Heathland Course
A heathland course is an inland golf course built on sandy heath, where heather and gorse frame firm, fast-running fairways edged by scattered pines.
What is a heathland course?
The word “heathland” describes the land first. A heath is an area of open, uncultivated ground with sandy soil. The land typically supports heather and gorse, along with bracken and coarse grasses. When that ground is laid out for golf, the result is a heathland course: an inland layout that plays much like a coastal links because the soil is essentially the same.
These courses sit inland, away from the sea, but they keep the firm turf and natural drainage that define links golf. The sandy ground does not hold water for long, which keeps the fairways bouncy and playable through most of the year. The heather and gorse that thrive in this soil become the visual signature and the main hazard, framing fairways with purple and yellow when in bloom.
Heathland golf is largely a British invention. The style emerged in the late 1800s, when designers searched for inland terrain that could give the game its links character without the coast, and found it in the heaths south-west of London.
Key characteristics of a heathland course
A few features show up on almost every heathland course and together define the playing experience.
Sandy, acidic soil
The ground is low in nutrients and drains rapidly. Fairways stay firm and fast through most of the year. Even heavy winter rain rarely takes a heathland course off the schedule for long, because the water leaves the soil almost as quickly as it arrives.
Heather and gorse
Heather is the low purple flowering plant that lines fairways and surrounds greens. It is wiry and tangled. A ball that settles in deep heather is usually unplayable in the conventional sense; the smart play is a chip back to safety. Gorse, the spiny yellow-flowering bush, is worse: a ball in gorse almost always means a penalty drop.
Undulating terrain
Heathland sites tend to be naturally rolling rather than flat. Designers worked with the contours rather than altering them, which produces holes that follow the lay of the land and greens tucked into natural hollows or perched on small plateaus.
Scattered trees
Pines, silver birch, and oak appear on most heathland courses, but they are used sparingly. Trees frame holes from the edges or stand guard at a dogleg, rather than crowding the fairway the way they do on a parkland course.
Deep, links-style bunkers
Bunkers on heathland courses tend to be deep, often revetted, and visually similar to those on coastal links. The early designers borrowed bunker conventions directly from links golf when there was no natural template inland.
Heathland vs links vs parkland courses
Most golfers searching for the heathland definition already know what a links and a parkland course look like. Heathland sits between the two.
A links course is coastal. The soil is sandy, the trees are few, and constant wind keeps the ground game alive. A parkland course is inland on clay or loam, heavily wooded, with the conditions sheltered enough to reward aerial target golf. A heathland course is inland like a parkland but built on sandy soil like a links, with heather and gorse as the rough.
| Feature | Links | Heathland | Parkland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Coastal | Inland | Inland |
| Soil | Sandy | Sandy, acidic | Clay or loam |
| Trees | Few or none | Scattered (pine, birch) | Dense, tree-lined |
| Rough | Fescue, dunes | Heather, gorse | Cut grass |
| Wind exposure | Constant | Sheltered | Sheltered |
| Turf | Firm and fast | Firm and fast | Soft and lush |
| Playing style | Ground game | Strategic, ground available | Aerial target golf |
The practical effect is a course that gives you the bouncy, running ground of a links without the sea wind, plus a more sheltered atmosphere than coastal golf and more strategic interest than typical parkland. This is why heathland is sometimes called “inland links.”
Where heathland courses are found
The largest concentration of heathland golf in the world sits in the Surrey-Berkshire “Sand Belt” around 45 minutes south-west of London. Within an hour’s drive of a single base, golfers can play Sunningdale, Walton Heath, The Berkshire, Swinley Forest, St George’s Hill, and Hankley Common. Golf Monthly’s Top 100 UK & Ireland course rankings include between 25 and 30 heathland courses.
Other notable English heathland clusters sit further north: Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire, Alwoodley near Leeds, and Ganton in North Yorkshire (which crosses into links territory).
Pure heathland courses are rare outside Britain because the terrain itself is rare. Pine Valley in New Jersey is built on sandy heath-style ground and is often grouped with heathland in spirit, if not in label. Australia’s Melbourne Sandbelt, including Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath, shares many heathland design ideas (Alister MacKenzie carried them across when he visited in the 1920s) but is classed as its own course type.
