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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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141
Club image Seaton Carew Golf Club

Old Course

8.32
Seaton Carew Golf Club
County Durham22 holes
Great hospitality
142
Club image Dunstanburgh Castle Golf Club

Dunstanburgh Castle Golf Club

8.29
Dunstanburgh Castle Golf Club
Northumberland18 holes
Great value for moneyLinks course
143
Club image Glencruitten Golf Club, Oban

Oban (Glencruitten)

8.29
Glencruitten Golf Club, Oban
Argyll and Bute18 holes
Great hospitalityPark course
144
Club image Murcar Links Golf Club

Murcar Links

8.29
Murcar Links Golf Club
Aberdeen27 holes
Great hospitalityLinks course
145
Club image Monifieth Golf Links

The Medal Course

8.29
Monifieth Golf Links
Angus, Scotland36 holes
Great value for moneyLinks course
146
Club image The Covesea Links

Covesea Links Golf Course

8.29
The Covesea Links
Moray9 holes
Great value for moneyLinks course
147
Club image Langland Bay Golf Club

Langland Bay

8.28
Langland Bay Golf Club
Wales18 holes
Great surroundingsPark course
148
Club image Bigbury Golf Club

Bigbury Golf Club

8.27
Bigbury Golf Club
Devon18 holes
Great clubhouse
149
Club image Wick Golf Club

Wick Course

8.27
Wick Golf Club
Highland18 holes
Links course
150
Club image Llandrindod Wells Golf Club

Llandrindod Wells Golf Course

8.27
Llandrindod Wells Golf Club
Wales18 holes
Great value for moneyHeathland course
151
Club image Lanark Golf Club

Lanark

8.26
Lanark Golf Club
South Lanarkshire27 holes
Inland course
152
Club image Bovey Castle Golf

Bovey Castle Golf Club

8.25
Bovey Castle Golf
Devon18 holes
Great surroundingsPark course
153
Club image Woburn Golf Club

The Dukes Course

8.25
Woburn Golf Club
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire54 holes
Great clubhouseWoodland course
154
Club image Burhill Golf Club

The Old Course

8.25
Burhill Golf Club
Surrey36 holes
Great maintenancePark course
155
Club image Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf Club

Fortrose & Rosemarkie

8.25
Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf Club
Highland18 holes
The 15th Oldest Recorded Club in the World - 1793Great value for moneyLinks course
156
Club image Trump Turnberry Resort

King Robert the Bruce Course

8.24
Trump Turnberry Resort
South Ayrshire45 holes
Great facilitiesLinks course
157
Club image Formby Ladies Golf Club

Formby Ladies

8.23
Formby Ladies Golf Club
Lancashire18 holes
Great hospitalityGolf course architect: Douglas McEwan
158
Club image New Zealand Golf Club

New Zealand Artisans Golf Club

8.23
New Zealand Golf Club
Surrey18 holes
Great maintenancePark course
159
Club image Portstewart Golf Club

The Old Course

8.23
Portstewart Golf Club
Northern Ireland54 holes
Great hospitalityLinks course
160
Club image Fairmont St Andrews

The Torrance Course

8.23
Fairmont St Andrews
Fife36 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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