Deal, Kent, England
Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club
One of England's most revered and least-visited links — Royal Cinque Ports at Deal is a course of exceptional quality, Open Championship history, and a raw, elemental beauty that sets it apart from any other course on the Kent coast.
About the Course
Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club
Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club was founded in 1892 and has hosted The Open Championship twice — in 1909 and 1920. The course is set on the Kent coast at Deal, on a narrow strip of linksland between the English Channel and the Royal Marines barracks, and it is one of the most exposed and elemental links courses in England.
The course is relatively flat by links standards, but the wind — which blows almost constantly from the sea — makes it one of the most demanding tests in the country. The fairways are firm and fast, the rough is severe, and the greens are small and well-defended. It is a course that rewards only the most complete and disciplined players.
Royal Cinque Ports is one of the most exclusive and least-visited of England's great links clubs. Access is by introduction or through a small number of approved operators, and the club has deliberately maintained its private character. Playing here is a genuine privilege — an experience that very few visitors to England ever have.
By the Numbers
Course Statistics
Based on course length, terrain & layout
Handicap index suggested for full enjoyment
The Course
Why It Stands Out
Two Open Championships
Royal Cinque Ports hosted The Open Championship in 1909 and 1920 — two of the most celebrated Opens of the early twentieth century. The course has not hosted The Open since, but its quality and character are undiminished, and it remains one of the finest links tests in England.
The Most Elemental Links in Kent
Deal is exposed to the English Channel in a way that few courses in England can match. The wind is a constant and decisive factor, and the course uses its flat, open terrain to create a test that is both physically demanding and strategically complex. No two rounds at Royal Cinque Ports are ever the same.
Genuine Exclusivity
Royal Cinque Ports is one of the most private and exclusive golf clubs in England. Access is by introduction only, and the club has deliberately maintained its character as a place where golf is played seriously and without distraction. Playing here is a privilege that very few visitors to England ever experience.
The Sea Views
The course runs along the Kent coast with views of the English Channel on one side and the town of Deal on the other. On a clear day, the coast of France is visible from the higher points of the course — a reminder of the unique geography of this corner of England.
The Course
Course Views
Extend Your Itinerary
The Kent Links — A Complete Coastal Programme
Royal Cinque Ports sits on the Kent coast within a few miles of Royal St George's and Prince's — a programme that can fill several days of exceptional links golf on England's most historic shoreline.
Golf Travel
How It Is Included
Royal Cinque Ports is a key component of our London Heathland Kent Extension — a programme that combines the Golden Age heathland of Berkshire and Surrey with the historic links coastline of Sandwich and Deal. We arrange access, accommodation at The Rose in Deal, and every detail of the routing.
To explore how Royal Cinque Ports fits into a wider route, visit our The London Heathland Collection page or our England golf tours page.
Begin Your Journey
Play Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club
Speak with our team to arrange access to Royal Cinque Ports and build a private itinerary across the Kent links coastline.
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