Best Golf Courses in England

England might be home to some of the oldest and most prestigious golf courses in the world, but which of them are the best? 

With the nation being home to more than 2,500 golf courses, England has one of the largest golf communities on the planet. 

But while there are plenty of fantastic golf courses in the country to choose from, here at GolfMagic we have landed on a handful that we think deserve special recognition. 

GolfMagic has listed below, in no particular order, what we consider to be the five best golf courses you can play in England right now..

Do you agree with our selection? 

Scroll below to find out and then head over to the GolfMagic Facebook page to let us know...
  

Royal Birkdale Golf Club

• Location: Southport, Merseyside
• Year Established: 1889
• Par: 71
• Length: 7,156 yards
• Signature Hole: 12th
• Website: royalbirkdale.com

Royal Birkdale Golf Club is without question one of England's most celebrated golf courses.

Located in Southport, Lancashire, this famous English links course has played host to a number of prestigious tournaments down the years but none bigger than The Open Championship, which it has held 10 times. 

It will next host The Open in 2026.  

Royal Birkdale is known for its challenging layout and deep bunkers, offering a stern test of skill especially when the wind sweeps across the course from the Irish Sea.

The course is renowned for its firm, fast fairways and long, winding holes that require accuracy and strategy rather than just power. 

The par-3 12th is regarded as one of the best short holes in the world with deep pot bunkers awaiting errant tee shots. 

If you are ever fortunate enough to get a game at Royal Birkdale, never pass it up. 

Sunningdale Golf Club Old Course

• Location: Sunningdale, Berkshire
• Year Established: 1900
• Par: 70 
• Length: 6,554 yards 
• Signature Hole: 10th
• Website: www.sunningdalegolfclub.co.uk

Sunningdale Golf Club is a distinguished golf course located in the heart of Berkshire, just west of London. 

Founded in 1900, it is home to two brilliant golf courses - the Old and the New.

But for us here at GolfMagic, it's the Old that deserves the highest praise of the two. 

The Old Course at Sunningdale is the most widely celebrated of the two courses, largely a result of hosting numerous prestigious events such as The Senior Open, which will once again return in July 2025. 

The Old Course at Sunningdale is rightly considered not just one of the best in England but also the world due to its exceptional variety of holes, including reachable par-5s, challenging par-4s and well-designed par-3s.

Our favourite hole on the Old Course is the par-4 10th with an elevated tee box offering a stunning view yet challenging tee shot. 

The layout of the Old Course at Sunningdale is set within a beautiful heathland landscape and like many classic English courses, it demands strategic play rather than sheer brute force. 

Putting can prove one of the toughest aspects at Sunningdale, largely as a result of the heavily undulating greens. It therefore places a premium on good ball striking and approach shots finding the right side of the green. 

Royal Liverpool Golf Club

• Location: Hoylake, Merseyside
• Year Established: 1869
• Par: 72
• Length: 7,383 yards
• Signature Hole: 12th (14th at Open) 
• Website: www.royal-liverpool-golf.com

Royal Liverpool Golf Club, often referred to as Hoylake, is another one of the oldest and most prestigious golf courses in England. 

It has hosted multiple Open Championships, with winners including Tiger Woods (2006) and Rory McIlroy (2014). 

Situated along the Wirral Peninsula, this classic links test features firm fairways, deep bunkers and unpredictable coastal winds. 

The dogleg-left 12th (14th during The Open) is arguably the finest hole at Royal Liverpool. 

It's something of a risk-reward hole as the fairway curves sharply to the left, forcing players to decide whether to try and cut the corner with a big drive over a bunker.

Royal Liverpool requires good distance control, accuracy and excellent bunker play, making it a true test for golfers of all levels. 

Royal St. George’s Golf Club

• Location: Sandwich, Kent
• Year Established: 1887
• Par: 70
• Length: 7,204 yards
• Signature Hole: 14th 
• Website: www.royalstgeorges.com

Royal St. George's Golf Club is one of England's finest links courses, located in Sandwich, Kent. 

It is one of the venues for The Open and it has hosted the major an incredible 15 times. 

This great English links course is known for its rolling fairways, deep bunkers and coastal winds, which create a true test of links golf.

The par-4 4th at Royal St. George’s Golf Club is famous for having one of the largest bunkers in championship golf, one that asks players to navigate a massive sand dune obscuring the fairway from the tee box. While Tour pros face little issues with that task, the same cannot always be said for us amateurs! 

One of our favourite holes at Royal St George's GC is the par-5 14th, a hole that tempts longer hitters to go for the green in two but also requires precision to avoid the out of bounds running down the entire right flank. Deep bunkers and thick rough also keep you on your guard all the way up to the green. 

Players will navigate classic seaside elements on their way around Royal St George's, with natural dunes and tall grasses adding to both the layout's beauty and overall difficulty.