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Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club

9.4
Excellent See all 38 reviews

Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club in Kent is a regular feature within the UK and Ireland's Top 100 Golf Courses. This past host of The Open Championship has welcomed the world's very best golfers throughout its rich history.

Extending out towards the Sandwich Bay, Deal is a traditional seaside course that takes advantage of the same magnificent turf as Royal St George's, and together these two Royal courses formulate a marvellous tour for lovers of seaside golf.

With a front nine that is typically played into the wind and the back nine enjoying a following breeze, Cinque Ports is truly a game of two halves. Anyone playing to their handicap at this fantastically designed Kent golf course is one that'll be sure to take the spoils on the par-72 that can have a SSS of 76 from the Championship tees.

With 18-time Major Champion Jack Nicklaus amongst past winners at Royal Cinque Ports, check out the honours board as you walk into the clubhouse, you'll be in for a links golfing treat that few golf courses anywhere in the world can compete with.

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Golf Courses at Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club

Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club

Twice an Open Championship venue, having hosted the world's best tournament in 1909 and 1920, Deal, which is formally known as Royal Cinque Ports, is as rugged as it is charming. The course's unique character results primarily from the monumental sand dunes that rise imposingly alongside the pristine fairways, where a level lie is rarely assured. 

A typical Cinque Ports experience is to have two very contrasting loops of nine holes. The first nine often plays into the wind (except the first hole which runs in the same direction) meaning many of the shots on your handicap will be lost before you head back down wind to play the final nine. The closing holes 7 holes include 3 very testing par 4's all around 450 yards, whilst many scorecards have come undone playing the 221 yard par-3 14th which has three bunkers waiting for any shot right of the green while anything short will meander its way left of the putting surface, anyone making a par here will walk off with a smile on their face!

Deal has long been widely acclaimed, culminating with an appearance within Golf World's top 100 courses worldwide. There are two fundamentals for good scoring here: firstly, avoiding the rough, which is extremely penal during the summer months, is essential, and the subsequent challenge is to master the legendary greens, which are among the largest and fastest in England.

While Royal Cinque Ports may not be on the modern era Open Championship rotation, it remains a firm favourite with seaside golf enthusiasts, and is a sure highlight of any golf tour on the Kent coast.

Royal Cinque Ports is ranked as one of the best courses in England

Course Information

Par 71
Designed by Henry Hunter, James Braid, Sir Guy Campbell & Henry Cotton
Opened for play 1892
Previously hosted The Open (1909 and 1920), Amateur Championship (1923, 1982 & 2013)

Tees

Black 7,245 yards SSS 75
White 6,924 yards SSS 74
Yellow 6,501 yards SSS 72
Blue 5,480 yards SSS 67
Red 5,641 yards SSS 73

The Open history at Royal Cinque Ports

Royal Cinque Ports was the third English course on The Open rota and has held The Open twice.

The Open at Royal Cinque Ports

Year Winner Country Score
1920 George Duncan Scotland 303 gross
1909 John Henry Taylor England 291 gross

How to get to Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club

Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club is situated 2 miles north of Deal train station off the A256.

Address: Golf Road, Deal, Kent, England, CT14 6RF

What Our Golfers Say

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These reviews are from verified Your Golf Travel customers.

What Our Golfers Say

9.4
Excellent
38 reviews
Condition overall 9.4
Condition of greens 8.8
Speed of round 66.6%
Value for money 8.8
Facilities 8.4
Difficulty 100%
These reviews are from verified Your Golf Travel customers.

Andy

5 Nov 2025

Excellent
10.0

I really enjoyed this golf course, it was really interesting. Never a flat fairway or green, which made it a really beautiful course to look at and play. Still a difficult course, but definitely more playable than Royal St George’s. Good shots got rewarded and bad shots got punished. I marked the course condition down a bit because the greens had been cored and dressed. Understandable at this point of the year and I’m sure it will be in top condition in the spring and summer. Really enjoyed my round here and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

Nick

22 Oct 2025

Excellent
10.0

Lovely experience from start to finish. Good staff, fantastic course, free and easy to access practice facilities and good clubhouse with fantastic views out from the bar / lounge. The greens had recently been worked on (so very slow), but they ran true and this is expected out of season.

David

22 Oct 2025

Very Good
8.0

Fantastic course, just a shame they had just done their winter works on the greens

David

21 Sep 2025

Excellent
10.0

Michel

15 Sep 2025

Excellent
10.0

A must play course if you truly want to experience links golf.

