Royal St George's golf guide: playing Sandwich's Open links
The only Open Championship venue in the south of England — Sandwich's rumpled Kentish links. How visitors play it, the handicap rules, when to go, and the Sandwich trio around it.
Royal St George's is the great links of the English south-east — the only course outside Scotland and the north-west to host The Open, and it has done so more than any venue outside Scotland. Founded in 1887 in the duneland by Sandwich Bay in Kent, it's a rumpled, humpy, wind-exposed links about an hour and three-quarters from London, with a clubhouse that has watched 15 Open Championships come and go.
It's a private members' club that welcomes visitors on limited weekdays, not a resort — so a round here takes planning. Here's how it works: the course and its famous holes, the handicap and dress rules, when to go, and the Sandwich trio of links around it.
Where
Sandwich, Kent, south-east England (by Sandwich Bay)
Course
One championship links (par 70); 15-time Open venue
Nearest airport
London Gatwick / Heathrow ~1h45–2h; rail to Sandwich station
Best time
May–Sep for firm turf & long days; wind a factor any month
Access
Private club — visitors on limited weekdays; handicap cert (max 18.4) required
Nearby
The 'Sandwich trio': Royal Cinque Ports (Deal) & Prince's
Dr William Laidlaw Purves · 1887 (Royal 1902) · 18 holes · Links · par 70
15-time Open venue — the most outside Scotland; world top-100
Dr Laidlaw Purves laid out the links in 1887 to bring the spirit of St Andrews to the south of England, and it became the first course to stage The Open outside Scotland (1894). Fifteen Opens have followed — most recently Darren Clarke in 2011 and Collin Morikawa in 2021 — and it will host the 2027 AIG Women's Open.
The character is pure old-school links: tumbling, rumpled fairways, humps and hollows, blind and semi-blind shots, and the red cross of St George on the flags. The 4th is defined by a towering face-bunker cut into a huge dune; the 6th, 'The Maiden', is a par 3 framed by dunes; and the par-5 14th, 'the Suez Canal', carries a ditch across the fairway with out-of-bounds tight down the right. In wind — which is most days — it's one of the sternest tests in the British Isles.
How visitors play Royal St George's (and the handicap rules)
Royal St George's is a private members' club that admits visitors on limited weekdays — generally Tuesday to Thursday (weekends are for members). You'll need a handicap index of 18.4 or better and to verify it at check-in (a digital home-union or GHIN certificate is accepted). Advance booking is essential — tee times are scarce and go a long way ahead — and single players and pairs are typically grouped to fill a tee time.
The dress code is traditional and enforced: golf attire on the course, and a strict clubhouse code (after 11:00, gentlemen require a jacket, collared shirt and tie). Phone use is confined to the car park. Confirm the current visitor days, dress rules and green fees directly with the club before you travel.
When to go
The links plays year-round, but May to September gives the firmest, fastest turf and the longest daylight. Wind is the constant — it can blow hard in any season and is central to the challenge — so pack for it rather than hope to avoid it.
Getting there
Royal St George's sits just east of Sandwich in Kent. It's roughly 1h45–2h from London by car (M2/A2/A256 via Canterbury), and a similar drive from Gatwick or Heathrow. By rail, Sandwich station is about two miles away, with a taxi or a short walk to the club.
How to play it
Sandwich is the heart of a compact Kentish links cluster — build a two-to-three-day trip pairing Royal St George's with the neighbouring Royal Cinque Ports at Deal (a former Open venue, ten minutes away) and Prince's, immediately adjacent, which hosted the 1932 Open. Together they make one of England's best links trios, and an easy add-on to a wider south-coast or London golf trip. For the inland contrast, our Sunningdale guide covers the Surrey/Berkshire heathland belt.
What to pack
The kit this trip demands
Sandwich is exposed, walkable coastal links golf where the wind rarely rests — pack a proper links weather kit rather than travelling light on the waterproofs:
Yes, but access is limited and formal. It's a private members' club that welcomes visitors on limited weekdays — generally Tuesday to Thursday — by advance booking. Weekends are reserved for members, and tee times can be booked up a long way ahead.
Do you need a handicap to play Royal St George's?
Yes. Visitors need a handicap index of 18.4 or better and must verify it at check-in; a digital home-union or GHIN certificate is accepted. Confirm the current requirement with the club when you book.
How many Opens has Royal St George's hosted?
Fifteen — more than any venue outside Scotland. It staged the first Open played outside Scotland in 1894, and most recently hosted in 2011 (Darren Clarke) and 2021 (Collin Morikawa). It is the only current Open venue in the south of England.
What's the best time to play Royal St George's?
May to September gives the firmest links turf and the longest daylight. Wind is a factor in any season and is central to the challenge, so pack for weather rather than expecting a calm day.
How do you get to Royal St George's?
It's just east of Sandwich in Kent — about 1h45–2h from London or from Gatwick/Heathrow by car. By rail, Sandwich station is roughly two miles from the club.
