Six times an Open Championship Regional Qualifying course, Blackwell Golf Club is the quintessential English gem and has a proud history dating back to 1893.
Blackwell Golf Club
Six times an Open Championship Regional Qualifying course, Blackwell Golf Club is the quintessential English gem and has a proud history dating back to 1893.
4.5
Blackwell is a parkland experience that feels big and bold whilst retaining its charm and traditions; recent tree removal and bunker changes make Blackwell one of the very best parkland courses in England.
Parkland courses often feel cramped, but Blackwell delivers a sense of scale and grandeur without exceeding 7,000 yards. The layout is rooted in strategy: it offers options off the tee, rewards thoughtful play, and constantly tempts you into taking on more than you should. It’s both challenging and welcoming—classic in feel but far from predictable.
The course routing follows two loops of nine. The first tee is directly outside the clubhouse—which I personally enjoy—as it allows those enjoying a post-round drink on the patio to watch players hit their opening tee shot. A couple of other holes are also visible from the terrace, giving you a great sense of anticipation for what's to come. The round begins with a gradual climb to the elevated first green, the highest point on the course, with the land falling away on all sides. The first and second holes run along a ridge, and I enjoyed exploring one side of it on the front nine before looping to the other. Originally laid out in 1923 by Herbert Fowler and Tom Simpson, Blackwell makes remarkably efficient use of its compact site—something that remains a hallmark of its routing today. Since 2014, the club has been working with architect Frank Pont of Infinite Variety Golf Design to restore many of Simpson’s original features, including bunkering, mowing lines, and playing corridors. Like many parkland courses, Blackwell offers glimpses of other holes through wide vistas. Recent tree removal led by Frank Pont has only enhanced these views, revealing more of the landscape’s natural flow. It’s a comfortable walk with mostly gentle elevation changes. That said, finding the 10th and 16th tees was slightly confusing, and a few crossings—like the walk to the 4th tee, the tee shot on 12 across the 11th green, and again on 14—weren’t ideal. They don’t detract significantly but are worth noting given the tight footprint.
Playing conditions were excellent throughout. The course was playing firm and fast due to a dry UK summer, but it remained in great condition. Fairways offered the right blend of control and bounce, encouraging thoughtful approach play. The putting surfaces were as good as I’ve played on so far this year. They were very fast and very firm, but they ran true and were interesting in their shape and contouring. Most of the greens had run-off areas that would catch balls that were not adequately controlled. These slight ‘turtle back’ greens really tested the short game and helped the course defend its par score, despite the relatively short yardage.
The bunkering was genuinely fantastic. It’s the bunkering that really gives this course its unique character. The bunkers all fit a specific style—both irregular in shape and irregular in placement. They were pronounced, making them not just visible from the tees but intimidating too.
Several holes stood out during my round. My personal favourites were 3, 8, 11, 12, and 13. The 3rd is a great example of a good uphill hole. A brook crosses the hole at an angle starting at 270 yards from the back tees. This means all but the biggest of hitters can attempt to carry it off the tee. With a long uphill second shot looming, the challenge is to play a shot as close to the brook as you dare without running into it. The second shot is up to an elevated green, and anything that doesn’t start far enough right is thrown into the huge bunker short left by the fairway’s right-to-left camber.
The brook also comes into play on the 8th, where it cuts across the fairway twice before hugging the right side of the fairway up to the green. The hole is a big dogleg left where longer hitters are forced to hit a draw if they want to take advantage of their distance—but they risk out-of-bounds left or finding the stream.
The 11th was one of the most unique par 3s I’ve played. The huge green is set at a 45-degree angle, with five bunkers short and two bunkers long forming an intimidating matrix of decisions. Played from the back it measures 220 yards, but a clever layout allows shorter players the option to run a shot up if they can carry the leftmost bunker. The pin at back-right likely offers the best playing experience.
