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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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61
Club image Silloth on Solway Golf Club

Silloth on Solway Golf Club

8.83
Silloth on Solway Golf Club
Cumbria18 holes
Great maintenanceLinks course
62
Club image Sunningdale Golf Club

New Course

8.80
Sunningdale Golf Club
Surrey36 holes
Great value for moneyHeathland course
63
Club image Wallasey Golf Club

Wallasey Golf Club

8.79
Wallasey Golf Club
Cheshire18 holes
Great clubhouseHillside course
64
Club image Delamere Forest Golf Club

Delamere Forest Golf Club

8.79
Delamere Forest Golf Club
Cheshire18 holes
Great value for money
65
Club image Malone Golf Club

Drumbridge

8.79
Malone Golf Club
Northern Ireland27 holes
Park course
66
Club image Crail Golfing Society

Balcomie Links

8.76
Crail Golfing Society
Fife36 holes
Links course
67
Club image Royal St David's Golf Club

Royal St David's

8.76
Royal St David's Golf Club
Wales18 holes
Links course
68
Club image St Mellion Golf Club

The Jack Nicklaus Signature Course

8.75
St Mellion Golf Club
Cornwall36 holes
Great maintenancePark course
69
Club image Bearwood Lakes Golf Club

Bearwood Lakes Golf Club

8.74
Bearwood Lakes Golf Club
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire18 holes
Great value for moneyPark course
70
Club image Panmure Golf Club

Panmure Course

8.74
Panmure Golf Club
Angus, Scotland18 holes
Links course
71
Club image The Gleneagles Hotel

King's Course

8.74
The Gleneagles Hotel
Perth and Kinross63 holes
Home of the 2018 European Golf Team ChampionshipsGreat facilitiesHeathland course
72
Club image Reddish Vale Golf Club

Reddish Vale Golf Club

8.73
Reddish Vale Golf Club
Cheshire18 holes
Great maintenancePark course
73
Club image Machynys Peninsula Golf & Country Club

Machynys Peninsula

8.73
Machynys Peninsula Golf & Country Club
Wales18 holes
Great surroundingsPark course
74
Club image Machrihanish Dunes

Machrihanish Dunes

8.72
Machrihanish Dunes
Argyll and Bute18 holes
Great value for moneyLinks course
75
Club image De Vere Slaley Hall Golf Club

Hunting Course

8.71
De Vere Slaley Hall Golf Club
Northumberland36 holes
Great maintenancePark course
76
Club image Formby Golf Club

Formby Golf Club

8.70
Formby Golf Club
Lancashire18 holes
Great hospitalityPark course
77
Club image The Duke's St. Andrews

Duke's Course

8.69
The Duke's St. Andrews
Fife18 holes
78
Club image Royal Cromer Golf Club

Royal Cromer Golf Club

8.67
Royal Cromer Golf Club
Norfolk18 holes
Great maintenanceLinks course
79
Club image Perranporth Golf Club

Perranporth Golf Club

8.67
Perranporth Golf Club
Cornwall18 holes
Great hospitalityHillside course
80
Club image St. Andrews Links

New Course

8.67
St. Andrews Links
Fife117 holes
Great facilitiesLinks 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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