Burnham and Berrow Golf Club: Championship Course Review, Tee Times and Key Info

The Championship Course is ranked 29th in our Top 100 UK&I Course Rankings in association with Peter Millar, and is noted for a near-perfect quartet of short holes and a stretch of reed-lined holes

Burnham & Berrow Aerial
Looking down over the rumpled dunes at Burnham & Berrow
(Image credit: James Lovett)

Peter Millar 29

(Image credit: Future)

Burnham and Berrow Key Information

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Address

St Christopher’s Way, Burnham on Sea, Somerset, TA8 2PE

Phone

01278 785760

Website

burnhamandberrowgolfclub.co.uk

Email

manager@burnhamgolf.co.uk

Visitor Times

Any day subject to availability

Par

Five tees - par ranges from 71 to 77

Slope

From 114 to 141

Opened

1891

Architect

Herbert Fowler, Harry Colt

Burnham and Berrow Golf Club Championship Course

Golf Monthly Verdict

Burnham and Berrow - Aeriel

(Image credit: James Lovett)

This superb and very spacious out-and-back links is packed with strong golf and includes a quite fabulous collection of par 3s. Depending on the wind, you may well need to make your score on the way out as the run for home can be very tough indeed. Regardless of how you score, you should still enjoy the views and admire the design quality all the way.

Reasons To Play Burnham and Berrow

– A beautiful and expansive links that has steadily improved in recent years

– Arguably as strong and attractive quartet of short holes as you will find at any links

– See if you can hit the final green in two!

Rankings

UK & Ireland Top 100 Golf Courses 2025/26 - 29

Potentially overlooking the Top 100 Golf Courses UK & Ireland links at Burnham and Berrow, then when you think of golf and the west country, you may mentally head straight on towards the best golf courses in Devon and Cornwall. Happily, you don’t have to venture that far to enjoy our highest-ranked west country links. Founded in 1891, Burnham and Berrow in Somerset perhaps took longer to start shouting its own praises than some, but they are praises well worth shouting. JH Taylor was the club’s first professional, and this is a very fine, and at times, stunning links that plays over a beautifully rumpled and varied terrain. Precision and creativity are paramount, with the greens famously fast through the summer and blessed with some perplexing undulations and run-offs. It heads the list of the best golf courses in Somerset, while I think it would also be fair to say that the accompanying 9-hole Channel Course is also worthy of inclusion.

Harry Colt was the creative genius behind much of the layout, working with Alister MacKenzie on the 10th and 11th, and there is now a new par-4 12th which has opened since the last rankings.

Great holes abound, starting early on at the 2nd which plays from a raised tee to a fairway that kinks gently both ways before reaching a long and narrow green. The par 3s are extremely strong, with the 5th having a deep central pot bunker set into its false front, and the 9th being a real picture with a necklace of bunkers and boasting a newish back tee. The 14th needs no sand and is played over a chasm to a shelf green, while the 17th is a daunting 200-yarder to a raised green with run-offs and bunkers left and right. It closes with a super-tough par 4 played round to the left and a green under the watchful eye of the clubhouse. I am not sure I have ever managed to par it!

This is a links that requires precision and creativity throughout, and is rewarding all the way. Add in the excellent practice facilities, the Channel 9-holer and a well-priced dormy house, and I would say that the Burnham and Berrow experience is simply one of the best.

Burnham and Berrow - Hole 5 Sunset

Looking down on the par-3 fifth in the late afternon

(Image credit: James Lovett)

What's new for 2025/26? What our panellists said...

Chris Boakes 2025
Chris Boakes

Clearing of numerous areas of scrub since I last visited has really enhanced definition of the course and I am sure the biodiversity as well. Worth playing a round of golf just to experience the selection of stunning par 3s.

Matt Weavers 2025
Matt Weavers

Despite its warranted position high in the rankings, B&B is still something of a hidden gem, flying under the radar of many club golfers. But make the effort to visit and one is rewarded with an exceptional course that will surely bring you back time and time again.