The 12th and 13th also stood out. The downhill 13th is heavily guarded by three bunkers and the brook that cuts across the front of the playing surface. The green is shallow, so a precise shot is required. And the 12th—a reachable par 5—is protected by a worm-like bunker up the left side that forces players into a decision early. Even if you take the “safe” route, the third shot demands precision to avoid the front left greenside bunker.
The stretch from holes 8 through 13 was easily the best on the course. That stretch included three par 3s, and as a set Blackwell’s par 3s are where it really shines.
The 6th is also a strong par 3. It’s defended by a very undulating green tightly guarded by four deep greenside bunkers. The edges of the green gently feed the ball off the surface into the sand. The 2nd is a long, slightly uphill par 3 and easily the weakest of what is otherwise a great set. The 9th is a hero shot over water, which isn’t my favourite style of par 3, but here the addition of a large bunker long of a green that slopes back to front towards the water adds some intrigue.
The par 4s showed good variety, from the blind, drivable 7th to the dogleg right 15th and dogleg left 17th. Each of those required tee positioning followed by an approach into an elevated green protected by deep bunkers. The 15th is a beautiful hole—its green set into the hill and framed by trees with a bunker low right. The 10th is also interesting, with a huge ‘C’-shaped bunker hugging the inside of the dogleg, and another bunker offset beyond it. Anything that doesn’t fly the first bunker or play well out to the right tends to end up in the sand.
The 5th and 7th are two of the most strategic holes on the course and benefit from firm green speeds. The short 5th offers an option to go for the green or lay up to the left of the centre-line bunker. Those who go for it better miss right. It’s not obvious off the tee, but anything left is nearly impossible to stop on the green, which slopes heavily from left to right. My ball, despite executing the shot I intended, still raced across the surface and down into the right-hand run-off area.
On 7, the fairway slopes dramatically from right to left, down to a green with run-offs on three sides—including a large collection area on the left. Most drives that are slightly short or don’t start far enough right end up here. The chip back up is a proper test to hold a small green significantly above the ball.
That said, I would have liked to see one or two longer par 4s to further vary the challenge. For longer hitters, the par 5s at 4 and 8 both play more like long par 4s. The 4th, although reachable in two, is guarded by two large bunkers protecting the entire entrance to the green. A long iron has to carry them without running through. A second shot from the first cut will rarely offer the control needed to hold the surface. Still, I’m not usually a fan of really short par 5s, but the ones here had plenty of risk and reward.
Blackwell currently ranks 78th in England, but I do believe it could be ranked a little higher than that and is perhaps unfairly knocked because it’s a parkland course.** The recent tree removal and bunker changes are now close to maximising the land available, and I think the size of the footprint also puts a ceiling on its ranking. Rarely does a golf course have 18 great—or even good—holes, and I personally thought there were a few average holes that count against it. The ones that come to mind most were the opening two holes, which to me were a little forgettable, the course begging to shine from the third.
Overall, however, I was very impressed with Blackwell. Parkland courses often feel cramped and tight, but what Blackwell have done is create a parkland course that feels big and grand without the need for the course to be 7000+ yards. The layout is strategic rather than punishing and allows you to hit driver on most holes if you want, but often asks that you hit a certain shot shape or carry a specific number or hit a narrow window for you to reap the rewards and not get punished by a bunker or a bad angle into a sloping green. That’s the essence of what makes Blackwell so fun—the course gives all levels of golfer a chance whilst constantly asking them to think strategically, whilst tempting them into biting off more than they can chew. This is parkland golf at its grandest, but without losing any of the charm and quaintness of a very traditional English club.
