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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The highest-rated clubs based on the combined score of course quality, facilities, and hospitality. Read more
41
-27
Club image Carnoustie Golf Links

Carnoustie Golf Links

8.76
Angus, Scotland54 holes
The course of the 2018 Open ChampionshipGreat hospitalityLinks course
42
Club image The Golf House Club Elie

The Golf House Club Elie

8.75
Fife18 holes
Great hospitalityLinks course
43
Club image Machynys Peninsula Golf & Country Club

Machynys Peninsula Golf & Country Club

8.75
Wales18 holes
Great surroundingsPark course
44
Club image Bearwood Lakes Golf Club

Bearwood Lakes Golf Club

8.73
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire18 holes
Great value for moneyPark course
45
-24
Club image Southport & Ainsdale Golf Club

Southport & Ainsdale Golf Club

8.72
Lancashire18 holes
Great maintenanceLinks course
46
Club image Silloth on Solway Golf Club

Silloth on Solway Golf Club

8.71
Cumbria18 holes
Great maintenanceLinks course
47
Club image Saunton Golf Club

Saunton Golf Club

8.69
Devon36 holes
Great clubhouse
48
-29
Club image Dundonald Links Golf Club

Dundonald Links Golf Club

8.68
North Ayrshire18 holes
Links course
49
-21
Club image Panmure Golf Club

Panmure Golf Club

8.67
Angus, Scotland18 holes
Links course
50
-17
Club image Nairn Golf Club

Nairn Golf Club

8.65
Highland27 holes
Great hospitalityLinks course
51
Club image Formby Golf Club

Formby Golf Club

8.64
Lancashire18 holes
Great hospitalityPark course
52
-27
Club image Crail Golfing Society

Crail Golfing Society

8.62
Fife36 holes
Links course
53
-30
Club image Macdonald Aviemore Resort - Spey Valley

Macdonald Aviemore Resort - Spey Valley

8.62
Highland18 holes
Inland course
54
Club image Delamere Forest Golf Club

Delamere Forest Golf Club

8.62
Cheshire18 holes
Great value for money
55
-40
Club image The Gleneagles Hotel

The Gleneagles Hotel

8.61
Perth and Kinross63 holes
Home of the 2018 European Golf Team ChampionshipsGreat facilitiesHeathland course
56
-26
Club image Machrihanish Golf Club

Machrihanish Golf Club

8.60
Argyll and Bute27 holes
Great value for moneyLinks course
57
Club image Wallasey Golf Club

Wallasey Golf Club

8.60
Cheshire18 holes
Great clubhouseHillside course
58
Club image Burnham & Berrow Golf Club

Burnham & Berrow Golf Club

8.59
Somerset27 holes
Great clubhouseLinks course
59
Club image Woburn Golf Club

Woburn Golf Club

8.58
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire54 holes
Great clubhouseWoodland course
60
-31
Club image Fairmont St Andrews

Fairmont St Andrews

8.56
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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