Geographically as mentioned previously the courses to the west of London would fit in nicely with an itinerary that included some of the great seaside courses in Wales.  With that in mind the first courses that are mentioned will be courses that would fit this kind of itinerary.  It is, however, certainly possible to come up with a 'trip of a lifetime' itinerary of only English courses as we are sure you will recognize.

COURSES NEAR LONDON

• Sunningdale Old - (1901) Willie Park Jr. - Bobbie Jones thought enough of this course when he played it as a qualifying venue for the 1926 Open Championship that he wished he could take the whole course back with him to America.  He did manage to incorporate many of his fond memories into the design of Augusta National.  Sunningdale Old ranks in the top 20 of all the courses in the British Isles. The New Course at Sunningdale opened in 1923 and was designed by Harry Colt.  There are those who believe the New to be the better course.  It too is ranked in the top 50 courses in the British Isles.  Ridgemount Road, Sunningdale, Berkshire.
• The Berkshire Golf Club - W. Herbert Fowler (1928) - Like Walton Heath both the Red and Blue courses are ranked in the top 100 courses in the British Isles.  The Red course has the unique distinction of having 6 par 3s, 6 par 4s and 6 par 5s.  Like Sunningdale the minimum male handicap is 18.  Swinley Road, Ascot, Berkshire.
• Walton Heath Old - (1904) W. Herbert Fowler - This was Fowler's first design and it is one of the finest examples of heathland golf which closely resembles seaside links courses.  This course is ranked number 81 in the world and has hosted over 60 major and amateur championships including the 1981 Ryder Cup.  Walton Heath also has the unique distinction as the only club in England that has had a reigning monarch as it's Captain.  The Prince of Wales became King Edward VIII during his Captaincy during 1935/36.  The New course at Walton Heath, also designed by Fowler opened as a 9 hole course in 1907 and was extended to 18 in 1913.  The Walton Heath new course is also ranked in the top 100 courses in the UK.  Deans Lane, Walton on the Hill, Surrey.
• St. Georges Hill - (1912) Harry Colt - St. George's Hill is ranked number 31 of all British Isles courses and is comprised of 3 individual 9s.  Most competitions are played over the better known Red and Blue nines, however the Green which was part of a second 18 hole layout is considered by many to be the most difficult of the three.  Combining any 2 of the nines will make for a very enjoyable round of golf; however, combining all 3 will make for a most memorable day.  Golf Club Road,  St. Georges Hill, Weybridge, Surrey.

The next group of courses being in a coastal area tend to be of the links variety.  This probably explains why three of the four British Open venues are located in this section as all of the Open Championship venues are of the links variety.  The other Open venue, Royal St. Georges is of the links variety but on the southeast coast.  The majority of these courses are concentrated from Liverpool to Blackpool.

THE GOLF COAST

• Royal Birkdale - (1897) George Law, FW Hawtree and JH Taylor remodeled the course in the 1930s.  The Open Championship has been contested here nine times including 2008.  It has been the host to all of the other important championships including the Ryder Cup and the Walker Cup.  Waterloo Road, Birkdale, Southport.
• Royal Liverpool - (1869) Robert Chambers and George Morris and in recent years remodeled by renowned course architect Donald Steel.  Hoylake as  it is usually referred to is the second oldest seaside links course in England.  Westward Ho in Devon was established a few years earlier.  The clubhouse at Royal Liverpool has one of the finest collections of golf memorabilia outside of St. Andrews.  At times the club may insist on 2 ball or 3 ball play.  Meols Drive, Hoylake, Wirral.
• Royal Lytham & St Annes - (1897) George Lowe, (1919) Harry Colt - The club has hosted 10 Open Championships, 2 Ryder Cups and numerous major tournaments including the Men's and Women's Senior Open Championships.  Bernard Darwin the leading golf writer of the thirties described the course as "a beast of a course, but a just beast".  The club has Dormy House accommodations which enhance tee time availability.  Links Gate, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire.
• Hillside Golf Club - (1912) - Fred Hawtree (1967) - Hillside is the 37th ranked course in the British Isles and is widely regarded as the finest British golf course not to have hosted an Open Championship.  Greg Norman has called Hillside's back nine the best in Britain and Rodney Pampling called it "the toughest course I have ever played" after competing there in the 1998 Open Qualifier.  It has hosted a number of championship events.  Hastings Road, Hillside, Southport.
• Formby - (1912) - Willie Park - Since then James Braid, Fred Hawtree, JH Taylor and Donald Steel have had hands in the course as you now see it.  This course is the 42nd ranked course in the British Isles and is definitely a championship venue having hosted Amateur Championships, and scheduled to do so again in 2009, the Curtis Cup, and various other national and international tournaments.  It is also unique in that within its boundaries lies the completely independent Formby Ladies Golf Club.  Golf Road, Formby, Liverpool.
• Southport & Ainsdale - (1906) - James Braid (1923) - S & A as it is known by locals is a classic links with narrow fairways bordered by sand dunes, heather and gorse and variable wind conditions.  S & A hosted the Amateur Championship as recently as 2005 but it is perhaps best-known as the first course to stage two Ryder Cups, the first being in 1933 and then again in 1937.  Both of those Ryder Cups were captained by the legendary Walter Hagen.  Bradshaws Lane, Ainsdale, Southport, Merseyside.
• Silloth-On-Solway - (1892) - Davy Grant - Revisions by Willie Park Jr, Willie Fernie and the great Alistair Mackenenzie.  This course is ranked 40th in the British Isles and is possibly the best value.  While it is a little bit remote, it is well worth the trip.  The Club House, Station Road, Silloth, Wigton. 

