Norfolk Golf Opens 2026:
What You Can Still Enter

An open competition is the most straightforward way to play a course you would otherwise struggle to get on — and usually the cheapest. You pay one entry fee, you get a proper card in your hand, breakfast or coffee on arrival, a meal afterwards and a shot at a prize. For a visiting golfer it is often better value than a green fee alone, and it is certainly a better day.

Norfolk still has a good run of opens left in 2026. Royal Cromer alone has four events to come, Hunstanton carries the autumn, and there is a scattering of pairs and team events inland. Here is what is still enterable, with the closing dates, because that is the part people miss.

Royal Cromer

Four events remain at Royal Cromer, and between them they cover most kinds of golfer. The club sits on the cliffs east of the town, one of only sixty-six Royal clubs in the world, and if you have never played it, an open is the way to do it.

On where to stay: Royal Cromer has its own dormy house on site, Old Tom’s, which sleeps up to six — a fine option for a small group who want to walk to the first tee, though there is only the one of them and it goes early. For anything larger, or for a group who want the weekend to feel like a trip rather than a competition, we would put you in The Grove, where we hold rates and can hold rooms while you enter.

Hunstanton

Hunstanton takes over as the season turns. It is the county's other great links, on the north-west corner where the coast bends around the Wash, and the autumn is arguably when it plays best — firm, fast and honest about the wind.

Three events are listed for the back end of the year: the East Anglian Gents Autumn Open Foursomes on Saturday 12 September at £360 per pair; the Hunstanton Bowl on Friday 18 September, an individual event at £100 per person; and a Gents Senior Pairs Open on Tuesday 6 October at £200 per pair.

Foursomes at Hunstanton in September is a particular kind of pleasure, and a particular kind of test of a friendship.

Around the county

Away from the coast there is a steady run of pairs and team golf into the autumn. Eaton, the old parkland club almost inside Norwich, has a Mixed Pairs Open on Sunday 9 August and a Ladies Team Open on Thursday 24 September. Heacham Manor has a Mixed Pairs Open on Saturday 8 August, Ryston Park a Ladies Pairs Open on Friday 28 August, and Dereham a Mixed Pairs Open on Sunday 4 October. Sheringham has a Golf Pairs Tour date on Monday 12 October.

Dates and fees do move, and some events fill before their closing date. Always confirm directly with the club before making travel plans — and if an event is full, ask about the reserve list. They turn over more often than people expect.

Why an open is the smart way to play Norfolk

Two of the courses above sit comfortably inside the national rankings, and both are members' clubs where visitor tee times are limited and prized. An open gets you a guaranteed slot, on a set-up course, with the club at its most welcoming — they want you to enjoy it and come back.

It also solves the thing that catches visiting golfers out in Norfolk: the good courses are spread along a coastline rather than clustered around a resort. An open gives you a fixed point in the diary to build a trip around. Play the competition, then take the rest of the weekend at whatever pace suits.

Building a trip around one

The pattern that works is simple. Arrive the day before, play a practice round somewhere nearby, take the open itself as the centrepiece, and add a third course on the way home. Royal Cromer and Sheringham are ten minutes apart; Hunstanton pairs naturally with Brancaster; Thetford's heathland makes a good contrast on the drive south.

That is the shape of most of our Norfolk itineraries, and it works just as well around a competition as around a normal weekend. We handle the tee times either side, the accommodation and the running order.

And if it helps, we will handle the entry too. For anyone booking a trip with us, we are happy to check availability with the club, submit the entry form and settle the fee alongside the rest of the booking. It is a small thing, but entry forms, closing dates and handicap certificates are exactly the sort of admin that gets left until it is too late — particularly if you are coming from overseas and are not sure what a British club will want to see.

Looking to 2027

If this year's dates have passed you by, the entry windows for next season open in the spring. It is worth deciding now which one you want, because the better events fill quickly and the calendar barely moves from year to year. The Gold Coast Cup has been an early-September fixture for a long time, and the Poppyland follows a fortnight later.

Next September also brings the Ryder Cup to Adare Manor, which makes a Norfolk golf weekend an easy sell: morning golf on the coast, the afternoons in front of the television. We are already taking bookings for that week.

Norfolk golf opens: common questions

What is an open golf competition?

An open is a competition a club runs for golfers who are not members. You enter directly, pay a single fee that usually covers catering and prizes, and play the course in competition conditions. You will normally need a current handicap index.

Do I need a handicap to enter a Norfolk open?

Yes, and many events set a maximum — the Gold Coast Cup is limited to a handicap index of 18.0, while the Poppyland Trophy allows a playing handicap up to 28. Any current World Handicap System index works, so a visiting golfer from the United States, Australia or Ireland is on the same footing as a member of a British club. Bring evidence of your index, and tell us in advance if you are travelling from overseas so we can confirm what the club needs.

Which Norfolk opens are still open for entry in 2026?

Royal Cromer has four remaining: the Mixed Open on 30 August, the Ivor Stanford Trophy on 31 August, the Gold Coast Cup on 6 September and the Poppyland Trophy on 16 September. Hunstanton has three between September and October, and there are pairs and team events at Eaton, Heacham Manor, Ryston Park, Dereham and Sheringham.

How much does it cost to enter?

Most individual events in Norfolk fall between £80 and £100 per person, with pairs events from £110 to £360 per pair. That normally includes food on arrival, a meal after the round and prizes — which makes it good value against a visitor green fee at the same course.

Where should I stay for a Norfolk open?

Our first suggestion is The Grove, where we hold rates and can hold rooms while your entry is confirmed. Royal Cromer also has a dormy house on site sleeping up to six, which suits a small group who want to walk to the first tee, though there is only one and it books early.