England's East Midlands may not draw the same headlines as the links coastlines of Lancashire or the heathland corridors of Surrey, but the region's ranked courses tell a compelling story about architectural heritage, quiet excellence, and a handful of layouts that can match almost anything in the country. Spread across Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire, the region holds some of the finest inland and coastal golf in England. For travelling golfers willing to venture beyond the obvious, this is genuinely rewarding territory.
The region's golfing identity is rooted in the Golden Age. Names such as Willie Park Junior, Harry Colt, Alister MacKenzie, James Braid and Tom Williamson are woven through the county rankings, and it is their work that gives the East Midlands golf so much of its character. More recent renovation projects, including Tom Doak's celebrated work at Woodhall Spa, have refreshed rather than reimagined these originals, ensuring they continue to rank among the finest courses the country has to offer.
The five counties that make up the East Midlands region each carry their own distinct golfing character. Nottinghamshire leads the region for sheer depth of quality and commands the greatest presence in the national rankings. Lincolnshire provides the region's outstanding heathland destination alongside a compelling traditional links. Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland, and Northamptonshire each add architectural variety to a region that rewards proper exploration.
Stability at the Summit
The most striking feature of the current East Midlands rankings is the consistency at the head of each county table. All five county number ones — Cavendish, Luffenham Heath, Woodhall Spa's Hotchkin, Northamptonshire County and Hollinwell — have held their positions across multiple ranking cycles, a testament to the enduring quality of their original design. Three of the five carry the influence of Harry Colt, directly or through his design partners, and two others bear the unmistakable stamp of Alister MacKenzie and Willie Park Junior, respectively. When Golden Age architecture is in good health, it tends to stay at the top.
Nottinghamshire's Heathland Spine
No county in the East Midlands matches Nottinghamshire for depth of quality, with three courses among the finest in England and a county list that extends to fifteen ranked layouts.
Lincolnshire's Twin Anchors
Lincolnshire's position in the regional hierarchy rests on two very different propositions. Woodhall Spa's Hotchkin course defines heathland golf in England, and its Tom Doak-led restoration has drawn renewed admiration from panellists across the country. Seacroft, meanwhile, provides a completely contrasting experience: a no-frills, old-fashioned Willie Fernie links on the Lincolnshire coast that rewards those prepared to make the journey to Skegness. Together, they give the county a compelling two-course case to any travelling golfer.
The Architect Legacy
MacKenzie is the presiding genius in Derbyshire via Cavendish — a Buxton hillside layout he designed for the Duke of Devonshire in. Northamptonshire County, Harry Colt's 1909 design with subsequent contributions from James Braid, C.K. Cotton and Donald Steel, carries perhaps the most illustrious list of design consultants in the region. Luffenham Heath near Rutland Water was C.H. Alison's work — from the Colt & Alison partnership — subsequently revised by Braid and Cotton, then given a major bunker renovation by Martin Hawtree in 2003.
2017: The First Regional Top 10
The inaugural East Midlands regional Top 10 was published in May 2017 as part of a new seven-region framework for England, replacing the previous county-by-county format. Woodhall Spa's Hotchkin headed the list by some distance, with Hollinwell second and Sherwood Forest third. Notable in that first edition were the respective Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire county introductions: Cavendish returned to head the Derbyshire rankings after a period of inconsistency, while Coxmoor was recognised mid-way through a decade-long heathland restoration project. Tom Doak's then-ongoing renovation work at Woodhall Spa was highlighted as the region's most significant course development.
2019: Post-Renovation Momentum
Two years later, the rankings were refreshed with a county-by-county reappraisal. The headline news in Lincolnshire was the completion of Tom Doak's three-year renovation of the Hotchkin, which drew effusive praise from panellists, noting that tree clearance and bunker improvements had left the course looking better than at any point in recent memory.
In Leicestershire & Rutland, Rothley Park climbed following consultancy work by Tom Mackenzie, while the 9-hole Charnwood Forest course also advanced. The Nottinghamshire listing welcomed Oakmere Park's Admirals course as a new entry following Frank Pennink's original layout, receiving bunker renovations from Tom Mackenzie, and Northamptonshire saw Peterborough Milton rise on the back of continued good form.
2023: Expansion and New Panels
The most substantial revision prior to the current edition arrived in August 2023, with new ranking panels assembled for every county and a significant expansion of the listed courses. All five county number ones retained their positions for a third successive cycle.
For travelling golfers, the East Midlands rewards a strategic approach. Nottinghamshire makes the most compelling single-county destination, with Hollinwell, Sherwood Forest and Coxmoor all accessible within a short drive and representing three distinctive forms of English inland golf. Add Worksop, where Lee Westwood learned his craft, for a fourth round that requires no great diversion, and a Nottinghamshire golf break begins to look genuinely appetising.
