Top 5 English Links?

[EaseNgrace]

What are the top 5 English links courses in your opinion?
I want to play one next year (or this winter), just wondered if any of the ones local to me figure in your top 5's

 

[richart]

Can't believe there are five better than Saunton East.

 

[3offTheTee]

Can only vouch for The North but the following will take some beating;

S and A
Hillside
Birkdale
Royal Lytham
St Annes Old Links

Reserve

W Lancs

 

[rickg]

Woodhall Spa

Links?

 

[3offTheTee]

Woodhall Spa

Links?

Well the bunkers make it feel like links! Sorry I will add St Annes Old Links

 

[Wildrover]

You've got some crackers on your doorstep if you're in Norwich. Brancaster, Royal West Norfolk, Hunstanton.

 

[MashieNiblick]

Decided to post here as a I need a little break from all the RC stuff. (Just about to watch highlights on Sky)

I guess you're thinking of Hunstanton and Royal West Norfolk.

I've played Royal St Georges (awesome), Princes (my first links - a real education), Saunton East (a great test), Westward Ho! (like going back in time) and Hunstanton which I think was the most fun of all of these. Maybe a bit short nowadays but tough enough when the wind got up (it was only a stiff breeze really). If you have a chance to play it I wouldn't hesitate. I have never played any of the Lancashire links though.

I just looked up an old copy of a rival mag (sorry GM!) with their 100 top courses and top English links were predicably the Open venues (Birkdale, Lytham, St Georges, Hoylake) followed by Formby and Saunton East. Royal West Norfolk was next (39th overall). Hunstanton was 69th overall.

 

[MikeH]

When we last published our UK & Ireland Top 100 Course Rankings in November 2008 these were the top 10 ranked English links (ranking in brackets)...

Royal Birkdale (5)
Royal Lytham & St Annes (10)
Royal St George’s (12)
Royal Liverpool (13)
Saunton - East (30)
Hillside (32)
Formby (41)
Royal West Norfolk (44)
Burnham & Berrow - Championship (47)
St Enodoc - Church (48)

We'll be publishing our new updated Top 100 course rankings in the December coverdated issue (on sale Nov 4) so you can see if that order has changed then

 

[EaseNgrace]

Thanks for the response, I'm going to have to give Hunstanton a go over the winter as i'll be working about 500 yards away from the course for the next few months. Also, Royal West Norfolk have very good winter rates, I think £50 after 1pm weekdays.

 

[MashieNiblick]

Thank you.

I'll just say that when I played Hunstanton the secretary and members were really welcoming. It's two ball only and two guys who were on the 1st tee in front of me explained this and apologised that this meant they couldn't ask me to join them but they would have done otherwise. Afterwards we had a nice chat in the bar. They were really interested in how I'd got on and what I thought of the course. Top place in my view.

Have fun.

 

[Smiffy]

Hunstanton is superb.
Royal West Norfolk isn't

 

[Fyldewhite]

Can only vouch for The North but the following will take some beating;

S and A
Hillside
Birkdale
Royal Lytham
St Annes Old Links

Reserve

W Lancs

Go with all those but would probably add Silloth into the mix. It's a bit out of the way but superb.