A close neighbour to Royal St George’s Golf Club, Prince’s Golf Club first opened for play in 1906. Since then, the club has developed a course that now comprises of 27 holes in three loops of nine – the Himalayas, the Dunes, and the Shore which has seen significant improvement in the last 3 years under the watchful eye of renowned golf course architect Martin Ebert. Prince’s has played host to The Open Final Qualifying Series since 2018 and features onsite accommodation.

It has been said that Sandwich is one of the most beautiful and unspoilt towns in southern England, and Royal St George’s is the truest links you will find in all of England. The Royal & Ancient wisely chose Royal St George’s for major championships, knowing it would find the pedigree player at the end of the week, and the course was the first outside Scotland on which the Open Championship was played. Close to the sea, the course overlooks Pegwell Bay and any kind of wind can make this mammoth test even tougher; only four Open winners have managed to be under par after 72 holes.

This famous championship seaside links is windy but with easy walking. First constructed by Henry Hunter in 1892 as a 9-hole course, Royal Cinque Ports was extended to 18 holes in 1896. Since then, alterations have been made by James Braid, Henry Cotton and Donald Steel. The outward 9 is generally considered the easier, whilst the inward 9 is longer and includes the renowned 16th, perhaps the most difficult hole. On fine days there are wonderful views across the channel. Royal Cinque Ports hosted the Open Championship in 1909 and in 1920.

These two magnificent courses lie on the Berkshire-Surrey border, just to the west of London. The Old Course, designed by Willie Park Jr and opened in 1901, has hosted many PGA tour events and is one of the finest inland courses in the UK. Tree-lined fairways and spectacular views make every hole a gem, and also give the feeling of splendid isolation. The New Course, designed by Harry S. Colt and opened in 1923, is the more rugged of the two but poses no less of a challenge – the gorse and heather will easily gather up any stray golf balls.

Built in 1869, Royal Liverpool Golf Club is the second oldest seaside golf course in England. In 1871 the course was extended to 18 holes and was granted the designation ‘Royal’. The world-famous course was created to be a demanding test of golf and this continues to be the case, especially when the wind blows. Royal Liverpool has been host to many Open Championships and has provided popular winners such as Roberto De Vicenzo and Tiger Woods. Royal Liverpool hosted the 2014 Open and is set to host the Championship again in 2023.

There are few seaside links in the world that can be described as great, but Royal Birkdale, with its expanse of towering sandhills and willow scrubs, is one of them. There have been some changes since the club (designed by George Lowe) was founded in 1889 and they have hosted everything that matters here, including the Open and the Ryder Cup. Some changes have been made since Arnold Palmer hit the wondrous recovery shot that helped him win the Open in 1961 and led to a plaque being erected to mark the spot from which the divot was taken.

Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club is one of the premier links-style golf courses in the world and has played host to 10 Open Championships. As well as two Ryder Cups, and a host of other tour events. This is an extremely challenging course when the wind is blowing. Royal Lytham is quite unique among championship courses in that the opening hole is, in fact, a par 3. A must-play on any golfer’s itinerary. Royal Liverpool last hosted the Open Championship in 2001 when David Duval triumphed, and more recently in 2012.

Hillside Golf Club is situated in Southport, ‘England’s Golfing Capital’, on the same stretch of links as Royal Birkdale and Southport. Described by Jack Nicklaus as ‘a wild-looking links’ and by Rodney Pampling as ‘the toughest course I have ever played’, Hillside provides a truly memorable experience. Originally founded in 1911, the course was extensively remodelled in the 1960s by Fred Hawtree; the back nine is frequently compared to Ballybunion. A must on the itinerary of any golfer who wants to sample links golf at its finest.

This championship seaside links course is to be found just south of Royal Birkdale in North-West England. Founded in 1884, Formby was originally laid out by Willie Park as a 9-hole course. The 18-hole course was modified by James Braid and Harry S. Colt in the 1920s and, more recently, it has been extended by Donald Steel. Playing in parts through pine trees, which provide some protection from the wind, the course requires accuracy rather than distance.

‘S & A’, as it is affectionately known, is another of the fine championship courses for which this part of England is famed.This James Braid-designed course is set amongst the sand dunes of the north-west coastline and is a true test for all types of golfers. A classic links-style golf course, S & A has played host to many tournaments, including two Ryder Cups, and is a qualifying course for the Open Championship. The narrow fairways and ever-changing wind conditions call for accuracy and concentration to play a successful round.

West Lancashire Golf Club was founded in 1873, is the oldest surviving golf club in the county of Lancashire and is among the 10 oldest clubs in England. A classic links course, it has beautiful views out to the Mersey Estuary, Anglesey, and the Welsh Mountains. The course is being used as an Open Qualifier in 2012 and has also hosted the Amateur Championships in 2009.

