| Something golfers often don't realise when they | | | | has hosted the Open Championship 13 times and |
| prepare to book their golf breaks is that the UK | | | | will present a challenge to even the most |
| has some of the finest courses you'll ever play. | | | | seasoned golfer. Opened all the way back in 1914, |
| And I'm not just talking about the classics such as | | | | this is traditional links at its very best with the |
| Wentworth and Birkdale. Golf has been played in | | | | wind playing a major part in the design (and your |
| England for centuries and there are several | | | | scorecard!). |
| thousand courses - choose the right ones and | | | | Keep the ball low, avoid the treacherous bunkers |
| you've got courses which rate alongside the best | | | | and keep out of the rough and you'll put a decent |
| in the world. For this article, I've divided the | | | | score together. Get greedy and try to "fly the |
| country into five regions and listed my favourite | | | | trouble" and the score we'll beat you just as it has |
| course in each to help you plan a golf break in | | | | beaten the greatest players in the world...Over |
| England. So starting from the north and moving | | | | and over again. And if you've torn up your card, |
| downwards... | | | | just enjoy the Kentish coast views and the |
| Best of the North: The Hunting Course, Slayley | | | | charming and history-laden clubhouse. Royal St |
| Hall | | | | Georges is very much an English rose! |
| The North-East has several lovely courses but | | | | Best of the South: Sunningdale |
| Slayley Hill is the one which stands out. Designed | | | | Sunningdale gets into the list easily - not just for |
| by Dave Thomas and opened in 1989, the course | | | | its quality, but for its quantity too. Both courses |
| nearly obtained the 2006 Ryder Cup and has | | | | at the club ('Old' and 'New') offer a splendid round |
| hosted several European Tour events. Plenty of | | | | of golf and two very different designs. The New |
| shrubs and trees help make it beautiful but Dave | | | | Course encourages aggressive driving but needs |
| Thomas has worked his magic to provide a fine | | | | accuracy, while the Old Course's heavily bunkered |
| challenge in gorgeous surroundings. Slayley Hall has | | | | fairways means that a more strategic golfing |
| been "The Gleneagles of England" and a golf break | | | | mind will come to the fore. For a 36 hole day, |
| here is always a treat. | | | | with the great clubhouse roasted lunch in |
| Best of the Midlands: The Brabazon, The Belfry | | | | between, Sunningdale is very, very memorable |
| Moving further south, we have the pride of the | | | | and is very much part of the package that |
| West Midlands - The Belfry's Brabazon course. | | | | attracts people to golf holidays in England. |
| This course has benefited a great deal from a | | | | Best of the South West: |
| couple of redesigns so it is no longer just "two | | | | Finally, heading down to the south west, we have |
| great TV holes" but is now 18 holes of tough and | | | | one of England's finest inland courses: Bovey |
| very-well maintained golf. Regular host to major | | | | Castle's Old Course. Recently redesigned (along |
| tournaments (including the Ryder Cup and | | | | with the completely renovated luxury hotel), it's |
| European Tour), the course is definitely not for | | | | not easy by any means and much respect has |
| beginners - to score well, you'll need length, | | | | been paid to the original Abercrombie design, laid |
| patience, great green reading and the ability to | | | | out over 80 years ago. Small greens, tree-lined |
| get up and down more than once...It's not by | | | | fairways and meandering streams rivers (plus any |
| accident that the best players come to the fore | | | | of the fine wines in the hotel restaurant!) provide |
| here. The Brabazon at The Belfry is a course that | | | | plenty of challenge but it's not too long and very, |
| attracts tourists from all over the world to the | | | | very pretty so you should post a respectable |
| UK for a golf break. | | | | score on a UK golf break here... |
| Best of the East: Royal St. Georges | | | | The five courses above could be joined by |
| Moving East and, unbelievably, pushing up the | | | | another 50 so before you go looking abroad for |
| difficulty is the legendary Royal St. Georges. It | | | | your golf holiday, try England. |