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
121
-69
Club image Glen Golf Club

Glen Golf Club

8.18
East Lothian18 holes
Great hospitalityLinks course
122
Club image Holywood Golf Club

Holywood Golf Club

8.17
Northern Ireland18 holes
Park course
123
Club image Wick Golf Club

Wick Golf Club

8.17
Highland18 holes
Links course
124
Club image Llandrindod Wells Golf Club

Llandrindod Wells Golf Club

8.17
Wales18 holes
Great value for moneyHeathland course
125
Club image Borth and Ynyslas Golf Club

Borth and Ynyslas Golf Club

8.17
Wales18 holes
Great hospitality
126
Club image Trevose Golf & Country Club

Trevose Golf & Country Club

8.17
Cornwall36 holes
Great facilities
127
Club image Kington Golf Club

Kington Golf Club

8.17
Shropshire & Herefordshire18 holes
Great value for moneyLinks course
128
-69
Club image Southerness Golf Club

Southerness Golf Club

8.16
Dumfries and Galloway18 holes
Links course
129
Club image Little Aston Golf Club

Little Aston Golf Club

8.16
Staffordshire18 holes
Great maintenancePark course
130
-80
Club image Glencruitten Golf Club, Oban

Glencruitten Golf Club, Oban

8.15
Argyll and Bute18 holes
Great hospitalityPark course
131
Club image Ratho Park Golf Club

Ratho Park Golf Club

8.14
Edinburgh18 holes
Great value for moneyPark course
132
Club image Welshpool Golf Club

Welshpool Golf Club

8.14
Wales18 holes
Great value for money
133
Club image Seaton Carew Golf Club

Seaton Carew Golf Club

8.13
County Durham22 holes
Great hospitality
134
-78
Club image Peterhead Golf Club

Peterhead Golf Club

8.12
Aberdeenshire27 holes
Great value for moneyLinks course
135
Club image Ashridge Golf Club

Ashridge Golf Club

8.12
Hertfordshire18 holes
Great clubhouseWoodland course
136
Club image Luffness New Golf Club

Luffness New Golf Club

8.11
East Lothian18 holes
Great maintenanceLinks course
137
Club image Kingussie Golf Club

Kingussie Golf Club

8.09
Highland18 holes
Great value for moneyInland course
138
-78
Club image Tenby Golf Club

Tenby Golf Club

8.09
Wales18 holes
Great value for moneyLinks course
139
Club image Thurlestone Golf Club

Thurlestone Golf Club

8.09
Devon18 holes
Links course
140
-79
Club image Fraserburgh Golf Club

Fraserburgh Golf Club

8.08
Aberdeenshire27 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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