Unsurprisingly, given the evolution of the gome, spread between England and Wales there are some superb golfing destinations and individual golf resorts that offer attractive alternatives for golfers looking to holiday at home. Alongside the big names such as Royal St. George's, The Belfry et al, there are lesser lights such as the Forest of Arden, Trevose, St. Pierre and Saunton to consider that offer superb value golf breaks in England and Wales.
Wherever you would like to play in the British Isles, we can make all the arrangements for you to get there and play the multitude of courses in style. Whenever and wherever you are planning your trip we know the best places to stay, the best courses to play and will be more than happy to save you some time in making the arrangements and to share our inside knowledge with you (even a few tips on where to find some local 'hidden gems').
Saunton in North Devon, has to be one of the finest and most convenient golf destinations in the UK. Two of England's best links courses lie side-by-next to the big beaches outside Barnstaple. With a luxury hotel right next door, the Saunton Sands Hotel, and acres of golden sand stretching out to the crashing surf: what more could you want?
Heading further southwest into Cornwall there is some great golf and accommodation at Trevose with the remarkable St. Enodoc just around the corner (or across the Camel estuary). Inland, Lanhydrock is a pleasant parkland course, whereas Jack's course at St. Mellion will test anybody's golfing mettle!
Tucked away in the Southeast corner of England is a small outcrop of links golf of very high quality indeed. It is hard to choose a favourite between the three (and a half) golf courses at Royal St. George's, Royal Cinque Ports and Prince's; they are all of such a high standard.
The town of Sandwich is just right for an English golf holiday too; a small Kentish market town with just the right number of pubs and restaurants to keep the visiting golfer entertained and revitalised whilst playing this great little stretch of links golf.
There is a stretch of coastline in Lancashire that hosts a quite extraordinary number of the best links courses in England: including three 'Royal' Open Championship venues. The area around Southport and Birkdale (just north of Liverpool and up as far as Lytham) offers a concentration of premium seaside golfing that matches anything the planet has to offer. If links is your golfing thing, then a trip to Southport is a must!
The place to stay is Southport - a glorious glimpse of the past, a vintage Victoriana seaside resort complete with arcaded High Street, funfairs and amusement arcades, bring your all-in-one stripey bathers! In truth the town has modernised a little in places but it still has the feel of good old fashioned fun.
Quality, quantity and variety is what golf in Suffolk is all about: parkland, woodland, heathland and pure links to boot. Some of the oldest Golf Clubs on the British Isles too, so tradition could be added too! A county that is not overrun by golf tourism, which seems odd as it has an awful lot to offer the wayfaring golfer. Bear in minhd that it is one of the UK's driest (in terms of precipitation) counties too, so makes a great place to play in early Spring or late Autumn when courses elsewhere are still a little moist.
The two places to stay in Suffolk are either at the excellent Thorpeness Golf Hotel if you like to be on the First Tee first thing in the quaint Victorian holiday village of Thorpeness or alternatively just down the beach at the delightfully traditional English seaside town of Aldeburgh with its plentiful supply of hotels, pubs, cafés, fish and seafood restaurants, plus the requisite dash of Mr. Whippy and candy floss too!
For a seaside golf holiday in the UK, Dorset ticks all of the boxes: lots of high-class courses close together ✔, fun seaside towns ✔, sandy beaches ✔, comfortable hotels ✔, fine food and drink ✔, good value ✔. What are you waiting for?!?
Although the lack of a 'big-name' golf course or Open Championship venue may discourage some tourists, savvy golfers will know that it's often the understated courses (at everyday prices) that provide a lot more fun than the busy, highly-expensive, much-heralded layouts.
Dorset's triumvirate of premier courses - Parkstone, Broadstone and Ferndown - really are top-class and should be on every self-respecting golfer's 'todo' list. They are also closely situated around Bournemouth and Poole: perfectly placed to minimise travel times and maximise enjoyment.
