Outstanding club2026

The best golf courses in United Kingdom (2026)

Find the top golf courses in the United Kingdom, with rankings based on verified golfer reviews. Golf was invented here and the ground it was invented on is still the best in the world for it. Nowhere else combines this many links coastlines and heathland belts in one place.Read more
Based on 791 verified reviews

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The highest-rated clubs based on the combined score of course quality, facilities, and hospitality. Read more
21
-12
Club image St. Andrews Links

St. Andrews Links

9.00
Fife117 holes
Great facilitiesLinks course
22
Club image Hankley Common Golf Club

Hankley Common Golf Club

8.98
Surrey18 holes
Great surroundings
23
Club image Ardglass Golf Club

Ardglass Golf Club

8.97
Northern Ireland18 holes
Great surroundingsLinks course
24
-12
Club image The Renaissance Club

The Renaissance Club

8.97
East Lothian18 holes
Great hospitalityLinks course
25
-3
Club image Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club

Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club

8.92
Lancashire18 holes
Home of the 2018 Woman's British OpenGreat maintenanceLinks course
26
-6
Club image Machrie Golf Links

Machrie Golf Links

8.91
Argyll and Bute18 holes
Great maintenanceLinks course
27
-14
Club image Swinley Forest Golf Club

Swinley Forest Golf Club

8.91
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire18 holes
Great maintenanceWoodland course
28
Club image West Hill Golf Club

West Hill Golf Club

8.89
Surrey18 holes
Great maintenanceWoodland course
29
Club image Royal Liverpool Golf Club

Royal Liverpool Golf Club

8.89
Cheshire18 holes
Great maintenanceLinks course
30
-19
Club image Royal Aberdeen Golf Club

Royal Aberdeen Golf Club

8.88
Aberdeen36 holes
Great maintenanceLinks course
31
Club image The Berkshire Golf Club

The Berkshire Golf Club

8.88
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire18 holes
Great facilitiesWoodland course
32
Club image West Sussex Golf Club

West Sussex Golf Club

8.88
Sussex18 holes
Great maintenance
33
-15
Club image Nefyn & District Golf Club

Nefyn & District Golf Club

8.86
Wales27 holes
Great surroundings
34
-29
Club image North Berwick Golf Club

North Berwick Golf Club

8.84
East Lothian18 holes
Great clubhouseLinks course
35
Club image Western Gailes Golf Club

Western Gailes Golf Club

8.84
North Ayrshire18 holes
Great surroundingsLinks course
36
Club image Portstewart Golf Club

Portstewart Golf Club

8.82
Northern Ireland54 holes
Great hospitalityLinks course
37
Club image West Lancashire Golf Club

West Lancashire Golf Club

8.82
Lancashire18 holes
Links course
38
-22
Club image Royal Dornoch Golf Club

Royal Dornoch Golf Club

8.81
Highland36 holes
Great maintenanceLinks course
39
-22
Club image St Enodoc Golf Club

St Enodoc Golf Club

8.80
Cornwall36 holes
Great facilitiesLinks course
40
Club image Malone Golf Club

Malone Golf Club

8.76
Northern Ireland27 holes
Park course

Everything about the top golf courses in United Kingdom

The best golf courses in the United Kingdom represent the game's deepest and most varied catalogue, and no other country comes close to matching the combination of historic links, heathland classics and championship venues that sit within a compact set of islands. Any serious golfer asking where to begin will find the answer pulls in several directions at once, which is precisely the point. Royal County Down in Newcastle is the course that anchors this conversation globally. It appears at the top of world rankings with a consistency that reflects genuine consensus rather than national sentiment. Architects and playing visitors who have worked through the world's great courses name it first more often than any other layout. It sets the benchmark against which the rest of British golf is measured. Royal Dornoch gives this list historical and architectural depth that no other northern links provides. Its connection to Donald Ross, Tom Watson's well-documented admiration and its consistent top-ten global positioning make it the second reference point that golfers who know British golf well will expect to find. It also signals that the best courses in the UK extend well beyond the Open Championship rota. The Old Course at St Andrews is the most visited and most symbolically significant course in the game. It may not rank first in every architectural assessment, but it is the course that every golfer wants on their record. For any golfer planning a UK trip, it is non-negotiable. Muirfield, Sunningdale Old Course and Royal Birkdale handle the serious inland and Open venue credentials. Muirfield brings Ryder Cup and Open history with a design precision that appeals to golfers who understand what great bunkering actually means. Sunningdale is the inland reference point, the course that defines English heathland golf in a single address. Royal Birkdale provides the Lancashire links presence and the weight of nine Open Championships on English soil. Royal Portrush, Carnoustie and Turnberry's Ailsa Course round out a first tier that no other country can assemble at the same depth. The United Kingdom does not have a handful of great courses. It has a catalogue, and a visit of any serious length will only scratch the surface of what is available.

How we rank the best 18-hole golf clubs in United Kingdom

This ranking of the best 18-hole golf clubs in United Kingdom is based on the overall score from verified golfer reviews and represents the total experience at a club. The ranking is calculated by aggregating scores across all categories, including course design, maintenance, hospitality, facilities, surroundings, and value for money. To be included in this list, a club must have a sufficient number of reviews to ensure a reliable and representative average.

How we rank the best golf courses in United Kingdom (Course Only)

This ranking isolates the quality of the playing surface from the rest of the club's amenities in United Kingdom. While our "Golf Club" rankings include factors like the clubhouse and hospitality, this "Course Only" list focuses exclusively on the architectural layout, hole variety, and turf conditions. It identifies the best-rated golf courses in United Kingdom for players who prioritize the technical challenge and design of the course above all else.

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