Royal St. George’s
Royal St. George’s
-
Course Type
Semi-Private -
GOLF Top 100 World Rank (2023-24)
33 -
Year
1922 -
Architects
W. Laidlaw Purves, 1887 / H.S. Colt, 1922 -
Par
70 -
Yardage
7,204
Course Overview
This 15-time British Open host dates to 1887. “Sandwich,” as it is known colloquially, occupies some of the most rambunctious dunes of any Open venue. Yes, that means there are more blind shots here than at the other host sites. Some professionals embrace that aspect while others are leery. Amateurs, who look at links golf as an adventure vs. a livelihood, are more uniformly effusive in their praise. Though Sandwich is expansive, tense moments present themselves, including on 4th tee, where you must clear the rota’s most fearsome fairway bunker. James Bond creator Ian Fleming was a big fan of the perils of the perched 10th green but the nerviest single moment comes at the par-5 14th tee with outbounds hard along the right. Much to his credit, nothing fazed Collin Morikawa en route to his impressive 2021 Open win. (Photo: Kevin Murray)
3 things to know
-
Hole everyone talks about
No. 6, par-3, 176 yards. The par-3, the second on the front nine, is tucked below large dunes and calls for a precise shot with four bunkers guarding the green. -
Best non-golf amenity
The dining room. It’s as classic as the old links itself, and the perfect way to cap any bucket-list round. Don’t forget about the dessert table. -
Insider tip
Royal St. George’s offers several available tee times and open days for visitors, but the price is slashed dramatically (less than half the peak rate) if you bundle up and play in the winter.