Today's Golfer 474 - Top 100

TOP
WELCOME
Playing the finest courses in Britain
as the summer fees at so many of these
and Ireland these days is an expensive elite venues.
pursuit. That statement is neither
They bring the best of England,
surprising or contentious, and the widely Scotland, Ireland and Wales into the
reported rise in green fees to play our elite budget of so many more golfers and,
venues has taken them out of reach for a because virtually all of them sit on sand,
large proportion of golfers.
they will be in terrific condition during
There is, though, a way to do it – and these colder months – the only real
it unfolds in the 100 Winter Green Fee difference will be the air temperature.
Deals in the pages that follow. The
I’ve ranked them – based principally
savings are, at times, as eyebrow-raising on the savings made, but also the quality
of the course and the availability – and
there is a big difference between the
attractiveness of No.1 and No.100, but
you could throw a blanket over about 70
in the middle that are very similar.
It was a significant research task and
my thanks go to Excel wizard John Martin
for his valuable assistance in charting the
deals. We may have made a mistake here
and there, but it is certainly not for the
want of trying.
You’ll notice some big names missing.
It was interesting to note that many of
the top 20 GB&I courses do not offer a
winter green fee these days. I did a
much smaller version of this ranking 15
years ago and every club offered a winter
deal; it is perhaps indicative of the
finances of these top clubs these days
that they don’t feel the need to offer
reduced deals to entice golfers during
their quiet periods.
No doubt maintenance plays a part in
this, as well as giving members ample
opportunity to play their course during
reduced daylight hours, but it still tells its
own story.
However, there are still 100 wonderful
deals awaiting you, and thousands of
pounds waiting to be saved. In fact, you’d
save more than £10,000 if you managed to
get round all 100 listed here!
I hope you find this Top 100 a useful
tool. And that it inspires you to get your
baselayer and mittens out and take the
chance to play one or more of our great
courses, because winter golf can be
brilliant – if you’re properly prepared.
I truly believe it when I say that if you
chase a few of the deals in this list, you
might very easily be rewarded with some
of the best golf experiences of your life.
Chris Bertram Top 100 Editor
BIGGEST
SAVING
Nairn is the No.1 for a
reason… save £250 by
playing it for £100 until
the end of February.
1NAIRN
HIGHLANDS, SCOTLAND
Top 100 GB&I Rank: 64 Summer fee: £350
Just £100 until the end of February, then £125
during March to play a Walker Cup and Curtis
Cup host whose greens will be pure all winter.
This quality of course for £100 or £125 just does
not happen these days. An outstanding saving
and an outstanding No.1 in this list.

TOP
MY TOP TRIP
SUGGESTIONS
AYRSHIRE (& ARGYLL)
Western Gailes (£95) and
Prestwick (£170) if you want a
short trip is simply superb. If you
can be away for, say, three days,
from there drive down to Kintyre
for Machrihanish (£35 if a fourball)
and Machrihanish Dunes (£75).
BOURNEMOUTH
Parkstone and Broadstone in the
same day for £165? Incredible
value. Add in Ferndown for £110
if you want an overnighter.
A fabulous heathland trip.
SANDWICH
Add Royal St George’s (£215) to
Cinque Ports (£185) as well as the
£220 play-and-stay deal at
Prince’s and it is two days you’ll
never, ever forget.
BALLYLIFFIN
€60 for the Glashedy and the Old
is sensational – you do have the
cost of getting there, and in that
case I’d be sorely tempted to add
on Portsalon, Narin and
Rosapenna’s Sandy Hills!
Royal St George’s
LEEDS
A morning at Moortown and
an afternoon over the road
at Alwoodley for £235.
An unforgettable Mackenzie-rich
heathland day out.
2 WESTERN GAILES
AYRSHIRE, SCOTLAND
Rank: 49 Summer fee: £310
It’s £95 until 15 March on weekdays to play
this high-class Ayrshire links – a massive
saving on what it will cost for the rest of the
year. A deservedly high spot for what is a
fantastic offer. The £190 it costs between 16
March and 12 April includes soup and
sandwiches on weekdays.
The Machrie
3 ROYAL ST GEORGE’S
KENT, ENGLAND
Rank: 8 Summer fee: £400
This Open Championship host – and our
No.1-ranked course in England – is yours
for £215, inclusive of lunch this winter.
