Sheringham Golf Club is a clifftop holiday destination on the North Norfolk coast, laid out by Tom Dunn in 1891 and extended to eighteen holes in 1898. Bordered by the North Sea and North Norfolk Railway, the par-70 layout has hosted three English Women's Championships, including Joyce Wethered's 1920 title.
Sheringham Golf Club
Sheringham Golf Club is a clifftop holiday destination on the North Norfolk coast, laid out by Tom Dunn in 1891 and extended to eighteen holes in 1898. Bordered by the North Sea and North Norfolk Railway, the par-70 layout has hosted three English Women's Championships, including Joyce Wethered's 1920 title.
Sheringham Golf Club occupies a narrow strip of clifftop turf wedged between the North Sea and the North Norfolk Railway, within the Norfolk Coast National Landscape. Several holes on the front nine run directly along the cliff edge, producing some of the most exposed sea views on the Norfolk coast. The club has hosted three English Women's Championships and is scheduled to host the English Senior Women's Stroke Play Championship in 2027.
Sheringham Golf Club was founded in 1891 on land donated by the Upcher family, prominent Norfolk landowners. Tom Dunn laid out the original nine holes, which opened for play in 1892, and a second nine was added in 1898 to complete the eighteen-hole course. Early members included polar explorers Captain Robert Falcon Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton, alongside Sherlock Holmes author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who is said to have named one of Holmes's adversaries, Moriarty, after a fellow club member he defeated in a club competition.
In 1920, the club hosted the English Women's Championship, won by Joyce Wethered. After holing the winning putt on the 17th green, Wethered was asked whether a passing steam train had distracted her and reportedly said she had not noticed any train at all. The 17th hole has been known as ‘What Train?’ ever since.
In November 2024, the club appointed Martin Ebert of Mackenzie & Ebert to oversee a ten-year course masterplan, prompted by a member survey that raised concerns about the bunkers. Research into the club's historical archives showed the number of bunkers had fallen from more than 140 to 85 over the previous 70 years. The first phase of work, covering the 14th and 16th holes, was completed in April 2026 and introduced a new bunker beside the railway boundary, formed by combining two existing cross bunkers on the 14th.
The course occupies an elevated, narrow site bounded on one side by the cliff edge and on the other by the North Norfolk Railway, with several holes running close to each boundary. The front nine climbs onto the clifftop from the third hole, with a run of holes tracking the sea before the course turns inland through gorse-covered terrain. The closing holes run alongside the steam and diesel services of the North Norfolk Railway, which border several fairways.
The club's current renovation has focused on rebuilding greenside bunkers using the Ecobunker construction method, chosen for its durability in Norfolk's dry climate and high round volume. New tees, fairway reshaping, and a potential double green are part of the wider ten-year masterplan, with the next phase covering several of the par-three holes due to begin in October 2026.
Sheringham combines a clifftop setting with a routing dictated by two fixed boundaries: the cliff edge and the railway line. The ongoing Mackenzie & Ebert masterplan, beginning with the rebuilt bunkers on the 14th and 16th, points towards a course being restored in keeping with its early twentieth-century character rather than altered beyond recognition. Its three English Women's Championships and the upcoming 2027 Senior Women's fixture give the club a competitive history that outweighs its modest length.
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Pro Shop
Locker Rooms with Showers
Short game practice area
Driving Range
Par 3 Course
Closest Airport
Norwich (25mi) & Stansted (110mi)
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
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East England, or East Anglia, is one of the most underappreciated golf destinations in the country. From the wild tidal links of North Norfolk to the Golden Age parkland of the Hertfordshire Chilterns, the region spans a remarkable breadth of golf experience across six counties. The rankings across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk span well over 100 courses, ranging from genuine national-calibre venues to thriving county clubs that reward the travelling golfer. See the East of England (East Anglia) Rankings What gives East England its appeal is the sheer variety on offer. Norfolk and Suffolk deliver heathland and links golf in equal measure. Hertfordshire punches well above its weight with an extraordinary concentration of Golden Age architecture. Essex presents some of the best parkland courses within an hour of London. Best Golf Courses at a Glance Norfolk Royal West Norfolk Golf Club holds its position as the county's finest course, as it has done for generations. Designed by Holcombe Ingleby in 1892, this tidal links at Brancaster is one of golf's most singular experiences. The clubhouse becomes an island at high tide, and both the 8th and 9th holes are subject to the sea. Few courses in England