published: Jan 29, 2025

updated: Jan 30, 2025

NCG Top 100s: England – What is the best par 4?

Matt Coles

There are so many wonderful par 4s in England, but which do our panellists think are the best?

Our panel have played the best English courses ahead of compiling the NCG Top 100s: England list – but what is their favourite par 4?

From links holes with plenty of bunkers and gorse, to heathland par 4s, running through heather and tree-lined fairways – there really is something for everyone when it comes to golf in England.

There are iconic par 4s around the country. For example, the Brabazon Course at the Belfry plays host to the 10th, famous for THAT shot by Spanish legend Severiano Ballesteros.

But what do our panellists think? There are many incredible par 4s around the country, but will our panellists have gone for the same? Or will there be several different par 4s in their mentions?

What do our panellists rate as the best par 4 in England?

Neil Gray: The first hole at Royal Birkdale is both really well designed and incredibly difficult, especially as it’s the first.

Jim Banting: The finishing hole on Saunton’s West

Michael Verity: 16 at West Sussex has always stuck with me. Strategic, heroic medium length 4. Extremely satisfying golf hole. The approach is one of the most entertaining 150-yard shots you will face.

Lewis Marr: 9th at Royal West Norfolk

Dan Gould: Hindhead 9th. Lovely uphill hole snaking through the valley.

Chris Griffiths: 4th hole at Swinley Forest. I could have picked any of them though.

Greg Webber: The 17th at Hunstanton, a dogleg played to a narrow, elevated green with significant drop off on the right hand side

Craig Morrison: The fifth at Isle of Purbeck – for the views and the angles.

Pat O’Connor: The 18th at Wallasey – 433 yards from the blacks, requiring a perfect drive to set you up for a blind approach

Wallasey golf course review — *The glorious clubhouse sitting behind the 18th green at Wallasey – a cracking par to finish*

A couple of venues – namely Ganton and Sheringham – were rewarded with two mentions each, and for different holes as well!

David Walker: Ganton 14th hole – every course should have a drivable par 4 with jeopardy and deep bunkers, gorse, roll offs and heather give the penalty for a poor shot

Steve Carroll: 16th, Ganton – A blind drive over a massive cross bunker that it feels impossible to fly, and one of the toughest approaches you’ll hit from a downhill lie. Fabulous.

David Elliott: Sheringham, 17th. A very challenging hole beautifully framed by dunes on one side and steam railway on the other.

Steve Watton: Sheringham’s 5th Hole. Incredibly dramatic hole played close to the cliff tops. Real wow factor!

*Sheringham sits atop the cliffs, providing incredible views and some amazing par 4s*

One testing par 4 was a favourite of our panellists, and it just happens to come from the No.1 ranked course on the NCG Top 100s: England list…

Mike Robertson: The 4th at Royal St George’s is so fun to play. In the wrong wind it is very difficult. The huge bunker is intimidating from the tee and the hole is all about your angle into the green. Bliss.

Ed Battye: 4th at Royal St. George’s. Brilliant for every inch of it.

Chris Myatt: Royal St George’s – 4th Hole. It’s purely iconic. A visually intimidating tee shot over the Himalayas bunker shall leave a shot to an elevated and undulating green.

Dan Murphy: The 4th at Royal St George’s features a fairway further right than it should be. The green is contoured in such a way that the optimum angle of approach changes for every yard left or right you move.

South East England — *The 4th at Royal St George’s is a popular choice, and it isn’t difficult to understand why!*

There were also a number of panellists that loved the Old Course at Sunningdale, with a number of holes being mentioned!

Joss Powick: The 7th on Sunningdale’s Old Course. The view once you walk over the top from the blind tee is incredible.

Daniel Meredith: 7th at Sunningdale Old – sheer beauty!

Neil White: 5th hole – Sunningdale Old – elevated tee, water, magnificent

Dove Jones: Sunningdale Old’s 10th – One of my all time favourite holes in the world

Neil White: 12th Sunningdale (Old) – majestic

Listen to the NCG Golf Podcast

NOW READ: What is the best par 3 in England?
NOW READ: What is the best par 5 in England?
NOW READ: What is the best hole in England?

Now have your say

Would you agree with our panellists? What do you think is the best par 4 in England? Let us know your thoughts with a post on X, formerly Twitter!

About the author

Matt Coles

Mention a European country, and Matt will tell you which resorts make the National Club Golfer Top 100s: European Resorts list. He might even throw in who designed the golf course and how many rooms the hotel has got at each one…

Matt got into the game of golf from a young age, following his old man to the local golf club. He fell for the sport, and now can’t seem to go a day without thinking about how to improve his game (Thanks Dad!). Matt has been a member of Howley Hall GC in Leeds since 2020, and is just about managing to maintain a single-figure handicap. He likes to remind people that he once broke 75, but won’t tell people that it was on a shortened course during the winter.

He moved to Leeds after graduating from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class Honours degree in Sports Journalism. Matt joined NCG after almost five years travelling the world with the Professional Squash Association, working on events in all four corners of the globe.

Matt currently plays a Cobra King LTDx driver and RadSpeed 3-wood. TaylorMade monopolise the rest of his bag, with a SIM UDI, M5 irons and both Milled Grind and HI-TOE wedges, along with a Monza Redline putter. He uses a Vice Pro Plus golf ball, because he’s a bit different…

Away from golf, Matt is a Manchester United fan, and a keen runner, having ran the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon (his first and possibly last), in May 2023.

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