"Sunningdale is a great golf club with two fantastic heathland golf courses. I was expecting something special on my first ever trip to Sunningdale and it didn't let me down. In fact it delivered in spades. I have returned since and it continues to mesmerize."
Top 50 Inland Golf Courses of Great Britain

Golf was born by the sea but it has grown up inland and the number of non-links golf courses in Great Britain far outweigh the number played over true linksland.
Links golf is the purest and, in our opinion, the superior form of the game, however, there is an abundance of high quality golf to be played away from the links terrain.
Comparing golf courses generally is not an easy task but trying to judge differing styles of layouts together is even more difficult. In many ways it is not comparing apples with apples and since we already have our top 100 links golf courses of the United Kingdom we thought it only fair to put an inland list together.
Our definition of "inland" is actually more a case of "non-links" and as such you will see some coastal and seaside courses on the list.
Golf Empire founder, Ed Battye, has played several of the perceived best inland golf courses in Great Britain, from the heathland greats to the modern classics, and below he gives his Top 50 in order of personal preference.
Many of the venues also have an attached golf course review. If there is no review it means the course was played pre-2013.
Top 50 Inland Golf Courses of Great Britain
2. Notts (Hollinwell)
"I've been raving about the golf course at Hollinwell to anybody who would listen for the last 20 years since I first played it. Back then Notts appeared little known outside the Midlands save for those who were in the know. That day I played for the first time I knew I had stumbled upon something extra special."
3. Sunningdale (Old)
"Sunningdale is a great golf club with two fantastic heathland golf courses. I was expecting something special on my first ever trip to Sunningdale and it didn't let me down. In fact it delivered in spades. I have returned since and it continues to mesmerize."
4. Walton Heath (Old)
"Walton Heath, a club with a rich history and distinguished membership, is an oasis of pure heathland golf situated a mere 20 miles outside the city of London. All but one of the 36 holes that comprise both the Old and New courses are laid out on a wonderful piece of golfing terrain that is hauntingly barren yet stunningly beautiful."
5. Alwoodley
"Alwoodley Golf Club is undoubtedly one of Great Britain & Ireland’s leading lights when it comes to inland golf. Very few courses can surpass the debut work of Dr. Alister MacKenzie as a golf course architect in terms of quality, playability, strategy and ultimately as a true test of golf."
6. St. George's Hill
"As long as golf is played the debate about which is the best Surrey heathland course will rage. It's a puzzle that will never be solved because it's such a subjective question. However, what is certain is that St. George's Hill will always be a contender. And a very strong one at that."
7. West Sussex
"Before I even begin to tell you how good this golf course is I want to let you know just how perfect the entire set-up at West Sussex is. The golf course is almost perfect. West Sussex, on the edge of the South Downs, is quite simply a wonderful place and a magnificent location to golf."
8. Gleneagles (King's)
"I returned to the King’s course at Gleneagles in April 2018 just a little over a decade after I first fell in love with it. The reason for this more recent visit was to play in their popular Spring Open. A card and pencil competition off the white tees in the early season was deemed a good idea… at least during the winter planning months!"
9. Woodhall Spa (Hotchkin)
"There are few better places to enjoy a full day of golfing than at Woodhall Spa. Home to the National Golf Centre and England Golf, the governing body for the amateur game in this country, Woodhall Spa has the luxury of two courses. It is the famed Hotchkin that grabs most of the headlines, and rightly so."
10. Ganton
"Ganton, located in the Vale of Pickering between York and Scarborough, is rightly regarded as one of the UK’s very best inland golf courses with an extremely rich history and a strong sense of tradition. Along with Royal Birkdale and Muirfield these are the only clubs to have staged the Ryder Cup, Walker Cup and Curtis Cup."
11. Woking
12. Parkstone
13. Beau Desert
14. Swinley Forest
15. St. Andrews (Castle Course)
16. Loch Lomond
17. The Berkshire (Red)
18. Hankley Common
19. Delamere Forest
20. Moortown
21. Royal Wimbledon
22. Blackmoor
23. Sherwood Forest
24. New Zealand
25. Ipswich
26. Worplesdon (no review)
27. Wentworth (West)^ (no review)
28. West Hill
29. Royal Worlington & Newmarket
30. Aldeburgh
31. Stoneham
32. Gleneagles (Queen's)
33. Coombe Hill
34. Southerndown
35. Isle of Purbeck
36. Royal Ashdown Forest (Old)
37. Walton Heath (New)
38. Woburn (Marquess)
39. Woburn (Duke's)
40. The Berskhire (Blue)
41. Liphook
42. Boat of Garten
43. Spey Valley
44. Little Aston
45. The Addington
46. Sandiway
47. Camberley Heath
48. North Hants
49. Ashridge
50. Broadstone
The Contenders
The Duke's St. Andrews
Knole Park
Wentworth (East)
Tandridge
Enville (Highgate)
London (Heritage)
The Wisley
The Grove
Woodbridge
Northamptonshire County
Prestbury
Hindhead (no review)
Stoke Park (no review)
Woburn (Duchess)
East Devon
Coxmoor
Ferndown
Remedy Oak
Blairgowrie (Rosemount)
St. Mellion (Nicklaus)
Wentworth (Edinburgh)
Bearwood Lakes
Moor Park (High)
Chart Hills
Centurion
Kington
Luffenham Heath
Close House (Colt)
Northumberland
Enville (Lodge)
Crowborough Beacon
Effingham
Goodwood (Downs)
The Belfry (Brabazon)
Blackwell
Huddersfield
Halifax (Ogden)
Lindrick
Fulford
Archerfield (Fidra)
Fairmont St. Andrews (Torrance)
Fairmont St. Andrews (Kittocks)
Machynys Peninsula
Golspie
Leckford (Old)
The Outsiders
King's Lynn
London (International)
The Oxfordshire
Cavendish
Appleby
Windermere
Bovey Castle
Cleeve Cloud
Brancepeth Castle
Thorndon Park
Hadley Wood
Berkhamsted
Old Fold Manor
Thetford
Frilford Heath
Thorpeness
Reigate Heath
Edgbaston
Sutton Coldfield
Lanark
Pannal
Sand Moor
Archerfield (Direlton)
Bull Bay
Celtic Manor (TwentyTen)
Manchester
Blairgowrie (Lansdowne)
*NB: The below golf courses have not been played yet (and probably never will!):
Queenwood
JCB
Beaverbrook
Wentworth West (^post changes)
We would love to hear if you agree or disagree with our selections. You can do so in the comments box below or tweet us.