Best Golf Courses in Kent: Where the County Actually Delivers

Published: 2026-05-27

Kent golf splits between serious championship links and accessible inland clubs. This guide explains which Kent courses actually fit the round you want.

Kent golf divides into two very different conversations. This article is about knowing which one you're having before you book.

Kent is one of the most varied golf counties in England.

On one side, you have some of the most serious links golf in the country: Royal St George's Golf Club, Prince's Golf Club, and Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club. Courses that have hosted Opens, that charge accordingly, and that demand a level of game most visitors are quietly unprepared for.

On the other side, you have a broad spread of parkland and inland clubs: Bearsted Golf Club, Westerham Golf Club, Birchwood Park Golf & Country Club, and Redlibbets Golf Club. Accessible, well-run, and priced for the golfer who wants a proper round without a major occasion attached to it.

The problem most golfers have in Kent is mixing up which category they're looking for.

You book the links because you've heard the names. You end up on a coastal course on a blowy October morning, 7,000 yards into a course rated among the hardest in England, and realise you've paid GBP200 for a humbling rather than a holiday.

Or you book the inland option, miss the links entirely, and wonder whether you should have pushed the budget.

Neither outcome is wrong. But both are avoidable if you know what Kent actually offers - and who each type of course is actually for.

The links question

Kent's links courses are genuinely world-class. That is not marketing.

Royal St George's in Sandwich is one of the great Open venues, and the experience of playing it is unlike most inland golf. Wide, rumpling fairways. Massive natural dunes. Wind that changes the character of every hole depending on direction and strength. It is an 18-hole examination of golf shot-making that rewards patience, course management, and the ability to flight the ball.

At GBP400 for a visitor round, it is priced as an occasion.

Royal Cinque Ports in Deal is similarly serious: a flatter, more relentless links that has hosted Opens of its own and carries the same expectation of game. Prince's, also in Sandwich, is slightly more accessible and has 27 holes, which spreads the test.

Who the Kent links are actually for:

The golfer who plays to a single-figure handicap, who has spent time on links courses before, and who is booking specifically to test their game against a great course. If you are visiting Kent and this is the priority, it is worth every penny. If you are a 16-handicapper who plays parkland golf at a local club and wants a good day out, you will likely find the links more punishing than pleasurable.

That is not a criticism. It is the honest framing.

The inland case

The stronger value argument in Kent sits away from the coast.

Bearsted Golf Club near Maidstone is one of the better inland courses in the county. It occupies sheltered, tree-lined terrain on the North Downs: a parkland layout that plays to a moderate length and asks you to think about positioning rather than simply hit hard. Green fees sit in the GBP40-GBP90 range depending on day and season. It is the kind of club that works as a day out rather than a pilgrimage.

Redlibbets Golf Club near West Kingsdown is the other standout in this bracket. It plays across more exposed, open terrain with a heathland character that gives it a slightly different feel to most Kent parkland: firmer underfoot in dry conditions, with a layout that pressures ball-strikers without becoming punishing for higher handicappers. At GBP25-GBP60 it represents one of the better mid-market options in the county.

Westerham Golf Club sits just inside the Kent border near the Surrey edge, and benefits from that crossover: firm, fast-running fairways that hold up through winter, a well-maintained layout, and green fees that sit in the mid-market without trying to compete with the premium bracket. For golfers based in South London or Surrey, it sits at the right distance for a weekday round.

Birchwood Park Golf & Country Club in Dartford brings a different proposition: a course that suits golfers who want the club infrastructure around the round as much as the golf itself. Practice facilities, a full club day, competition culture. At GBP25-GBP55 it gives you a structured, proper club day without pushing into the top end of Kent pricing.

How to think about Kent golf

The county gives you three clear choices, and knowing which one you want makes all the difference.

Choice 1: the links occasion. You book Royal St George's, Prince's, or Royal Cinque Ports. You treat it as a bucket-list round, you prepare for a serious examination, and you pay the premium accordingly. This is worth doing if it's the point of the trip.

Choice 2: the proper inland round. You book Bearsted, Redlibbets, Westerham, or Birchwood Park. You get a well-maintained, honest club day at mid-market Kent pricing. This is the category that delivers the most consistent satisfaction for the most golfers.

Choice 3: the mixed day. Some visitors combine both: an inland round at one of the clubs above as a warm-up or wind-down around a links booking. This works well for golfers visiting the Sandwich peninsula or the Deal coast for a long weekend.

Frequently asked questions about golf in Kent

What are the best golf courses in Kent for a visitor?

For a serious links experience, Royal St George's and Prince's in Sandwich are the standout options. For an accessible, well-run inland round, Bearsted Golf Club near Maidstone and Redlibbets Golf Club near West Kingsdown are the most consistent performers in the county's mid-market.

How much does it cost to play golf in Kent?

Green fees in Kent range from around GBP20 at accessible inland courses to GBP400 at Royal St George's for a visitor round. Most well-regarded parkland clubs sit in the GBP40-GBP90 range. Links courses, including Royal Cinque Ports and Prince's, typically charge GBP100-GBP285 for visitor golf.

Is Royal St George's worth the green fee?

For a low-handicap golfer who wants to test their game on one of England's great Open venues, yes. For a mid-to-high handicapper looking for an enjoyable day out, the course is likely to be more punishing than pleasurable and there are better-value options in the county.

What is the best golf course in Kent for a society day?

Birchwood Park Golf & Country Club and Bearsted Golf Club are the most consistently recommended for society bookings. Both offer practice facilities, a full club day infrastructure, and pricing that works for group budgets.

What is the best value golf in Kent?

Redlibbets Golf Club at GBP25-GBP60 and Westerham Golf Club at GBP30-GBP70 are the strongest value propositions in Kent for golfers who want a proper inland round without the occasion-pricing of the links coast.

Can you play golf at Royal Cinque Ports as a visitor?

Yes, but visitor access is restricted. Royal Cinque Ports accepts visitor rounds but requires advance booking, and tee times are limited compared to more open clubs. Green fees are around GBP285. It is best suited to experienced links golfers.