Royal St George's Golf Club Key Information
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Row 0 - Cell 1 |
Address | The Royal St George's Golf Club, Sandwich, Kent, CT13 9PB |
Phone Number | 01304 613090 |
Website | |
Visitor Times | Mon - Fri (limited times, see website for details) |
Par | 70 |
Slope Rating | 133 (Medal), 129 (Weekday), 134 (Pinto) |
Opened | 1887 |
Designed by | Dr William Laidlaw Purves |
Golf Monthly Verdict
Royal St George's provides one of the strongest layouts in the UK and Ireland, it’s a challenging yet fair windswept links offering a thorough examination of ball-striking and strategy. A course where you walk in the footsteps of golfing greats and feel that gravitas for the full 18 holes.
The course features great bunkering, excellent contouring and a highly challenging routing - pointing you in all directions to face all wind directions.
REASONS TO PLAY ROYAL ST GEORGE'S
– Historic location for first Open held outside Scotland
– Tremendous layout asking for complete control of the game
– Test yourself on the subtle contouring
RANKINGS
UK & Ireland Top 100 Golf Courses 2025/26 - 11
Royal St George’s is a challenging track. With its undulating terrain, dunes and deep bunkering, a premium is placed on accurate hitting and steady driving. Set over a beautiful tract of unspoiled seaside land, every hole is distinct. It's one of England's best links and always features highly in our Top 100 Golf Courses UK & Ireland rankings.
The course is consistently good, making it difficult to single out individual holes but a couple of stand-outs include, on the front nine, the testing par-4 4th where you must drive over one of Britain’s tallest bunkers and, on the back nine, the brilliant par-5 14th where out-of-bounds all down the right side, a stream bisecting the fairway and perfectly positioned bunkering demand absolute precision.
Founded in 1887, Royal St George’s was the first English course to play host to The Open Championship, which it did in 1894. The club has welcomed golf’s most prestigious tournament 15 times in all, with Collin Morikawa the most recent Open champion at St George’s, in 2021.
A great feature at St George’s is the fact the holes all point in different directions, so the background is always changing, so too the wind direction. Picking an aiming point from the tee is crucial.
On approaches, anything hit towards the sides of the putting surfaces will fall away. On the greens there are subtle breaks but there’s less borrow than there first appears. The surfaces are always magnificently prepared and presented.
A couple more stand out holes include: the tough 15th; a 475 yard par-4 with bunkers left and right from the tee where you’re faced with a long approach to a tiny pear shaped green with cross-bunkers waiting just short then the excellent par-3 6th, an attractive short hole with bunkers surrounding the two-tiered putting surface. Selecting the right club is critical especially in windy conditions.
The 6th at Royal St George's
What The Top 100 Panel Said
A truly wonderful golfing experience, windswept, rugged links at it’s best and an absolute joy to visit and play at any time of the year. I really enjoyed the routing on the course as, for me, I enjoy a links course that doesn’t play out and back as you generally get beaten up for 9 holes either way!
A very difficult course, when the breeze picks up it makes the back nine far, far harder. The run offs and waiting hazards are a constant threat, the stern green complexes match and complement the design of each hole and the constantly switching hole direction means new challenges are constantly being presented. A glorious experience.
Royal St George's Golf Club Location
Contact the club via the Royal St George's website for more details
Best Courses Near to Royal St George's Golf Club
Best Places To Stay Near Royal St George's Golf Club
The Lodge at Princes Golf Club - book now at princesgolfclub.co.uk
Situated at the entrance of Prince’s, The Lodge, with two adjacent apartment blocks, has 38 bedrooms including two lavish Bay and Links suites, all with en-suite facilities with the modern essentials. There's a great restaurant and bar too.
The Royal Hotel, Deal - book now at Booking.com
Set on the seafront in Deal, (close to Royal St George's), the Royal is an 18th century hotel offering spacious rooms, good food and a lively bar.
Royal St George's Historical Top 100 Ranking UK&I
- 2025/26 - 11
- 2023/24 - 11
- 2021/22 - 11
- 2019/20 – 13
- 2017/18 - 10
- 2015/16 - 7
- 2013/14 - 6
- 2011/12 - 6
- 2009/10 - 12
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Royal St George's a Difficult Course?
It's a difficult course and one that only reasonably experienced and competent golfers will get round. The wind is a factor but the holes themselves are challenging. A course rating of 75.2 against a par of 70 off the very back tees, gives an idea of the challenge.
What handicap do you need to play at Royal St George's?
All players are required to have a handicap index of 18.4 or less. Handicap verification is required upon checking-in on your date of play.
What is the dress code for Royal St George's?
Golfing attire is acceptable throughout the Club until 11.00am, after which jacket and tie is mandatory for gentlemen. Ladies are asked to dress appropriately, so as to complement the dress code applying to gentlemen
Gentlemen may wear tailored shorts on the course if accompanied by knee-length socks
Golfing attire is allowed on the terrace and in the Snack Bar throughout the day. Jeans and trainers are not to be worn under any circumstances.
-
Why The 16th Pin Has Been Moved From Its Traditional Spot For The Masters Final RoundThe 16th pin at Augusta National is in an different position that normal for the final round of The Masters, but why is that?
-
Seve Ballesteros And Brooks Koepka Among The Big Names That Rory McIlroy Would Join As A Five-Time Major Winner With A Masters VictoryRory McIlroy leads The Masters going in to the final round and, if he were to win, he would join an illustrious list of five-time Major winners
-
St Andrews Links: The Castle Course Review, Tee Times and Key InfoBack in at 95 in our Top 100 UK&I Course Rankings in association with Peter Millar, the Castle Course at St Andrews is a thrilling alternative at the home of golf
-
Golfer Emulates Father By Completing Golf Monthly Top 100... For The Second Time!Following in his father’s footsteps, reader Michael Howlett set himself the enviable task of playing every course in the Golf Monthly Top 100
-
Which Golf Courses Do We Rank 101st-200th In The UK And Ireland?The Golf Monthly Next 100 for 2023/24 showcases the courses ranked 101st-200th in the UK and Ireland
-
Top 100 Golf Courses UK & Ireland 2023/24Golf Monthly's new ranking of the UK and Ireland's Top 100 courses
-
Dumbarnie Links Golf Course Review, Tee Times and Key InfoA modern masterpiece, Dumbarnie Links is ranked 37th in our Top 100 golf courses UK&I in association with Peter Millar. It boasts a great mix of holes to challenge and tempt you.
-
St Enodoc Golf Club: Church Course Review, Tee Times and Key InfoAt 41st in our Top 100 UK&I Course Rankings in association with Peter Millar, St Enodoc is one of the most distinctive and individual courses in the country, packed with variety and views
-
Hollinwell Golf Course: Review, Tee Times and Key InfoNumber 47 in our Top 100 UK&I Course Rankings in association with Peter Millar, Hollinwell has some delightful changes in elevation and exceptional holes over a vast and very attractive heathland
-
Nairn Golf Club Championship Course Review, Tee Times and Key InfoGorse-lined, criss-crossed by burns and pockmarked by perilous pot bunkers, Nairn, ranked 38th in our Top 100 UK&I Course Rankings in association with Peter Millar, delivers superb Scottish links golf
