Best Golf Resorts in Europe in 2019

Please note: we have published a more recent list of the Best Golf Resorts in Europe! Check the related articles below this article.

We kick off with the top 5 best golf resorts in Europe in 2019. A big move this year, as there is a new number one: Trump Turnberry Resort. This automatically means that Finca Cortesin has dropped a spot to second place. Bowood Hotel Spa & Golf Resort makes its first appearance in the top-3 and Monte Rei and Terre Blanche complete the first five of the Best Golf Resorts in Europe in 2019.

The Trump Turnberry Resort - Home of the Championship Ailsa course - in South Ayrshire, Scotland has claimed the number 1 position for the first time. Golfers rate the golf club with a 9.4 overall and hotel guests rate the hotel with a 9.3 on Booking.com which results in a 9.35 on average. The same as number two Finca Cortesin, but with a higher score for the golf course.

Recently transformed into a true masterpiece by renowned golf architect Martin Ebert, the Ailsa provides golfers with an exceptional coastal golf experience which you might have witnessed during one of the four Open Championships it has hosted. Ebert was also responsible for the layout of the new King Robert the Bruce course. The combination of two amazing golf courses, an astonishing hotel and top-notch facilities make Trump Turnberry the ultimate golf resort in Europe.

The two previous years Finca Cortesin was our number one, this year they have dropped to a - still very impressive - second place. Finca Cortesin boasts 67 spacious suites, offers an excellent experience and pleases visitors day in day out even though quality comes at a price. Finca Cortesin also ranks very high in our Golfers' Choice Rankings which are published every year at the beginning of the golf season.

Set amidst a beautifully landscaped English country estate, Bowood Hotel Spa and Golf Resort is renowned as one of the finest golf courses in Wiltshire and is the PGA Official Golf Course for the South West.  The course was designed by the renowned Dave Thomas and was established in 1992. The hotel is located at the heart of the Bowood Estate. While you are there you should visit the Bowood House & Gardens, home of the Marquis and Marchioness of Lansdowne.

Monte Rei Golf and Country Club has consistently ranked high in our Best Golf Resorts in Europe list and this year they have made it to the top-5 again. The service level at Monte Rei is very high and the golf course itself is highly appreciated by golfers. Monte Rei will start to build their second Jack Nicklaus course this year; we can't wait to see it finished. Keep up the good work!

This year Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort is our number five in Best Golf Resorts in Europe. If you are a lover of good food, then you should definitely try Le Faventia, Terre Blanche's Michelin-star restaurant, or one of their other three restaurants. The two 18-hole championship golf courses were designed by Dave Thomas and are inspired by the natural surroundings. The level of maintenance is second to none at Terre Blanche.

Below the full list of Best Golf Resorts in 2019 in Europe is shown. If a golf resort is missing this might be because the resort did not have enough reviews (either on Leadingcourses.com or Booking.com), was not listed on Booking.com or did not have a rating high enough to make it into the top 100 list. But, feel free to comment below this article. Please note that the ratings were gathered in mid-February 2019,  so the actual ratings can (and will) differ as time goes by. Only golf resorts with an overall rating of 8.0 and higher are shown. The number behind the name of the golf club is the overall rating of the resort.