Lincolnshire demands a slightly different mindset. Woodhall Spa is destination golf in its own right — the Hotchkin alone justifies the journey from virtually anywhere in England, and the Bracken course provides a perfectly capable supporting act. The drive to Seacroft adds a links element, completing a well-rounded county visit.
Northamptonshire County in Church Brampton is the anchor for any visit to the south of the region, with Wellingborough and Northampton within straightforward reach.
For those drawn to architectural history, Cavendish in Buxton and Luffenham Heath near Rutland Water offer two of the most distinctive Golden Age experiences in the Midlands, and both are often overlooked by those unfamiliar with the region's riches.
For the complete county-by-county rankings and course listings, visit Top100GolfCourses.com.
The five counties in our East Midlands region – Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire – kick off our somewhat overdue regional re-ranking process for England. And over the coming months, we’ll produce similar updated listings for another six geographical groupings across the country. We’ve assembled new ranking panels for every county so you might expect to see a few new courses going forward. Indeed, in this edition, we’ve added thirteen to the fifty that we already featured, including another five for both Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. The #1 spot in each of these five East Midlands counties remains the same but there’s still quite a bit happening lower down in every table. Derbyshire The course at Cavendish Golf Club in Buxton (pictured above) took over the top position in Derbyshire in 2017 and it remains at #1 after this English county chart revision exercise. Laid out by Alister MacKenzie almost a hundred years ago, the 18-hole layout is currently undergoing a long-term renovation by playing member and respected architect Jonathan Gaunt. Chevin The course at Chevin Golf Club in Duffield entered our Derbyshire standings at #8 in 2015, dropping down one place in 2019, but it’s now our biggest county climber, rising three places to #6. Established as a 9-hole track by William Lowe, brother of George Lowe who designed Royal Lytham & St Annes, the course was inaugurated by Tom Williamson and James Braid playing an exhibition match on 13th October, 1894. Morley Hayes The first of two new entries appears at #11 and it’s the Manor course at Morley Hayes outside Morley, which Ray Baldwin designed thirty years ago. It’s part of an enterprising 27-hole facility that includes the short 9-hole Tower course, with water hazards featuring in the form of fairway ditches and ponds positioned close to greens. Chapel-en-le-Frith Our second newcomer for Derbyshire at #12 is the course at Chapel-en-le-Frith near Buxton, where the original 9-hole course that was built in 1905 served golfers for more than sixty years until it was expanded into an 18-hole layout by Peter Alliss and Dave Thomas in the early 1970s. The newer nine holes occupy land to the north of the B5470, with the older nine holes set out on the other side of the road, close to Combs reservoir. Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Derbyshire. Leicestershire & Rutland In 1911, C.H. Alison from Harry Colt’s design firm laid out the course at Luffenham Heath (pictured above) which now retains its status as #1 in this county. James Braid, C.K. Cotton and Martin Hawtree have all played a part in the development of this lovely layout down the years so it’s certainly not lacking in terms of design pedigree. Kirby Muxloe One of only two courses to advance up the new Top 10 county table, Kirby Muxloe (up two to #7) started out with a 9-hole Old Tom Morris layout back in 1893. The course was doubled in size between the wars and Simon Gidman has upgraded the course in more recent times, replacing a few holes and working on a number of the greens. Cosby Stapleford Park has closed and dropped out of our listings, replaced at #10 by the course at Cosby Golf Club, which was established as Narborough Golf Club in 1894. The club operated a 9-hole track until 1966, when another five holes were introduced. Two years later, four more holes were added to fashion the tree-lined 18-hole layout that’s in play today. Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Leicestershire & Rutland. Lincolnshire Currently ranked #60 in our World 100, the Hotchkin course at the National Golf Centre in Woodhall Spa (pictured above) is unlikely to be displaced from the top of the Lincolnshire chart anytime soon. Owner S.V. Hotchkin redesigned the layout in the 1920s and a recent renovation by Tom Doak’s Renaissance Golf Design team – clearing scrub, removing trees, redesigning bunkers – has breathed new life into this fabulous heathland layout. Lincoln The 18-hole layout at Lincoln Golf Club in Torskey has fluctuated between #5 and #6 in the five previous editions of this county chart but it now progresses a couple of spots to #4. Set out by J.H. Taylor as a 9-hole course at the start of the 20th century then extended by club professional Archie Earl in 1909, this part heathland/part parkland track is well worth a play. Stoke Rochford The highest of five new entries for Lincolnshire at #8, the course at Stoke Rochford Golf Club celebrates its centenary next year. W.H. Aitken modified the original 9-hole layout in 1929 before S.V. Hotchkin fashioned a new 18-hole layout six years later, replacing two of the holes that were previously played in front of Stoke Rochford Hall. Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Lincolnshire. Northamptonshire Northamptonshire County in Church Brampton (pictured above) holds on to the #1 position in the county, which is hardly a surprise considering it’s also now listed in our English Top 100 chart. Designed by Harry Colt back in 1909, the course was upgraded by James Braid immediately after World War II then both C.K. Cotton and Donald Steel made minor modifications in the 1950s and 1970s. Peterborough Milton Moving up one place to #3, the course at Peterborough Milton Golf Club is a James Braid layout that first entered our county rankings at #6 in 2011. Opened just before the start of World War II, the course has changed little since then, apart from the resequencing of holes. It’s famed locally for the condition of its flat, subtly contoured putting surfaces – and, of course, its James Braid-designed bunkers. Kettering Also rising one place in the Northamptonshire listings to #6, the 18-hole layout at Kettering Golf Club was founded in 1891, making it the oldest in the county. Old Tom Morris set out the initial 9-hole course when Club Captain John Allison, a doctor from Edinburgh Royal infirmary, invited him to peg out a course for the members on land rented from the Duke of Buccleuch. Whittlebury Park There’s one new entry at #9, comprising the Red and Yellow nines at Whittlebury Park. Golf was first played on the Whittlebury estate in 1905, evolving into the three main 9-hole loops – Yellow, Red and Blue – that are now in operation. There’s also a short par-30 White course which is looked after to the same high standards as the other nines. Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Northamptonshire. Nottinghamshire The wonderful heathland course at Hollinwell (pictured above) easily maintains its #1 position at the top of the Nottinghamshire chart. Dating back to 1901, when Notts Golf Club moved to its current location, the holes were first laid out by Willie Park Junior, with subsequent modifications made by J.H. Taylor and long-term club professional Tom Williamson. Stanton-on-the Wolds Only one course improves its position in our new county chart and it’s Stanton-on-the-Worlds (up one to #7) which is one of the many Midlands golf course designs from the prolific Tom Williamson, who spent fifty-four years at Notts Golf Club. Tight, tree-lined holes here occupy a 105-acre property on rolling terrain. Nottinghamshire Five new entries arrive in our newly enlarged Top 15 chart for Nottinghamshire, headed by the Championship course at The Nottinghamshire Golf & Country Club. The layout has benefitted in recent years from a long-term renovation project overseen by architect Paul Kimber with improvements made to a number of holes, notably the 18th which has had new tees and water features added. Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Nottinghamshire. Jim McCann Editor Top 100 Golf Courses
East Midlands of England - Best In County Rankings 2019 Five counties in our East Midlands region – Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire – feature in this article, the first of seven English course re-ranking publications to appear in advance of our revised Top 100 table for England. Covering an area of six thousand square miles, with a population of more than 4.5 million people, the East Midlands region is strategically positioned around the geographical centre of the country, in close proximity to London, but you would be hard pressed to describe it as a golfing powerhouse. Still, around 170 golf clubs operate here and four of the 18-hole layouts in this area are nationally ranked at the moment, with two of them also comfortably embedded in our Great Britain & Ireland Top 100 chart. So, without further ado, let’s have a look at each of the five counties in question. Derbyshire Six courses remain in the same position in our new Top 10 for Derbyshire, and one of these is the No. 1 layout, Cavendish, which took over at the top from Kedleston Park when we updated the listings two years ago. Located in the market town of Buxton, close to the county boundary with Cheshire, the course is a short and hilly Alister MacKenzie layout that has managed to retain many of its original design traits. Cavendish Golf Club Architect Jonathan Gaunt feels the course also had a large bearing on one of MacKenzie’s most famous courses: “Cavendish had quite a bit of influence on the making of Augusta National… with its relatively wide and sloping fairways, carefully and strategically-placed bunkers, meandering water hazards and dangerous greens… so much of what golfers love about Augusta can be found at Cavendish, almost untouched for 90 years – and still a challenge.” Derbyshire Top 10 Golf Courses 2019 Rank/ Leicestershire & Rutland Situated between Peterborough and Leicester, Luffenham Heath maintains its status as the No. 1 course in our Leicestershire & Rutland chart. It opened for play in 1911 with a match between Harry Vardon and James Braid to mark the occasion then Braid is credited with toughening up the original layout of Harry Colt’s design partner, C.H. Alison. Further revisions were made immediately after World War II by C.K. Cotton and a major bunker renovation was undertaken by Martin Hawtree in 2003. Luffenham Heath Golf Club Two courses move up two places in the new county standings. The first of these is Rothley Park at No. 3, which also celebrated its centenary in 2011, and it has benefitted from recent consultancy work carried out by Tom Mackenzie. The other chart climber is the bunker-free 9-hole Charnwood Forest course at No. 