Updated on November 10, 2026
👉 All Our Golf Rankings: The 15 Best Golf Courses in England, Golf Courses Around Barcelona, Golf Courses Around Lisbon, Golf Courses Around Málaga (Costa del Sol)…
Southwest London is home to many of England’s great heathland courses: Sunningdale, Swinley Forest, St. George’s Hill, and Walton Heath—all less than an hour from the city center. Visitors are welcome, but often only on certain days and with a maximum handicap; we’ll specify this for each course.
A Quick Look at the Rankings of Golf Courses Around London
10 courses shown.
| Rank | Golf | Town | Distance | Access | Green fee | Golf Digest | Top100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunningdale Golf Club – Old Course | Sunningdale | 37.3 km | Restricted | 485 £ | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | Sunningdale Golf Club – New Course | Sunningdale | 37.3 km | Restricted | 485 £ | 6 | 3 |
| 3 | Swinley Forest Golf Club | Ascot | 41.6 km | On request | — | 4 | 5 |
| 4 | St. George's Hill Golf Club (Red & Blue) | Weybridge | 28.0 km | Restricted | — | 7 | 9 |
| 5 | Walton Heath Golf Club – Old Course | Walton-on-the-Hill | 26.8 km | Restricted | £275–350 | 16 | 16 |
| 6 | The Berkshire Golf Club – Red Course | Ascot | 42.8 km | Restricted | £185–380 | 25 | 22 |
| 7 | Hankley Common Golf Club | Tilford | 56.7 km | Restricted | £245–275 | 29 | 23 |
| 8 | Woking Golf Club | Woking | 39.6 km | Restricted | £125–235 | 32 | 25 |
| 9 | Worplesdon Golf Club | Woking | 41.2 km | Restricted | £130–230 | 24 | 35 |
| 10 | Walton Heath Golf Club – New Course | Walton-on-the-Hill | 26.8 km | Restricted | £275–350 | 21 | 41 |
Distance as the crow flies from central London. Green fee: published 18-hole public rate (range varies by season or day), as of November 10, 2026; “—” = not published. Ranking columns: the course’s ranking in each list; “—” = not listed.
Where are the golf courses around London?
Click on a number to view the golf course, then click on its name to read its profile. Base map © OpenStreetMap.
Our Method
We have selected 18-hole courses located within a maximum of 60 km as the crow flies from central London: courses that accept visitors without a member’s invitation (Queenwood and Wentworth, which are members-only, are excluded). The ranking is the average of their positions in two national rankings: Golf Digest (Best Golf Courses in England, May 2026) and Top100GolfCourses (Top 100 in England, 2026 edition); a course not included in a ranking is assigned the last place plus ten. Distances calculated using OpenStreetMap coordinates. Green fees are listed only if they are published on the golf course’s official website (as of November 10, 2026).
Golf Courses in Detail
Architects, dates, access and green fees: official golf course websites and the rankings cited, checked on November 10, 2026; nothing is shown when the source does not say. Photos under free licenses via Wikimedia Commons.
1. Sunningdale Golf Club – Old Course
Rankings: Golf Digest 1 · Top100 2
⛳ Course: designed by Willie Park Jr. (redesigned by Harry Colt), opened in 1901, Heathland
📍 Distance: 37.3 km (23.2 mi) from central London
🔑 Access: Visitors are welcome Monday through Thursday, from May through October, by reservation only (very limited availability); maximum handicap: 18.4 for men / 24.4 for women; certification required; tee off from the yellow tees.
💶 Green fee: £485 per person for 18 holes (2027 season, May 4–July 29) (official website, (November 10, 2026)
The course was designed by Willie Park Jr. and opened in 1901; it was renamed the “Old” Course when the New Course opened in 1923. In 1926, Bobby Jones shot a perfect 66 there during the British Open qualifiers, consisting entirely of 3s and 4s.
2. Sunningdale Golf Club – New Course
Rankings: Golf Digest 6 · Top100 3
⛳ Course: designed by Harry Colt, opened in 1923, Heathland
📍 Distance: 37.3 km (23.2 mi) from central London
🔑 Access: Same conditions as the Old: Monday–Thursday, May through October, maximum handicap of 18.4 for men / 24.4 for women.
