Best golf courses in London

Since opening in 1938, the Old Course at Walton Heath has been ranked in the World’s Top 100 year on year. This Herbert Fowler masterpiece is where links meets inland golf. A profusion of heather lining the fairways, and a staggering yardage of 7,331-yards off the tips, make this course a great modern-day challenge. If golf with endless frustrations and rewards is your cup of tea, then you will love Walton Heath’s Old Course. You will require fitness and strength of both mind and body to tame this beast.

Well known for hosting the most famous golf match in cinematic history – James bond against Goldfinger in 1964 – Stoke Park offers golfers 27 holes of outstanding golf in the county of Buckinghamshire. The course was the first venue to host the PGA Matchplay tournament in 1910 and has been the inspiration for some of the world’s most famous holes, such as the 16th at Augusta. The fantastic practice facilities, including putting green, driving range, short game area and swing studio, make this resort an outstanding five-star facility.

If you’re looking to follow in the footsteps of some of the recent European Tour greats, then look no further than The Grove, as this facility hosted the 2016 British Masters, won by Alex Noren. The course design combines a great mix of modern game strategies with classic British golf course architecture and, measuring at 7,152-yards, you definitely need to be long and straight off the tee. It is incredible to see how far this Kyle Phillips design, the man behind Kingsbarns, has come since opening in September 2003.

Regarded as one of the most challenging golf courses in the Royal County of Berkshire, Donnington Grove is, amazingly, still unknown to many golfers who come to London and the home counties. Its idyllic location sees the course overlooked by the historic Donnington Castle on one side and flanked by the Rider Lambourn on the other, making it aesthetically faultless. The two nines offer different tests as the front-nine undulates over higher grounds with stunning views over Newbury, whereas the back-nine offers a parkland test thanks to the abundance of trees and water hazards.

As one of famous golf commentator Peter Allis’ favourite courses, Hindhead Golf Club is a superb heathland course in Surrey. It was founded back in 1904 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and has since become a Top 100 Golf Course in England, thanks to its natural setting combined with some of the best greens in Surrey. Measuring at 6,390-yards, this course is wonderfully maintained and is a must-play for the serious golfer.

The Palmerston Course at Brocket Hall is arguably one of Donald Steel’s best designs. This woodland masterpiece sees you play through rare Hornbeam, Scots, Corsican Pine and 300-year-old Oak trees that create some spectacular hazards. The addition of strategically positioned bunkers and large undulating greens add to the overall challenge here. It is incredible to see how Steel created this course with minimum intrusion to the site and its natural surroundings.

Sundridge Park Golf Club is ideally situated just a mere 25-minute commute from London Bridge train station, perfect for those staying in London. Very much a hidden gem, as you make the short walk down the hill from the clubhouse you will be greeted by the East Course – a British Open Pre-Qualifying venue. Despite only measuring 6,532-yards, there are numerous features that make this course a challenge. For example, the River Quaggy comes into play on holes three, four and five, and the severely sloping fairway on 14 that falls towards the river has ruined many scorecards.

The Longcross Course at Foxhills Club and Resort played host to the prestigious PGA Cup in 2017, which saw the very best club professionals from GB&I take on the USA. It is the first hole on this course, surrounded by scots pine, beech and silver birch trees, that really sets the tone. The par-4 measures 408-yards and requires an accurate drive, funnelled between the trees before playing an approach over two bunkers that protect the green. The challenge doesn’t get any easier after this.