This traditional classic links course with its undulating fairways and sand dunes is a testing 6,649 yards. Situated on the Wirral Peninsula overlooking Liverpool Bay and the Irish Sea, there are far reaching views of the Welsh Mountains. Originally designed by Tom Morris Snr, it has later been altered by other notable golfing figures Alec Herd, Harold Hilton and James Braid.

A private members’ club in Ascot, Swinley Forest has charmed, inspired and challenged golfers for over 100 years. Founded by Lord Derby and his friends in 1909, his passion resulted in a Golf Club recognised as both very special and different from its first day. The layout remains true to its original Harry Colt design but with subtle enhancements over the years. Swinley plays deceptively long with a combination of par 5s, par 4s and par 3s and at 6431 yards long, with its undulating greens, it delivers a true test of the game, but is set up to deliver a great experience to golfers of all standards.

This prestigious golf club was founded in 1903 and the Old Course, laid out by Herbert Fowler, was opened a year later in 1904. The club has an illustrious list of past members, including Winston Churchill, Lloyd George and King Edward VIII, who was the Club’s first captain. A fine example of heathland golf, the Old Course has also been described as an ‘inland links’ course. The Old Course has hosted nearly 90 major professional and amateur championships, including the 1981 Ryder Cup, 5 European Opens and the U.S. Open European Qualifying event.

The Berkshire was founded in 1928, and its Red and Blue Courses have changed relatively little since then. The Red Course is considered slightly senior to her sister course, being longer and more undulating, but they both have the same natural hazards and are laid out amid an expanse of trees and heather to the south and west of Windsor Castle. The course layouts make for an interesting and challenging game, and golfers will be charmed by these picturesque courses.

The Blue Course at The Berkshire is the sister course to the more well-known ‘Red Course’ and is also the more conventional of the two. The shorter course on offer, this par 71 is made up of  four par 3s, three par 5s and eleven par 4s. Both The Berkshire courses have the same natural hazards, although the Blue plays over flatter ground than the Red. The first hole (a par 3) offers up a difficult yet magnificent start, with the green sitting on a mound more than 200 yards away, across a sea of heather.

Originally designed by John F. Abercromby in the 1920s, the Bovey Castle course underwent extensive redevelopment after it fell into disrepair, re-opening for play in 2004. Set in the beautiful Dartmoor National Park, an area of outstanding natural beauty, the course winds its way through the grounds of the Bovey Castle estate. Designed to rival its sister courses at Gleneagles and Turnberry, Bovey Castle presents a challenge to professional and amateur alike. The course played host to the PGA EuroPro Tour in 2006.

The Royal North Devon is England’s oldest links course, founded in 1864. Old Tom Morris’ original layout was altered slightly by Herbert Fowler in 1908, but little has changed since then. The flat, windswept fairways have unspoilt views out to sea and the local livestock are free to roam the course. In a stiff breeze the fast-running links tests the very best of golfers. Regarded by many as the ‘St Andrews of the South’, Royal North Devon is a challenging course, fit to rival any of the UK’s more famous links courses.

The spectacular North Cornish coast is the setting for Trevose Golf and Country Club. Designed by Harry S. Colt, the Championship Course provides a serious test of golfing ability, especially when the wind picks up. With dramatic views of the Atlantic from every hole, this is a scenic but demanding course. There are also two other courses at Trevose: the 9- hole Headland Course, designed by Peter Alliss, and the Short Course, which serves as a good warm-up for those wanting to play the Championship Course.

The Championship course at Burnham & Berrow is laid out in the traditional style of 9 holes out and nine back, but the layout is challenging, with deep bunkers, thick rough and small greens that demand precision. First opened in 1890, the course has been shaped by some golfing greats: J. H. Taylor was the first professional at the club, while Herbert Fowler, Hugh Alison, Dr Alister MacKenzie and Harry S. Colt all helped to improve the links over the years. Burnham & Berrow has played host to several key amateur championships and it is a regular venue for the Open Championship qualifiers.

There are two championship courses at Saunton, the East Course and the West Course. Set by the Braunton Burrows, a UNESCO site of international importance, Saunton is renowned for its spectacular views of the North Devon coastline. The East Course was originally laid out as a 9-hole course in 1897 and was redesigned by W. Herbert Fowler in the early 1920s; the West Course opened in the mid-1930s. Both the East and West have been updated to keep pace with the improvement in clubs and balls, but the changes have not spoiled these outstanding links courses.

Situated to the south of Royal Dornoch, Tain is a heathland/links course with spectacular views. Designed originally by Old Tom Morris as a fifteen-hole course in 1890, it was extended to eighteen holes in 1894; eleven Morris holes are still in play today. This is an easy walking course with the river meandering through three of the holes. Always presented in beautiful condition, Tain is a good test of golf, with clever bunkering and natural water hazards. Tain is located 35 miles north of Inverness.