Best Golf Resorts in Europe in 2020

We  kick off with the top 5 best golf resorts in Europe in 2020. Finca Cortesin (Spain) moved to the top position again – with an overall rating of 9,4 – after being second last year! The Trump Turnberry (Scotland) Resort is this year’s runner up with a rating of 9,2. Monte Rei Golf & Country Club (Portugal) moved up one place and is back in the top 3 again. The Maxx Royal (Turkey) and The Gleneagles Hotel (Scotland) complete the first five of the Best Golf Resorts in Europe in 2020 both with a 9,05 rating. The Maxx Royal ended up in 4th and Gleneagles in 5th place. When resorts have the same overall rating, the rating of the course is then taken to determine their position.

The unique resort of Finca Cortesin is located in one of the most tranquil and sought-after enclaves of the Andalucia coast. Not far from the picturesque village of Casares and less than a mile from the beach. Finca Cortesin offers an award-winning hotel, a championship golf course, great spa & sports facilities and a beach club. After ranking second in 2019 after two years of claiming the nr 1 position, Finca Cortesin is back at the top of the charts again. Finca Cortesin boasts 67 spacious suites, but quality comes at a price. Not surprisingly Finca Cortesin’s golf course also ranks very high in our Golfers’ Choice Rankings. These are published every year at the beginning of the golf season.

The Trump Turnberry Resort – Home of the Championship Ailsa course – in South Ayrshire, Scotland dropped one position to number 2. The main reason for this drop is the fact that the rating for their golf course slightly dropped, from a 9,4 in 2019 to 9,1 in 2020. 

Recently transformed into a true masterpiece by renowned golf architect Martin Ebert, the Ailsa provides golfers with an exceptional coastal golf experience which you might have witnessed during one of the four Open Championships it has hosted. Ebert was also responsible for the layout of the new King Robert the Bruce course. The combination of two amazing golf courses, an astonishing hotel and top notch facilities make Trump Turnberry an ultimate golf resort in Europe.

Monte Rei Golf and Country Club have consistently ranked high in our Best Golf Resorts in Europe list and this year they have made it to the top-5 yet again. The service level at Monte Rei is high and the golf course itself is highly appreciated by golfers. Monte Rei offers expertly curated residences inspired by the lifestyle of the modern consumer. Monte Rei has started building their second Jack Nicklaus course which is expected to open in 2021. We can’t wait!

Maxx Royal Belek Golf Resort is a 5-star hotel offering an exceptional holiday experience for families and couples alike. Every guest room has been designed as a suite, offering spacious luxury accommodation and breathtaking views across the Belek coastline. A variety of dining options offer guests unrivalled quality and choice, with the main restaurant, two specially designed children’s restaurants, 5 a la carte restaurants, 14 bars and 1 patisserie each preparing carefully selected ingredients in a feast of flavours.

When Gleneagles Hotel first opened its doors in 1924, this magnificent countryside estate in the heart of Scotland was described as a “riviera in the Highlands”. Today Gleneagles continues to offer an array of attractions, including luxury hotel accommodation, a range of bespoke suites, three championship golf courses, an award-winning spa, and restaurant Andrew Fairlie, the only restaurant in Scotland to hold two Michelin stars. Golf is at the very heart of Gleneagles with its three championship golf courses and Scotland’s PGA National Golf Academy. The PGA Centenary Course was the host venue for the 2014 Ryder Cup. Golf has been at Gleneagles longer than the hotel’s 90-year history, with the first course – The King’s Course – dating back to 1919.

Below the full list of Best Golf Resorts in 2020 in Europe is shown. You can use the filters or search bar to explore the list. If a golf resort is missing this might be because the resort did not have enough reviews (either on Leadingcourses.com or Booking.com), was not listed on Booking.com or did not have a rating high enough to make it into the top 100 list. But, feel free to comment below this article. Please note that the ratings were gathered mid February 2020,  so the actual ratings can (and will) differ as time goes by. Only golf resorts with an overall rating of 8.0 and higher are shown.

