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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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Purely focused on the design, challenge, and beauty of the golf course itself. Read more
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201
Club image The Essex Golf & Country Club

The 9 Holes Garden Course

8.00
The Essex Golf & Country Club
Essex27 holes
Park course
202
Club image Fraserburgh Golf Club

Rosehill Course

8.00
Fraserburgh Golf Club
Aberdeenshire27 holes
Links course
203
Club image Shiskine Golf Club

Shiskine

8.00
Shiskine Golf Club
North Ayrshire12 holes
Great surroundingsLinks course
204
Club image Peterhead Golf Club

Peterhead New Course

8.00
Peterhead Golf Club
Aberdeenshire27 holes
Great value for moneyLinks course
205
Club image Walmer & Kingsdown Golf Club

Walmer & Kingsdown Golf Club

7.99
Walmer & Kingsdown Golf Club
Kent18 holes
Great surroundingsPark course
206
Club image Clyne Golf Club

Clyne Golf Club

7.99
Clyne Golf Club
Wales18 holes
Great hospitalityHeathland course
207
Club image St Mellion Golf Club

The Kernow Course

7.97
St Mellion Golf Club
Cornwall36 holes
Great maintenancePark course
208
Club image Pitlochry Golf Club

Pitlochry Course

7.97
Pitlochry Golf Club
Perth and Kinross18 holes
Great hospitalityHeathland course
209
Club image Powfoot Golf Club

Powfoot Course

7.97
Powfoot Golf Club
Dumfries and Galloway18 holes
Great maintenanceLinks course
210
Club image Durness Golf Club

Durness

7.97
Durness Golf Club
Highland9 holes
Great hospitalityLinks course
211
Club image Rowallan Castle Golf Club

Rowallan Castle

7.94
Rowallan Castle Golf Club
East Ayrshire18 holes
Park course
212
Club image Cardigan Golf Club

Cardigan Golf Course

7.94
Cardigan Golf Club
Wales18 holes
Park course
213
Club image Murrayshall Golf Club

Lynedoch Course

7.93
Murrayshall Golf Club
Perth and Kinross36 holes
Great hospitalityWoodland course
214
Club image The Celtic Manor Resort

Celtic Montgomerie

7.92
The Celtic Manor Resort
Wales54 holes
Great surroundingsPark course
215
Club image Newport Links Golf Club & Resort

Newport Links

7.92
Newport Links Golf Club & Resort
Wales18 holes
Links course
216
Club image Winterfield Golf Club

Winterfield

7.91
Winterfield Golf Club
East Lothian18 holes
Great surroundingsLinks course
217
Club image Strathmore Golf Centre

Rannaleroch

7.90
Strathmore Golf Centre
Perth and Kinross27 holes
Inland course
218
Club image Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society

The Bruntsfield Links Course

7.87
Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society
Edinburgh18 holes
Great hospitalityPark course
219
Club image St Michaels Golf Club

St Michaels Course

7.86
St Michaels Golf Club
Fife18 holes
Inland course
220
Club image Kilmarnock (Barassie) Golf Club

Hillhouse Course

7.81
Kilmarnock (Barassie) Golf Club
South Ayrshire27 holes
Links 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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