5. Formed in 1890, the club is the oldest in the county, and James Braid is again recognized as having made course improvements following a visit he made in 1927. Leicestershire & Rutland Top 10 Golf Courses 2019 Lincolnshire Nobody should be in the slightest bit surprised to learn that the Hotchkin course at Woodhall Spais still our No. 1 track in Lincolnshire – not only is it also listed in our Top 100 charts for both England and Great Britain & Ireland, it also occupies a very respectable position in our World Top 100. Don’t expect to see it knocked off its county perch any time soon, especially after a very well-received 3-year renovation that’s just been completed by Tom Doak’s Renaissance Golf Design firm. Woodhall Spa Hotchkin course Our US Consultant Fergal O’Leary had this to say when he played there recently: “Tree clearance, vegetation clean-up and bunker improvements have amalgamated into a golf course today that has never looked better… some holes are truly unrecognizable due to the tree clearance... the heather that lines the fairways continues to get healthier… the course oozes good health and has a wide-open feel in places which brings improved light and air… overall, the results are not to be missed.” Lincolnshire Top 10 Golf Courses 2019 Northamptonshire The course at Northamptonshire County comfortably holds on to the No. 1 slot in Northamptonshire. Designed by Harry Colt in 1909, the layout was one of James Braid’s last projects when he visited in 1946 to upgrade the bunkers and remodel the closing hole. At the start of the new millennium, Cameron Sinclair then added an extra three holes, installed new tees and reworked some of the bunkers, bringing the course into line with modern day requirements. Northamptonshire County Golf Club Andy, our Marketing Director, visited Northamptonshire County earlier this year and this was his verdict: “The club are investing in the course with some great looking updated bunkers and the always needed woodland management/tree clearance program on heathland – views across the course are now so much better and that extra light and air can only help… I can only see positive opinions from golfers that play here.” Mention should also be made of yet another James Braid design, Peterborough Milton, which opened with an exhibition match involving the architect on 20th May 1937. The layout rises two places to No. 4 in the county chart and this pleasant parkland track in the grounds of the 16th century Fitzwilliam estate is due to host the English Senior Women’s Amateur Championship next year. Northamptonshire Top 10 Golf Courses 2019 Nottinghamshire The course at Notts Golf Club was first set out by Willie Park Junior more than a century ago and it was refined in its early years by J.H. Taylor and club professional Tom Williamson, who served the club for all of 54 years and had a hand in designing a number of Midlands courses during his tenure at Notts. Notts Golf Club Hollinwell, as it’s called locally, is currently on the Final Open Qualifying roster, which tells you all you need to know about its pedigree as a well-maintained track, meeting the R&A’s stringent requirements of precision off the tee and accuracy with the approach shot. The club has made great efforts in recent years to promote firm and fast playing conditions, along with encouraging heather regeneration around the property. There’s one new entry in the Nottinghamshire listing and it’s the Admirals course at Oakmere Park, which was first laid out by Frank Pennink in 1972. Tom Mackenzie has been involved in renovating all the bunkers and replacing a couple of blind holes with more appealing alternatives so this major upgrade is now reflected in the county rankings. Nottinghamshire Top 10 Golf Courses 2019 The next English region to be reappraised is the West Midlands, featuring Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. Jim McCann Editor Top 100 Golf Courses
Derbyshire Top 10 Golf Courses 2015 Derbyshire Best In County rankings updated There are thirty-one golf clubs affiliated to the Derbyshire Union of Golf Clubs and this particular English county is perhaps better known for the Peak District National Park than its golf courses. However, there are some golfing gems to be found in Derbyshire and we’re pleased to announce our latest Top 10. Once again we polled every club in the county and we received a relatively modest return with around 35% of the county’s clubs participating in our survey. Despite the moderate return, respondents were very consistent, with only seventeen courses receiving votes and three of these managed only a single vote. The overwhelming winner to emerge from our survey was Kedleston Park, which was voted No.1 by 50% of those who replied and a third of the respondents placed this unheralded parkland layout in 2nd place. Surprisingly, our long-standing Derbyshire No.1, the Alister MacKenzie-designed Cavendish (perched on high ground in the Peak District) has been demoted to third place. Cavendish received scant support from the respondents, so with Kedleston Park at the head of the table and Chesterfield (known locally as Walton Golf Club) at No.2, it’s all change at the top of the Derbyshire rankings. Burton-on-Trent and Matlock both move up three places and the centurion, Chevin Golf Club, makes its first appearance on our Derbyshire table at the expense of Chapel-en-le-Frith. To see our new 2015 Derbyshire Top 10 Golf Courses, 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 has so far contributed. Keith Baxter Editor-in-Chief Top 100 Golf Courses
