The Top 10 Golf Courses in Hampshire

The first course on our list and one of many that are either designed by or have been tinkered with by the world famous architect Harry Colt.

Leckford Golf Club boasts two delightful 9 hole courses that overlook the beautiful River Test and its surrounding hills and woodland.

Set on the Leckford Estate, owned by John Lewis/Waitrose, Leckford Golf Club features two nine-hole loops, the original Harry Colt designed Old Course and the Donald Steel designed New Course.

The course that makes this list is the Old Course. a 9 hole layout which can be played from 2 tee boxes to make up an 18 hole scorecard. This must be the first 9-hole course which has made our county top 10's, which is prehaps testament to the remarkable work of Harry Colt.

The original design was laid out in 1929, is considered by many to be one of Colt's most authentic course designs. It is known for it's tricky undulating greens, many of which will be tough to read for first time visitors and have hungry collection areas that will readily swallow any inaccurate approach shots.

Leckford Golf Club is a course we highly recommend visiting, with a great days golf. Many like to play the Old Course in its full 18 hole form and add on an additional 9 on the easier, but excellent New Course.

View Barton on Sea Golf Club >

Barton-on-Sea is a links-style course set on the southern coast, just a short drive east of Bournemouth.

The venue boasts a 27 hole setup that consists of the original 18 hole course designed in the late 1800's and mid-1940's, combined with the newest 9 hole loop that was added in 1992. This creates the rare occurrence of having 3 loops of 9 holes of excellent quality, giving visitors the opportunity for variation and fresh challenges on returning to the venue.

The courses are hard to categorise and have elements of parkland, links, lakes and heathland. Renowned for its top conditioning, certainly in the summer months.

The championship loops making this top 10 are the Becton & Needles which combine to create a par-72 that stretches 6,450 yards through the undulating terrain. The highlight is perhaps the 2nd at Becton which provides a mid length par 4 challenge. A stream runs from right edge of the fairway, across the front of the green. A real strategic golf hole which is all about the approach.

Barton-on-sea is a high quality venue where it really is worth playing all 27 during your stay. Whilst slightly shorter, the Stroller 9 is also fantastic with some of the holes credited to Harry Colt, who makes a regular appearance in this list.

View Bramshaw Golf Club >

Bramshaw Golf Club is a well established venue that has its origins in the 19th Century, boasting two fantastic courses as well as comfortable on-site accommodation at The Bell Inn.

The championship Manor Course which makes this list was opened for play in the 70's and over the past half century has become one of the premier golfing venues in Hampshire.

The Manor is an exciting parkland layout, characterised by its tight tree-lined layout and where the just 30 bunkers tend to feature as well positioned guards to the greens.

Perhaps the most memorable holes on the course are the 400 yard 3rd which requires a pin point 2nd shot to be worked through two oaks 100 yards from the green. Also the 9th remains in the mind, the mid length par 3 plays to a bell shaped green where the front circular bunker forms the "clapper"!

A notable mention here for the other on-site course, the Forest Course. This course holds the title of the oldest golf course in Hampshire, and is a contrasting test, but one worth experiencing when visiting Bramshaw.

With it's stunning rural location, two golf courses and on-site accommodation at The Bell at Bramshaw, it is a great choice for a New Forest golf break..

Army Golf Club is a warm and welcoming golf club that has been established for 135 years and is considered to be one of the finest parkland/heathland courses in the South East.

Despite the name, the course does not require the association to the armed forces for members, guests or visitors.

The course is set in 165 acres of low lying woodland and is set out as a par 71 running out at 6,550 yards. The relatively flat terrain makes the course a comfortable walk for most.

The current course layout was opened in the 60's and today the course prides itself on being one of the most interesting and well kept in the region.

A picturesque layout, featuring colourful rhododendrons, undulating fairways, mature woodland and tricky greens, as well as being playable all year round.

The feature hole of the course is considered by many regulars to be the par 4 15th, a recently remodeled hole featuring a generous fairway that invites you to hit long off the tee, followed by an approach shot that must avoid the stream that flows across the fairway in front of the green, good length on your approach shot will be paramount here as you want to avoid landing short and ending up in the hazard.

North Hants Golf Club is an England Golf championship venue situated upon a glorious sand belt that runs through Berkshire & Hampshire. This wonderful heathland course, set amongst stunning pine and silver birch trees was originally designed by the famous James Braid in 1904 and re-shaped by Harry Colt in 1913.

A highly regarded course, it features tree-lined fairways, well-protected greens, and naturally occurring heather and gorse. Being built on a natural sand base allows for great drainage and year round playability.

These days, many know the name due to its association with Ryder Cup hero and US Open champion Justin Rose.

With tough tee shots and tight approach shots, shooting a good score around the course will require your finest play. Accuracy from both the tee and from the fairway are required to keep the scorecard ticking over and the course allows little room for errant shots.

North Hants Golf Club is another fine example of the high quality heathland courses on offer in the area, complete with a rich history and fantastic practice facilities, it is a highly recommended venue, and one that you should definitely be adding to any north Hampshire trip that you are planning,

View Brokenhurst Manor Golf Club >

Brokenhurst Manor Golf Club is an England Golf Championship woodland/parkland venue that is situated in the New Forest, near the village of Brokenhurst, and has an established layout with the club having just celebrated it's centenary (1919).

Some trivia at this point... note the spelling, Brokenhurst Golf Club is set in the New Forest village of Brockenhurst. The golf club actually has the original and correct spelling of the village, after a train company accidently added a "c" and it stuck!

