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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1
Club image Royal County Down Golf Club

Championship Links

9.90
Royal County Down Golf Club
Northern Ireland36 holes
Great value for moneyLinks course
2
Club image Walton Heath Golf Club

New Course

9.68
Walton Heath Golf Club
Surrey36 holes
Great hospitalityHeathland course
6p2yvj2r87Steel

Handicap 5.5

"Played these two lovely courses, the Old has been closed the whole week because maintenance of the greens, that makes the judgement a bit lower."

11 Mar 2025Read full review
3
Club image Royal Portrush Golf Club

Dunluce Links Course

9.63
Royal Portrush Golf Club
Northern Ireland36 holes
Great facilitiesLinks course
4
Club image Kingsbarns Golf Links

Kingsbarns

9.54
Kingsbarns Golf Links
Fife18 holes
Great surroundingsLinks course
thegolfpilgrimExpert

Handicap 10.9

"Kingsbarns possesses huge drama yet feels deliberately rustic — one of the great links experiences in Scotland."

5
Club image Trump Turnberry Resort

Ailsa Course - Open Championship Venue

9.46
Trump Turnberry Resort
South Ayrshire45 holes
Great facilitiesLinks course
best6789Gold

Handicap 23.4

"I’ll admit, we were reluctant at first to play a Trump-owned course—but in the end, we couldn’t be happier that we did."

22 Sep 2025Read full review
6
Club image Malone Golf Club

Edenderry

9.44
Malone Golf Club
Northern Ireland27 holes
Park course
mpaehligGold

Handicap 9.3

"What a magnificent parkland course — a real hidden gem and an absolute pleasure to play."

7
Club image Cruden Bay Golf Club

Championship Course

9.42
Cruden Bay Golf Club
Aberdeenshire27 holes
A Unique & Unforgettable ExperienceGreat hospitalityLinks course
iddequikSteel

"Nice holes to ctach your breath before having a well deserved lunch in the restaurant with great views over the course and the North Sea."

8
Club image St. Andrews Links

Old Course

9.42
St. Andrews Links
Fife117 holes
Great facilitiesLinks course
Peter MolendijkGold

Handicap 14

"Everything is perfect — especially the heart-stopping 360-degree views, immaculate preparation and maintenance."

23 Nov 2025Read full review
9
Club image The Royal St George's Golf Club

Royal St George's

9.40
The Royal St George's Golf Club
Kent18 holes
Great maintenanceLinks course
Michel HamelinGold

Handicap 10.5

"A magnificent course — in fine weather with the wind up, as you'd expect from a links, and the upkeep is fabulous."

21 Oct 2025Read full review
10
Club image Sunningdale Golf Club

Old Course

9.40
Sunningdale Golf Club
Surrey36 holes
Great value for moneyHeathland course
leahybarbara67Steel

Handicap 17.6

"Definitely will return next year to play the New course or both."

14 Jul 2025Read full review
11
Club image Royal Dornoch Golf Club

Championship Course

9.30
Royal Dornoch Golf Club
Highland36 holes
Great maintenanceLinks course
12
Club image St George's Hill Golf Club

Red Course

9.29
St George's Hill Golf Club
Surrey18 holes
Great maintenanceInland course
13
Club image Ardglass Golf Club

Ardglass Links

9.27
Ardglass Golf Club
Northern Ireland18 holes
Great surroundingsLinks course
14
Club image Royal Troon Golf Club

Old Course

9.27
Royal Troon Golf Club
South Ayrshire45 holes
Great hospitalityPark course
15
Club image Carnoustie Golf Links

Championship Course

9.26
Carnoustie Golf Links
Angus, Scotland54 holes
The course of the 2018 Open ChampionshipGreat hospitalityLinks course
16
Club image Hankley Common Golf Club

Hankley Common Golf Club

9.23
Hankley Common Golf Club
Surrey18 holes
Great surroundings
17
Club image Trump International Golf Links

Trump International Golf Links

9.23
Trump International Golf Links
Aberdeenshire18 holes
Great facilitiesLinks course
18
Club image West Hill Golf Club

West Hill Golf Club

9.22
West Hill Golf Club
Surrey18 holes
Great maintenanceWoodland course
19
Club image St Enodoc Golf Club

Church Course

9.22
St Enodoc Golf Club
Cornwall36 holes
Great facilitiesLinks course
20
Club image St George's Hill Golf Club

Blue Course

9.18
St George's Hill Golf Club
Surrey18 holes
Great maintenanceInland 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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