England Tours
-
About Golf in England
There are more golf courses in England than there are in Scotland, Ireland and Wales combined. The variation in English golf courses is extremely unique and will provide a wide variety of styles and layouts. However, the majority of overseas visitors tend to choose Scotland or Ireland as their golf destination. Don’t let that fool you. You could spend a fortnight alone in the London area and not experience everything the area has to offer. We also encourage you to venture north to the Liverpool area and test yourself at the “Royals”. There are plenty of wonderful courses in England and Back Nine Golf Tours will be your guide to ensuring your group experiences the trip of a lifetime!
Get a Customized Quote
London and Southeast England
Course Locator-
Royal St. George's
Often ranked as the best course in England, Royal St. George’s is a championship links course with very different holes but very memorable holes. It is a very difficult test, with undulating fairways rarely giving players an easy approach to the green. Finally, its unique routing results in a different and challenging wind direction on nearly every hole.
Royal St. George's -
Sunningdale (Old)
Easily the best inland course in England, and arguably part of the best 36 holes at one venue in all of the British Isles, the Old course is playable and beautiful. The course is lined with pine, birch and oak trees. Many people consider Sunningdale the perfect golfing venue. We don’t have any reason to argue with that assessment.
Sunningdale -
Sunningdale (New)
Not to worry, you won’t get bored playing two different courses at the same venue. Both courses present wonderful holes and their own unique set of challenges. The New course is a more rounded test of golf than the Old course. It’s tighter and longer than the Old course. If your tour takes you to this part of England, it’s worth your while to play all 36 holes.
Sunningdale -
St. George’s Hill (Red & Blue)
Sweeping and undulating terrain provides the golfer with scenic and dynamic elevation changes. St. George’s Hill is always going to be ranked among the best that England has to offer. This course is second to none when it comes to aesthetics and the dramatic tee shot on the opening hole starts the players on a memorable journey.
St. George's Hill -
Walton Heath (Old)
Host of the 1981 Ryder Cup matches, this is a serious test of golf. The greens are true, fast and undulating, making putting extremely difficult. The fairways are often lined with heather and if you miss them, your ball may be gone. The course will test all facets of your game, but you’ll find out quickly if you aren’t driving it in the fairway it is going to be a tough task to shoot your handicap.
Walton Heath -
The Berkshire (Red)
You can find genuine quality and character at The Berkshire. The Red course is unique, as it features 6 par 3’s, 6 par 4’s and 6 par 5’s. Like many of the other courses in the famous “sand belt”, the Red course is highlighted by heather, pines and the rolling heathland. The Red course is regularly rated a notch above the Blue course.
The Berkshire -
The Berkshire (Blue)
Pure greens, thick but forgiving heather and magnificently manicured fairways highlight the Blue course. There are many memorable holes on the Blue course, but it’s the closing 5 holes that make it a tough but special course. Playing both the Red and Blue course over the course of your day is an exceptional golfing treat.
The Berkshire -
West Sussex
A beautiful golf course on an outstanding piece of rolling land. Don’t let the 6,300 yard listing on the scorecard fool you. The course plays longer and with only one par five, the birdie opportunities are limited. This course tends to go “under the radar” compared to the usual suspects in England, but making a trip to West Sussex might just be the highlight of any English tour.
West Sussex -
Royal Cinque Ports
A solid links course where you're going to need every club in your bag. Couple that with wildly undulating fairways and amazing greens and you're in for a real treat. Pair this course up with neighboring Royal St. George's and Prince's and your in for a fantastic 3 rounds of golf.
Royal Cinque Ports -
Prince's
Prince's played host to the Open Championship on one occasion, in 1932, where it was won by Gene Sarazen. Prince's now features three 9-hole courses, with the Shore and Dunes making up the championship 18 holes. The shorter nine hole course (Himalayas) is also a fun and quality test. Make it a point to play all 27 at Prince's - it's worth it!