are more authentic or more demanding in wind. Hunstanton Golf Club holds second place, and remains the most accessible of Norfolk's elite links. With a history of hosting major amateur events including the Brabazon Trophy and the British Amateur, Hunstanton is not merely a county course but a venue of national standing. James Braid was among those to shape its layout, and Martin Hawtree has overseen recent improvements. Sheringham Golf Club sits third, its clifftop setting on the North Norfolk coast providing views that match almost anything in British golf. Royal Cromer Golf Club follows at fourth, another clifftop course with championship heritage and a loyal following among links purists. Royal Norwich completes the top five. Movement within the Norfolk rankings sees Thetford Golf Club rise to sixth, ahead of King's Lynn Golf Club, which slips one place to seventh. Great Yarmouth & Caister holds eighth, Eaton ninth, and Barnham Broom (Valley) rounds out the Norfolk top ten. Suffolk Suffolk's rankings see notable movement at the top, with Aldeburgh Golf Club (Championship) rising to first. Founded in 1884, Aldeburgh is one of England's oldest heathland courses and carries one of the finest architectural lineages in the region — original layouts by Willie Fernie and John Thompson were refined by Willie Park Junior and J.H. Taylor, then further shaped by Harry Colt and C.H. Alison in the 1920s. Mackenzie & Ebert are currently overseeing a significant programme of improvements. With its deep sleeper-faced bunkers and gorse-lined corridors along the Alde estuary, Aldeburgh is as demanding as it is beautiful. Ipswich Golf Club (Purdis Heath) drops to second from its previous top position. Royal Worlington & Newmarket Golf Club holds third, its nine-hole layout on the Breckland heaths widely regarded as one of the finest short courses in the world. Woodbridge Golf Club (Heath) is fourth. Flempton rises to fifth from seventh, one of Suffolk's notable movers in this cycle. Thorpeness Golf Club drops two places to sixth. Bury St Edmunds holds seventh, while Felixstowe Ferry Golf Club (Martello) drops two to eighth. Stowmarket holds ninth and Bungay & Waveney Valley completes the Suffolk top ten. Hertfordshire Ashridge leads the county, as it consistently has. Designed by Major C.K. Hutchison, Sir Guy Campbell and Colonel S.V. Hotchkin and opened in 1932, with further refinements from Tom Simpson, Ashridge sits within the National Trust's Chiltern Hills estate and is regularly cited by architects including Tom Doak as one of the finest parkland courses in Britain. Henry Cotton was club professional here when he won the 1937 Open at Carnoustie. Few clubs in Hertfordshire can match its combination of architectural pedigree and natural setting. The Grove holds second. Berkhamsted rises one place to third — its unique layout without artificial bunkers, shaped in part by Harry Colt and James Braid, remains one of the more distinctive tests in the south of England. Moor Park (High) drops to fourth. Centurion holds fifth. Cambridgeshire Gog Magog (Old) heads the county, a position it has occupied since the club was established in 1901 on the chalky hills south of Cambridge. Willie Park Junior advised on early bunkering, James Braid later made modifications, and Mackenzie & Ebert have overseen recent bunker restoration work on both courses. Gog Magog (Wandlebury) rises to second, ahead of Saffron Walden Golf Club, which drops from second to third. Links Golf Club – Newmarket holds fourth. The most significant development in Cambridgeshire is the debut of Peterborough Milton at fifth — a new entry that reflects an expanded geographic boundary for this ranking cycle and a broader view of the county's playing landscape. Essex Thorndon Park Golf Club leads Essex, holding the top spot with Orsett Golf Club second and Chelmsford Golf Club third. Chigwell Golf Club holds fourth while Abridge Golf Club rises one place to fifth. Bedfordshire John O'Gaunt Golf Club (John O'Gaunt) leads Bedfordshire, with Dunstable Downs Golf Club second and Aspley Guise & Woburn Sands third. Millbrook Golf Club holds fourth and Bedfordshire (Championship) fifth. All five positions are unchanged from the previous ranking. It is also worth noting that Luton Hoo, previously listed in the county rankings, is now closed for renovations. What the Rankings Tell Us Norfolk's Links Duopoly Royal West Norfolk and Hunstanton represent something rare in English golf — two courses within a few miles of each other that would hold their own in any company on the British Isles. The North Norfolk coast from Brancaster to Hunstanton is as compelling a short stretch of links golf as exists in England, and both clubs maintain strict traditions that preserve the spirit of the game as much as the architecture. Suffolk's Architectural Heritage Aldeburgh's move to the top of the Suffolk rankings is a reflection of the ongoing investment in its Championship Course. The Colt and Alison connection — two of Golden Age architecture's most influential figures — provides a foundation that few English heathland courses can rival. With Mackenzie & Ebert's programme of improvements now well advanced and in play for 2026, Aldeburgh is increasingly recognised beyond East Anglia as a course of genuine national significance. Hertfordshire's Golden Age Density Ashridge, Berkhamsted, Sandy