Alongside these three are a host of other Golf Clubs, ranging from good quality private Clubs with very enjoyable courses, to cheap and cheerful public courses: something for everyone.
The places to stay are Bournemouth or Poole: both have a lot to offer the holidaymaker. Bournemouth is bright and brashy with a long beach, a long list of restaurants and plenty of late bars for nightowls. Poole is a smaller town, huddled around its ancient quayside and will appeal to those looking for a more refined, quieter stay.
If you fancy going abroad without leaving the country, then Wales is the place for you! Wales has a long tradition of the game, many fine old courses and ancient Clubs to choose between, as well as a raft of newcomers too for the big-hitters out there! And we have always found a warm welcome in the green hills and valleys.
As good a place to start as any is Glamorganshire (roughly the area between Cardiff and Swansea), where Royal Porthcawl is the big draw for golfers and there are many other courses strung all along the coast from Cardiff Bay to the Gower Peninsula. Many of these Clubs are centenarian, like Ashburnham and Pyle & Kenfig, deeply rooted in the traditions of the game. Others, such as Machynys Peninsula, offer a more modern challenge to your golfing skills.
When it comes to places to stay, the obvious choices are Cardiff and Swansea where there are plenty of hotels and plenty to do. For a quieter golf holiday in Wales , we favour the lovely little Coed-y-Mwstwr Country House Hotel tucked away near Bridgend beside the friendly little Golf Club of the same name.
There are four golf courses to play in Northumberland that are worthy of the trip; all stretched along the coast and bereft of buildings: just you, a few dunes and the North Sea.
The foremost of these is close to the Scottish border at Goswick, a true links test and a regular on The Open qualifying rota. You will need all your links skills to master it!
The next two on the list are Bamburgh Castle and Dunstanburgh Castle. Bamburgh has arguably the best golfing views with its dominant castle looking out towards the Farne Islands and Lindisfarne itself; at times it becomes a magical place to play golf. Dunstanburgh arcs around Embleton Bay and offers more castle golf - this time with a stark medieval ruin to contemplate.
The fourth course lies in the pretty fishing village of Alnmouth, downriver from Alnwick, with a few trees around the course it is more seaside parkland than pure windswept links.
There are a few more Golf Clubs too (Seahouses and Alnwick Castle), plus some nine-holers (Warkworth and Old Alnwick) - so no shortage of golf to be played in Northumberland!
Central England has the obvious advantage that it is equidistant from most parts of England: ideal for reuniting disparate bands of golfers spread across the UK.
Due to its role in the Ryder Cup matches, The Belfry is probably the most famous of the Birmingham golf courses. However there ore others too that are worthy of consideration: the Forest of Arden has two attractive courses and with the Marriott hotel on-site offers one of the best value golf holidays to be found in England.
Around and about there are plenty of other high-quality English golf courses, such as Little Aston or Blackwell: don't write off the Black Country when it comes to English golf tours!
Amidst the swirling greenery of Nottinghamshire there are some truly outstanding golf courses that are unknown to many British golfers and more's the pity! Hollinwell, Sherwood Forest and Coxmoor are all excellent British Golf Clubs that will offer you a very warm welcome. Add to these the two courses and lovely accommodation at Breadsall Priory and you have yourself a rather classy, and very good value, UK golfbreak.
Other areas of the UK
If you're a golfer with a penchant for thinking outside the (Tee)box, we know many more 'undiscovered' UK golf destinations too - places that you may never have thought of but places we have stayed, played and are more than happy to recommend.
For instance, there are some very wild and windswept courses up on the Northumberland coast: a beautiful part of the country that very few seem to visit (most likely bypassed en-route to Scotland). Or, back down in the Home Counties, the Cotswold Hills have a nice selection of refined courses and some sleepy market towns with gastro-pubs to stay for a rural English golfbreak.
So, if you need a little inspiration for your next UK golf holiday, please call - and put our imagination to the test!
