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Heathland and tour pedigree, a short drive up the A1.

Northern England golf holidays

Ganton, in North Yorkshire, is one of only three clubs to have staged the Ryder, Walker and Curtis Cups, its gorse-lined fairways playing more like links than the moor they sit on. Pair it with Slaley Hall's Hunting Course near Hexham, where Montgomerie and Westwood won the old Great North Open, and you have a few days that ask rather more of your game.

4.9 from real golfers · 21 courses · from £280pp (≈ €315) (≈ $365) (≈ CA$515) (≈ AU$525) (≈ NZ$635) (≈ CHF 295) · ATOL-protected where flights are added

See Northern England breaks · from £280pp (≈ €315) (≈ $365) (≈ CA$515) (≈ AU$525) (≈ NZ$635) (≈ CHF 295) ↓ Build your trip

Northern England is one of golf's great unsung heartlands, where the game runs from the windswept Open-rota links of the north-west coast to the heather-and-pine inland classics of Yorkshire and the empty, castle-backed shores of Northumberland. Few corners of the country offer this much pedigree in such a compact sweep: you can play Royal Birkdale, Hoylake (Royal Liverpool) and Royal Lytham & St. Annes within a short drive of each other, then turn inland to Alister MacKenzie's Yorkshire masterpieces. We hand-pick the courses, the hotels and the routing so the trip flows the way you want it to.

We have arranged Northern England golf since 1981. Every itinerary is hand-built and hand-priced around your dates, your group and the courses you want to play.

Why play golf in Northern England

  • Three Open Championship venues in one region: Royal Birkdale on the Fylde Coast, Hoylake (Royal Liverpool) on the Wirral, and Royal Lytham & St. Annes down the coast.
  • Ryder Cup history close at hand: Southport and Ainsdale hosted the Ryder Cup in 1933 and 1937, adding to the Southport coast's championship pedigree.
  • A genuine golf coast around Southport, where Hesketh, Formby Ladies and The West Lancashire Golf Club sit a few miles apart.
  • The Wirral cluster — Heswall, Caldy and Wallasey — a links-and-cliff-top trio overlooking the Dee and Mersey estuaries.
  • Yorkshire's inland aristocracy: MacKenzie's Alwoodley and Moortown, plus Sand Moor, Ganton, Fulford and Howley Hall.
  • Northumberland's wild northern links — Bamburgh Castle, Goswick and Seahouses — among the most scenic and least crowded in Britain.
  • Resort golf for groups who want everything on site, from Formby Hall to Carden Park and Slaley Hall.

The courses you’ll play

The north-west is the spine of any trip. On the Fylde and Southport coast, Royal Birkdale Golf Course and Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Course anchor a run that takes in Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club, Hesketh Golf Club, Formby Ladies Golf Club and The West Lancashire Golf Club. Across the Mersey, the Wirral delivers Hoylake (Royal Liverpool) Golf Course alongside Wallasey, Caldy and Heswall. Inland, Yorkshire counters with MacKenzie's Alwoodley and Moortown near Leeds, plus Sand Moor, Howley Hall, Ganton and Fulford. North in Northumberland sit Bamburgh Castle, Seahouses and the Slaley Hall Hunting Golf Course, alongside parkland resort golf at Formby Hall Golf Resort — Championship Course.

Where you’ll stay

We base most Southport itineraries at The Waterfront Hotel Southport, a short hop from the coast's links. For an all-in resort stay, Formby Hall Golf Resort and Spa Hotel in Merseyside puts golf, spa and rooms under one roof, while Carden Park Hotel in Cheshire is an elegant country-estate base for the Wirral and the wider north-west.

In the north-east, Hotel du Vin in Newcastle gives a stylish city base, and the characterful Amble Inn at Amble sits close to Northumberland's coastal links. Further south, Slaley Hall Hotel near Hexham combines moorland golf with a grand hotel setting. We match the hotel to your group and your route, not the other way around.

Best time to play golf in Northern England

Northern England golf is a summer game. The season runs roughly May to September, when the days are long, the coast is at its best and the inland heather courses are in full colour. June, July and August are the most reliable months for warmth and light, with daylight stretching late into the evening — ideal for unhurried 36-hole days.

May and September are quieter shoulder months with fine, settled spells, often the connoisseur's choice for the Open links. Winters here are cool and frequently wet, with shorter days, so we steer trips towards the warmer half of the year. As always with British golf, pack for changeable weather even in high summer — links coasts reward those who come prepared.