1. Trump Turnberry, A Luxury Collection Resort    9,35
2. Finca Cortesin Hotel Golf & Spa    9,35
3. Bowood Hotel, Spa, and Golf Resort    9,30
4. Monte Rei Golf & Country Club    9,25
5. Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort    9,15
6. The Gleneagles Hotel    9,15
7. The Grove Golf Club    9,10
8. Rudding Park Golf Club    9,10
9. The Montgomerie Maxx Royal    9,05
10. Lough Erne Resort    9,00
11. The Celtic Manor Resort    8,90
12. PGA Catalunya Resort    8,90
13. Druids Glen Hotel & Golf Resort    8,90
14. Golf Club Budersand Sylt    8,90
15. San Domenico Golf    8,90
16. Vidago Palace Golf Club    8,90
17. Costa Navarino    8,88
18. Trump International Golf Links    8,85
19. Powerscourt Golf Club    8,85
20. Grand Resort Bad Ragaz    8,85
21. Abama Resort    8,80
22. Stoke Park Country Club, Hotel & Spa    8,80
23. The Vale Resort    8,80
24. Toscana Resort Castelfalfi    8,80
25. East Sussex National Hotel Golf Resort & Spa    8,75
26. Golfclub Bodensee Weißensberg    8,75
27. Carden Park Hotel, Golf Resort and Spa    8,75
28. Thracian Cliffs Golf & Beach Resort    8,70
29. Fota Island Hotel and Spa    8,70
30. The Mere Golf Resort & Spa    8,70
31. The K Club Golf Resort    8,70
32. Carya Golf Club    8,70
33. Mount Juliet Estate    8,70
34. Villa Padierna    8,70
35. Trevose Golf and Country Club    8,70
36. Oxfordshire Golf Club    8,65
37. Royal Obidos Spa & Golf Resort    8,65
38. Robinson Golf Club Nobilis    8,65
39. Oceanico O'Connor Junior Course    8,65
40. Praia d'El Rey Golf & Beach Resort    8,65
41. Udine Golf Club    8,65
42. St Mellion Golf Club    8,60
43. Le Château de Taulane    8,60
44. Stapleford Park Golf Club    8,60
45. Les Domaines de Saint Endreol Golf    8,60
46. Gloria Golf Club    8,60
47. Boavista Golf & Spa Resort    8,60
48. Bovey Castle Golf    8,60
49. Penha Longa    8,60
50. Onyria Palmares Beach & Golf Resort    8,60
51. Hilton Puckrup Hall Golf Club    8,55
52. Carton House Golf Club    8,55
53. Arzaga Golf Club    8,55
54. Buenavista Golf    8,55
55. Club de Golf Peralada    8,55
56. Verdura Golf & Spa Resort    8,55
57. Golfanlage auf der Gsteig    8,55
58. Domaine De Manville    8,55
59. The Belfry Golf Club    8,50
60. Old Thorns Manor Hotel Golf & Country Estate    8,50
61. Rosapenna Golf Resort    8,50
62. Kaskáda Golf Resort Brno    8,50
63. Golf du Chateau D'Augerville    8,50
64. Kikuoka Country Club    8,50
65. Quinta da Ria Resort    8,50
66. BlackSeaRama Golf    8,50
67. Naxhelet Golf Club    8,50
68. Son Muntaner Golf - Arabella Golf    8,45
69. La Cala Resort    8,45
70. Schloss Lüdersburg    8,45
71. Salobre Golf Resort Gran Canaria    8,45
72. Le Golf National    8,40
73. A-ROSA Scharmutzelsee    8,40
74. Vale Do Lobo    8,40
75. Golf du Medoc    8,40
76. Wyboston Lakes Golf Club    8,40
77. Ullesthorpe Golf Club    8,40
78. Aa Saint Omer Golf Club    8,40
79. Montecastillo Golf    8,40
80. Acaya Golf Resort & Spa    8,40
81. Golfclub Hofgut Georgenthal    8,40
82. TorreMirona Golf Resort    8,40
83. Royal Mougins Golf Club    8,40
84. Ringenäs GK    8,40
85. Terme di Saturnia Golf Club    8,40
86. Kaya Palazzo Golf Club    8,40
87. Ufford Park Golf Club    8,35
88. Tulfarris Hotel Golf Resort    8,35
89. Oitavos Dunes    8,35
90. Ramside Hall Hotel & Golf Club    8,35
91. Aphrodite Hills Golf    8,35
92. Montenmedio Golf    8,35
93. Dolce CampoReal Lisboa    8,35
94. Chateau Des Vigiers Golf & Country Club    8,35
95. Castro Marim Golfe and Country Club    8,35
96. Golf d'Hardelot    8,33
97. Macdonald Aviemore Resort - Spey Valley    8,30
98. Troia Golf    8,30
99. Golf Club Castelconturbia    8,30
100. Golf Resort Achental    8,30

We love to analyse the reviews of our users to come up with  interesting lists. This is also how the ‘Best Golf Resorts in Europe’  ranking started. As time went by, the list has improved significantly.  Last year we decided to totally revamp our Best Golf Resorts in Europe list. One of the major discussions within Leadingcourses.com was: when does a combination of a golf course and hotel qualify as a resort? Is St. Andrews with the Old Course Hotel a resort? Does Royal County Down with the Slieve Donard Hotel across the road qualify as a resort? We felt not.

We turned to Wikipedia for an answer or at least a proper definition: “The term resort may be used for a hotel property that provides an array of amenities, typically including entertainment and recreational activities. A hotel is frequently a central feature of a resort” (source: Wikipedia). So, having a hotel and a golf course is just not enough to be called a golf resort.

We have checked many rankings concerning ‘golf resorts’, but most of them do not really point out what they are listing. We wanted to change that. So, below we have listed our criteria to be in our Best Golf Resorts in Europe rankings:

• the rating of the golf club on Leadingcourses.com must be active, so we should have enough (recent) reviews
• the rating of the resort or hotel on Booking.com must also be active
• the (official) hotel must be located next to the golf course or must be located on the premises of the golf course.
• the resort should include more facilities in addition to having a golf   course (for example a spa, tennis court, swimming pool, etc.)
• the golf club should explicitly mention or refer to the specific resort or hotel on its website (so linking to multiple hotels is not)

Note: This list was finalized on 19th of Feb 2019. So, the ratings can (and will) change as time goes by.