CORNWALL-DEVON-SOMERSET

• Burnham & Berrow -(1890) - W. Herbert Fowler and Hugh Alison(1910), Harry Colt (1923) - This course rated in the top 100 courses in the British Isles has hosted multiple national and international championships for over 100 years.  St. Christophers Way, Burnham on Sea, Somerset.
• Saunton Golf Club - (1897) - W. Herbert Fowler (1919) - Both courses at Saunton are ranked in the top 100 courses in the British Isles with the East course getting more accolades.  Nick Faldo has been quoted as saying that if the course was located on the coast of either Lancashire or Kent it would have hosted an Open Championship by now.  Both courses are of very high caliber and represent a tremendous value.  Nr Braunton, North Devon.
• Trevose Golf & Country Club - (1925) - Harry S. Colt - The club consists of the Championship course, the Headlands 9 hole course, which represents a very good test, opened by Peter Alliss in 1995 and a Short course.  There are some very dramatic views of the ocean and dramatic cliffs.  Constantine Bay, Padstow, North Devon.
• Royal North Devon - (1864) - The club can rightly claim to be the Oldest Club in England and is regarded by some as the St Andrews of the south.  None other than the great JH Taylor honed is game at Westward Ho which the course is often referred to.  The course is as tough as any of the more famous links layouts and the golf museum is definitely worth a visit.  Golf Links Road, Westward Ho!, Bideford, N. Devon.
• St Enodoc Golf Club  - (1890) - James Braid (1907) - This is yet another James Braid course to stand the test of time and the Church course as it is called  is currently ranked 35th among the top 100 courses in the British Isles.  The course only measures a little over 6500 yds from the back tees but plays to a par of 69.  The course record is only 4 under par 65 which should give you an idea as to the test it presents.  Wadebridge, Cornwall. 

THE EAST

• Woodhall Spa - (1890) - Harry Vardon, JH Taylor (1905) - The Hotchkin course is the highest rated inland course in England and one of Britains finest courses.  Renowned for its formidable bunkers and narrow fairways.  It has often been stated that there are 18 great holes on the Hotchkin.  The Bracken course is a terrific course in its own right designed by the highly respected Donald Steel.  Woodhall Spa represents a great value.  The Broadway, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire.
• Ganton Golf Club - (1891) - This is another of the truly magnificent inland courses in England.  Harry Vardon with help from Ted Ray and James Braid completed a major redesign in 1905. Through the years there have been additional improvements from the likes of Harry Colt, Dr Alister Mackenzie, Tom Simpson and CK Cotton.  It is believed that it was the gorse in the late 1930s that made it the challenge it is today.  The course hosts a continuing succession of major championships, both amateur and professional including the Walker Cup in 2003.  Ganton near Scarborough, North Yorkshire.
• Royal St Georges - (1887) - Dr Laidlaw Purves.  Royal status was bestowed on the Club by King Edward the VII in May 1902 and it has been only up hill from there.  Royal St Georges has hosted the Open Championship 13 times and is the scheduled venue again in 2011.  As a testament to the course only three Open winners have been under par: Bill Rogers in 1981, Greg Norman in 1993 and Ben Curtis in 2003.  Sandwich, Kent.
• Princes Golf Club - (1906) - Charles Hutchings and Percy Lucas - Princes hosted the 1932 Open Championship, which was one by Gene Sarazen  and is currently used for Open qualifying.  The course was used by the military for target practice during the war, which has been likened to "throwing darts at a Rembrandt".  Subsequently, the course went through restoration in 1950 headed by Sir Guy Campbell and John Morrison.  The changes were well received and it has since hosted many championships including the Curtis Cup and the PGA Championship.  Sandwich Bay, Sandwich, Kent. 
• Royal Cinque Ports - (1892) - Henry Hunter, James Braid (1919), Sir Guy Campbell and Henry Cotton (1946) and most recently by Donald Steel - Royal Cinque Ports or Deal as it is more frequently called hosted the Open Championship in 1909 and lastly in 1920 and has hosted many other championships since.  This from Donald Steel "Royal Cinque Ports typifies classic links golf - a glorious sense of freedom and a wonderfully varied assortment of shots where, as Bernard Darwin once so aptly declared, "the fives are likely to be many and the fours few".  Golf Road, Deal,  Kent.

While there is a lot of geography separating the Golf Coast and the south east of England area sometimes referred to as the Royal Golf Coast, this area is only about 75 miles from London and thus not that far to the primary London airports.