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

Select your category

The highest-rated clubs based on the combined score of course quality, facilities, and hospitality. Read more
81
Club image Liphook Golf Club

Liphook Golf Club

8.42
Hampshire18 holes
Great value for moneyHeathland course
82
Club image Ladybank Golf Club

Ladybank Golf Club

8.40
Fife18 holes
Heathland course
83
Club image Windermere Golf Club

Windermere Golf Club

8.40
Cumbria18 holes
Great maintenanceHillside course
84
Club image Seaford Head Golf Course

Seaford Head Golf Course

8.39
Sussex18 holes
Great value for money
85
Club image St Mellion Golf Club

St Mellion Golf Club

8.37
Cornwall36 holes
Great maintenancePark course
86
Club image Etchinghill Golf Club

Etchinghill Golf Club

8.37
Kent36 holes
Park course
87
-49
Club image Machrihanish Dunes

Machrihanish Dunes

8.36
Argyll and Bute18 holes
Great value for moneyLinks course
88
-56
Club image The Celtic Manor Resort

The Celtic Manor Resort

8.35
Wales54 holes
Great surroundingsPark course
89
Club image Portpatrick Dunskey Golf Club

Portpatrick Dunskey Golf Club

8.34
Dumfries and Galloway27 holes
Great surroundingsHeathland course
90
-33
Club image Moray Golf Club

Moray Golf Club

8.32
Moray36 holes
Great hospitalityLinks course
91
Club image Sheringham Golf Club

Sheringham Golf Club

8.32
Norfolk18 holes
Great maintenanceLinks course
92
-51
Club image New Zealand Golf Club

New Zealand Golf Club

8.32
Surrey18 holes
Great maintenancePark course
93
Club image Burhill Golf Club

Burhill Golf Club

8.32
Surrey36 holes
Great maintenancePark course
94
Club image Pyle & Kenfig Golf Club

Pyle & Kenfig Golf Club

8.31
Wales18 holes
Links course
95
Club image Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club

Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club

8.31
Sussex36 holes
Heathland course
96
Club image Camberley Heath Golf Club

Camberley Heath Golf Club

8.31
Surrey18 holes
Great surroundingsHeathland course
97
-60
Club image Dunbar Golf Club

Dunbar Golf Club

8.30
East Lothian18 holes
Great hospitalityLinks course
98
Club image Bovey Castle Golf

Bovey Castle Golf

8.30
Devon18 holes
Great surroundingsPark course
99
Club image Sutton Coldfield Golf Club

Sutton Coldfield Golf Club

8.29
Warwickshire18 holes
Park course
100
Club image Stoneham Golf Club

Stoneham Golf Club

8.29
Hampshire18 holes
Great maintenanceHeathland 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.

Big Green Egg LogoGEO FoundationIAGTO
Leading Courses
Leading Courses

Copyright © 2007-2026 — leadingcourses.com