When you factor in your food, that is less
than half the usual price. And Kent is a
great option for golf this or any winter, as
you’ll see when you visit.
4 MACHRIHANISH
ARGYLE, SCOTLAND
Rank: 38 Summer fee: £155
You can play this charming links with one
of the finest front nines in Britain and
Ireland for essentially just £35! The rack
rate is £95, then book a fourball (email
pro@machgolf.com) and it’s available for
£140 for a fourball until the end of February.
And that £35 is basically free, when you
consider the quality of course!
5 BALLYLIFFIN (GLASHEDY)
DONEGAL, IRELAND
Rank: 76 Summer fee: €330
You can book online on Ballyliffin’s
website – from January until March – for
a staggeringly tempting €60. Dig out your
baselayers and get on this – and on a trip
to Donegal generally.
6 GANTON
YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND
Rank: 39 Summer fee: £235
Just £110 to play an inland links that has
hosted the Ryder, Walker and Curtis
Cups and will categorically be in superb
condition. That is extremely good value
– in fact, it’s an absolute bargain.
7 MUIRFIELD
EAST LOTHIAN, SCOTLAND
Rank: 5 Summer fee: £395
Available for £150 until February and then
£180 in March. That’s a massive saving and
it would be even higher in this list but I fear
limited availability may be an issue, so I’ve
nudged it down a few spots as a result to
manage expectations. Find as many days as
you can visit and try your luck – £150 is a
sensational price.
8 SOUTHPORT & AINSDALE
LANCASHIRE, ENGLAND
Rank: 94 Summer fee: £270
It’s only available midweek and there are
limited tee times, but £95 to play S&A
until March is sensational value. Phone
or get online and book it today to snare
your spot.
Ganton
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TOP
9 ROYAL PORTHCAWL
PORTHCAWL, SOUTH WALES
Rank: 33 Summer fee: £275
Porthcawl is comfortably Wales’ No.1…
and comfortably its most expensive course.
This deal brings it within the reach of a lot
of people. Less than half price when you
consider you get a round plus coffee and
bacon roll for £138 on weekdays in January
and February.
10 HILLSIDE
LANCASHIRE, ENGLAND
Rank: 66 Summer fee: £300
You can play this Southport links with its
legendary back nine for £130 until the end
of February in midweek, which is
comfortably less than half its usual price.
£130 for Hillside is exactly the sort of deal
that encouraged me to do this list.
11 GLENEAGLES (KING’S)
PERTHSHIRE, SCOTLAND
Rank: 34 Summer fee: £405
I am huge fan of all things Gleneagles but
there is no getting away from the fact £405 in
the summer is a hefty whack, even if the
King’s is a World Top 100 entry. That makes
the £115 it costs to play it in January and
February seriously attractive. And it’s even
cheaper if you’re a hotel resident.
12 ROYAL ABERDEEN
ABERDEENSHIRE, SCOTLAND
Rank: 35 Summer fee: £295
Just £115 until 5 April is an incredibly
tempting price to savour the links at
Balgownie. The front nine alone is worth
that! From 6 April to 10 May the shoulder
rate is £189 – which is also very appealing.
13 ST ENODOC (CHURCH)
CORNWALL, ENGLAND
Rank: 40 Summer fee: £225
As per Hollinwell at 14, the summer green
fee of £225 is one of the best-value GB&I Top
Hollinwell
100 prices around. That drops to £105 for
January and February and is worth the
journey to Cornwall alone.
14 HOLLINWELL
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE, ENGLAND
Rank: 52 Summer fee: £195
The summer green fee is excellent value
– you are getting a LOT of golf course for
£195 in peak season – but the £95 offer
into March (including a roll and coffee or
sandwiches & chips) is epic. The food
means it is little more than £80 for the golf
– a total no-brainer because this classy
heathland is absolutely the real deal.
15 TRUMP INTERNATIONAL
(OLD)
ABERDEENSHIRE, SCOTLAND
Rank: 25 Summer fee: £425
£230 in January and February for this
quality of course should have it on your
radar. It will assuredly be in super nick
then, too. Pair it with No.12.
16 PRESTWICK
AYRSHIRE, SCOTLAND
Rank: 31 Summer fee: £340
The early Open venue with the eccentric
holes is yours for £170 – Monday to
Thursday until the end of March. A
half-price bargain. Pair it with Western
Gailes for a wonderful, affordable trip.