💶 Green fee: £485 per person for 18 holes (2027 season, May 4–July 29) (official website, (November 10, 2026)
Harry Colt designed the New Course, which opened in 1923 to meet the growing demand from members. Graeme Storm shot a 62 there during the final qualifying round of the 2009 Open, breaking the long-standing record of 67 held by Jack Nicklaus.
3. Swinley Forest Golf Club
Rankings: Golf Digest 4 · Top100 5
⛳ Course: designed by Harry Colt, opened in 1909, Heathland
📍 Distance: 41.6 km (25.8 mi) from central London
🔑 Access: A limited number of visitors and groups are welcomed on weekdays throughout the year, by prior arrangement with the club only.
Harry Colt designed the course, which opened in 1909 and which he modestly described as his “least bad course.” Long closed to non-members, the club now welcomes paying visitors and groups.
4. St. George's Hill Golf Club (Red & Blue)
Rankings: Golf Digest 7 · Top100 9
⛳ Course: designed by Harry Colt, opened in 1913, Heathland
📍 Distance: 28.0 km (17.4 mi) from central London
🔑 Access: Visitors from April through mid-December: Monday through Thursday (two-person groups in the afternoon only); Friday mornings in groups of four, subject to availability; no visitors on Friday afternoons, weekends, or holidays; recommended handicap ≤ 22.
The course opened in 1913; Harry Colt designed it as part of a real estate development project for luxury homes along the fairways that began in 1911. The club features three nine-hole loops (Red, Blue, Green); the main course combines the Red and Blue loops.
5. Walton Heath Golf Club – Old Course
Rankings: Golf Digest 16 · Top100 16
⛳ Course: designed by Herbert Fowler, opened in 1904, Heathland
📍 Distance: 26.8 km (16.7 mi) from central London
🔑 Access: Visitors are welcome Monday through Friday starting at 9:30 a.m., and on weekends and holidays starting at noon (11 a.m. in winter).
💶 Green fee: £275 (Monday–Thursday) / £350 (Friday, weekends, and holidays) for 18 holes, from April 1 to November 30, 2026 (official website, (November 10, 2026)
James Braid was the club's professional from 1904 to 1950. Walton Heath hosted the 1981 Ryder Cup, stepping in for The Belfry, where construction had not yet been completed.
6. The Berkshire Golf Club – Red Course
Rankings: Golf Digest 25 · Top100 22
⛳ Course: designed by Herbert Fowler, opened in 1928, Heathland / Forest
📍 Distance: 42.8 km (26.6 mi) from central London
🔑 Access: Visitors are welcome Monday through Friday, and on weekends and holidays in the afternoon, by appointment with the office; a maximum index is required (the threshold is not legible on the page).
💶 Green fee: £185 (Monday–Thursday) / £255 (Friday–Sunday) for 18 holes, from November 2, 2026, to April 18, 2027; £290 / £380 from April 19 to October 31, 2027 (official website, (November 10, 2026)
Herbert Fowler designed both courses in 1928, and only minor changes have been made since then. The land was originally a royal hunting forest dating back to the reign of Queen Anne.
7. Hankley Common Golf Club
Rankings: Golf Digest 29 · Top100 23
⛳ Course: designed by Harry Colt (redesigned in 1936), opened in 1897, Heathland
📍 Distance: 56.7 km (35.2 mi) from central London
🔑 Access: Visitors are welcome year-round; groups of more than 12 players are welcome on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
💶 Green fee: £245 (Monday–Thursday) / £275 (Friday–Sunday) for 18 holes; visitor rates effective September 1, 2026 (official website, (November 10, 2026)
The club opened in 1897 with nine holes, and the course was expanded to eighteen holes in 1922. The regional Open qualifiers have been held there since 1984.
