fbpx
Top 18: Courses in the South of England

Top 18: Courses in the South of England

Country estates, august links and cliff-top vistas await in England’s warmest counties
 

England’s southern counties of Sussex, Dorset and Hampshire lay claim to some of the most polished golf on offer in the British Isles.

Excellent motorway and train links ensure the courses are well within reach of those travelling from the major centres of Southampton, Portsmouth and Brighton, with London just up the road.

Laying beside the English Channel, it’s no surprise that this area is warmer than the rest of the UK, with Dorset being the warmest county.

Top 18: Courses in the East Midlands

As a result, courses are typically well-manicured and flourishing – from the traditional links at Hayling and Rye to the parkland courses of Goodwood and the exclusive Remedy Oak.

Most UK seaside courses are links in nature, but in Dorset can be found heathland and parkland courses close to the coast, offering a welcome and unusual alternative.

Similarly, and despite possessing almost 100 miles of coastline, from Camber in the East to Chichester in the West, Sussex only boasts two links, with the other coastal courses built on downland atop the clifftops.

The region is often overlooked by those in search of championship venues, but it is a gross oversight as the courses here are outstanding.

The Hampshire County Golf Union was the first in England, established in 1893, and the county’s heathland layouts harken back to those early days when classic designers such as Harry Colt, James Braid and JH Taylor helped shape the landscape and take advantage of the abundance of attractive natural features.

Whether heathland, cliff-top or country-estate parkland, the south of England has a lot of fine golf to offer.


1. WEST SUSSEX
West Sussex


13694%7Cc:520x330.img

Overall, West Sussex has changed very little since it was constructed in 1931.

Trees have matured and the course has settled into its environment, but the continued and unfading appeal is testament to the design by renowned architects Guy Campbell and Cecil Hutchinson.

Bernard Darwin described the course as a “little sandy jewel set in the Sussex clay” on account of its relatively modest length – it measures 6,355 yards from the tiger tees. Yet West Sussex is generally held up as proof that length isn’t everything, and the course is held in high regard by all who play it.

It is widely acknowledged that West Sussex is a superb winter course, with well-drained greens and dry fairways throughout the year.

Although seven of the par fours measure over 400 yards, there is a great deal of variation to the holes and many will stick in the memory.


2. RYE (OLD)
Eat Sussex


4508%7Cc:520x330.img



3. REMEDY OAK
Dorset


4490%7Cc:520x330.img



4. FERNDOWN
Dorset


13684%7Cc:520x330.img



5. LIPHOOK
Hampshire


5145%7Cc:520x330.img



6. PARKSTONE
Dorset


4058%7Cc:520x330.img



7. ROYAL ASHDOWN FOREST (OLD)
East Sussex


8573%7Cc:520x330.img

Famously bunkerless, you might be wishing for sand after trying to chip up from gullies.


8. BROADSTONE
Dorset


3496%7Cc:520x330.img

Unspoilt heathland set in glorious Dorset countryside with pine and gorse all around.


9. HAYLING
Hampshire


13654%7Cc:520x330.img

A rare links course on the south coast, overlooking the Solent to the Isle of Wight.


10. BLACKMOOR
Hampshire


13661%7Cc:520x330.img



11. NORTH HANTS
Hampshire


13659%7Cc:520x330.img



12. CROWBOROUGH BEACON
East Sussex


24011%7Cc:520x330.img



13. ISLE OF PURBECK
Dorset


8581%7Cc:520x330.img

A heathland course set within a nature reserve where rare birds and plants live.


14. GOODWOOD (DOWNS)
West Sussex


24012|c:520x330.img



15. STONEHAM
Hampshire


24013|c:520x330.img



16. MANNINGS HEATH (WATERFALL)
West Sussex


14007%7Cc:520x330.img



17. EAST SUSSEX NATIONAL (WEST)
East Sussex


9104%7Cc:520x330.img



18. LITTLEHAMPTON
West Sussex


6869%7Cc:520x330.img

HAVE YOU PLAYED ANY OF THESE GREAT COURSES? DO YOU THINK WE HAVE MISSED ANY OUT? HAVE YOUR SAY BELOW!

Latest Posts

dp world tour 2024 schedule

DP World Tour

DP World Tour 2024 schedule and results

Read full article - DP World Tour 2024 schedule and results
liv golf schedule 2024

LIV Golf

LIV Golf schedule 2024: Every date, venue and result

Read full article - LIV Golf schedule 2024: Every date, venue and result
players championship field 2024

News

Players Championship field: Who is playing at TPC Sawgrass?

Read full article - Players Championship field: Who is playing at TPC Sawgrass?
LIV Golf

LIV Golf

How far have the LIV golfers fallen in the world rankings?

Read full article - How far have the LIV golfers fallen in the world rankings?
pga championship field

News

World Golf Rankings 2024: Who’s in the top 10?

Read full article - World Golf Rankings 2024: Who’s in the top 10?
LIV Golf

LIV Golf

Show me the money! How much has each LIV player made since signing up?

Read full article - Show me the money! How much has each LIV player made since signing up?
rory mcilroy talor gooch

News

Rory McIlroy’s advice for Talor Gooch: Be more like Joaquin Niemann!

Read full article - Rory McIlroy’s advice for Talor Gooch: Be more like Joaquin Niemann!
viktor hovland prize money

News

Soulless, comical and sad: Viktor Hovland has a bleak outlook on golf

Read full article - Soulless, comical and sad: Viktor Hovland has a bleak outlook on golf
talor gooch

LIV Golf

‘It’s noteworthy’: Talor Gooch defends controversial Rory McIlroy asterisk claim

Read full article - ‘It’s noteworthy’: Talor Gooch defends controversial Rory McIlroy asterisk claim