1. Finca Cortesin Hotel Golf & Spa    9.4
2. Trump Turnberry, A Luxury Collection Resort    9.2
3. Monte Rei Golf & Country Club    9.1
4. The Montgomerie Maxx Royal    9.05
5. The Gleneagles Hotel    9.05
6. Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort    9
7. Golf De L'Isle Adam    9
8. PGA Catalunya Resort    8.95
9. Abama Resort    8.95
10. Golf Club Budersand Sylt    8.95
11. Royal Bled    8.95
12. Druids Glen Hotel & Golf Resort    8.9
13. Costa Navarino    8.9
14. Spa & GolfResort Weimarer Land    8.9
15. Mount Juliet Estate    8.85
16. Powerscourt Golf Club    8.85
17. Grand Resort Bad Ragaz    8.85
18. Toscana Resort Castelfalfi    8.85
19. Trump International Golf Links Ireland    8.85
20. Vidago Palace Golf Club    8.85
21. The Celtic Manor Resort    8.8
22. Diamond Country Club    8.8
23. Fairmont St Andrews    8.8
24. Golf PGA France du Vaudreuil    8.8
25. San Domenico Golf    8.8
26. Villa Padierna    8.8
27. Golfclub Zillertal Uderns    8.8
28. East Sussex National Hotel Golf Resort & Spa    8.75
29. Carton House Golf Club    8.75
30. Thracian Cliffs Golf & Beach Resort    8.7
31. Le Chateau de Taulane    8.7
32. The K Club Golf Resort    8.7
33. Buenavista Golf    8.7
34. Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links    8.7
35. Carya Golf Club    8.7
36. Gloria Golf Club    8.7
37. Golf Club Lignano    8.7
38. Praia d'El Rey Golf & Beach Resort    8.7
39. Golf Eichenheim    8.65
40. Rosapenna Golf Resort    8.65
41. Kikuoka Country Club    8.65
42. Golfclub Sagmuhle    8.65
43. Domaine De Manville    8.65
44. Onyria Palmares Beach & Golf Resort    8.65
45. Golf Resort Achental    8.6
46. The Faldo Course    8.6
47. Les Domaines de Saint Endreol Golf    8.6
48. Golf de Falgos    8.6
49. Landgoed Lauswolt    8.6
50. Udine Golf Club    8.6
51. Son Vida Golf - Arabella Golf    8.6
52. La Cala Resort    8.6
53. Penha Longa    8.6
54. Salobre Golf Resort Gran Canaria    8.6
55. Golf du Medoc    8.55
56. Golfclub Bodensee Weissensberg    8.55
57. Son Muntaner Golf - Arabella Golf    8.55
58. Club de Golf Peralada    8.55
59. Verdura Golf & Spa Resort    8.55
60. Der Oschberghof - Osch Golf    8.55
61. Boavista Golf & Spa Resort    8.55
62. St Mellion Golf Club    8.5
63. Quinta da Ria Resort    8.5
64. Ringenas GK    8.5
65. BlackSeaRama Golf    8.5
66. Naxhelet Golf Club    8.5
67. Tulfarris Hotel Golf Resort    8.45
68. Royal Obidos Spa & Golf Resort    8.45
69. Quinta do Lago    8.45
70. A-ROSA Scharmutzelsee    8.45
71. Golf du Chateau D'Augerville    8.45
72. Royal Mougins Golf Club    8.45
73. Fota Island Hotel and Spa    8.45
74. Le Golf National    8.4
75. Vale Do Lobo    8.4
76. Aa Saint Omer Golf Club    8.4
77. Montecastillo Golf    8.4
78. Golf Du Roncemay    8.4
79. TorreMirona Golf Resort    8.4
80. Kaya Palazzo Golf Club    8.4
81. Chateau Des Vigiers Golf & Country Club    8.4
82. Golf De La Bretesche    8.4
83. Golf d'Hardelot    8.375
84. The Belfry Golf Club    8.35
85. Troia Golf    8.35
86. Aphrodite Hills Golf    8.35
87. Le Kempferhof Golf Club    8.35
88. Chervo Golf Club San Vigilio    8.35
89. Oitavos Dunes    8.35
90. Golfclub Dolomitengolf Osttirol    8.35
91. Argentario Golf Resort    8.35
92. Terme di Saturnia Golf Club    8.35
93. Dolce CampoReal Lisboa    8.35
94. Emporda Golf Resort    8.35
95. Castro Marim Golfe and Country Club    8.35
96. Robinson Golf Club Nobilis    8.3
97. Hotel Golf Chateau de Chailly    8.3
98. Acaya Golf Resort & Spa    8.3
99. The V Golf Club    8.3
100. Donau Golf Club Passau-Rassbach e.V.    8.3

We love to analyse the reviews of our users to come up with  interesting lists. This is also how the ‘Best Golf Resorts in Europe’  ranking started. As time went by, the list has improved significantly.  Last year we decided to totally revamp our Best Golf Resorts in Europe list. One of the major discussions within Leadingcourses.com was: when does a combination of a golf course and hotel qualify as a resort? Is St. Andrews with the Old Course Hotel a resort? Does Royal County Down with the Slieve Donard Hotel across the road qualify as a resort? We felt not.

We turned to Wikipedia for an answer or at least a proper definition: “The term resort may be used for a hotel property that provides an array of amenities, typically including entertainment and recreational activities. A hotel is frequently a central feature of a resort” (source: Wikipedia). So, having a hotel and a golf course is just not enough to be called a golf resort.

We have checked many rankings concerning ‘golf resorts’, but most of them do not really point out what they are listing. We wanted to change that. So, below we have listed our criteria to be in our Best Golf Resorts in Europe rankings:

• the rating of the golf club on Leadingcourses.com must be active, so we should have enough (recent) reviews
• the rating of the resort or hotel on Booking.com must also be active
• the (official) hotel must be located next to the golf course or must be located on the premises of the golf course.
• the resort should include more facilities in addition to having a golf   course (for example a spa, tennis court, swimming pool, etc.)
• the golf club should explicitly mention or refer to the specific resort or hotel on its website (so linking to multiple hotels is not)

The criteria mentioned above mean that not every golf resort will be present in our Best Golf Resorts in Europe list. Resorts that are not listed on Booking.com – and thus do not have  a rating which can be checked online – are not taken into account.   Resorts are also not listed if either their golf course or their   hotel/resort have not been reviewed enough (i.e. inactive rating).   Still, it’s a great starting point and all the resorts above can be booked via the Leadingcourses.com site which is very convenient as well!
The overall rank is 50% based on the Booking.com  rating concerning the resort or hotel itself and 50% based on the rating of the golf club overall (including the courses, facilities,   etc.) on Leadingcourses.com. If resorts have equal scores, then the rating of the golf club   determines who comes in first. We are all golfers, so that’s what we   find most important.

Previous Best Golf Resorts rankings If you are interested, then you can check our previous rankings for best golf resorts in Europe here:

• Best Golf Resorts in Europe in 2019
• Best Golf Resorts in Europe in 2018
• Best Golf Resorts in Europe in 2017
• Best Golf Resorts in Europe in 2016

Note: This list was finalized on 28th of Feb 2020. So, the ratings can (and will) change as time goes by.