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
161
Club image Clyne Golf Club

Clyne Golf Club

7.90
Wales18 holes
Great hospitalityHeathland course
162
Club image Cardigan Golf Club

Cardigan Golf Club

7.90
Wales18 holes
Park course
163
-105
Club image Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club

Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club

7.86
Edinburgh36 holes
Park course
164
Club image Newport Links Golf Club & Resort

Newport Links Golf Club & Resort

7.84
Wales18 holes
Links course
165
Club image Ilfracombe Golf Club

Ilfracombe Golf Club

7.84
Devon18 holes
Great value for moneyPark course
166
Club image Falmouth Golf Club

Falmouth Golf Club

7.83
Cornwall18 holes
Park course
167
Club image Murrayshall Golf Club

Murrayshall Golf Club

7.81
Perth and Kinross36 holes
Great hospitalityWoodland course
168
-103
Club image Walmer & Kingsdown Golf Club

Walmer & Kingsdown Golf Club

7.79
Kent18 holes
Great surroundingsPark course
169
Club image Strathmore Golf Centre

Strathmore Golf Centre

7.78
Perth and Kinross27 holes
Inland course
170
-106
Club image Dunaverty Golf Club

Dunaverty Golf Club

7.77
Argyll and Bute18 holes
Great value for moneyLinks course
171
Club image Nairn Dunbar Golf Club

Nairn Dunbar Golf Club

7.74
Highland18 holes
Great hospitalityLinks course
172
Club image Kinross Golf Courses

Kinross Golf Courses

7.70
Perth and Kinross36 holes
Park course
173
Club image St Michaels Golf Club

St Michaels Golf Club

7.64
Fife18 holes
Inland course
174
-108
Club image Littlestone Golf Club

Littlestone Golf Club

7.49
Kent18 holes
Links course
175
Club image Old Fold Manor Golf Club

Old Fold Manor Golf Club

7.43
Hertfordshire18 holes
Park course
176
Club image The Essex Golf & Country Club

The Essex Golf & Country Club

7.30
Essex27 holes
Park course
177
Club image Cape Cornwall Golf & Leisure Resort

Cape Cornwall Golf & Leisure Resort

7.02
Cornwall18 holes
Great value for moneyLinks course
178
Club image Salisbury & South Wilts Golf Club

Salisbury & South Wilts Golf Club

6.93
Wiltshire27 holes
Great facilities
179
Club image Cradoc Golf Club

Cradoc Golf Club

6.77
Wales18 holes
180
Club image Brookdale Golf Club

Brookdale Golf Club

4.49
Lancashire18 holes
Great facilitiesHillside 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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