Best Golf Courses Near London — Within 50km of the Capital

Ask most serious golfers where they’d least like to be based and London rarely comes up. The city has a reputation for being expensive, crowded, and better suited to theatre and restaurants than fairways. That reputation is wrong. Within 50 kilometres of Central London you’ll find some of the finest golf in the world — Surrey heathland courses that belong in any global top 100, Hertfordshire parkland venues that hosted the European Tour for decades, and enough municipal pay-and-play options to keep a visiting tourist busy for a fortnight without ever repeating a course.

Whether you’re a visiting golfer with a day to spare, a London resident looking to explore beyond your usual track, or a group planning a golf break, this guide covers the full range: from £15 council courses to £225 championship heathland, accessible by car, train, or a combination of both.

The Surrey Heathland Belt — World-Class Golf on Your Doorstep

If you only have time for one golf region near London, make it the Surrey heathland. This stretch of sandy, pine-and-heather terrain running from Weybridge south-west through Sunningdale and into Berkshire produces a density of great courses that rivals the East Lothian coast or the Lancashire links.

Walton Heath Golf Club sits on the North Downs near Tadworth and plays as hard and pure a game of heathland golf as you’ll find anywhere in England. The Old Course, designed by Herbert Fowler and opened in 1904, hosted the Ryder Cup in 1981. The New Course is no easier. Visitors are welcome on weekdays; green fees typically run between £100 and £160 depending on season. Dress standards are traditional — no denim, collared shirts required.

Sunningdale Golf Club in Berkshire is probably the most famous heathland venue in the country. The Old Course, redesigned by Harry Colt in 1922, is often cited as the finest inland course in England. It’s also one of the most sought-after tee times. Visitor access is limited, typically to midweek rounds when introduced by a member, and green fees reflect the exclusivity — expect to pay £200 or more. The New Course is separately excellent and slightly more accessible.

The Berkshire Golf Club near Ascot operates two courses, the Red and the Blue, both laid out through mature woodland and heather by Herbert Fowler in 1928. It flies under the radar compared to its famous neighbours but both courses are outstanding, and green fees are considerably more reasonable. If you can get a round here — visitor tee times are available on weekdays — take it.

Also worth noting in this belt: Wentworth Club at Virginia Water (home of the BMW PGA Championship), Woking Golf Club (the oldest heathland course in England, dating to 1893), and West Hill Golf Club. The Surrey heathland runs deep; you could spend a week here and not exhaust the options.

For a deeper dive into courses across the county, our golf courses in Surrey guide covers the full picture beyond the heathland.

North and West — Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Beyond

Woburn Golf Club in Bedfordshire, about 80 kilometres north of Central London, operates three courses through a mature woodland estate. The Duke’s Course hosted the British Masters and Women’s British Open; the Marquess Course is similarly well regarded. Woburn is a resort operation, which means visitor access is generally good — you don’t need a member to play. Green fees run from around £100 on the Duchess Course to £185 or more on championship days on the Duke’s.

The Grove near Watford is the most visitor-friendly venue on this list. A luxury hotel wrapped around a Nick Faldo-designed parkland course, it’s purpose-built for green-fee golfers and group bookings. It’s not in the same class as the Surrey heathland but it’s accessible, beautifully maintained, and easy to reach from Central London via the M25 or a short drive from Watford Junction. Green fees are typically £80–£140.

Moor Park Golf Club in Hertfordshire plays two courses through a sweeping parkland estate with views back to a magnificent mansion house. The High Course is the better and more challenging of the two; both offer visitor tee times on weekdays. It’s worth a look for groups or visitors who want parkland rather than heathland.

If you’re looking for something more affordable in the north-west London corridor, Batchwood Golf Course in St Albans is a council-owned 18-hole course with green fees typically under £30. It’s not Walton Heath, but it’s accessible, well-maintained for the price, and ideal for a quick weekday round. For more on this category, our municipal golf courses guide covers council and public-access courses across the UK.

Kent — Parkland and Links to the South-East

The M25 corridor south-east of London opens up a different style of golf. Kent offers parkland venues set in rolling countryside, and the coast around Margate and Broadstairs brings some genuine links character.

