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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41
Club image Royal Liverpool Golf Club

The (Hoylake) Links

8.97
Royal Liverpool Golf Club
Cheshire18 holes
Great facilitiesLinks course
42
Club image The Berkshire Golf Club

Red course

8.96
The Berkshire Golf Club
Berkshire18 holes
Great clubhouseWoodland course
43
Club image Kilmarnock (Barassie) Golf Club

Barassie Links

8.96
Kilmarnock (Barassie) Golf Club
South Ayrshire27 holes
Great hospitalityLinks course
44
Club image The Berkshire Golf Club

Blue course

8.95
The Berkshire Golf Club
Berkshire18 holes
Great clubhouseWoodland course
45
Club image North Berwick Golf Club

The West Links

8.94
North Berwick Golf Club
East Lothian27 holes
Great maintenanceSeasideLinks course
46
Club image Southport & Ainsdale Golf Club

Southport & Ainsdale Golf Club

8.92
Southport & Ainsdale Golf Club
Lancashire18 holes
Great surroundingsLinks course
47
Club image Malone Golf Club

Ballydrain

8.92
Malone Golf Club
Northern Ireland27 holes
Great hospitalityPark course
48
Club image Loch Lomond Golf Club

Loch Lomond Golf Course

8.92
Loch Lomond Golf Club
Argyll and Bute18 holes
Great value for moneyNear the coastEuropean Tour course
49
Club image Machrihanish Golf Club

Machrihanish Championship Course

8.91
Machrihanish Golf Club
Argyll and Bute27 holes
Great clubhouseSeasideLinks course
50
Club image West Sussex Golf Club

West Sussex Golf Club

8.90
West Sussex Golf Club
Sussex18 holes
Great clubhouseGolf course architect: Guy Campbell, C. K. Hutchison, S. V. Hotchkin
51
Club image Royal Aberdeen Golf Club

Balgownie Links Course

8.90
Royal Aberdeen Golf Club
Aberdeen36 holes
Great restaurantSeasideLinks course
52
Club image Western Gailes Golf Club

Western Gailes

8.89
Western Gailes Golf Club
North Ayrshire18 holes
Great maintenanceSeasideLinks course
53
Club image Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club

Old Course

8.86
Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club
Sussex36 holes
Great surroundingsHeathland course
54
Club image Macdonald Aviemore Resort - Spey Valley

Macdonald Spey Valley Championship Golf Course

8.86
Macdonald Aviemore Resort - Spey Valley
Highland18 holes
Great maintenanceInland course
55
Club image Nefyn & District Golf Club

The Point or Old Course

8.86
Nefyn & District Golf Club
Wales27 holes
Great maintenance
56
Club image Windermere Golf Club

Windermere Golf Club

8.85
Windermere Golf Club
Cumbria18 holes
Great surroundingsHillside course
57
Club image Portstewart Golf Club

The Strand

8.85
Portstewart Golf Club
Northern Ireland54 holes
Great maintenanceSeasideEuropean Tour course
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58
Club image Gullane Golf Club

No. 1 Course

8.85
Gullane Golf Club
East Lothian54 holes
Great surroundingsLinks course
59
Club image Burnham & Berrow Golf Club

Championship Course

8.84
Burnham & Berrow Golf Club
Somerset27 holes
Great surroundingsSeasideLinks course
60
Club image Fairmont St Andrews

Kittocks Course

8.84
Fairmont St Andrews
Fife36 holes
Great hospitalitySeasideEuropean Tour 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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