17 GULLANE (NO.1)
EAST LOTHIAN, SCOTLAND
Rank: 65 Summer fee: £285
£135 in January until March during the
week. Limited tee times, otherwise it
would be a touch higher. Unquestionably
a high-calibre links for that price.
18 ROYAL DORNOCH
HIGHLANDS, SCOTLAND
Rank: 4 Summer fee: £360
You can get 36 holes for £280, or a round on
Royal Porthcawl
either course (the Struie is the second
course) for £210. An enormous saving to
play the World No.5 – the only proviso is
you might struggle to get the full 36 in.
19 BURNHAM & BERROW
SOMERSET, ENGLAND
Rank: 50 Summer fee: £195
Under £100 to play this stellar Somerset
links? Sensational value and the £95 until
February is more than a 50% saving. The
summer fee is also good value, to be honest.
It’s a stellar links that sometimes flies a little
under the radar.
20 MOORTOWN
YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND
Rank: 80 Summer fee: £250
You don’t need to be Carol Vorderman to
work out the saving here. And although it is
inland, be assured this sand-based
heathland – the 1929 Ryder Cup host – will
be in mint condition from January to
March, when it’s available for £125.
21 ST ANDREWS (OLD)
FIFE, SCOTLAND
Rank: 1 Summer fee: £355
The green fee of £128 into March, even
with fairway mats in use and some hole
restrictions due to irrigation work, is still
a fabulous deal. Again, it would be higher
but the availability will be tight.
22 BALLYLIFFIN (OLD)
DONEGAL, IRELAND
Rank: 100 Summer fee: €300
This is not published on the club’s website,
but you can book the No.2 course at
Ballyliffin online from January until March
for just €60, the same as sister course the
Glashedy – €120 for both is sensational.
23 NARIN & PORTNOO
DONEGAL, IRELAND
Rank: 102 Summer fee: €300 inc lunch and a pint
You can play this Gil Hanse redesign until
the end of March for as little as €80 – a huge
saving on its sizeable summer fee.
24 GLENEAGLES (QUEEN’S)
PERTHSHIRE, SCOTLAND
Rank: 69 Summer fee: £405
As earlier with the King’s, and with the
Queen’s a relatively lesser course, it slots
in here. £115 for January and February is a
very, very fair price. And again, cheaper
prices are available for hotel residents.
25 WOODHALL SPA
(HOTCHKIN)
LINCOLNSHIRE, ENGLAND
Rank: 18 Summer fee: £245
One of the best-value summer green fees
drops to £110 until the end of February (£85
for EGU members). In March and April that
rises to a still appealing £135 (£105 EGU).
26 ROYAL LYTHAM
& ST ANNES
LANCASHIRE, ENGLAND
Rank: 30 Summer fee: £400
That £400 summer fee will price a lot of
people out of playing Lytham. The Open
rota course coming down to £245 until the
end of March – Monday to Friday – will
bring in some interested takers.
27 PRINCE’S
KENT, ENGLAND
Rank 67 Summer fee: From £175
The winter rate (until the end of
February) at this former Open venue
starts at a highly appealing £95. You can
also use Prince’s as your base for a Kent
trip and enjoy a one-night stay and play
for £220 until the end of March (Monday-
Thursday). That gets you two rounds, a
two-course dinner and breakfast based
on two sharing a standard twin room,
plus complimentary range balls and a
course guide. In summer, that is £279 –
which in itself is very, very well priced.
Narin & Portnoo
28 THE MACHRIE
ARGYLL, SCOTLAND
Rank: 44 Summer fee: £130 (£185 non-residents)
This mystical, distinctive links on Islay
reopens on 14 February and as a hotel guest,
you can play for £67 until 15 March. The
non-resident rates are £74 – also a bargain!
29 THE BERKSHIRE (RED)
BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND
Rank: 54 Summer fee: £275
Even more attractive than just the pure
maths, because the £170 fee is available until
19 April, albeit only on weekdays. But that’s
after the Masters, when you don’t need me to
tell you that you’ve got a chance of some
warmth in which to enjoy your round.
30 PARKSTONE
DORSET, ENGLAND
Rank: 83 Summer fee: £185
Just £80 on weekdays to play Parkstone
until the end of March? South of England,
too, so a better chance of good weather!
That’s a very, very good deal.
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