10 of UK golf's best halfway huts

To stop or not to stop may sometimes be the question, but at the very best halfway huts the only real question is “what am I going to have?”…

Put a smile on your face at any of these 10 great halfway huts
(Image credit: Tom Miles)

To stop or not to stop may sometimes be the question, but at the very best halfway huts the only real question is “what am I going to have?”…

Whether soup, a sausage bap or something else suitably warming in the winter, or a long chilled drink in the summer, the halfway hut is a welcome site for many (although not all) golfers. The chance to refuel, sit down for a while, or maybe take your mind off a game that isn’t going particularly well are all good reasons to take 10 minutes out mid-round.

For many, this is what the Halfway Hut is all about - a sausage sandwich and a cuppa

For many, this is what the Halfway Hut is all about - a sausage sandwich and a cuppa

Many golf courses feature halfway huts of varying styles, standards and scales – some open every day, others on a more limited schedule. The following 10 – split into Premier League and Championship standard - have lingered long in the memories of one or more GM staffers for various reasons…

Premier League

Sunningdale For many, Sunningdale’s is quite simply the king of halfway huts for two main reasons – the sausage sandwich is on a different planet, and the view looking back up the magnificent 10th hole on the Old course, watching others attempt to master it, is simply splendid.

The king of halfway huts at Sunningdale after the 10th hole on The Old

The king of halfway huts at Sunningdale after the 10th hole on The Old

Wentworth Not all halfway huts come precisely midway, but the best ones give you the chance for a quick breather before renewing battle with the course. At Wentworth, the elaborate hut is cleverly placed to better prepare you for the demanding tests of the long par-3 7th on the East Course and the difficult par-4 9th on the West. Comprehensive menu too.

Gleneagles Another halfway hut where location is everything, this time with the added advantage of also being set in the glorious Perthshire countryside. Like Wentworth, it comes at a key moment on both the King’s and Queen’s courses, just before the 230-yard par-3 11th on the King’s and the birdie-chance short par-4 11th on the Queen’s.

Woburn This delightful Hansel & Gretel affair stands close to the 10th tee on Woburn's Marquess course and serves a veritable smorgasbord of fayre to keep every golfer happy. With just minor modifications it would make a highly desirable two up, two down rustic cottage!

Castle Stuart This elegant mini-replica of the stylish clubhouse by the vast putting green is the perfect spot to stop for a while before heading out along the Moray Firth in the opposite direction to the 1st.

A halfway hut with an elegant and stylish difference at Castle Stuart

A halfway hut with an elegant and stylish difference at Castle Stuart

Championship

North Foreland More of a ‘caff’ than a halfway hut, the smell of bacon issuing forth from this excellent watering and feeding hole is enough to lure in all but the strictest of golfing dieters.

Goodwood Enjoys a splendid location on the Sussex Downs at a point where several holes converge. A welcome respite after the demands of either the long 7th, or the testing challenge of the down-and-up 15th. Bovril and sherry comes highly recommended.

The Mere The hut comes after the 11th green at the Cheshire resort, and is perfectly positioned for you to gather your thoughts ahead of the final push over some of the course’s best and most testing holes.

The 11th Green Bar at The Mere is very pleasant spot for a 10-minute break

The 11th Green Bar at The Mere is a very pleasant spot for a 10-minute break

West Hill The hole before West Hill’s popular halfway hut is the sometimes drivable par-4 12th protected by bunkers galore and a steep, two-tiered green. Celebrate with a bacon bap if you’ve mastered it; drown your sorrows with a stiff drink if you’ve floundered in the sand or three-putted

Royal Cinque Ports Another one where Bovril and sherry is the recommended tipple. Whether you opt for that or something even stronger, it’s wise to tarry here for a moment, for once you get to the 12th tee a couple of holes later, you’ll need all the strength you can muster to tackle the fearsome closing stretch if the prevailing wind is in town!

Honourable mentions to the following, which the GM staff have availed themselves of over the years: Royal St George’s, The Grove, Army, Hartley Wintney, Royal Dornoch, Nairn, Ardglass, Puttenham, Coombe Hill, Hindhead, North Hants, Hillside, London Club, Lough Erne, Hainault Forest, Hanbury Manor

Jeremy Ellwood
Contributing Editor

Jeremy Ellwood has worked in the golf industry since 1993 and for Golf Monthly since 2002 when he started out as equipment editor. He is now a freelance journalist writing mainly for Golf Monthly. He is an expert on the Rules of Golf having qualified through an R&A course to become a golf referee. He is a senior panelist for Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK & Ireland Course Rankings and has played all of the Top 100 plus 91 of the Next 100, making him well-qualified when it comes to assessing and comparing our premier golf courses. He has now played 1,000 golf courses worldwide in 35 countries, from the humblest of nine-holers in the Scottish Highlands to the very grandest of international golf resorts. He reached the 1,000 mark on his 60th birthday in October 2023 on Vale do Lobo's Ocean course. Put him on a links course anywhere and he will be blissfully content.

Jezz can be contacted via Twitter - @JezzEllwoodGolf


Jeremy is currently playing...

Driver: Ping G425 LST 10.5˚ (draw setting), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 55 S shaft

3 wood: Ping G425 Max 15˚ (set to flat +1), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 65 S shaft

Hybrid: Ping G425 17˚, Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Orange 80 S shaft

Irons 3-PW: Ping i525, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 50˚ and 54˚, 12˚ bounce, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Putter: Ping Fetch 2021 model, 33in shaft (set flat 2)

Ball: Varies but mostly now TaylorMade Tour Response