Golf in the Midlands

The middle of England surprises golfers who expect only flat parkland: it holds two of the finest heathland courses in Britain, a graceful private classic, and the most-used Ryder Cup venue on earth — a genuine range of great golf, easy to reach from Birmingham, the East Midlands and the motorway network, and keenly priced next to the famous coasts.

Deep in the Lincolnshire heathland, Woodhall Spa's Hotchkin is widely rated the finest inland course in the British Isles — a stern, heather-clad test famous for the deepest, most penal bunkers in inland golf. Owned by England Golf, it is the National Golf Centre, the very home of the English game, sympathetically restored by the architect Tom Doak in 2019. To the south-west near Nottingham, Notts (Hollinwell) is a wild, heather-and-bracken Willie Park Jr masterpiece and a regular Final Open Qualifying venue — the best inland course in the East Midlands.

In Warwickshire, The Belfry's Brabazon has hosted the Ryder Cup four times — more than any venue on earth — and its water-guarded 10th and 18th are among the most famous holes in the game; unlike the private links and heaths, it is a full resort anyone can book. Nearby, north of Sutton Coldfield, Little Aston is an exclusive, immaculately kept Harry Vardon parkland — a gracious, private classic that pairs beautifully with the resort golf.

The Belfry is a self-contained resort 25 minutes from Birmingham and its airport, ideal for the Warwickshire golf. For Woodhall Spa, the Edwardian spa village makes a quiet, characterful base deep in Lincolnshire, and Nottingham or Sutton Coldfield suit Hollinwell and Little Aston.

At Woodhall Spa, the Petwood Hotelis a wonderful base with real history — it served as the officers' mess for the RAF's 617 "Dam Busters" Squadron in the Second World War, and the bar is full of it. The Belfry Hotel puts you on the resort itself, and Moor Hall at Sutton Coldfield is a comfortable country-house choice beside Little Aston.

Woodhall Spa is a genteel little village with the Petwood's dining room and a clutch of good restaurants; the Belfry resort has several places to eat on site. In Nottingham, Hart's is the long-standing fine-dining choice, and the historic Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, carved into the castle rock and reckoned one of England's oldest inns, is worth a pint.

Lincoln, with its magnificent cathedral and Norman castle (which holds an original Magna Carta), is close to Woodhall Spa, as is the Dambusters heritage of RAF Bomber Command. Around Nottingham lie Sherwood Forest and the ancient Major Oak, and Newstead Abbey, Lord Byron's ancestral home. Near the Belfry, the great houses of Warwickshire — Warwick Castle and Stratford-upon-Avon — make classic days out.

Combine them with Yorkshire to the north, or see the best courses in England.