Prince's
Northwest England
Course Locator-
Royal Lytham & St. Annes
Extremely challenging course as only Carnoustie (among courses in the Open Championship Rota) is thought to be tougher. It is a championship links course that doesn’t have the stunning views that you’ll find at many of the other seaside links courses, but the challenge of the course itself is top notch. The 200+ bunkers and sloping and undulating fairways will all make you think on every shot.
Royal Lytham & St. Annes -
Royal Birkdale
Widely regarded as a fair but challenging test of golf. If you hit the fairways, your ball will typically stay in them as they tend to wind through plateaus of dunes. The elevated tee boxes give the player a marvelous view of the holes laid out before them. A wonderful course with natural routing that will force you to utilize every shot in your bag.
Royal Birkdale -
Formby
This is a relatively unknown course due to the three neighboring “Royals” (Liverpool, Birkdale, Lytham & St. Annes) garnering much of the well-deserved attention. However, Formby may be the prettiest and most well-conditioned course in the area. This is a links course that is surrounded (mostly) by pines, giving the player a more heathland feel.
Formby -
Hillside
An underrated gem, and close enough to Royal Birkdale to hear the Sunday roars, Hillside requires accuracy (not necessarily length) off the tee to score well. The course features a great variety of holes, highlighted by excellent landscaping and design. It should be not overlooked when it comes to a tour of Northwest England.
Hillside -
Royal Liverpool
Founded in 1869, it is the second oldest seaside links course in England. It is a tough course, with only six holes in the dunes, leaving the other twelve at the mercy of the wind. A handful of holes around the turn are the most visually stunning and challenging. The course is always in good shape with the greens rolling well and the consequences for poor shots being penal.
Royal Liverpool -
Wallasey
At 6,500 from the back tees, the yardage doesn’t seem daunting, but factor in the wind and this can be a lengthy test. Another course that gets overshadowed by its “Royal” neighbors, Wallasey is a fantastic course. The variety of holes, the routing and the shaping of the course are simply magnificent. An intimate and picturesque course that will provide the player with an opportunity to create many different types of shots.
Wallasey -
Southport & Ainsdale
A wonderful mix of heather, gorse and strategic bunkering make this course a tough but fair challenge. It is somewhat “old school” with some blind drives and obscured approach shots. But it’s length, at over 6,800 yards, creates a difficult test. S&A should be added to any tour of Northwest England as it is oftentimes overlooked but just as memorable as its Royal neighbors.
Southport & Ainsdale -
Alwoodley
The original Alister MacKenzie layout remains, although now lengthened to 6,900 yards from the championship tees. The Club has been careful to retain the heathland character of the course, as well as the MacKenzie ethos of variety, natural beauty, and risk/reward shot making. In recent years the high quality of the course has been enhanced by major investment. In particular, the bunkering is increasingly prominent, emphasizing the considerable challenge that the course presents.
Alwoodley -
Moortown Golf Club
Well-known around the World as the host of the first Ryder Cup match on British soil, in 1929, Moortown is regarded by many as one of the Country’s finest inland golf courses. Over the past Century the Club has hosted many professional and amateur tournaments with winners that include Sir Nick Faldo, Bernard Gallagher and Sir Michael Bonallack, former Captain of the R & A, to name but a few.
Moortown
Southwest England
Course Locator-
St. Enodoc (Church)
First class variety, design, conditioning and beauty. Blind tee shots and approach shots are thrown at the player from the beginning, with thrilling changes in elevation. It will always be in the conversation as the best course in Southwest England as it features a superb and eclectic mix of golf holes on a simply stunning piece of property.
St. Enodoc -
Saunton (East)
A sense of tranquility is noticeable, as each fairway tunnels its way through the natural dunes, leaving golfers feeling as if they are the only ones on the course. The course is a great layout and superbly excellent. Many feel that if given the opportunity, it would be worthy of hosting the Open Championship – it’s that good.
Saunton -
Saunton (West)
While most place the East course a notch above the West, don’t let that deter you from playing both courses. The West is a wonderful course in its own right and features its own unique challenge where creativity and variety (as opposed to strength) is the flavor of the day. Recent improvements have elevated the status of the West course, creating a wonderful 36-hole experience.