North Foreland Golf Club near Broadstairs is the most significant links course in Kent. Perched on the clifftops above the English Channel, it plays in a completely different manner to Surrey heathland — the wind matters, the ground game matters, and the views are spectacular on a clear day. Visitor tee times are available on weekdays and some weekend slots. Green fees are typically in the £60–£90 range.

Knole Park Golf Club near Sevenoaks offers a parkland round through ancient deer parkland within the grounds of one of England’s largest private houses. It’s a member-owned club with visitor access on weekdays, and the setting is genuinely memorable — red and fallow deer are often present on the course. Green fees are modest by regional standards.

Chart Hills Golf Club near Biddenden in the Kent Weald, designed by Nick Faldo and opened in 1993, is an ambitious parkland layout that has hosted the European Tour. It offers visitor tee times and is worth the drive for serious golfers who want something more structured.

Essex — East of the City

Essex is often overlooked by London golfers who head instinctively west or south, but there’s solid golf to the north-east of the city that offers a more relaxed atmosphere and lower green fees than the Surrey equivalents.

Hainault Forest Golf Complex operates two courses through ancient forest on the edge of Greater London, managed by the local authority. It’s affordable, accessible from the Tube (Hainault is on the Central line), and perfect for visitors who want to walk out of the city and onto a golf course without hiring a car. Green fees are typically under £30.

Thorndon Park Golf Club near Brentwood is the most notable private club in Essex from a quality perspective. Set in parkland designed by Harry Colt in 1920, it’s a well-regarded members’ club with occasional visitor availability. The layout is challenging without being punishing, and the course is in consistently good condition.

Getting There: Trains, Tubes, and the M25

One of the great overlooked facts about London golf is how much of it you can reach without a car.

Virginia Water station (South Western Railway from London Waterloo, around 40 minutes) is a short walk or taxi from Wentworth Club and within easy reach of Sunningdale and The Berkshire.

Sunningdale station (on the same line from Waterloo) puts you directly adjacent to Sunningdale Golf Club and is a short cab ride from The Berkshire and Wentworth.

Tadworth station (Southern from Victoria via Epsom) provides access to Walton Heath.

Watford Junction (London Midland from Euston) is the closest mainline station to The Grove.

If you’re hiring a car, the M25 gives you access to essentially everything in this guide within 45–60 minutes of Central London, assuming you travel outside peak hours. The A3 south through Surrey, the M40 west towards The Berkshire and Woburn, and the M20/A2 east towards Kent are all useful corridors.

Green Fees: What to Expect

The range is enormous, and that’s actually one of London’s strengths.

At the budget end, council courses like Hainault Forest, Batchwood St Albans, and Wimbledon Park Golf Club charge £15–£30 for 18 holes and are accessible to all. Our pay-and-play golf guide covers this category in detail.

Mid-range visitor courses — The Grove, Knole Park, North Foreland — typically charge £60–£100 for weekday visitor rounds.

The Surrey heathland premium tier — Walton Heath, The Berkshire, Wentworth — runs from around £100 to £225 or more. Sunningdale sits beyond that and requires member introduction.

As a rough guide: budget £80–£120 per person for a solid day’s golf at a quality course near London, exclusive of travel and food.

Best Visitor Days

Most private clubs in this region accept visitors on Monday to Thursday, often with restrictions on Friday mornings (when members typically play). Weekend tee times are either unavailable at private clubs or carry a significant premium. If you’re planning a golf trip, a mid-week visit will give you more choice at lower cost.

Some clubs close completely to visitors in peak competition months — usually May, September, and October — so it’s always worth checking the club’s website before planning around a specific course.

Beginners and First-Time Visitors

If you’re new to golf or playing on a tight budget, London offers genuinely good entry points. Council courses, pay-and-play facilities, and driving ranges are scattered across the city and its suburbs. Our guide to golf courses for beginners in the UK covers what to look for in your first course — short yardage, forgiving layouts, and no-fuss visitor policies.

Richmond Park Golf Courses (two 18-hole tracks within the Royal Park) is one of the most popular beginner venues in the country — affordable, scenic, and accessible by bus and train from Central London.

Plan Your Round

The range of golf within 50 kilometres of London is genuinely remarkable. Whether you’re after a world-class heathland experience, a relaxed parkland afternoon, or a first round on a council course, you’ll find it here. Use our London golf course finder to search by distance, price, and course type.

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