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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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221
Club image Murrayshall Golf Club

Murrayshall Championship Course

7.81
Murrayshall Golf Club
Perth and Kinross36 holes
Great hospitalityWoodland course
222
Club image Falmouth Golf Club

Falmouth Golf Course

7.79
Falmouth Golf Club
Cornwall18 holes
Park course
223
Club image Etchinghill Golf Club

The Valley Course

7.79
Etchinghill Golf Club
Kent36 holes
Park course
224
Club image Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club

Dalmahoy East Course

7.76
Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club
Edinburgh36 holes
Park course
225
Club image Kinross Golf Courses

The Montgomery

7.73
Kinross Golf Courses
Perth and Kinross36 holes
Park course
226
Club image Ilfracombe Golf Club

Ilfracombe

7.71
Ilfracombe Golf Club
Devon18 holes
Great value for moneyPark course
227
Club image Nairn Dunbar Golf Club

Nairn Dunbar Course

7.70
Nairn Dunbar Golf Club
Highland18 holes
Great hospitalityLinks course
228
Club image St. Andrews Links

Eden Course

7.66
St. Andrews Links
Fife117 holes
Great facilitiesLinks course
229
Club image St Enodoc Golf Club

Holywell Course

7.65
St Enodoc Golf Club
Cornwall36 holes
Great facilitiesLinks course
230
Club image Old Fold Manor Golf Club

Old Fold Manor Golf Club

7.62
Old Fold Manor Golf Club
Hertfordshire18 holes
Park course
231
Club image Littlestone Golf Club

Championship Links Course

7.61
Littlestone Golf Club
Kent18 holes
Links course
232
Club image Portstewart Golf Club

The Riverside

7.60
Portstewart Golf Club
Northern Ireland54 holes
Great hospitalityLinks course
233
Club image Kinross Golf Courses

The Bruce

7.60
Kinross Golf Courses
Perth and Kinross36 holes
Park course
234
Club image Trump Turnberry Resort

The Arran Course

7.60
Trump Turnberry Resort
South Ayrshire45 holes
Great facilitiesLinks course
235
Club image Isle of Skye Golf Club

Isle of Skye

7.54
Isle of Skye Golf Club
Highland9 holes
Great hospitalityLinks course
236
Club image Salisbury & South Wilts Golf Club

Salisbury & South Wilts Golf Club

7.51
Salisbury & South Wilts Golf Club
Wiltshire27 holes
Great facilities
237
Club image Warley Park Golf Club

Course 2

7.50
Warley Park Golf Club
Essex27 holes
Park course
238
Club image De Vere Slaley Hall Golf Club

Priestman Course

7.50
De Vere Slaley Hall Golf Club
Northumberland36 holes
Great maintenancePark course
239
Club image Machrihanish Golf Club

Pans 9 Hole Course

7.49
Machrihanish Golf Club
Argyll and Bute27 holes
Great value for moneyLinks course
240
Club image Gullane Golf Club

No. 3 Course

7.46
Gullane Golf Club
East Lothian54 holes
Great maintenanceLinks 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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