Jason H
The latest ranking of the Top 100 Golf Courses in the World serves as the ultimate global golf bucket list. Most members of our World Top 100 Panel are seasoned golfers, each playing 20-30 of these courses annually while travelling extensively over decades to form their opinions on others. We recognise that opinions vary—even among our panel members. Rankings are subjective, and there are undoubtedly 50 or more courses in the UK and USA alone that could easily fit onto this list. Links Golf Pilgrimages The rankings
California, United States
New Jersey, United States
Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
New York, United States
New York, United States
Top 10 Golf Courses in Worcestershire 2015 Worcestershire Best in County rankings updated Explore the Sports section of the official Visit Worcestershire website and you’ll find references to historical venues such as Shelsley Walsh (which has held motor sport events since 1905), Worcester County Cricket Club (where the sound of leather on willow has been heard since 1865), and Worcester Racecourse, one of the oldest equine racetracks in Great Britain, founded in 1718. Click the website’s link for Golf and you’ll find only three clubs listed: Wharton Park Golf & Country Club, The Abbey Hotel, Golf & Spa and Hagley Golf & Country Club. Now, for a county with over thirty clubs in membership of the regional golf Union, we think its golf facilities deserve better coverage than that. Just as well then that we maintain a Top 10 chart for Worcestershire, featuring the best courses on offer in the region. We’ve just updated the county ranking positions and it’s “as you were” regarding the number 1 position, with the beautiful parkland course at Blackwell retaining the top spot. Herbert Fowler and Tom Simpson laid out this classic old track in 1923 and it occupies a place in our Top 100 for England. It’s a layout that recent reviewers have certainly appreciated, with comments like: “classy… always in excellent condition… one of the best club/course combinations around”. Three courses follow Blackwell into positions 2, 3 and 4, with each of them rising two places to their new slot in the chart. The first of these is Worcester Golf & Country Club, a fine Alister MacKenzie design from 1927. The next one is Moseley Golf Club, which was remodelled in 1918 by another big name architect, Harry Colt, and the third climber is Worcestershire Golf Club, which was founded in 1879, making it the oldest club in the county. Stourbridge is a new entry in the rankings at number 9, and its original 9-hole course was set out on the old Pedmore racetrack in 1892. The club’s modern day 18-hole layout has recently had its holes re-sequenced so that a round now ends in front of the clubhouse. Another newcomer at number 10 is Evesham, where the fairways are laid out the banks of the River Avon, configured in rather an unorthodox manner with nine greens and eighteen tee positions. We’d like to thank everybody in this region who contributed to our re-ranking process. To view more details of the courses in our Worcestershire Top 10 rankings, click this link. If you’ve played extensively across this region and would like to help us with the next edition of the chart then please drop Editor-in-Chief Keith Baxter an email at keith@top100golfcourses.com. Jim McCann Editor Top 100 Golf Courses
England is home to some of the best golf courses in the world, and its five highest-ranked layouts can be played without being a member. From a 15-time Open venue on the Kent coast to some of the finest heathland golf in Surrey and Berkshire, plus a spectacular links course in Cornwall, these are the five highest-ranked courses in England that welcome visiting golfers. Royal St. George’s Golf Club (Kent) World Ranking: 19th | England ranking: 1st | Green fee: £430 Royal St George’s offers the chance to play one of England’s most historic and challenging links courses. Founded in 1887, it was the first English course to host the Open and has staged the championship 15 times, including the most recent edition in 2021. Routed through towering dunes in a loose figure of eight, Royal St George’s has undulating fairways, uneven lies and plenty of elevation changes that can make even seemingly straightforward shots difficult. The fourth hole is particularly memorable, with a huge bunker carved into a towering dune guarding the fairway. Despite its reputation as a demanding championship test, the course is as enjoyable to explore as it is difficult to score on. Wildflowers and dune grasses line the fairways, while views stretch across Pegwell Bay towards the white cliffs beyond. Add in distinctive features such as the thatched shelters and St George’s flags, and