Another one of (you guessed it) Harry Colt's designs, this course is interestingly designed in 3x 6 hole loops that combine to create a par 70. The layout runs 6,200+ yards and is full of meandering steams, well-placed bunkers and fast running greens. There are a number of shorter par 4's which provide a risk/reward element to your round and leads to some interesting decision making on the course. A quintessential heathland course whos reputation continues to build. This has not gone unnoticed by England Golf and is now a host venue to a number of high profile events.

While walking the course, golfers will be treated to stunning views of the surrounding countryside that is full of local wildlife, including roe, red deer, and a wide array of birdlife, creating a fantastic backdrop to enjoy this varied and challenging course.

Simply put, this is one of the New Forest's finest courses and should form a centre piece of any West Hampshire golf tour. A GSW favourite!

Blackmoor Golf Club is an England Golf championship venue and Open qualifying course nestled in beautiful surroundings between the North and South downs.

Designed by the legendary Harry Colt the course is short but tough and much like many courses on this list, is regarded as one of the top heathland courses in the South of England.

Designed in 1913, this mature course is laid out over two loops of nine holes, with the outward 9 being the outer loop. 5par 3's and only 2 par 5's mean scoring at this par 69 is never easy.

A host to the famous Selborne Salver, an event which has produced famous winners including Peter McEvoy, Gary Wolstenholme and Ross Fisher, the course is steeped in prestige and history.

Excellent conditioning here a foregone conclusion, known for it's immaculately kept greens, fairways and tees.

2021 saw a three-year renovation programme at the club which involves work on restoring the heathland enviornment, improving bunkering and some landscaping. It will be great to see this course after the additional improvements. For now, it sits 4th on our list.

View Hayling Golf Club >

Hayling Golf Club is a breathtaking true links course situated on the Hampshire coastline, to the East of Portsmouth on Hayling Island. This picturesque golf course is the only true links course in the region and in fact, is the only true links on the south coast between Rye in East Sussex and Mullion, deep into Cornwall.

This Championship Links has played host to a number of big events over the years, including the Woman’s Amateur on 4 occasions, and it’s no surprise as to why.

Having opened in 1883, this venue is now entering its 15th decade and offers a links experience that across 6,500 yards of golf and features some truly unforgettable holes.

As is the way with many links, the course displays fast fairways, fine greens, is playable all year round. It is complimented by spectacular sea views of the Solent and Langstone Harbour. The course went through a Redesign in 1905 by the famous J.H. Taylor and now finds its way comfortably into the top 100 in England and is a must play if visiting the area and the first course which should be on the list should you be considering a Portsmouth golf break.

View Stoneham Golf Club >

At Golf South West we consider Stoneham to be one of Hampshire's "hidden gems".

A members club with a rich history that has perhaps been overlooked when golfers are considering courses in the Hampshire/Dorset area. However, thanks to a forward thinking management team and an association with PGA Tour star Richard Bland, the club has found itself as one of Hampshire's very best and a centre piece to many golf tours in the region.

This established heathland course celebrated its centenary in 2008 and is an England golf championship venue with a history of hosting big events, starting with the very first British Masters back in 1946.

The course boasts a stunning parkland layout that feels and looks more like a heathland. Twisting and turning through the deer park, the course presents visitors with a classic test of golf, where power is not the deciding factor.

Posting a good score will require you to dig deep and use every shot in your arsenal as the course has plenty of variety, with truly no two holes playing the same. The greens are a joy to putt on and feature subtle breaks making even short efforts no gimme!

The club in modern times has spend substantial sums in developing its offering both on and off the course. This includes a course irrigation system, refreshed clubhouse and one of the finest practice facilities UK. So much so, the club now plays host to England team training!

Make no mistake, Stoneham has built a club capable of challenging the very best in the region and would not be out of place in a tour alongside Dorset's "big 4". It is actually the perfect stop off point if you're travelling from the East into Dorset.

View Liphook Golf Club >

Sometimes video and imagery cannot do a course enough justice. Liphook has to be seen to truly appreciate the quality on offer here. To come out top of a list of clubs in a county where there are no shortage of quality courses is no mean feat.

Currently ranked as the top course in the county, Liphook Golf Club is one of the finest courses in the country.

A stunning heathland course that rewards strategic play over a long-hitting “gun-ho” approach. This was clearly in the mind of the course designers a century ago when they laid out the course which is characterised by tight fairways cutting through heather, gorse and trees . Some courses have enough strategic quality to not worry about "Tiger proofing" and Liphook is certainly one of those.

Ensuring accuracy from the tee is required as wayward shots will almost always be punished. Perhaps not the longest course you’ll find, maxing out at 6,500 from the championship tees, Liphook is not a course that feels short as you navigate your way around. With 4 par 5’s and a number of par 4’s in excess of 400 yards, you’ll be forced to balance consistency and solid distance to shoot a low number.

As you’d expect from a top heathland golf course, conditioning is always outstanding with tees, fairways and greens manicured to high standard. Liphook is a very welcoming club, but getting a tee time here due to the incredibly active membership is challenging. We suggest planning your trip with plenty of advance notice and during the week to avoid disappointment.

There we have it. 10 to 1 of the finest Hampshire has to offer. A region which is made for golf breaks, offering everything from city breaks to New Forest rural retreats. Easily accessible from the South West, East and Midlands, Hampshire is a region that needs to be covered by all serious golf break parties at least once!