Lodge and Porters Park all carry Golden Age credentials within a relatively compact area of west Hertfordshire. The involvement of Hutchison, Campbell, Hotchkin and Tom Simpson at Ashridge, and Colt and Braid at Berkhamsted, means that golfers exploring this part of the county are playing on ground shaped by the most influential architects of the early twentieth century. Cambridgeshire's Expanding Footprint The arrival of Peterborough Milton in the Cambridgeshire rankings reflects a wider trend across the 2025–2026 cycle, as geographic boundaries are revisited to better represent county-wide depth. The Gog Magog complex south of Cambridge continues to anchor the county, with ongoing restoration work by Mackenzie & Ebert ensuring both the Old and Wandlebury courses maintain their position among the best in the east of England. Planning Your East England Golf Trip The natural starting point for any visit is the North Norfolk coast. Royal West Norfolk at Brancaster and Hunstanton are within a short drive of each other, and a two-day visit combining both — with an afternoon at Sheringham or Royal Cromer on the second day — makes for one of the most rewarding short breaks in English golf. The narrow roads, flint-walled villages and tidal marshland give the experience a character unlike anywhere else in the country. See the East of England (East Anglia) Rankings Suffolk rewards those who venture slightly further. Aldeburgh is a natural anchor for a Suffolk trip, pairing well with the unique nine-hole experience at Royal Worlington & Newmarket, Woodbridge and Thorpeness. Aldeburgh is a good base for accommodation, with the wider coastal landscape of the Suffolk Heritage Coast providing things to see and do for a multi-day stay. Hertfordshire is most naturally combined with a visit to the wider London commuter belt. Ashridge is the centrepiece, but Berkhamsted, Moor Park and Centurion are all within easy reach, making the western Hertfordshire stretch a viable destination for golfers based in London. For golfers looking to cover the whole region, a logical route might run from Hertfordshire northward through Cambridgeshire to the Norfolk coast, before cutting south through Suffolk on the return. Six counties, more than 100 ranked courses, and a range of golf terrain that would satisfy most tastes several times over.
Top 10 Golf Courses in Norfolk 2015 Norfolk Best In County rankings updated Norfolk is best known to many as the flat, low lying county in eastern England where The Broads form a network of navigable, lock-free rivers and canals, providing many with a wide variety of leisure pursuits, from those “messing about on boats” to “twitchers” searching for rare birds among the many acres of wetlands. Sandringham is perhaps the most famous stately home in Norfolk and this 8,000-hectare country retreat is a much loved home of the Royal family. Travel a few miles to the north of Sandringham and you’ll arrive at Hunstanton, where the golf gets rather good. Seven miles to the east of Hunstanton you’ll find Brancaster where the golf is even better. Royal West Norfolk and Hunstanton are jewels in the crown of Norfolk golf and both (while very different links experiences) are not only friendly rivals, but also golfing household names. Keep heading eastwards along the coast and you’ll come to Sheringham Golf Club where there’s a fine cliff edge course that’s often incorrectly labelled as a links. Its next-door neighbour, Royal Cromer, is also perched on the cliffs and these two clubs share a similar rivalry to that of Hunstanton and Brancaster. Norfolk rivalry continues inland at King’s Lynn and Thetford where these two forest courses vie for prominence. As far as ranking positions are concerned, there’s not a lot to choose between these three pairs of very different courses. Brancaster edges Hunstanton, not in terms of playing difficulty, but by quintessential charm. The gap between Sheringham and Cromer has recently narrowed but the former remains marginally ahead in our 2015 Norfolk Best In County rankings. King’s Lynn swaps places with Thetford this time round, but once again the gap was remarkably close and both these courses genuinely deserve wider recognition. Further down the table, Great Yarmouth & Caister stays in 7th spot, while local rivals Eaton and Royal Norwich swap places, with Eaton moving up to 8th position. Things are currently on hold for Royal Norwich as the club is planning to relocate from Hellesdon to Weston Park (which re-enters our Norfolk rankings in position number 10 at the expense of Wensum Valley). The idea is that European Golf Design’s Ross McMurray will refashion the course at Weston Park, which will eventually become the home ground for both clubs. To see our new 2015 Norfolk Top 10, click the link. If you have played golf extensively across any English county and would like to have your say, please contact me (keith@top100golfcourses.com). In the meanwhile a big thank you to everyone who contributed to our Norfolk Best In County ranking process. Keith Baxter Editor-in-Chief Top 100 Golf Courses
Royal Cromer Golf Club, Cromer, Norfolk, England Click any of the large images to return to the main Royal Cromer page All photographs courtesy of Royal Cromer Golf Club 14th hole 18th hole 1st and 18th holes 6th hole 14th tee 1st tee 8th hole to the left 7th hole 16th hole