there is plenty to keep you entertained between the inevitable moments of frustration. Sunningdale Golf Club - Old Course (Surrey) World Ranking: 22nd | England ranking: 2nd | Green fee: £485 The Old course at Sunningdale is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful inland courses in the British Isles. Opened in 1901 by Willie Park Jr, it was one of the first great courses to emerge from the Surrey and Berkshire sand-belt, with Harry Colt later reshaping the layout and giving it the intimate, tree-lined character it has today. Pine, birch, oak and heather frame the fairways, while the firm heathland turf makes Sunningdale a joy to walk and play. The course has hosted plenty of memorable golf, too, including Bobby Jones’ remarkable 66 in Open qualifying in 1926 and Nick Faldo’s 62 at the 1986 European Open. The 10th is a particular highlight, with its elevated tee offering a spectacular view before the halfway hut provides one of golf’s more welcome rewards. The 15th, a 226-yard par three, is another standout. For golfers visiting England, Sunningdale Old offers a classic heathland experience in one of the country's finest golfing regions. Sunningdale Golf Club - New Course (Surrey) World Ranking: 41st | England ranking: 3rd | Green fee: £485 The New course at Sunningdale provides a rather different experience to its famous older sibling. Opened in 1923 and designed by Harry Colt, it is more open and rugged than the Old, with elevated tees, heathery terrain and long carries placing a greater emphasis on driving. At 6,700 yards and par 70, the New is no pushover, with narrow fairways and plenty of undulation making it a particularly demanding test from the back tees. Even the professionals have struggled to make it look easy: Jack Nicklaus once held the course record with a 67 before Graeme Storm carded a remarkable 62 during Open qualifying in 2009. The course has also benefited from an ongoing tree-management programme, allowing more heather to return and restoring views across Chobham Common. The fifth, a picturesque par three played across the heath, is one of the highlights. The result is a course that rewards good driving without becoming a purely distance-based test, with the heathland setting providing plenty of visual interest along the way. St Enodoc Golf Club - Church Course (Cornwall) World Ranking: 49th | England ranking: 4th | Green fee: £190 St Enodoc is unlike almost any other links course in England. Overlooking the Camel Estuary in Rock, with views across to Padstow, the Church Course takes its name from the 13th-century church that sits beside the 10th green. Remarkably, the building was completely buried by sand in the 19th century before being excavated in 1863. Founded in 1891 and redesigned by James Braid in 1907, St Enodoc is defined by its towering dunes and constantly changing terrain, where no two holes feel quite the same. The sixth is the course's signature hole, demanding two blind shots over the towering 'Himalayas' dune to reach the hidden green. The 10th, played across a natural valley to a narrow fairway below, is another memorable challenge. If your ball strays towards the churchyard, you'll also find the grave of Poet Laureate John Betjeman, whose poem Seaside Golf was inspired by the course. The combination of huge dunes, unusual holes and views across the Camel Estuary makes St Enodoc a particularly distinctive addition to any English golf trip. Swinley Forest Golf Club (Berkshire) World Ranking: 52nd | England ranking: 5th Swinley Forest offers a quieter, more understated version of heathland golf on the Surrey and Berkshire sand-belt. Set among mature pines and heather, it has a wonderfully quiet atmosphere and an old-fashioned character that is increasingly difficult to find. The firm, fast-running fairways and purple heather in summer give it all the hallmarks of classic heathland golf. Designed by Harry Colt and opened in 1909, Swinley measures around 6,400 yards and plays to a par of 69. The short holes are particularly strong, with a varied collection of one-shotters that require careful club selection. Around the greens, false fronts, run-offs and subtle slopes provide plenty of opportunities for a good round to unravel. For much of its history, Swinley was an intensely private club where visitors were few and far between. It now welcomes green-fee golfers, although the club retains much of its distinctive character. The result is a course that feels removed from the modern world, with little of the glamour associated with some of its better-known neighbours. For golfers who enjoy traditional heathland golf, that simplicity is a large part of Swinley's appeal. Green fees quoted are summer 2027 rates where available.