A sense of Northern England

History & heritage

This is golfing England at its most historic. The Fylde and Wirral coasts have hosted the Open Championship many times over, and a round at Hoylake (Royal Liverpool), Royal Birkdale or Royal Lytham & St. Annes is a walk through the game's living history. Yorkshire adds a different lineage: Alwoodley and Moortown were shaped by Alister MacKenzie, the architect who would go on to design Augusta National, making a Leeds trip a pilgrimage in its own right.

Beyond the fairways, the region brims with character — Liverpool's waterfront and music heritage, York's medieval streets and Minster, and Northumberland's chain of castles strung along an empty, beautiful coast.

Food & wine

Northern England eats and drinks exceptionally well. Liverpool and Manchester anchor a thriving north-west dining scene, while Yorkshire's farm-to-table cooking and Sunday roasts are a draw in their own right. The coast delivers superb seafood, and we'll often build in a relaxed dinner near your base — the Amble Inn on the Northumberland coast and Hotel du Vin in Newcastle both do this style of unfussy, quality dining well.

This is also classic real-ale and gastropub country. After a day on the links, a good local pub with a warm fire and a proper pint is part of the experience, and we're happy to point you to the ones worth the detour.

Beyond the fairways

There is plenty here for non-golfing days and travelling partners. Liverpool's UNESCO waterfront, museums and Beatles heritage make for an easy city day, while York rewards a wander through its walls, Shambles and Minster. Yorkshire's Dales and moors offer some of England's finest walking country, all within reach of the Leeds courses.

Northumberland is the quiet star: the Bamburgh Castle coastline, sweeping empty beaches and the Farne Islands make this one of the most dramatic shores in Britain. Spas at the resort hotels — Formby Hall, Carden Park and Slaley Hall — give an easy alternative to a day's golf.

Getting around & exploring

A car is the practical way to explore Northern England, and we recommend a hire car or private driver so you can move freely between coast and inland courses. The north-west cluster around Southport and the Wirral is tightly packed, with most courses within 30 to 45 minutes of each other.

The Leeds and York inland courses form a second, separate cluster, and Northumberland's coastal links sit further north again — these are best treated as distinct legs of a trip rather than day trips from a single base. We'll plan the routing and, where it suits your group, arrange transfers and a driver so no one has to navigate after a long day's golf.

Getting there

Northern England is well served by air, with Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds Bradford airports all close to the golf, and Newcastle airport serving the north-east. The region also has fast rail links from London and the rest of the UK.

Please note that flights are not included in our packages — we are a ground-only operator, and flights can be arranged separately as an ATOL-protected add-on if you'd like us to handle them. Whether you fly in, take the train or drive, we'll build the ground arrangements — hotels, tee times, transfers and routing — around your arrival so the trip runs seamlessly from the moment you land.

Good to know

  • Ground-only specialists. Our packages cover hotels, tee times and transfers; flights are a separate ATOL-protected add-on we can arrange on request.
  • Book the Open links early. Tee times at Royal Birkdale, Hoylake (Royal Liverpool) and Royal Lytham & St. Annes are limited and go fast for the prime summer dates.
  • Plan in clusters. The Southport/Wirral, Leeds/York and Northumberland areas are distinct — we route trips to minimise driving between them.
  • Pack for British weather. Even in high summer the coast can be breezy and showery; waterproofs and layers are essential.
  • Summer season. Best golf runs May to September; winters are cool and often wet with short days.
  • Tailor-made, hand-priced. Every itinerary is built around your dates, group and chosen courses — there are no fixed packages here.
  • We have arranged Northern England golf since 1981, and we know these courses, hotels and the people who run them.

The courses you’ll play in Northern England

Alwoodley Golf Club, Leeds — Northern England golfAlwoodley Golf Club, LeedsDesigned by Dr Alister MacKenziePlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover this course & breaks →Bamburgh Castle Golf Club, Northumberland — Northern England golfBamburgh Castle Golf Club, NorthumberlandDesigned by George RochesterPlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover this course & breaks →Caldy Golf Club, Wirral — Northern England golfCaldy Golf Club, WirralDesigned by James BraidPlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover this course & breaks →Formby Hall Golf Resort — Championship Course — Northern England golfFormby Hall Golf Resort — Championship CourseDesigned by Dave ThomasPlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover this course & breaks →Formby Ladies Golf Club, Southport — Northern England golfFormby Ladies Golf Club, SouthportPlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover this course & breaks →Fulford Golf Club, York — Northern England golfEuropean Tour hostFulford Golf Club, YorkDesigned by Major Charles MacKenziePlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover this course & breaks →

