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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Purely focused on the design, challenge, and beauty of the golf course itself. Read more
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161
Club image Holywood Golf Club

Holywood

8.22
Holywood Golf Club
Northern Ireland18 holes
Park course
162
Club image Thurlestone Golf Club

Thurlestone Golf Club

8.21
Thurlestone Golf Club
Devon18 holes
Links course
163
Club image Burnham & Berrow Golf Club

Channel Course

8.21
Burnham & Berrow Golf Club
Somerset27 holes
Great clubhouseLinks course
164
Club image Welshpool Golf Club

Welshpool Golf Course

8.21
Welshpool Golf Club
Wales18 holes
Great value for money
165
Club image Sutton Coldfield Golf Club

Blue Course (winter course)

8.20
Sutton Coldfield Golf Club
Warwickshire18 holes
Park course
166
Club image Dunaverty Golf Club

Dunaverty Course

8.20
Dunaverty Golf Club
Argyll and Bute18 holes
Great value for moneyLinks course
167
Club image Eyemouth Golf Club

Eyemouth Course

8.20
Eyemouth Golf Club
Scottish Borders18 holes
Great hospitalityLinks course
168
Club image Tenby Golf Club

Tenby Golf Course

8.20
Tenby Golf Club
Wales18 holes
Great value for moneyLinks course
169
Club image Golspie Golf Club

Golspie Course

8.19
Golspie Golf Club
Highland18 holes
#gloriousgolspie #jamesbraid #bythesea #hiddengemHeathland course
170
Club image Borth and Ynyslas Golf Club

Borth and Ynyslas Golf Club

8.18
Borth and Ynyslas Golf Club
Wales18 holes
Great hospitality
171
Club image Little Aston Golf Club

Little Aston Golf Club

8.17
Little Aston Golf Club
Staffordshire18 holes
Great maintenancePark course
172
Club image Hayling Golf Club

Hayling Golf Club

8.17
Hayling Golf Club
Hampshire18 holes
Great maintenanceLinks course
173
Club image Royal Troon Golf Club

Portland Course

8.16
Royal Troon Golf Club
South Ayrshire45 holes
Great hospitalityPark course
174
Club image Cruden Bay Golf Club

St Olaf

8.16
Cruden Bay Golf Club
Aberdeenshire27 holes
A Unique & Unforgettable ExperienceGreat hospitalityLinks course
175
Club image Prestwick Golf Club

Prestwick Course

8.16
Prestwick Golf Club
South Ayrshire18 holes
The Birthplace of the Open ChampionshipGreat value for moneyLinks course
176
Club image Montrose Golf Course

Broomfield Course

8.16
Montrose Golf Course
Angus, Scotland36 holes
Great surroundingsLinks course
177
Club image Sheringham Golf Club

Sheringham Golf Club

8.15
Sheringham Golf Club
Norfolk18 holes
Great maintenanceLinks course
178
Club image Woburn Golf Club

The Duchess' Course

8.15
Woburn Golf Club
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire54 holes
Great clubhouseWoodland course
179
Club image Peterhead Golf Club

Peterhead Old Course - Craigewan Links

8.15
Peterhead Golf Club
Aberdeenshire27 holes
Great value for moneyLinks course
180
Club image Vale Resort

Lake Course

8.15
Vale Resort
Wales36 holes
Great hospitalityPark 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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