The city of Cambridge sits close enough to the Gog Magog Hills to claim two outstanding parkland layouts on its doorstep, and within a short drive you will find Royal Worlington and Newmarket Golf Club — ranked #87 in England and widely regarded as the finest nine-hole course in the world. For the business traveller staying in the city centre or the leisure golfer planning a long weekend, this compact corner of East Anglia delivers far more quality per mile than its flat fenland reputation suggests. Top 3 Golf Courses in Cambridge Best Golf Course in Cambridge — Royal Worlington and Newmarket Golf Club #1 in Suffolk | #87 in England | #3 in East England Access: Contact Club Prior to Visit Best Time to Visit: April to October Distance from City Centre: 40 km (25 miles) — approximately 40 minutes via the A14 and A11 Tom Dunn laid out these nine holes on sandy Suffolk soil in 1893, and Harry Colt refined them a generation later. Bernard Darwin, who chose two holes here among the 18 greatest inland holes in Britain, dubbed the layout the Sacred Nine — a name that has stuck for good reason. The home course of Cambridge University Golf Club since its founding, Royal Worlington plays faster and firmer than almost any inland course in England, with green complexes that demand imagination and precision in equal measure. Note that this course sits beyond the standard 30-minute drive from Cambridge city centre, but its national ranking and unique standing in golf history make the extra distance worthwhile. #2 Golf Course in Cambridge — The Gog Magog Golf Club (Old) #1 in Cambridgeshire Access: Contact Club Prior to Visit Best Time to Visit: April to October Distance from City Centre: 8 km (5 miles) — approximately 15 minutes Established in 1901 on the chalk escarpment of the Gog Magog Hills, this centurion layout rises south from the city across terrain that surprised Bernard Darwin when he first played it: undulating, fast-draining downland in one of England's flattest counties. Willie Park Junior, John Abercromby and Martin Hawtree have each shaped the course over more than a hundred years, and the result is 6,398 yards of accuracy-first parkland where rare perennial flax blooms blue in the rough each summer. The par-three 13th, played over a depression to a green with a spinney lurking left, is as good a one-shotter as the region produces. Host of the Lagonda Trophy since 1975, the Old course counts Lee Westwood, Luke Donald and Andy Sullivan among its past winners. #3 Golf Course in Cambridge — The Gog Magog Golf Club (Wandlebury) #2 in Cambridgeshire Access: Contact Club Prior to Visit Best Time to Visit: April to October Distance from City Centre: 8 km (5 miles) — approximately 15 minutes Sharing the same hilltop address as the Old course, the Wandlebury opened in 1997 after Martin Hawtree combined eleven new holes across freshly acquired downland with seven from an earlier nine-hole layout. At 6,735 yards it plays longer than its sibling and carries its own credentials: the R&A selected it for Open Championship Regional Qualifying between 2007 and 2011. The join between old and new holes is softening with time, and some members prefer the Wandlebury's flow to the Old. Stone Age flint tools discovered on the 4th fairway during construction — following a mandatory archaeological survey — add another dimension to a course that already has one of the finest settings in East Anglia. Can't Play the Top 3? Try These Instead The Links Golf Club, Newmarket #4 in Cambridgeshire Access: Visitors Welcome Best Time to Visit: April to October Distance from City Centre: 22 km (14 miles) — approximately 25 minutes Set out in 1902 on the southeast perimeter of Newmarket racecourse. Colonel S.V. Hotchkin — the architect behind Woodhall Spa's Hotchkin course — redesigned the layout in the 1930s and his work remains largely unchanged today. A training track known as the Gallops surrounds the course and at the 7th and 15th, the tee shot must clear the white racecourse rails before reaching the fairway. The bunkers are numerous and classically placed, with a full fairway-width specimen guarding the approach at the left-doglegging 16th that is as old-fashioned and effective as any hazard on the course. Royston Golf Club #28 in Hertfordshire Access: Visitors Welcome Best Time to Visit: April to October Distance from City Centre: 22 km (14 miles) — approximately 20 minutes Laid out by Harry Vardon on chalk