Golf resorts — stay & play on-site

Carden Park Hotel, Cheshire — Northern England golfCarden Park Hotel, CheshireDesigned by Jack Nicklaus, Steve NicklausHeswall Golf Club, Wirral · Caldy Golf Club, Wirralfrom£345 (≈ €395) (≈ $455) (≈ CA$635) (≈ AU$645) (≈ NZ$785) (≈ CHF 365)per personDiscover this course & breaks →Formby Hall Golf Resort and Spa Hotel, Merseyside — Northern England golfFormby Hall Golf Resort and Spa Hotel, MerseysideFormby Hall Golf Resort — Championship Course · Formby Ladies Golf Club, Southportfrom£300 (≈ €345) (≈ $395) (≈ CA$555) (≈ AU$565) (≈ NZ$685) (≈ CHF 315)per personDiscover this course & breaks →

Hotels — play the area’s courses

Amble Inn, Amble, Northumberland — Northern England golfAmble Inn, Amble, NorthumberlandSeahouses Golf Club, Northumberland · Bamburgh Castle Golf Club, NorthumberlandPlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover this course & breaks →Hotel du Vin, Newcastle — Northern England golfHotel du Vin, NewcastleSlaley Hall Hunting Golf Course, Northumberland · Seahouses Golf Club, Northumberlandfrom£280 (≈ €315) (≈ $365) (≈ CA$515) (≈ AU$525) (≈ NZ$635) (≈ CHF 295)per personDiscover this course & breaks →Malmaison Leeds — Northern England golfMalmaison LeedsMoortown Golf Club, Leeds · Sand Moor Golf Club, Yorkshirefrom£370 (≈ €425) (≈ $485) (≈ CA$685) (≈ AU$695) (≈ NZ$845) (≈ CHF 385)per personDiscover this course & breaks →Malmaison Liverpool — Northern England golfMalmaison LiverpoolWallasey Golf Club, Wirral · The West Lancashire Golf Club, Liverpoolfrom£455 (≈ €515) (≈ $595) (≈ CA$845) (≈ AU$855) (≈ NZ$1,035) (≈ CHF 475)per personDiscover this course & breaks →The Waterfront Hotel Southport — Northern England golfThe Waterfront Hotel SouthportHesketh Golf Club, Southport · Royal Birkdale Golf Course, Fylde Coastfrom£615 (≈ €705) (≈ $805) (≈ CA$1,145) (≈ AU$1,155) (≈ NZ$1,405) (≈ CHF 645)per personDiscover this course & breaks →Carden Park Hotel, Cheshire — Northern England golfCarden Park Hotel, CheshireDesigned by Jack Nicklaus, Steve NicklausHeswall Golf Club, Wirral · Caldy Golf Club, Wirralfrom£345 (≈ €395) (≈ $455) (≈ CA$635) (≈ AU$645) (≈ NZ$785) (≈ CHF 365)per personDiscover this course & breaks →

Ready to play Northern England?

Tell us your dates and group — we’ll build a tailored itinerary and hand-priced quote, usually within 15 minutes.

Plan my Northern England trip →Talk to a specialist · 01277 284284

ATOL & PTS protected · Tailor-made since 1981

Frequently asked questions

Golf holidays in Northern England — answers to the questions our golfers ask most.

Where should I play in the United Kingdom?

From challenging links to impressive parkland courses, the UK has it all. Tell us your dream golf holiday scenario.

It is easy to get around the United Kingdom?

Yes, getting around the UK for golf is very straightforward. Self-driving is the most popular choice — the motorway network connects major cities and virtually all golf courses have excellent road access. For Scotland, flights from London to Edinburgh or Glasgow take around 90 minutes, or take the scenic East Coast Main Line overnight. In England, most golf regions — Surrey heathland, Kent links, Yorkshire moorland — are within 2-3 hours of London. We include all transfers in our UK packages and can advise on the best travel approach for your group.

Is the United Kingdom good for groups?

Yes. There are plenty of great options if you are going away with your golfing friends.

What about if I am looking for somewhere special in the United Kingdom?

We offer superb hotels all around the United Kingdom, ideal if you wish to combine high levels of comfort with great golf courses.

Are flights included?

Our golf holidays are arranged ground-only — hotel, golf and transfers. You can add flights through us, and those flights are ATOL protected as part of your booking.

How do golf holidays with Golf Planet Holidays work?

Every trip is tailor-made. Tell us your group, dates and the destinations you fancy, and we build a personal itinerary — hotel, golf and transfers — around them. There are no fixed packages to squeeze into; we shape the whole break to suit how your group likes to play.

Still have a question? Ask our golf travel team — a free, no-obligation quote, no call centre.

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