Prince’s Golf Club, based in Sandwich, England, and features three Championship level 9-hole courses. Originally designed as an 18-hole venue at the start of the 20th Century, the disruption of the Second World War led to the changes we see today.

The 27-hole lay-out, split into the three 9s of the Dunes, Himalayas and Shore courses, were designed by Sir Guy Campbell and John Morrison in 1950. The venue has played host to both the Open Championship and the Ladies British Open Championship in its history.


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Prince's first came to be at the start of the 20th Century, with Amateur Champion Charles Hutchings and Percy Montagu Lucas being the men to lay out the course.

The construction finished in 1906, with play beginning at Prince's a year later. The course measured almost 7,000 yards from the back tees, with the English Ladies Open being hosted in 1912, as the first big event to be held at Prince's.

The course was then taken on by the military for the First World War, becoming a coastal defence and training area. After being restored to its former glory following the conclusion of the war, Prince's hosted the 1932 Open Championship, where Gene Sarazen won on his way to a Career Grand Slam.

Sir Guy Campbell and John Morrison were brought in to restore the course once again following the end of the Second World War. 17 of the original greens were able to be used, as the course was changed into a 27-hole lay-out with three sets of nine - the Dunes, Himalayas and Shore loops.

Prince's Golf Club has the unique set-up of three 9-hole courses, all of which provides their own charms and challenges, and can be played in different orders to create different set-ups.

The Dunes is an anti-clockwise loop which plays up to the boundary of Royal St George's. The Himalayas 9 has been revamps by MacKenzie and Ebert in recent years. The Shore Course completes the trio, and plays as a clockwise loop, coming back to the clubhouse with its final four holes.

The Dunes sits at the southern part of Prince's, going out and back in a loop all the way to the boundary of the property with Royal St. George's. It is a Par 36 lay-out that measures at more than 3,400 yards.

The opening hole is a dog-leg with a narrow green that is difficult to hold, especially in the firm and fast summer conditions. The 2nd is the opening par-3 on the Dunes, with three tough par-4s following.

The 6th tee is elevated, and gives golfers great views across the rest of the course. It is a long par-5 with hazards both left and right of the green. 8 is the second par-3 on the course, which leads into the closing hole. The 9th works back to the clubhouse, and uses a former practice green as it's finale.

Mackenzie & Ebert reiamgined the Himalayas Course in recent years, and it now stands as a Par 36, measuring at 3,376 yards.

Following the opener, the pair's changes come into play most visibly at the 2nd holes. The old 2nd and 3rd holes have been combined to create a new par-5, which plays to the old 3rd green. 'Bloody Point', the new par-3 5th hole, is the new jewel of the course, and is at the far end of the Himalayas loop.

The 6th is a lengthy par-5, measuring at more than 600 yards from the back tees. The 7th tee offers great views across Pegwell Bay, and although there are no bunkers at the green, there is still a chance of a big score on this par-3. The Himalayas Course ends with a stunning closing hole, with the tee shot being the most elevated part of the track. The Sarazan bunker collects any shots to the left of the green.

As you might expect, the Shore Course follows the shoreline south along the coast before moving inland and working back to the clubhouse. At 3,419 yards, the Shore Course sits in the middle of its siblings in terms of distance. 

The opening hole is a tricky par-4 despite looking gentle from the tee. The par-5 2nd features the longest carry to any fairway from the back tees on the property, but can offer a chance of being on in two for the biggest of hitters.

The 4th is a straight away par-4 which is sandwiched in between two par-3s. The 3rd is the opening par-3 on the Shore Course and features two pot bunkers short of the green. The 5th is the shortest hole on the course at 158 yards from the back tees, but it could still leave players with a big score on their cards.

The 6th hole is actually the post-war 18th hole, where Gene Sarazen won the Open Championship back in 1932. The 7th is a lengthy par-4 at more than 430 yards, with the 8th being a par-5 at more than 565 yards from the tips. The Shore nine closes with a 442-yard par-4 back to the clubhouse.

Prince’s Golf Club is located on the south-eastern tip of England, and is situated just down the road from Royal St George’s, the host of the Open Championship in 2021.

Sandwich is the nearest town to Prince’s, and is just a couple of miles southwest of the venue. For visitors driving over from Europe, Prince’s is just a 40 minute drive from Dover, which has connections to Calais and Dunkirk in France.

For international visitors who are flying into the United Kingdom to play at Prince’s is approximately two hours away from London Gatwick, London Heathrow and London City Airports, with all three having daily flights to several countries around the world. 

To play at Prince’s through the week in the summer months will cost £135. At the weekend, which covers Friday to Sunday, it will be slightly more, coming in at £155.

Those prices are lowered during the Low Season, which is from November to February. During those four months, it is £80 during the week and £100 on the weekend. You can also receive a slightly discounted rate on a four-ball during the winter months. Weekdays would cost £300 (£75pp), while a weekend four-ball will set you back £380 (£95pp).

Visit Prince's website here.
Go back to the NCG Top 100s Homepage.