Nicholas Hercules 2025
Nicholas Hercules

A classic in and out links that is elevating itself through daring innovations and more sea views.

Mike Chapman 2025
Mike Chapman

A visit to Burnham and Berrow is always a treat, both for the test of the course and the welcome you receive. The course continues to evolve and tests all aspects of your game. There are stunning views over the Bristol Channel and when the wind blows it is a stern test. However, it is one to be enjoyed and it will make you want to return to experience the challenge again.

Richard Healy 2025
Richard Healy

Recent and current enhancements to the course are positive statements of the club’s aspiration and have been sympathetically done.

Burnham and Berrow Golf Club Location

Burnham and Berrow Championship Course Scorecard

Burnham and Berrow Scorecard

(Image credit: Burnham and Berrow Golf Club)

Best Courses Near To Burnham and Berrow

CELTIC MANOR

CELTIC MANOR

Sir Terry Matthews transformed an already substantial golf resort into the home of the 2010 Ryder Cup which the Europeans edged by 14½ to 13½. The 2010 Course mixes nine redesigned holes with nine new holes down in the river valley resulting in what is effectively a stadium course. Strong bunkering and water hazards abound, with plenty of drama all the way.

BATH

BATH

Enjoying an elevated position on the outskirts of the lovely, historic city, this charming downland course dates back to the 1880s. It was the beneficiary of a major Harry Colt redesign in 1937, and little has been altered since. There are just three par 3s including the memorable quarry hole at the 14th.

Best Places To Stay Near To Burnham and Berrow

Burnham and Berrow Dormy House - Book now via the golf club
Perfectly situated right on site!

The Victoria Hotel - Book now via Booking.com
The Victoria is a traditional pub in the heart of the Burnham-on-Sea community. Just a stone's throw from the promenade, the Victoria is the place to be for live sport, a drink or a tasty meal or even to dance the night away!

Dunstan House - Book now via Booking.com
This charming pub offers comfortable guest rooms with free Wi-Fi and parking on site. There is a covered decking area, a peaceful garden, and delicious meals are served in the restaurant which boasts an extensive menu of traditional favourites, along with a range of real ales, lagers and wines.

Burnham and Berrow Championship Course Gallery

Historical Top 100 Rankings UK&I

  • 2023/24 - 29
  • 2023/24 - 27
  • 2021/22 - 28
  • 2019/20 - 30
  • 2017/18 - 31
  • 2015/16 - 33
  • 2013/14 - 37
  • 2011/12 - 42
  • 2009/10 - 47

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Burnham and Berrow?

Burnham and Berrow is on the Somerset coast overlooking the Bristol Channel and the South Wales coastline. The Championship Course is the only Top 100 course in the county.

What championships have been hosted at Burnham and Berrow?

Many very important events have been staged here including The Women’s Amateur, the Boys’ Amateur, the English Men's Amateur, the Brabazon Trophy, and both the Men's and Women’s Home Internationals.

What is the second course like at Burnham and Berrow?

The 9-hole Channel Course is delightful and is actually closer to the water than the Championship Course. There are two par 3s and a par 5, and it is more than worth the ¼-mile walk from the clubhouse.

Rob Smith
Contributing Editor

Rob has been playing golf for over 45 years and been a contributing editor for Golf Monthly since 2012. He specialises in course reviews and travel, and has played over 1,250 courses in almost 50 countries. In 2021, he played all 21 courses in East Lothian in 13 days. Last year, his tally was 78, exactly half of them for the first time. One of Rob's primary roles is helping to prepare the Top 100 Courses of the UK&I, of which he has played all, as well as the Next 100 where he is missing two in Scotland and two in Ireland. He has been a member of Tandridge for over 30 years where his handicap hovers around 15. You can contact him at r.smith896@btinternet.com.

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