South Downs (West)
This Goodwood golf tour brings together three James Braid and Jack White classics at the western end of the South Downs National Park, where the chalk hills roll out towards Winchester. This tour pairs Braid’s downland at Hockley and Goodwood with the polo-estate parkland of Cowdray Park, and is based on the Goodwood Estate, home to some of the most famous sporting weekends in England.
What is downland golf?
The word “down” comes from the Old English dūn, meaning hill, and downland golf is played over the rolling chalk hills of southern England. Chalk drains superbly, so the turf stays firm and fast-running even after rain and the ball runs out in a way more often associated with links golf. Expect real changes in elevation, from climbing fairways to plunging tee shots and greens perched on ridges, along with some of the finest views in English golf. Add the wind on the high ground and you have golf that rewards imagination and a good ground game as much as power.
- Three clubsHockley, Goodwood and Cowdray Park
- BaseThe Goodwood Hotel, on the Goodwood Estate near Chichester
- Suggested length5 nights and 4 rounds, including both Goodwood courses
- Golf styleHigh chalk downland and historic estate parkland
Drive times from Goodwood
Approximate, by road from The Goodwood Hotel.
Hockley Golf Club
A wedding present that became a James Braid classic
Hockley began as a nine-hole course that landowner Horace Trimmer built for his wife Bessie as a silver wedding anniversary gift. After his death in 1920 the course was reviewed, and James Braid was brought in to re-route and lengthen it. The land is owned by Winchester College, and the club’s emblem is the college’s “Trusty Servant”.
The round climbs gently up a valley for the first few holes, then settles onto a high plateau where the wind becomes a factor on every shot. From the 14th fairway, on a clear day, you can see the Isle of Wight. History runs deep here too, with traces of Iron Age and Roman settlement found across the course.
Off the course: Winchester, England’s ancient capital, is minutes away, with its cathedral, Winchester College and the Great Hall, home of the Round Table. The city is also where the South Downs Way begins.
Goodwood: The Downs
Braid on the ridge, with the Solent below
Goodwood is one of England’s great sporting estates, famous for horse racing, motor racing, flying and shooting, and its golf is every bit as accomplished. The Downs course was laid out by James Braid in 1914 and has since been sympathetically modernised by Tom Mackenzie, keeping Braid’s character while bringing it up to date.
Half the course plays across the top of the Downs, with dramatic changes in elevation and views to Chichester Cathedral, the Solent and the Isle of Wight. Golfers finish at The Kennels, the estate’s members’ clubhouse. For a fourth round, the Park course, designed by Donald Steel, winds around Goodwood House beneath centuries-old cedar trees and offers a gentler, more sheltered contrast.
Off the course: Goodwood House, the estate’s organic farm shop and the city of Chichester, with its cathedral and harbour.
Cowdray Park Golf Club
Golf beside the polo lawns and Tudor ruins at Midhurst
The course sits on the 16,500-acre Cowdray Estate, close to the market town of Midhurst and inside the South Downs National Park. Jack White, the long-serving professional at Sunningdale, laid out the original course in 1906, and the celebrated architect Tom Simpson reshaped it several times between 1913 and the 1930s.
Recent investment has brought new bunkering and much improved greens and tees, and the course now shows off its best holes with real confidence. Look out for the striking double greens and the views across to the Downs. The estate is also home to the Cowdray Park Polo Club and the Grade I listed ruins of Cowdray House, one of England’s great Tudor houses, largely destroyed by fire in 1793.
Off the course: the Cowdray Ruins, a summer afternoon of polo and Petworth House, with its deer park and art collection, a short drive east.
Optional add-on: Mannings Heath. Although not strictly part of the South Downs, Mannings Heath near Horsham has all the hallmarks of downland golf, with dramatic changes in elevation, sloping fairways and long views across the Sussex countryside, so it makes a natural extra round on this tour.
Mannings Heath Golf & Wine Estate
Downland character, with its own vineyard
Mannings Heath sits just north of the Downs, but the golf has much of the same character. The Waterfall course, influenced by Harry Colt, winds through mature woodland and across streams, and takes its name from the waterfall on one of its most photographed holes. It has long been regarded as one of the best courses in Sussex.
What makes it special for a group is what happens after the round. Part of the estate has been planted as a vineyard, and guests can take a self-drive buggy tour through the vines, sit down for a tutored wine tasting and stay on for lunch in the Vineyard Kitchen. It is the ideal last day of a trip, and one the non-golfers will enjoy just as much.
Off the course: vineyard tours and tastings on the estate and the gardens at nearby Leonardslee.
Goodwood golf tour itinerary: 5 nights, 4 rounds
- Day 1Arrive at Goodwood
Heathrow and Gatwick are both around 90 minutes away. Settle into The Goodwood Hotel and dine on the estate.
- Day 2Goodwood: The Downs
Braid’s course on the ridge, then lunch at The Kennels and an afternoon in Chichester.
- Day 3Cowdray Park
A morning round, a walk around the Cowdray Ruins and, in season, an afternoon at the polo. Petworth House is close by for the non-golfers.
- Day 4Hockley
West into Hampshire for Braid’s downland above Winchester, followed by the cathedral and the Great Hall.
- Day 5Goodwood: The Park
A relaxed final round around Goodwood House, then a farm-to-table lunch on the estate.
- Day 6Depart
Transfer to Heathrow or Gatwick, or head east to continue on our South Downs (East) tour.
Goodwood golf tour and South Downs (West): frequently asked questions
Can visitors play the Downs course at Goodwood?
The Downs course is a members’ course. Visitors can play it by staying at The Goodwood Hotel or booking a Goodwood golf package. The Park course on the estate is open to green fee visitors.
Who designed the golf courses on this tour?
James Braid designed the Downs course at Goodwood (1914) and reshaped Hockley (1920). Jack White laid out Cowdray Park in 1906, and Tom Simpson later remodelled it. The Park course at Goodwood is by Donald Steel.
Where should golfers stay on the western South Downs?
The Goodwood Hotel, on the Goodwood Estate near Chichester. Staying there gives access to the Downs course, and Cowdray Park and Hockley are around 25 and 50 minutes’ drive away.
When is the best time for a South Downs (West) golf tour?
The chalk downland plays well all year. Summer brings polo at Cowdray, but Goodwood’s big event weeks in July and September mean heavy demand for rooms, so plan around them or build one into the trip.
What is there for non-golfers on this tour?
Chichester and its cathedral, Goodwood House, the Cowdray Ruins and polo at Midhurst, Petworth House and Winchester with its cathedral and the Great Hall.
Which airports are closest?
London Heathrow and London Gatwick are both around 90 minutes from Goodwood. Southampton Airport is closer for domestic and European flights.
Good to know
- The Downs course at Goodwood is a members’ course. Visitors play it by staying at The Goodwood Hotel or booking a Goodwood golf package, which is why we base this tour on the estate.
- Goodwood’s big event weeks, including the Festival of Speed and Glorious Goodwood in July and the Revival in September, bring heavy demand for rooms and busy roads. Plan around them, or build one into the trip.
- The polo season at Cowdray runs through the summer, so check the fixtures if your group would like to watch a match.
- Hockley is in Hampshire, just over the county line, so allow around 50 minutes each way from Goodwood.
Make it the complete South Downs golf tour. Pair this tour with South Downs (East), with Seaford, The Dyke, Worthing and Lewes, for seven rounds along the length of the South Downs National Park.
Plan your Goodwood golf tour
We can tailor the itinerary, accommodation and tee times to your group, and add the experiences that make a trip memorable.
Enquire about this tour