Royal St George's Golf Club Key Information
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 standouts 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.
I'd like to say Royal St George's was the first Open Championship links I played fairly early in my golfing 'career' and it sort of was... until I discovered that neighbouring Prince's, which I had played earlier, had also hosted The Open back in the day.
But as far as I was aware at the time, this was my first Open Championship links experience and it took things to a whole new dimension for me. Everything was done slightly differently and felt different somehow, and I absolutely loved it, and still love it now.
Yes, the odd top pro over the years has complained about the unfairness of the bounce, which is perhaps more prevalent on the rumpled fairways here, but my view is that if you can't deal with that (overlooking all the kind bounces, too!), then links golf probably isn't for you.
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 standout 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, and 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.
What's new for 2025/26? What our panellists said…
Royal St George's is one of the finest links in GB and is rightly world-renowned. It is a championship course that is exacting from the off with rumpled fairways and incredible run-offs. A score of handicap or better here is truly a great score. Weaving in an among the dunes, the course has a fantastic set of holes which require concentration and execution to succeed. The experience at 'RSG' is such a treat and something that everyone should seek to sample.
The design of the course strikes a perfect balance between playable and challenging. The course feels grand and at no stage is it cramped or imposing. Every hole is memorable, and the golf never feels repetitive. The variety of hazards encountered is absorbing. Burns, sand hills, hazardous traps and delightful contours must all be navigated as you plot your way around the links. Recovery shots are fun and interesting, keeping the golfer engaged with the task at hand. The diversity of the green complexes is outstanding, with slopes of all shapes and sizes available to work the ball closer to the hole, or, if you’re game isn’t on song, further away!
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.
