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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21
Club image Cabot Highlands

Castle Stuart Golf Links

9.17
Cabot Highlands
Highland18 holes
Great clubhouseSeasideLinks course
22
Club image Royal Porthcawl Golf Club

Royal Porthcawl Golf Course

9.13
Royal Porthcawl Golf Club
Wales18 holes
Great facilitiesSeasideLinks course
23
Club image West Lancashire Golf Club

West Lancashire Golf Club

9.10
West Lancashire Golf Club
Lancashire18 holes
Great clubhouseLinks course
24
Club image The Alwoodley Golf Club

Alwoodley

9.10
The Alwoodley Golf Club
Yorkshire18 holes
Great facilitiesInland course
25
Club image Royal County Down Golf Club

Annesley Links

9.10
Royal County Down Golf Club
Northern Ireland36 holes
Great restaurantNear the coastEuropean Tour course
26
Club image Swinley Forest Golf Club

Swinley Forest Golf Course

9.08
Swinley Forest Golf Club
Berkshire18 holes
Great restaurantWoodland course
27
Club image Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club

Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club

9.08
Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club
Kent18 holes
Great clubhouseSeasideThe Open course
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28
Club image Saunton Golf Club

East Course

9.05
Saunton Golf Club
Devon36 holes
Great maintenanceNear the coast
29
Club image Royal West Norfolk Golf Club

Royal West Norfolk Golf Club

9.03
Royal West Norfolk Golf Club
Norfolk18 holes
Great surroundingsLinks course
30
Club image Queenwood Golf Club

Queenwood Golf Club

9.02
Queenwood Golf Club
Surrey18 holes
Great surroundingsInland course
31
Club image Dumbarnie Links

Dumbarnie Links

9.02
Dumbarnie Links
Fife18 holes
Great hospitalityLinks course
32
Club image Another Place, The Machrie

The Machrie Links

9.01
Another Place, The Machrie
Argyll and Bute24 holes
Great value for moneyRemote locationLinks course
33
Club image St. Andrews Links

The Castle Course

9.01
St. Andrews Links
Fife117 holes
Great restaurantNear the coastEuropean Tour course
34
Club image Lancaster Golf Club

Lancaster Golf Club

9.00
Lancaster Golf Club
Lancashire18 holes
Great maintenance
35
Club image Walton Heath Golf Club

Old Course

9.00
Walton Heath Golf Club
Surrey36 holes
Great facilitiesRemote locationEuropean Tour course
36
Club image Royal Birkdale Golf Club

Royal Birkdale Golf Club

9.00
Royal Birkdale Golf Club
Lancashire18 holes
Great surroundingsNear the coastEuropean Tour course
37
Club image Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club

Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club

9.00
Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club
Lancashire18 holes
Home of the 2018 Woman's British OpenGreat maintenanceNear the coastRyder Cup course
38
Club image Seaton Carew Golf Club

Brabazon Course

9.00
Seaton Carew Golf Club
County Durham22 holes
Great hospitalityLinks course
39
Club image Nefyn & District Golf Club

The Championship Course

9.00
Nefyn & District Golf Club
Wales27 holes
Great maintenance
40
Club image Muirfield Golf Club

Muirfield Golf Course

8.99
Muirfield Golf Club
East Lothian18 holes
Great facilitiesSeasideRyder Cup 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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