GROUND-ONLY TAILOR-MADE, A SHORT DRIVE SOUTH
The fairways the European Tour used to call home.
Southern England golf holidays
Play Hanbury Manor, where Jack Nicklaus II laid out a back nine that held the English Open until 1999, then sleep above the course. Sussex weald at Dale Hill, Hampshire heath at Old Thorns and Bramshaw on the edge of the New Forest, all within an easy drive of home.
4.9 from real golfers
· 35 courses · from
You can play a James Braid heathland course one morning and a links laid out by W. Herbert Fowler the next, all within a couple of hours of the M25. Southern England packs a lot of golf into a small area, from the Cotswolds across to the Devon coast and down to the Sussex shore.
Golf Planet Holidays has been arranging tailored golf trips since 1981. We plan the hotel, the tee times, the transfers and every round for you, so the only decision left is which course to play first.
Why play golf in Southern England
The character here changes with the ground beneath you. On the Sussex coast, Cooden Beach Golf Club is a genuine seaside test designed by W. Herbert Fowler, the man behind some of England's better-known links, and it plays firm and honest when the wind comes off the sea. Inland, Pyecombe Golf Club near Brighton carries the name of James Braid, a five-time Open champion whose courses tend to reward thinking over brute force.
Add a Cotswolds round at Broadway Golf Club, laid out by Dr Alistair McKenzie, and you have three very different styles of golf without a long drive between them. That variety is the real draw of the region.
The courses you’ll play
The choice covers links, downland and parkland. The standout for many visitors is Prince's Golf Club in Kent, a 27-hole links with an original layout by Charles Hutchings and Percy Lucas, a post-war redesign by Sir Guy Campbell and John Morrison, and a modern restoration by Mackenzie and Ebert. Down in Devon, Saunton Golf Club gives you 36 holes of championship links.
- Broadway Golf Club, Cotswolds, 18 holes by Dr Alistair McKenzie
- Pyecombe Golf Club, Brighton, 18 holes by James Braid
- Cooden Beach Golf Club, Bexhill-on-Sea, 18 holes by W. Herbert Fowler
- The Kendleshire Golf Club, Bristol, 27 holes by Adrian Stiff
- The Players Golf Club, Chipping Sodbury, 36 holes by Adrian Stiff
- Foxhills, Bernard Hunt Golf Course, Surrey, 18 holes (par 73) by Fred Hawtree
- Dyke Golf Club, Brighton, 18 holes, par 72
- Piltdown Golf Club, Uckfield, 18 holes
- Saunton Golf Club, Devon, 36 holes
- Prince's Golf Club, Kent, 27 holes, par 72
Where you’ll stay
The hotels span golf resorts, town-centre bases and characterful stays, so the right one depends on how close you want to be to the first tee.
For golf on the doorstep, Old Thorns Hotel & Resort in Hampshire and Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel and Country Club in Hertfordshire are resort properties with their own courses, while The Cooden Beach Hotel sits right by the Sussex links and works well for a longer four-night break (from
- Dale Hill Hotel & Golf Club, East Sussex, from
£175 (≈ €195) (≈ $225) (≈ CA$325) (≈ AU$325) (≈ NZ$395) (≈ CHF 185) - The Royal & Fortescue Hotel, Barnstaple, from
£295 (≈ €335) (≈ $395) (≈ CA$545) (≈ AU$555) (≈ NZ$675) (≈ CHF 305) - Old Thorns Hotel & Resort, Hampshire, from
£310 (≈ €355) (≈ $415) (≈ CA$575) (≈ AU$585) (≈ NZ$705) (≈ CHF 325) - Hotel du Vin & Bistro, Bristol, from
£335 (≈ €385) (≈ $445) (≈ CA$625) (≈ AU$635) (≈ NZ$765) (≈ CHF 355) - The Barnstaple Hotel, from
£355 (≈ €405) (≈ $475) (≈ CA$665) (≈ AU$665) (≈ NZ$815) (≈ CHF 375) - Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel and Country Club, Hertfordshire, from
£395 (≈ €455) (≈ $525) (≈ CA$735) (≈ AU$745) (≈ NZ$905) (≈ CHF 415) - Malmaison Cheltenham, from
£415 (≈ €475) (≈ $555) (≈ CA$775) (≈ AU$785) (≈ NZ$945) (≈ CHF 435) - The Cooden Beach Hotel, Bexhill-on-Sea, from
£450 (≈ €515) (≈ $595) (≈ CA$835) (≈ AU$845) (≈ NZ$1,035) (≈ CHF 475)
Best time to play golf in Southern England
Late spring through early autumn, roughly May to September, gives you the best of the conditions and the longest evenings for a second nine. The coastal links at Cooden Beach, Saunton and Prince's hold up well into October when many inland courses are starting to soften.
This is English golf, so rain is always possible whatever the month, and the wind on the Sussex and Kent coast can change a round completely. Pack layers and waterproofs even in summer and you will not be caught out.
Getting there
For most UK golfers this is a self-drive trip. The Cotswolds, Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex and Kent venues are all reachable by car within a few hours of London and the Midlands, and Devon is a longer but straightforward run down the M5.
If you are travelling from further afield or prefer not to drive, we arrange private transfers to and between venues, and we can book flights as an ATOL-protected add-on where they suit your plans. Just tell us where you are starting from and we will sort the rest.
Good to know
The venues here are spread across several counties rather than clustered in one resort, so a multi-course trip will involve some driving between rounds. That is the honest trade-off for the variety on offer. It is worth deciding early whether you want a single base with day trips out, or a moving itinerary that follows the golf, because it changes which hotel makes most sense. Tee times at the better-known links such as Prince's and Saunton can book up well ahead in peak season, so the earlier you talk to us the more flexibility we have.
The courses you’ll play in Southern England
Golf resorts — stay & play on-site
Hotels — play the area’s courses
Ready to play Southern England?
Tell us your dates and group — we’ll build a tailored itinerary and hand-priced quote, usually within 15 minutes.
Plan my Southern England trip →Talk to a specialist · 01277 284284ATOL & PTS protected · Tailor-made since 1981
What golfers say about Southern England
4.997 reviewsWe loved the Griffin Inn, service and food was great. We played Crowborough Beacon for the first time, it was a great and challenging course. Due to heavy rain we did not play Westerham GC to following day, …
Bell Hotel at Sandwich as good a venue as ever. Central to our golfing and eating needs, with very good attentive service. Golf courses difficult, especially in such windy conditions. …
Frequently asked questions
Golf holidays in Southern 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.