: Royal St Georges and Royal Cinque Ports
Day Two: West Sussex and Royal Ashdown Forest
Day Three: Walton Heath x 2
Day Four: Swinley Forest and Woking
Day Five: Sunningdale x 2
Day Six: Hunstanton and Royal West Norfolk
Day Seven: Royal Worlington

BUT if you are talking "Best of English Golf" you need to head further north to experience the likes of Notts, Alwoodley and Ganton! No home favourite, northern bias, honest!   

Cheers,

James

I guess I took decent distance from London to me mean day trip distance.  Norfolk is quite a haul for 36 on different courses and back to London. 

I know I have said many times before, but I will never understand the mentality of leaving the parking lot of a great course to seek out another great course especially as its the day rate which can make these places a decent value. 

Ciao

[Mark Chaplin]

I totally agree with Sean, West Sussex is £75 for a round or £95 for the full day, Royal St Georges in the region of £140 a round and £180 the day. You can also get a better sense of the course and the club by spending a full day somewhere.

The Norfolk courses are not easy driving from London at the best of times.

[Niall Hay]

Walton Heath, The Berkshire and Sunningdale are three 36 hole clubs that will give great experiences. Then days 3 and 4 are pretty much interchangable with also Swinley Forest, New Zealand or perhaps a little further south Liphook? Huntercombe is a last day experience of something a little different, more downland than heathland, but as a Willie Park Jnr course, certainly worth seeing. In fact your or my itinerary is all a little similar? How about this to get a little more links golf into the equation:

Day One: Royal St Georges and Royal Cinque Ports
Day Two: West Sussex and Royal Ashdown Forest
Day Three: Walton Heath x 2
Day Four: Swinley Forest and Woking
Day Five: Sunningdale x 2
Day Six: Hunstanton and Royal West Norfolk
Day Seven: Royal Worlington

BUT if you are talking "Best of English Golf" you need to head further north to experience the likes of Notts, Alwoodley and Ganton! No home favourite, northern bias, honest!   

Cheers,

James
[/quote]

Appears to the the critics choice....thanks James.

[Mark Chaplin]

Niall - IMO James gives a very good choice for a two week trip not a one weeker. Norfolk is too far and too many two club days, all that happens is you go home with a bag full of hats, shirts and ball markers and cannot remember anywhere you played other than the odd hole. The two course days should be limited to Sunningdale and Walton Heath.

[Niall Hay]

Niall - IMO James gives a very good choice for a two week trip not a one weeker. Norfolk is too far and too many two club days, all that happens is you go home with a bag full of hats, shirts and ball markers and cannot remember anywhere you played other than the odd hole. The two course days should be limited to Sunningdale and Walton Heath.

Perfect, thanks!

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I completely agree with Mark on playing a full day at a course to get a better sense of things as well as a better golf experience. I may be biased toward the links courses and see no real advantage t playing the parkland courses when there are great links courses to play. Yes the majority sees otherwise so enjoy a few days on the links and the rest in the donut around London.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

Any btrip to Engalnd without Royal Birkdale and Woodhall Spa is to me doing the country's golf a diservice.
To me they are the best two courses in my beloved homeland.
Played them both two weeks ago and that only confirmed my opinion.

[David Harshbarger]

Niall,

I have nothing to add on the merits of any of the recommendations, however, in the process of trying to better understand where all of these interesting courses GCA.com members come across are, I'm in the process of putting them on a map.

https://www.google.com/fusiontables/DataSource?snapid=S593446TZ0s  If you zoom in around London you'll see many of the courses mentioned here, but also a few odd-balls, like Hainault and Knole Park, that other GCA.com members were inspired enough to write about, and which might add some "local interest" to a trip.  

For my part, finding and reading about these little gems is quite exciting, and for my tastes, sprinkling one of these (types) in a trip would be a priority.

Regardless, you may also find a geospatial index to the courses by country helpful as you research/anticipate your trip.

Dave

[Mark Chaplin]

Michael - great courses but not the question - reasonable travelling from London. If I'm playing Shinnecock, TCC, National and Pine Valley the merits of Cypress Point and Pebble Beach are not the issue.

David - south east of London - Knole Park, The Addington, Crowborough Beacon and Royal Ashdown are worthy of a GCA'ers time. Wilderness, Lamberhurst and The Nevill are good parkland courses but then no one travels to England to play parkland golf. Also interested to see Tandridge after Frank Pont's work there.

Tiger - the heaths quoted are a superb genre in their own right and as worthy of study as the links of the UK and Ireland or the Sandbelt in Melbourne.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I cannot argue with that Mark. I am just extremely biased to the pleasures of links golf and how hard it is to find in the USA.
In fact it is why i play the Shore course at MPCC 10 to 1 over the Dunes. The Dunes is actually the better test and just good or better design. Yet, the shore plays firm and fast in the style and manner of a links course. That makes the day for me. When Mountain Lake is playing firm and fast it is a joy beyond what words can give it. many of us play 45 to 54 holes a day when it is in that condition.

[Mark Chaplin]

Walton Heath plays like an inland links F&F and nasty heather to cause you problems.

The links is the daddy but the heaths are a fine second.

[Bart Bradley]

Brian is correct.  The diversity of great golf in England is remarkable.  Great links and great inland golf.  The heathland courses are such a joy and should not be missed any more so than the links courses.  

I also agree with the posters who said that "best of English golf" is not a one week trip.  

I strongly recommend sticking with the heathlands and Rye, Deal and St. Georges for a trip near London that is only 1 week long.  

For accomodations, I love the George in Rye, The Bell Hotel in Sandwich and know that Mark Chaplin's B and B would be great.

Out West of London, Stirrups House has good food and is quite cheap and very close to Sunningdale, Swinley, etc.

You will have a blast.

I will say that I went to Brancaster and Hunstanton as part of my first trip and enjoyed them too.  If you choose to do that, hit Royal Worlington on your way back down to London.

Bart

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Brian I am showing a lack of care of concern for architecture and some very fine golf. but as many a yank is heard to say i did not fly over there to over pay for golf and play anywhere but on the links. I am past that mindset now but do remember that theme for my first 4 or 5 trips over 20 years ago. It was grand to play at Ganton and Woodhall Spa etc. Painwick is living large but when I see a seagull it brings me back to the sea. Gib has chided me for years for not doing the donut around London. I actually planned it along with a much needed trip to the Liverpool/manchester areas. It would be a three week to month long trip but this bloody illness got me first. I do hope to do it yet. But my heart tells any first or second time guest to the UK to stick to the links till he has worn them out then come to London for golf and not just the theater and plane home.

[Ben Jarvis]

I have recently returned from my first UK golf trip.

I can't highly recommend enough the golf, and importantly, the "experience" of Swinley Forest and Sunningdale.

Sunningdale Old is one of my favourite courses, anywhere, while Swinley Forest is one of the greatest days I've ever had. Combine an old world atmosphere, unique club environment, wonderful golf course, great company, and an amazing lunch with a bottle of red, a very special day is guaranteed.

No matter what you choose, you are going to miss out on something special. A return trip is on the cards!