The 5 Best Golf Courses in Norway

Besides inventing the cheese slicer and having the most Winter Olympic medals of all time; the Scandinavian nation also provides some of the only golf courses in the world that are available for playing 24 hours a day. It’s only seasonal of course, but a well-timed trip to the north of Europe could see you with unlimited hours on the course (if you can stay awake). Most golf courses are found in and around Oslo and near other larger cities such as Bergen, Stavanger and Trondheim. 

If there is sufficient space on the golf courses, green fee players will be accepted without any problem. So if you’re thinking about bringing your clubs to Norway, don’t worry – you’ll find some well-maintained courses surrounded by stunning landscapes. Of course, it’s neighbour Sweden also has a taste for the sport and road trips between the two are not uncommon. 

With all of this in mind, we’ve compiled a shortlist of the five best golf courses in Norway.

*Note: This list is based upon ratings and reviews of real golfers. It does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Leadingcourses. Courses must have at least 18 holes to be ranked in this list.

Elverum Golf Club is located in Starmoen (next to the Stramoen Airfield - which is only for little planes), just outside Elverum. The golf course opened in 1987, and the first nine holes were completed in the autumn of 1988. The full 18-hole course was completed in September 1991. This woodland course measures 6,315 meters from the back tee and has a par of 72. The course is quite undulated so flat fairways and greens are very seldom. The greens are very well maintained, as are the excellent fairways. The course is friendly bad shots can practically always be found. 

Norsjø Golfpark is one of 7 golf courses in the south-easterly region of  Telemark. It is wonderfully located by the Norsjø lake which is also a part of the Telemark Canal. It’s challenging 18 hole course features an additional 6 hole training course for those who want a quick test. The golf course itself can prove demanding for golfers of all abilities with its open fairways and several challenging green areas. Besides this, you will get to take in the spectacular views from every hole as you make your way around the beautiful lake and forest. 

Trysilfjellet Golf Course is set in Hedmark, at the foot of the Trysilfjellet mountain. A truly picturesque location. There are two 18 hole courses (par-72) on offer, both with exciting designs, varied holes and narrow fairways. The practise facilities are second to none and include everything you need from the massive driving range & putting green to the chipping area and practice bunker. The newly built clubhouse rounds off excellent facilities and cements Trysilfjellet’s place in our top 5!

Valdres Golf is a natural gem of a golf course which is beautifully situated down by Aurdalsvannet in Vestringsbygda, 12 km from Fagernes. This is the only golf course in Valdres and you have to either go far south or over to the neighbouring valleys to find other courses. The course was designed by course architect Jeremy Turner and opened in 2003.

Stiklestad Golfklubb is rated an impressive 8.4, making it the number one course on our list. It is located beside Trones Eye in north central Norway. Most of the land around the golf course serves as a hiking and recreation area. It was once an important center of power during the Viking Age and several large burial mounds, can be seen as players move through the course. The course has been named as one of the best golf courses in Norway a number of times and even held the Scandinavian title in 2016. The magnificent views of the Trondheim Fjord, the historic setting and of course the top quality golf means that Stiklestad is perched on top of our shortlist! 

So there you have it. Although not a very long list, it should be enough to get you started. Obviously this is just the tip of the iceberg and Norway has loads more to offer in terms of golf courses, history, nature and more. For instance, Lofoten Links (pictured above) did not make it onto our list but it is the home of ‘golf under the midnight sun’ and is highly recommended. Don’t forget to check out VisitNorway.com for more information on this. Happy golfing!