Saunton -
Royal North Devon
The oldest links course outside of Scotland – it is ground zero for links golf in England. The course is host to a treasures worth of history and memorabilia. Mother nature and golf become one here as you are likely to encounter sheep and other animals during your round. This is raw links golf in its purest form.
Royal North Devon -
Burnham & Berrow
Excellent conditioning from tee to green, this is a true links test. Plenty of dunes, scenic views, humps, bumps, hollows, pot bunkers and the unforgivable stiff breeze make this course an excellent choice for any tour of Southwest England. B&B will simply challenge every part of your game.
Burnham & Berrow -
St. Mellion (Nicklaus)
This is the first European course design by some guy named Jack Nicklaus and it opened for play in 1988 and was refurbished in 2009. The course in in excellent, American-style manicured condition. Blind shots, sloped greens and oceans of water make this a very challenging course.
St. Mellion -
Trevose
Trevose can be as tough as it gets, especially when the wind blows. Tipping out at over 7,000 yards, this course can be a beast. However, the fairways are generous and the rough is typically kept at a shorter length, which makes the course slightly easier. The course record of 66 is a testament to how difficult the course can play.
Trevose
Central and Northeast England
Course Locator-
Royal West Norfolk
One of the rare courses where the “tide” can make a dramatic difference in the scenery and challenge of the course. Come during high tide and you’ll be in for a scenic treat, and may lose a few extra golf balls as well. This is a traditional out and back links course with its fair share of quirks and charm.
Royal West Norfolk -
Hunstanton
A true championship links golf course. It doesn’t have the quirks that you’ll find at many of the other seaside links courses, but don’t let that deter you. Hunstanton has plenty to offer in terms of beauty and challenge. The back nine in particular is a stern test of golf. Perhaps the highlight of the course is the greens, which are difficult to read and are firm, fast and true.
Hunstanton -
Woodhall Spa (Hotchkin)
Notorious for its deep and cavernous bunkers, the Hotchkin course is an annual battle with Sunningdale (Old) and Loch Lomond for the best inland course in the British Isles. There is no shortage of challenging holes. Penal heather awaits the errant shot on nearly every hole. It won’t be the most scenic course you play on your tour, but the quality of the turf and pureness of the greens more than make up for any “lack” of aesthetics.
Woodhall Spa -
Notts
This course will offer you variety from hole to hole. It is unfortunately underrated in many golf circles, but don’t let that fool you. You’ll experience heathland, woodland and moorland holes throughout the 18-hole challenge, with the back nine being of particular intrigue. The course simply gets better and better as you progress through it.
Notts -
Ganton
Host of the 1949 Ryder Cup matches, Ganton is a perfect place to play golf. It features everything you would find in a heathland and links course and is commonly described as an inland links. This is a course that will require the player to think his or her way around it. Fast greens, firm fairways and cavernous bunkers will test even the very best of players.
Ganton -
Ipswich (Purdis Heath)
The front nine and back nine each make two broad loops in opposite directions. This will ensure that the elements hit you from every direction imaginable. Recent renovations to the bunkers have elevated the course. It’s definitely a course that is on the rise and closing the gap between itself and those in the upper echelon of inland courses.
Ipswich -
Aldeburgh (Championship)
At par 68, you might think this course doesn’t have much bite, but playing from the tips at 6,600 yards will make you think otherwise. Players will need to drive it long and straight as the fairways, while generous, are lined with thick, nasty gorse most every hole. The course simply offers splendid golf all year round.
Aldeburgh -
The Belfry (Brabazon)
Host of 4 Ryder Cups – what more introduction do you need? The course is unique and features more water than almost any inland course in the British Isles. Fantastic condition and fantastic greens. You won’t get overwhelmed with great hole after great hole but it has its fair share of memorable ones, highlighted by the famous 10th and 18th.
The Belfry
Quick Links
Scotland Tours
Ireland Tours
England Tours
Wales Tours
Get a Quote
Contact Us
Back Nine Golf Tours
64 NW 7th St
Boca Raton, FL 33432
561-385-1811 or 561-707-4065
info@backninegolftours.com