Cambridgeshire completes the East Anglia golf story. Two courses of genuine world standing — Gog Magog, the finest downland course in England, and Royal Worlington & Newmarket, Bernard Darwin's Sacred Nine — sit within reach of one of the world's great university cities. For the international golfer, Cambridge is a natural gateway: two hours from London, with golf that most visitors never discover.
Cambridgeshire at a glance
Cambridgeshire has been part of the East Anglian golf tradition since the late nineteenth century. Gog Magog Golf Club was founded in 1901 on the chalk hills south of Cambridge — the only downland in East Anglia, producing fast, firm turf and wide views across the Fens. Royal Worlington & Newmarket, founded 1893, served generations of Cambridge University golfers who came here to play in the Breckland heathland west of the city. Together they bookend a county that, like Norfolk and Suffolk, rewards the golfer who looks beyond the obvious.
Signature
Shelford Bottom, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB22 3AB
"The only true downland golf in East Anglia — fast, firm, and with views across the Fens that remind you exactly where you are."
Founded in 1901 on the chalk escarpment south of Cambridge, Gog Magog is named after the two hills it occupies — among the highest ground in a famously flat county. The Old Course is ranked inside the Top 100 in England: a classic downland layout with crisp, fast turf, natural contours and a character entirely its own. The Wandlebury Course provides a complementary modern test across the same chalk ground.
The setting is remarkable — wide views across the Cambridgeshire Fens on clear days, with the chalk downland turf producing conditions that bear no resemblance to the parkland courses most visitors expect. Firm, running, and demanding of a proper ground game. For anyone playing East Anglia's full circuit, Gog Magog is an essential stop.
Two courses available: the Old Course (Top 100 England) and the Wandlebury Course — both on the same chalk escarpment south of Cambridge.
Visitor access: Weekday visitor tee times available with advance booking. Weekends more restricted — book well ahead for groups.
Combines naturally with: Royal Worlington & Newmarket for a full Cambridgeshire day, or Cambridge city for an overnight stay.
Getting there: Three miles south of Cambridge city centre on the A1307. Easy access from the M11 or A14.
Signature · Nine Holes
Royal Worlington & Newmarket Golf Club
Worlington, Bury St Edmunds IP28 8SD
Bernard Darwin called it "the Sacred Nine." Nine holes on forty acres of Breckland heathland, founded 1893, and widely considered by serious golfers to be the finest nine-hole course anywhere in the world. The University of Cambridge golf team have played here since the course's earliest days — generations of golfers have made the journey from the city to these flat, fast-draining fairways surrounded by gorse and heather.
The course is compact, precise and demands every shot in the bag across its nine holes. Playing it twice — as most visitors do — produces a completely different test as the wind shifts. It is the kind of place that serious golfers travel specifically to experience, and leave wanting to return. Read our full guide →
Supporting Courses
Heathland · Newmarket
Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 0GQ
A heathland course set on the famous Newmarket Heath — the home of British horse racing — with a character shaped entirely by its extraordinary setting. Fast-draining sandy soil, wide views across the heath, and the sight of racehorses on the gallops in the early morning make this one of the most distinctive golf environments in East Anglia. A natural companion to Royal Worlington just a few miles away.
Parkland · Cambridge
Bar Hill, Cambridge CB23 8AT
A well-maintained parkland course north of Cambridge city, well-suited for groups combining golf with a Cambridge stay. Good facilities, open visitor access and a pleasant test for all levels. The most conveniently located course for visitors based in the city centre — a useful addition to any Cambridgeshire itinerary where a full day's driving is not required.
Parkland · Ely
Cambridge Road, Ely CB7 4HX
A parkland course set in the fenland landscape outside Ely — home to one of England's most spectacular cathedrals. The course provides a pleasant test in a unique flat landscape, and Ely itself is well worth combining with a golf day: the cathedral, the medieval market town, and the views across the Fens that have barely changed in centuries.
Parkland · Peterborough
Haddon, Peterborough PE7 3TT
A respected parkland course in the far north of Cambridgeshire, consistently praised for its condition and course design. A solid option for groups arriving via the A1 corridor or combining a Cambridgeshire golf itinerary with the cathedral city of Peterborough. Well-maintained year-round and a welcoming club for visitors.
The Gateway City
For visiting golfers — particularly those travelling from the United States or continental Europe — Cambridge is the natural entry point to East Anglia. Two hours from London by road, with its own rail connections and proximity to Stansted Airport, it sits at the hub of the region in a way that Norwich does not.
The city itself demands at least a day: the colleges, the Backs, the Fitzwilliam Museum, punting on the Cam. For golfers combining a Cambridge cultural visit with an East Anglia circuit, the routing writes itself — Cambridge as a base for two nights, Gog Magog and Royal Worlington by day, then north into Suffolk's heathland and the Norfolk coast. It is the itinerary that makes East Anglia legible for the international visitor who has never visited the region before.
We design itineraries that use Cambridge this way — as an opening chapter rather than an afterthought. If you are planning an East Anglia golf trip from outside the UK, tell us so when you enquire and we will build the routing around Cambridge from the start.
Royal West Norfolk, Hunstanton, Royal Cromer, Aldeburgh and more — the complete East Anglia circuit.
Tell us which courses appeal and your preferred dates. We'll design an itinerary that combines Cambridgeshire with the best of Norfolk and Suffolk — or focus entirely on the county if you prefer.