England head for the fairways again in bid to tee up successful Ashes

England and Australia will be teeing off before a ball is bowled in the Ashes, with some of the country’s most prestigious golf courses staging preparations for both men’s teams before the summer’s marquee Test series.

Australia arrive in the UK this weekend for the World Test Championship final against India, which gets under way at the Oval on 7 June. And in addition to training and intra-squad cricket at Beckenham – there are no county warm-up matches scheduled – the tourists are reported to have lined up golf at Formby on Merseyside.

But England’s lust for the fairways is greater, starting with rounds at Stoke Park in Buckinghamshire next week in between training for the one-off four-day Test against Ireland that starts on Thursday. The luxury course has a cricket connection, too, having been bought by Mukesh Ambani, the owner of Mumbai Indians, for £57m last year.

On the Monday after Lord’s, England players begin a scheduled week off by taking part at the Professional Cricketers’ Association golf day at the Grove in Hertfordshire. After this, a number fly up to Scotland, with St Andrews (the old course), Gleneagles and even the exclusive Loch Lomond said to have been lined up.

This initial party heading north of the border is a privately arranged trip for anyone keen to keep swinging. But the full squad will be in Scotland for a pre-Ashes camp over the weekend – golf once again included – before travelling to Edgbaston to resume three days of nets in the runup to the first Ashes Test on 16 June.

A buildup that will cost a pretty penny in green fees, it is in keeping with the current approach ensuring players relax before major events and also very on-brand for the England leadership. Rob Key, the director of men’s