The hardest courses to get on in the UK
9. Swinley Forest
Ascot, Berkshire
You can play at Swinley as a visitor, but only if they want you to. Generally, a key deciding factor is whether or not you have been before. They’d much prefer it if they already knew you. So it can be a bit catch 22. Swinley Forest, which the greatest architect of all, Harry Colt, modestly described as “the least bad course” he ever designed, didn’t have a scorecard for many years. To this day, they certainly don’t have a website and they may or may not have a phone.
Dan Murphy
Dan loves links golf, which doesn't mean he is very good at it. He is a four-handicapper at Alwoodley. A qualified journalist and senior editor with 25 years’ experience, he was the long-time editor of NCG. His passion is golf courses and he is the founding editor of NCG Top 100s course rankings. He loves nothing more than discovering and highlighting courses that are worthy of greater recognition.