This unheralded course 2 hours from Royal Birkdale deserves way more shine

In the world of golf, where information travels instantly and travel has become more accessible, finding true "hidden gems" is increasingly difficult. However, as GOLF.com author Jeff Lewis's experience shows, such places still exist. One such place is Hollinwell, also known as Notts, located in Nottinghamshire, England. This course, just a two-hour drive from the site of the 2026 Open Championship, Royal Birkdale, deserves far more recognition than it currently receives.

A Journey of Discovery

Jeff Lewis, with decades of experience in golf journalism and as a member of ranking panels, admits that he has spent most of his career searching for these lesser-known but outstanding golf courses. He recalls a time when iconic venues like National Golf Links of America, North Berwick, and Chicago Golf Club were known only to a select few enthusiasts. However, over the last 30 years, the golf community has become much more sophisticated about course architecture, thanks to books, websites, podcasts, and the ease of international travel. Information now spreads instantaneously, and exceptional courses rarely remain secret for long.

"I thought the world of hidden gems had largely disappeared," Lewis confesses. Yet, in May 2026, while working on GOLF's "Top 100 Courses in the World" ranking, he embarked on two extensive journeys. One covered England, where he and his son drove nearly 1,000 miles in a week, playing nine rounds in six days. The other took him to remote corners of European golf, including Lofoten Links in Norway and Ardfin on the Isle of Jura in Scotland.

An Unexpected Find in Nottinghamshire

Lewis expected to be impressed but not truly surprised. And it was the course that lingered in his memory the longest that wasn't perched above the Arctic Sea, accessible only by ferry, or boasting dramatic vistas or Instagram-famous photographs. It was an inland course in Nottinghamshire that receives only a handful of North American visitors each year.

"Its name is Hollinwell, or Notts," Lewis writes. During his travels around England, he heard many knowledgeable golfers speak of Hollinwell with great respect, but always with a caveat: "It's a little out of the way." The course is 130 miles northwest of London and approximately 145 miles southeast of the 2026 Open Championship venue, Royal Birkdale. It's a rural county, the legendary home of Robin Hood. The drive in his rental car took two hours, mostly on the motorway. Upon arrival, the temperature dropped precipitously, but the author's excitement grew as he turned onto the entrance road, which bisects the course, offering a glimpse of what's to come, with three holes to the right and the remainder on the left.

Architectural Heritage and Course Features

Hollinwell was originally laid out by Willie Park Jr. and opened in 1901. Three holes were added by Tom Williamson, who served as the head professional at Notts for 54 years and competed in The Open Championship for nearly as long, from 1897 to 1947. The author arrived an hour early for his tee time and, noticing the course was nearly deserted, was allowed to go out ahead of an inter-club tournament.

Standing on the 2nd tee, Lewis understood why Williamson believed the course should open on that side of the road. This hole provides the first—and perhaps most dramatic—encounter with a massive dune that comes into play many times on the other side of the road. Depending on the tee shot's placement, the second hole can be blind or semi-blind to a green situated at the base of the large dune that defines one side of the property. "It's a remarkable, natural hole," Lewis notes, "and a hallmark of a course that feels more discovered than built."

The 4th hole, a par-4 near the clubhouse, served as the first hole of Park's original design and is a stout test, playing longer than its yardage into a prevailing wind. This reflects Notts's overall philosophy: the course was routed in such a way that it has been able to withstand the test of time and the onslaught of technology.

The 7th hole is a great example of a wonderful hole on a flat part of the property with heather to carry off the tee and a series of beautiful fairway bunkers. Elsewhere, the land is more dramatic. Holes 10 through 17 take advantage of this terrain, interacting with the massive dune in various ways. The short par-4 11th moves gently alongside it; the long par-3 13th, the best of a strong set of one-shotters, plays down off it; the 17th green and 18th tee nestle against it.

Comparison with Exclusive Courses

As he wrapped up his round, Lewis couldn't help comparing Hollinwell to his visits to Lofoten Links and Ardfin—two of the hardest-to-reach courses in Europe. When a course sits in a beautiful location, as Lofoten or Ardfin do, the question arises: Should beauty count in one's evaluation? "I like to look at a golf hole and ask myself, if a hole on the edge of a cliff was instead on the edge of a forest, would it still lodge itself in our memory?" the author muses.

He loved his time at Ardfin but couldn't help wondering: "If it had the bounce of a links, how much better might it have been?" At Lofoten, he was awestruck by his surroundings, but the scenery was more of a spectacle than the course itself. At Hollinwell, the course itself was the star, and Lewis marveled that its glitter hadn't drawn more attention.

The Future of "Hidden Gems"

In the age of Instagram, for better or worse, "hidden gems" will become fewer and fewer. A world where National, North Berwick, and Chicago Golf Club are ignored as they were 40 years ago no longer exists. However, if you look hard enough, you can still find a place like Hollinwell. And thank goodness for that.