The Best Pay and Play Golf Courses in the UK

Pay and play golf courses are ideal for trying out a variety of the best golfing locations the UK has to offer. There’s no need to pay pricey annual membership fees at these top clubs, which welcome all golfers at just about any time of year. Keep reading to find the golf courses near you that offer pay and play golf.

The Grove, Watford, Hertfordshire

Nestled among 200 acres of picturesque Hertfordshire countryside, The Grove’s sprawling 18-hole golf course is perhaps best known as host of the 2006 World Golf Championship, when Tiger Woods easily dominated the field to claim the illustrious title. 

Just a short drive from London, the 7,152 yard course offers a good test for golfers of all levels, with four large teeing areas on each and every hole, a number of appealing short holes, and a particularly tricky 3rd with its approach over ‘Hell’s Lake’.  

From £155 off peak, thegrove.co.uk/golf  

London Golf Club, Ash, Kent

A popular 36-hole club near the Brands Hatch race circuit, London Golf Club offers pay and play on its International Course, an equally impressive sister to the club’s Jack Nicklaus-designed, members-only Heritage Course. The rolling Kent countryside providing challenging elevation changes to test even the best golfers (beginners may want to look elsewhere) and the beautiful views make this one of the south’s most-loved clubs. 

Need more convincing? Its designer Ron Kirby describes the 532-yard 4th – which features a fairway split in half by a huge bunker – as “the best par 5 hole I have ever created”. The club’s regulars would most certainly agree.

From £105 off peak, londongolf.co.uk 

The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire

The Belfry is a name that needs no introduction: its Brabazon course has played host to more Ryder Cups than any other on the planet, after all. Offering a taste of world-class golfing in a resort-style setting, expect a mire of perilous bunkers, lakes, strategically-placed sand-traps and immaculate greens that are a pleasure to navigate. 

All three courses are currently open for business and if you enjoy a round at this legendary location, you’ll be in good company – The Belfry has put the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods through their paces.

From £185 for the Brabazon course, £90 for PGA National and £27 for the Derby course;  thebelfry.com/golf/ 

Blackmoor Golf Club, Whitehill, Hampshire

A regular feature in the top 100 courses in the UK, this timeless English club still often falls under the radar. This short but by no means easy course sits on purple headland, surrounded by birch and fir trees, sandwiched between the beautiful North and South Downs. 

As for the game, the layout is configured in two loops – the front nine being the outer loop and the back nine the inner loop, with five par threes and only two par fives against a par of 69. 

With easy access from Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire, Blackmoor most certainly defines hidden gem status. Green fee rates for both County Card Holders and casual visitors.

From £65, blackmoorgolf.co.uk