Best Golf Courses Near Southampton

Stoneham is the most serious club within the city boundary – an 18-hole heathland course designed by Willie Park Jr in 1908 and maintained to a high standard. The layout uses the natural topography of heathland and pine to create a course that rewards accurate driving and thoughtful course management. Handicap requirements apply for visitor play; green fees start around £45–£65. The clubhouse facilities are proper.

Chilworth offers a combination of 9-hole and driving range facilities accessible to all standards. It’s not a private members club – it operates as a public-access golf centre, which makes it the practical choice for beginners, casual players, and visitors who want a round without a member guest arrangement. Green fees are reasonable at £15–£25 for 9 holes. The driving range operates independently of course access.

Meon Valley in Shedfield (south-east of Southampton, near the M27) runs two 18-hole courses: the main Valley Course and the shorter Manor Course. The Valley Course is the more challenging, using the Meon Valley landscape across a parkland layout. Green fees for non-members are £45–£75 depending on day and time. The hotel makes it practical for a golf-and-stay combination.

Bramshaw Golf Club in the New Forest (20 minutes from Southampton) runs the Manor Course through mature woodland – a genuine New Forest setting with all the visual pleasure that entails. Guest play is welcome with advance booking. Burley Golf Club is a shorter 9-hole forest course suited to social golf and juniors.

Leckford Golf Club (near Stockbridge, 30 minutes north) is a well-regarded John Lewis Partnership course with excellent downland fairways and one of the better day visitor operations in Hampshire. North Hants Golf Club in Fleet has a heathland course that ranks among the county’s finest, around 40 minutes from Southampton.