South East England – Best in County Rankings 2023

We’ve reached the seventh and final chapter of our English county revision exercise for 2023, updating the counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Kent, Middlesex, Oxfordshire, Surrey and Sussex.

It’s easily the strongest region in the country: forty-four courses are ranked within the England Top 100 and twenty-one of these occupy positions in the Britan & Ireland Top 100. Furthermore, half a dozen of them are listed in our World Top 100 so this is an exceptional region, rich in golfing quality of the highest standard.

We’re including another twenty-nine tracks to the eight county charts in this region – that’s well over a hundred newcomers added across all of England in recent months – so there are now almost two hundred ranked courses featured in this update.

Berkshire 

The course at Swinley Forest Golf Club (pictured above) continues to fend off allcomers vying for the #1 spot in Berkshire, where it still reigns supreme within our county standings. Harry Colt called it his “least bad course” and it’s an absolute charmer, set in part of Windsor Great Park, with holes routed around a rolling heathland landscape.

Remarks from reviewers this year include: “from the course, to the warm greeting of the members and staff, to the food, to the setting, it’s just wonderful… since the recent changes the course has improved considerably… a brilliant course, routed with great creativity and with a beauty tough to describe fairly… the club also has a friendly atmosphere while still being a step back in time.”

Donnington Grove

Our biggest county climber is the course at Donnington Grove Golf Club in Newbury which rises four places to #10. The Donnington Grove estate dates back to the late 18th century but it was Japanese owners in the early 1990 who engaged Dave Thomas to lay out an 18-hole course, with the architect routing fairways around the River Lambourne chalk stream.

We’re adding three new Berkshire layouts to our chart: The Caversham [at #9], West Berkshire [at #17] and Winter Hill [at #18].

Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Berkshire.

Buckinghamshire

The Marquess course at the 54-hole Woburn Golf Club (pictured above) holds onto its #1 status in our Buckinghamshire listings. Set within the enormous Woburn Abbey estate, this was the last of the three 18-hole layouts to make an appearance at the start of the new millennium, following design input from Ross McMurray, Clive Clark, Peter Alliss and Alex Hay.

Review comments this year include: “the Marquess gives me the feeling of the closest to a European tour venue out of the three… it’s a little grander than the other two however I get the feeling that the Duke’s and Duchess are more preferred by the members… an impressive corporate venue with a five-year waiting list for memberships and a place to be seen as well as play.”

Harleyford

The course at Harleyford Golf Club in Marlow advances three spots to #7. A Donald Steel design that nestles within a hundred and sixty acres of a 12th century country estate, this layout sits not far from the north bank of the Thames River, where all the fairway and greenside bunkers were renovated just a couple of years ago.

We’re adding three new courses to our Buckinghamshire listings: Gerrards Cross [at #9], Lambourne [at #11] and Flackwell Heath [at #12]. Stoke Park has temporarily dropped out of the chart due to extensive course upgrade work being carried out at the club but expect to see it return in a blaze of glory next time around.

Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Buckinghamshire.

Hampshire

The course at Liphook Golf Club (pictured above) heads the table in Hampshire, which is the position it’s been in since we began ranking English counties in 2012. Recently upgraded by Tom Mackenzie, the layout dates back a hundred years to when Arthur Croome laid out the holes across classic heathland terrain to the south of Liphook village.

“The whole experience of playing Liphook will surely have you thirsting to return and perhaps manage the varied hazards a bit better on the second or subsequent visits,” wrote a reviewer a few months ago, while another said: “I really enjoy the toughness of Liphook and will always be happy to play here.”

Corhampton

The 18-hole layout at Corhampton Golf Club near Southampton moves three places up the county standings to #17. The original 9-hole course dates back to at least 1891 but it took until the early 1970s until eighteen holes were finally brought into play. More land became available at the end of the 1980s, allowing Martin Hawtree to revamp things and introduce four new holes in the process.

We’re adding three new courses to our Hampshire listings: Weybrook Park [at #20], Tylney Park [at #22] and Freshwater Bay [at #23].

Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Hampshire.

Kent

The links at Royal St George’s Golf Club in Sandwich (pictured above) prevails as the #1 in Kent, which is hardly a surprise when you consider it’s also the national #1 and occupies a top twenty spot in our World Top 100. Host venue for fifteen editions of The Open Championship, Royal St George’s is just about as good as it gets when it comes to links golf layouts.

“Everyone who loves golf should try to play here. It is outstanding, and never less than a wonderful experience… every aspect of your golfing expertise will be tested… tight lies on undulating fairways, strategic bunkering, complex greens and varying wind direction all make for a magnificent golf course” – just some of the review excerpts posted in the last 6 months for RSG. 

Chart Hills

The biggest move in our new Kent chart is made by the course at Chart Hills Golf Club in Ashford, progressing four places to #6. Steve Smyers and Nick Faldo designed this track thirty years back and it has recently undergone quite a transformation with the installation of new drainage, the sand capping of holes and replacement of bent grass fairways with rye grass.