8. Woking Golf Club
Rankings: Golf Digest 32 · Top100 25
⛳ Course: designed by Tom Dunn (modified by John Low and Stuart Paton), opened in 1893, Heathland
📍 Distance: 39.6 km (24.6 mi) from central London
🔑 Access: Visitors are welcome Monday through Friday starting at 9:12 a.m.: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays in pairs or foursomes; Tuesdays and Fridays in four-ball groups (maximum of 6 visitor tees); maximum handicap of 24 for men and 30 for women; proof of handicap may be required.
💶 Green fee: £215 (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday) / £235 (Tuesday, Friday) for 18 holes, from April 1 to October 31, 2026; £125 / £140 in winter 2026 (official website, (November 10, 2026)
Tom Dunn designed the course in 1893 for lawyers who were tired of playing on muddy clay: it was the first experimental heathland course. In 1900, Stuart Paton dug two bunkers in the middle of the 4th hole’s fairway, much to the members’ dismay: a turning point toward strategic golf.
9. Worplesdon Golf Club
Rankings: Golf Digest 24 · Top100 35
⛳ Course: designed by John F. Abercromby (greens and bunkers by Willie Park Jr.), opened in 1908, Heathland
📍 Distance: 41.2 km (25.6 mi) from central London
🔑 Access: Visitors are welcome Monday through Thursday only; official handicap required: maximum of 20 for men, 30 for women and juniors.
💶 Green fee: £230 for 18 holes in the summer, £130 in the winter (November–March), Monday through Thursday, 2026 rates (official website, (November 10, 2026)
The course was designed in 1908 by J. F. Abercromby. It was Abercromby's first design; the greens and bunkers were built by Willie Park Jr.
10. Walton Heath Golf Club – New Course
Rankings: Golf Digest 21 · Top100 41
⛳ Course: designed by Herbert Fowler, opened in 1907, Heathland
📍 Distance: 26.8 km (16.7 mi) from central London
🔑 Access: Same hours as the Old Course: Monday–Friday starting at 9:30 a.m., weekends and holidays starting at noon.
💶 Green fee: £275 (Monday–Thursday) / £350 (Friday, weekends, and holidays) for 18 holes, from April 1 to November 30, 2026 (official website, (November 10, 2026)
The New Course opened in 1907 with nine holes and was expanded to eighteen holes in 1913. Herbert Fowler designed it to be a distinct challenge from the Old Course, with nine cross-fairway hazards positioned to require strategic play.
Just missed the cut
- The Addington Golf Club: Average 31.5: 11th, just behind Walton Heath New (31). Visitors welcome (£175 Mon.–Thu., £195 Fri.–Sun., addingtongolf.com/visitors)
- The Berkshire Golf Club – Blue Course: Average 33: 12th
- Queenwood Golf Club: Strictly private club, reserved for members and their guests (Top100GolfCourses): does not meet visitor access criteria
- Wentworth Club – West Course: Access is limited to members and their guests (official website: “Members and their guests are free to play”); no green fees for the general public. The same applies to the East Course (GD 19, Top 100 48)
See also
The 15 Best Golf Courses in England
The Best Golf Courses Near Barcelona
The Best Golf Courses Near Lisbon
The Best Golf Courses Near Málaga (Costa del Sol)
The Best Golf Courses Near Paris
The 20 Best Golf Hotels in EuropeFrequently Asked Questions
What's the best golf course around London?
Sunningdale Golf Club – Old Course (Sunningdale, 37.3 km from the city center) tops our ranking, based on Golf Digest (Best Golf Courses in England, May 2026) and Top100GolfCourses (Top 100 in England, 2026 edition). Access: Visitors are welcome Monday through Thursday, from May through October, by reservation only (very limited availability); maximum handicap 18.4 for men / 24.4 for women; proof of handicap required; tees off from the yellow tees.
Which golf course is closest to central London?
Walton Heath Golf Club – Old Course, 26.8 km as the crow flies from downtown (Walton-on-the-Hill).
How much does a green fee cost in the London area?
Among the golf courses in our selection that publish their rates, the 18-hole green fee ranges from £125 to £485 depending on the course, the season, and the day (rates as of November 10, 2026, on the official websites).
Which airport is best for a golf trip near London?
Most convenient airports: Heathrow, Gatwick, London City, Stansted, Luton.