Princes Golf Club
South East England
Also known as “Sandwich” due to its location in the town of the same name, Princes Golf Club is a links layout that dates to 1906. Originally designed by Charles Hutchings (the 1902 British Amateur champion), Princes was the site of the British Open for its first and only time in 1932. That year, Gene Sarazen won his first and only Claret Jug. Due to the damage that Princes received during World War II, Sir Guy Campbell and John Morrison remodeled the facility and expanded it to 27 holes in 1950. The three nines (Himalayas, Shore and Dunes) offer golfers distinctly different layouts. From the championship tees, Himalayas/Shore measures 6,942 yards; Himalayas/Dunes measures 6,845 yards; Shore/Dunes measures 7,145 yards. The Shore/Dunes combo is often used as a qualifying site for the British Open.
Royal Cinque Ports
South East England
Golf today will bring you to Royal Cinque Ports (6785 yards, par 72). This club was founded in 1892 and hosted two British Opens and two British Amateur Championships over the years. Walter Hagen played in his first Open here in 1920 and finished 53rd in a field of 54. The course has also been unofficially invited back into the current Open rota, so this is an ideal time to visit the club.
Royal St. Georges Golf Club
South East England
Frequently ranked as the #1 course in England, Royal St. George’s was designed by Scotsman W. Laidlaw Purves in 1887. In 1894, this challenging links layout became the first course outside of Scotland to hold the British Open (J.H. Taylor won his first of five). Since then the Open has returned to St. George’s on 13 occasions, the most recent in 2011 (won by Darren Clarke). If you enjoy the challenge (and quirkiness) of links golf, this is a great choice. There are several blind shots, humpty-bumpty fairways, and plenty of deep bunkers. A bunker on the 4th hole, in fact, is the deepest and tallest in England. From the championship tees, St. George’s measures just over 7,100 yards. The Open returns in 2020.