heathland straddling the Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire border, Royston is one of the most unusual courses within reach of Cambridge — hilly, exposed and entirely unlike the flat fenland landscape that surrounds it. At 5,910 yards and par 70, the course offers no refuge in length, but the fast-draining chalk base keeps conditions firm and true year-round, and the rough in summer plays as demanding as heather. Nick Faldo won the junior championship here. The first formal golf course was recorded on this ground in 1869, making Royston one of the oldest clubs in England, and the layout has changed little since Andrew Kirkaldy became the club's first professional in 1893. More Golf Courses Near Cambridge Beyond the top five, Cambridge sits within an hour of several other ranked courses worth exploring. In Cambridgeshire itself, Ely City Golf Club — a Henry Cotton design opened in 1973 by Lee Trevino — lies 24 km (15 miles) north of the city, while St Ives (Hunts) Golf Club, Cambridge Country Club (Bourn) and Cambridge Meridian Golf Club each provide solid parkland golf within 30 km to the north and west. Cross into Suffolk and the county's heathland gems open up: the nationally ranked Ipswich Golf Club (Purdis Heath) and Aldeburgh Golf Club (Championship) are further east but reward the drive for golfers building an East Anglian itinerary. For a full ranked and reviewed list of courses across the region, visit top100golfcourses.com. Frequently Asked Questions What is the best golf course in Cambridge? Royal Worlington and Newmarket Golf Club is the highest-ranked course within reach of Cambridge, sitting at #87 in England. Known as the Sacred Nine, this nine-hole Suffolk layout is widely considered the finest nine-hole course in the world and has been the home course of Cambridge University Golf Club since 1893. For golfers wanting the best course within 15 minutes of the city centre, The Gog Magog Golf Club (Old) is ranked #1 in Cambridgeshire and has hosted the Lagonda Trophy since 1975. Is golf in Cambridge open to visitors? The Gog Magog Golf Club requires visitors to contact the club in advance to arrange a tee time. Royal Worlington and Newmarket Golf Club also operates on an advance-booking basis, with visitors required to have an official handicap certificate. The Links Golf Club in Newmarket and Royston Golf Club both welcome visitors and allow direct booking. When is the best time to play golf in Cambridge? April to October offers the most reliable conditions, with longer daylight hours and firmer, faster surfaces as the season progresses. The chalk and sand-based courses — Royal Worlington, the Gog Magog layouts and Royston — drain exceptionally well and remain playable through most of the winter, making Cambridge a viable golf destination outside the peak season. Getting There Cambridge station sits on the Great Northern main line, with direct services to London Kings Cross taking from 49 minutes. The station is approximately 2 km (1 mile) from the city centre. Nearest airport: London Stansted Airport (STN), 48 km (30 miles) south of Cambridge city centre, approximately 35 minutes by road to the Gog Magog Golf Club. For international connections: London Heathrow Airport (LHR), 110 km (68 miles) southwest of Cambridge city centre, approximately 80 minutes by road under normal traffic conditions. Best Time to Play Golf in Cambridge The golf season in Cambridge runs comfortably from April through October, with May, June and September representing the sweet spot of firm ground, reliable weather and manageable course pressure. The chalk and sand-based courses — Royal Worlington, the Gog Magog layouts and Royston — drain exceptionally well and remain playable through most of the winter, making Cambridge a more viable year-round golf destination than much of East England. Summer brings long evenings and the blue flax rough in flower on the Gog Magog hills. Autumn sharpens the light and empties the courses. Spring offers the best green fees for early-season visitors willing to take a chance on the weather. Plan Your Cambridge Golf Trip For full rankings, course reviews and visitor information, visit top100golfcourses.com. Use the site to compare courses across Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Hertfordshire, read panellist reviews and build your East Anglian golf itinerary from one of the most comprehensive golf course databases in the world.
