For many golfers planning a trip in Britain and Ireland, the instinct is to head west. But it is to the east where the true gems lie.
The lure of high-profile venues and the long shadow of The Open Championship, played at famous coastal courses in places like Ayrshire, Lancashire and Merseyside, has helped cement the west coast as the traditional route for many golfers to go down.
But while those destinations command the headlines, and increasingly the green fees, there is a compelling argument for looking the other way.
Speaking on the NCG Top 100s Podcast, hosts Tom Irwin and Dan Murphy explained how they believe the east coast offers quality courses at more accessible prices.
“If you think about the traditional hotspots around England, Scotland and Ireland, they tend to be England’s golf coast up and around Liverpool where there is price inflation because of the Open venues,” Irwin explained.
“Similarly on the Kent coast, obviously all the famed Scottish regions of East Lothian and Ayrshire are all kind of pegged on an Open venue, places of significant historical context and real American hotspots.
“The east coast remains this untapped resource really, in terms of the quality of golf. Even your experience as a tourist in these sorts of places isn’t the same as going to some of the more upmarket and old money areas of Scotland.
“Ganton, for example, is one of the UK’s best inland courses. Also on that coast is Seaton Carew, Aldeburgh, Ipswich, Purdis Heath.
“Those courses alone, I think, represent exceptional value because they aren’t as frequented by tourists, Americans and people.”
The value argument extends even further north along the coast, according to Murphy, who highlighted Northumbria as an ideal golf destination.
“Another region (a part of the east coast) is Northumberland,” he said. “There is some exceptionally good golf at very, very good prices in Northumberland.”
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NOW HAVE YOUR SAY
Do you think the East Cost of England offers the best value-for-money golf anywhere in GB&I? If not, which region do you think trumps it? And why? Let us know by leaving a comment or a post on X!
