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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81
Club image The Golf House Club Elie

Elie

8.67
The Golf House Club Elie
Fife18 holes
Great hospitalityLinks course
82
Club image Nairn Golf Club

Nairn - Championship Course

8.67
Nairn Golf Club
Highland27 holes
Great hospitalityLinks course
83
Club image Camberley Heath Golf Club

Camberley Heath Golf Club

8.66
Camberley Heath Golf Club
Surrey18 holes
Great surroundingsHeathland course
84
Club image Vale of Llangollen Golf Club

Vale of Llangollen Golf Course

8.66
Vale of Llangollen Golf Club
Wales18 holes
Great hospitalityPark course
85
Club image Dundonald Links Golf Club

Dundonald Links

8.65
Dundonald Links Golf Club
North Ayrshire18 holes
Links course
86
Club image Rolls of Monmouth Golf Club

Rolls of Monmouth Golf Course

8.63
Rolls of Monmouth Golf Club
Wales18 holes
Great clubhousePark course
87
Club image Portpatrick Dunskey Golf Club

Dunskey 18 Holes

8.61
Portpatrick Dunskey Golf Club
Dumfries and Galloway27 holes
Great surroundingsHeathland course
88
Club image The Gleneagles Hotel

Queen's Course

8.61
The Gleneagles Hotel
Perth and Kinross63 holes
Home of the 2018 European Golf Team ChampionshipsGreat facilitiesHeathland course
89
Club image St George's Hill Golf Club

Green Course

8.60
St George's Hill Golf Club
Surrey18 holes
Great maintenanceInland course
90
Club image Woburn Golf Club

The Marquess' Course

8.60
Woburn Golf Club
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire54 holes
Great clubhouseWoodland course
91
Club image Hunstanton Golf Club

Hunstanton Golf Club

8.59
Hunstanton Golf Club
Norfolk18 holes
Great surroundingsLinks course
92
Club image Hillside Golf Club

Hillside Golf Club

8.59
Hillside Golf Club
Lancashire18 holes
Great surroundingsLinks course
93
Club image Vale Resort

Wales National Golf Course

8.59
Vale Resort
Wales36 holes
Great hospitalityPark course
94
Club image West Cornwall Golf Club

West Cornwall Golf Club

8.58
West Cornwall Golf Club
Cornwall18 holes
Great value for moneyLinks course
95
Club image Castlerock Golf Club

Mussenden Course

8.56
Castlerock Golf Club
Northern Ireland27 holes
Great surroundingsLinks course
96
Club image Brora Golf Club

Brora

8.56
Brora Golf Club
Highland18 holes
A James Braid traditional links courseLinks course
97
Club image Prince's Golf Club

Dunes

8.54
Prince's Golf Club
Kent27 holes
Great surroundingsLinks course
98
Club image St. Andrews Links

Jubilee Course

8.54
St. Andrews Links
Fife117 holes
Great facilitiesLinks course
99
Club image Etchinghill Golf Club

The Leas Course

8.52
Etchinghill Golf Club
Kent36 holes
Park course
100
Club image Liphook Golf Club

Liphook

8.52
Liphook Golf Club
Hampshire18 holes
Great value for moneyHeathland 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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