James

20 Aug 2025

Excellent
10.0

This an amazing golf course ~ pretty much faultless condition throughout we had a great time playing here

Stuart

16 May 2025

Excellent
10.0

This is an amazing course. The whole experience was 5 star

Ramon

25 Sep 2024

Excellent
10.0

Ronald

11 Sep 2024

Excellent
10.0

The weather (very windy) made the first 9 holes a real challenge. Reception was very kind and we really felt like honoured guests. We liked this course far better than Princes. BUT AGAIN: NO buggies reserved!!!! (See Princes)

Keith

7 Sep 2024

Excellent
10.0

Everyone loved this club and course, probably the best of the five we played but played in a howling wind ! Still enormously enjoyable but sadly no buggy hire without a doctors certificate ☹️

David

26 Jul 2024

Excellent
10.0

From announcing arrival in the Pro shop, banter with the starter, half way hut and obligatory post round pint, we were really looked after. The course was in fantastic order. Exactly what you'd expect. If ever the opportunity to return presented itself, I'd have no hesitation.

Martin

7 Jul 2024

Excellent
10.0

John

6 Oct 2023

Excellent
10.0

First class great links just as it should be not a flat green in sight undulating fairways and hard bunkers wonderful

Simon

9 Sep 2023

Very Good
8.0

My first visit. No doubt, this course is a classic IMO and I've played a few of the famed links in the UK and Ireland; this is right up there. well worth a visit. The layout is traditional and the course is generally in good condition although the greens weren't quite as silky as I'd thought they would be (not cut as short) - compared with similar courses I've played. Really enjoyed just being out there, admiring the visuals on each hole. We played on a very busy, very warm day (the club restricts visitor days). Only grumble was the very old fashioned (and somewhat peculiar) insistance on long socks with shorts. Therefore wore trousers and accepted a degree of discomfort. Shame, because that's going to be one of the memories I take away from what was otherwise a splendid experience.

Liam

1 Aug 2023

Excellent
10.0

A truly amazing links course on the Kent coast. Terrific views and lovely, picturesque holes.

George

24 Jul 2023

Excellent
10.0

Tricky course however in amazing condition

Denise

24 May 2023

Excellent
10.0

Amazing. Unbelievably difficult but what an experience! Staff were great and even allowed us to use a buggy. I doubt I could have walked this course! We loved our experience here.

Ricky

25 Apr 2023

Excellent
10.0

The course was great. Links course at its best. Enjoyed the course from the start to finish. Tee-off, fairways and green in great conditions. Windy, cloudy and cold day on the course but the course warmed our golfer's hearts.

Bob

30 Sep 2022

Excellent
10.0

A lovely golf course in great condition. Really friendly staff and club pro. A good test of golf.

Kornelis

18 Jul 2022

Very Good
8.0

Andrew

13 Jun 2022

Excellent
10.0

Brilliant course, superb from start to finish! Great welcoming staff including starter on first tee. Clubhouse was special with its history and view of course ! In superb condition. I rated it as highly as RSG

Michele

17 May 2022

Excellent
10.0

Michael

13 May 2022

Excellent
10.0

Beautiful clubhouse and welcoming staff. The course is stunning, an out and back links. Back into the wind on the harder 9 was very tough but a hugely enjoyable day. I would thoroughly recommend.

Henry

9 May 2022

Very Good
8.0

Kwok

13 Nov 2021

Very Good
8.0

Aaron

21 Oct 2021

Excellent
10.0

What a treat! A great links course in the true sense of the word. Fantastic condition. Clubhouse is cherry on top.

David

3 Oct 2021

Excellent
10.0

Great golf course with a few quirky holes which made it a very challenging course . Not for the high handicapper .

Folke

22 Sep 2021

Excellent
10.0

Peter

18 Sep 2021

Very Good
8.0

7/10.Tough course with long carries on some holes which more difficult for some of our older members but adopted a drop system on fairway with 1 shot penalty to keep things moving so managed to complete the round in a reasonable time. Facilities were good and coffee and bacon roll on arrival was served on time.

Tony

11 Jul 2021

Excellent
10.0

David

10 Oct 2020

Excellent
10.0

Great course, fab condition, great challenge for any golfer

Mark

28 Oct 2019

Excellent
10.0

The course was in excellent condition, and we felt very welcome by the pro shop on arrival. I think the cost/Green fee is on the only drawback to playing this course again, especially for a Junior!

Marc

7 Oct 2019

Excellent
10.0

Al

13 Sep 2019

Excellent
10.0

Tough course, back nine into the wind, facilities not great but well worth a visit

Julieta

10 Sep 2019

Excellent
10.0

I thought the greens were the purest out of 10 rounds I played including Southport and Kent courses. Wind, tight fairways, gem of a layout. Playing here regularly would help your ball striking and putting.

Ruth

15 Jul 2019

Very Good
8.0

I am from the San Francisco Bay Area, and I wanted to experience a links course. This course definitely provided that experience. I was expecting a challenging course but underestimated the wind as a factor

James

30 May 2019

Very Good
8.0

Great caddie, wonderful personnel. Course was tough.

Patrick

27 Apr 2019

Good
6.0

Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a range on site?

Yes

Are there buggies available to hire?

Yes

How much is the fee for the caddies?

£40 plus discretionary

Are there any weekend golfing restrictions?

Members only until 12:05pm

Is there a charge for car parking on site?

There is complimentary car parking

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