A short history of heathland golf
Heathland golf appeared in the late 19th century. As the game grew in popularity in Britain, demand for inland courses grew with it, and architects looked for terrain that could replicate the links experience without the coast. The sandy heaths of Surrey, Berkshire, Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire fit the brief.
A small group of architects shaped the style. Willie Park Jr designed the Old Course at Sunningdale, which opened in 1901 and is widely treated as the founding heathland design. Harry Colt, who served as Sunningdale’s first secretary, refined the Old before going on to design the New Course in 1923. His later heathland work included St George’s Hill and Swinley Forest. Walton Heath came from Herbert Fowler in 1904; he later added the two courses at The Berkshire. The same period saw work from James Braid and Tom Simpson.
One detail ties heathland golf to the most famous course in the world. Alister MacKenzie’s first design was Alwoodley in Leeds, opened in 1907. MacKenzie drew on Alwoodley when he later designed Augusta National, with its 10th hole reportedly serving as the model for Augusta’s 13th.
Famous heathland courses
A few names come up repeatedly in any discussion of heathland golf:
Royal Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. A sandbelt course that shares much of its DNA with British heathland design.
- Sunningdale (Old and New), Surrey, England. The Old (1901, Park Jr / Colt) is often considered the finest heathland course in the world. Both Sunningdale courses regularly appear in the world top 100.
- Walton Heath (Old), Surrey, England. The Old Course has been ranked in the world’s top 100 every year since the rankings began in 1938 and hosted the 1981 Ryder Cup.
- Woodhall Spa (Hotchkin), Lincolnshire, England. Known for deep, penal bunkering and as the home of England Golf.
- The Berkshire (Red and Blue), Berkshire, England. Two Herbert Fowler designs that often play as a 36-hole pairing.
- Hankley Common, Swinley Forest, and St George’s Hill: three more Surrey courses that round out the Sand Belt’s depth.
- Alwoodley, Leeds, England. MacKenzie’s first design and the spiritual home of heathland golf in the north of England.
- Pine Valley, New Jersey, USA. Built on sandy heath terrain and is often listed among the world’s top three courses.
Related Golf Terms
- Handicap system — A system that allows golfers of different abilities to compete fairly.
- Headcover — A protective cover placed over the head of woods and putters.
- Handicap — A numerical measure of a golfer’s ability used to level the playing field.
- Hazard — Any bunker or water feature designated as a penalty area on the course.
- Handicap index — A portable number that represents a golfer’s demonstrated ability.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a heathland and a links golf course?
A links course sits on the coast, has sandy soil and fescue grasses, almost no trees, and is constantly exposed to sea wind. A heathland course sits inland on similar sandy soil, but its rough is heather and gorse, and it typically has scattered pines and shelter from the wind.
Where are most heathland courses located?
Most are in the United Kingdom, with the largest concentration in the Surrey and Berkshire counties south-west of London. Other clusters sit in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. A small number of heathland or heathland-style courses exist in the United States and Australia.
Why do heathland courses have heather?
Heather thrives naturally on the acidic, sandy soil that makes heathland good for golf. The same conditions that drain water quickly and produce firm turf also support heather as the dominant low-growing plant, which is why it appears on virtually every heathland course.
Are heathland courses harder to play than parkland courses?
For most amateur golfers, yes. Heather is a more punishing rough than the cut grass of a typical parkland course, the firm turf produces unpredictable bounces, and the bunkers tend to be deeper. The trade-off is a more strategic and visually striking layout.
What is the most famous heathland golf course in the world?
The Old Course at Sunningdale in Surrey is the most commonly cited candidate. Walton Heath, Pine Valley, and Royal Melbourne also appear regularly in the discussion.
When were heathland golf courses first built?
The first true heathland courses were laid out in England in the 1890s and early 1900s. Sunningdale’s Old Course (1901) and Walton Heath (1904) are usually treated as the founding examples of the style.
Sources
- Golf Monthly. “45 Of The Best Heathland Golf Courses In The UK.” Accessed May 2026.
- LINKS Magazine. “Best Heathland Golf in England’s Famed Sand Belt.” Accessed May 2026.
- Golf.com. “Here are the 6 different types of golf courses, explained.” Accessed May 2026.
- Halcyon Golf Travel. “What is a Heathland Golf Course?” Accessed May 2026.
- Reesink Turfcare. “A complete guide to heathland golf courses.” Accessed May 2026.
- Walton Heath Golf Club. Official site. Accessed May 2026.