Five additional Kent courses now reside in this county chart: Leeds Castle [at #31], Sene Valley [at #32], Tenterden [at #33], Cherry Lodge [at #34] and the Spitfire at West Malling [at #35].

Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Kent.

Middlesex

The 18-hole layout at Northwood Golf Club (pictured above) became our #1 for Middlesex in 2014 and a decade later it still endures at the top of the county chart. Tom Dunn set out the course back in the 1890s and it’s developed over the years into a beautiful woodland track, complete with a meandering stream that comes into play occasionally during a round here.

Hendon

Four new entries appear in the Middlesex chart and the highest of these at #5 is the course at Hendon Golf Club. Founded in 1903, the club initially operated a layout designed by J.H. Taylor, with Harry Vardon contributing. Additional land became available in the mid-1920s, allowing John Morrison to design a revised layout, with Franks & Harrison and William Press constructing thirteen new holes and remodelling another five.

The other three newcomers for Middlesex are Enfield [at #12], Sudbury [at #13] and Ashford Manor [at #14].

Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Middlesex.

Oxfordshire

The Willie Park Junior-designed layout at Huntercombe Golf Club near Henley-on-Thames (pictured above) retains its status as the #1 course in Oxfordshire. Tim Lobb has been the consulting architect for a number of years here, adding ‘Park-like’ pits, uncovering original Park work through scrub clearance, and generally restoring the course’s original heathland characteristics.

Seven reviewers gave this course an average 4.57 ball mark score this year, with comments such as: “a throw back in time… truly a one-off quirky course… an inland hidden gem… fascinating for its almost revolutionary design concepts… worth travelling a decent amount to play… a good test of golf, especially for match play, as a result of its tight driving corridors.”  

Heythrop Park

The 18-hole layout at Heythrop Park near Chipping Norton is the first of two new entries for Oxfordshire, arriving at #9. Set out within the 440-acre Heythrop Park Estate by Tom Mackenzie in 2009, the course is complemented by a rather grand baroque-styled country house which was restored and converted into a luxury hotel and country club.

The other new entry for Oxfordshire is The Springs [at #11].

Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Oxfordshire.

Surrey

The Old course at Sunningdale Golf Club (pictured above) remains the #1 golfing layout in Surrey. Another Wille Park Junior heathland masterpiece, subsequently modified by Harry Colt, the Old course combines with the New course at Sunningdale to form what many regard as one of the very best 36-hole venues in the British Isles.

Review remarks in 2023 include: “meticulously maintained layout… some excellent strategic holes… phenomenal experience… as good as heathland golf gets… nice welcome, good caddies, great lunch… the course design is brilliant… this is a truly special course… look forward to being back soon to play both courses.”

Sunningdale Heath

The highest of four new entries for Surrey is the course at Sunningdale Heath Golf Club (new at #45), which was founded as Sunningdale Ladies Golf Club in 1902, with women playing on an 8-hole course. Harry Colt later extended this layout to eighteen holes, on ground next to the front nine of the Old course at Sunningdale Golf Club. The club became Sunningdale Heath in 2019 and the new owners have since enlisted Clayton, Devries and Pont to produce a renovation plan for this wonderful short course.

The other Surrey newcomers are Surbiton [at #47], Tyrrells Wood [at #50] and Pyrford Lakes [at #52].

Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Surrey.

Sussex

The 18-hole layout at West Sussex Golf Club in Pulborough (pictured above) is still the #1 track in Sussex. Dating back to the early 1930s, the course was developed on the northern edge of the South Downs by a firm called Links and Courses, comprising the architectural talents of Sir Guy Campbell, Major C.K. Hutchison and Colonel S.V. Hotchkin.

Seven of the eight reviews posted this year for West Sussex have awarded the course a ball mark of 5.0 or above, with comments like “a sublime golf course on relatively flat heathland and woodland… great variety and an absorbing round… fabulous condition with firm turf… as hard a non-championship course as you will play… a real treat not to be missed.”

Rye

Five courses make it into the Sussex rankings for the first time, headed by the Jubilee course at Rye Golf Club (new at #20). The club operated an 18-hole course until 1977, when Frank Pennink laid out the original 9-hole Jubilee course. Donald Steel then brought five new holes into play – at the same time removing two of the old holes – early in the new millennium before Martin Ebert updated the layout in 2013, including the introduction of a new green for the par four 8th which used to share the same green as the par five 17th.

The other four new chart entries for Sussex are Chartham Park [at #21], East Brighton [at #23], the Devonshire at Royal Eastbourne [at #24] and Ham Manor [at #25].

Click the following link to see the newly updated county rankings for Sussex.

Postscript

Many thanks to our English Rankings Co-ordinator Brian Ward for all his efforts over the past five months. Virtually from scratch, he assembled a raft of small rater teams across the country to help with the revision of all thirty-six counties. Brian in turn would like to thank all thirty-three of the panellists who contributed to the process, making special mention of Tim Elliott, Alex Frolish and Andy Cocker for their considerable help across a number of counties.

Jim McCann

Editor

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