Top spots for golfing in the UK

Want to play some of the best golf courses in the world while you’re in the UK?

Golfing vacations in the United Kingdom are among the greatest in the world.

Several world-class courses may be found along Kent’s coastal links and Southport’s sweeping sand dunes. Scotland’s spectacular, naturally occurring terrain gives rise to golf courses unrivaled in beauty and challenge.

Celtic Manor

Celtic Manor Resort has everything a golfer might want, regardless of skill level or personal preference. The resort provides an all-inclusive golf getaway. 

There are also luxurious golf clubhouses with fine dining and well-stocked bars, the Celtic Manor Golf Academy, and a free, state-of-the-art, floodlit driving range with three target greens.

Royal County Down

The Royal County Down Golf Club, named the best in the world twice (in 2016 and 2018) by Golf Digest, hardly needs an introduction. The golf course, located in the Murlough Nature Reserve and runs beside Dundrum Bay and the stunning Mountains of Mourne, is often regarded as one of the world’s most magnificent.

Despite its picturesque setting, Royal County Down is a formidable golfing challenge due to its tight fairways and “bearded bunkers.”

Belton Woods

Located in the heart of the beautiful Lincolnshire countryside, Belton Woods Golf, also known as De Vere Belton Woods, is a breathtaking four-star hotel with a beautiful lakeside location. The hotel has 132 standard guestrooms and 4 deluxe suites, each with its unique style and a selection of convenient amenities. A flat-screen TV with select Sky channels, a radio, a work desk, coffee/tea-making facilities, and free Wi-Fi are standard in all rooms. 

When you’re not out on one of the two Belton Woods courses, stop by Stantons Brasserie for an excellent meal featuring traditional English fare prepared with local Lincolnshire products.

St Andrews Old Course

If you were to make a list of the top golf courses in Scotland or the world, the Old Course at St. Andrews would have to be on it. The instant you set foot on the most famous course in the world, you’ll understand why it’s so remarkable.

Every golfer should make a pilgrimage to the birthplace of the game, the Home of Golf, to walk in the footsteps of the greats who came before them.

The Royal St Georges

Originally established in 1887 by Dr. William Laidlaw Purves as a southern England alternative to St. Andrew’s, St. George’s is often ranked among the world’s best golf courses.

Historically significant, the Open Championship was played at the Club for the first time outside Scotland in 1894.

St. George’s has hosted more Open Championships (14) than any other non-Scottish course.

In 2021, St. George’s will host the Open Championship for the 15th time, making it the 149th Open Championship overall.

Trump Turnberry – Ailsa Course

On a sunny day, the Ailsa course at Trump Turnberry is arguably Scotland’s most beautiful golf course. The Ailsa’s stunning scenery and fascinating past are both protected by the famous Turnberry Lighthouse.

Only the ‘Duel in the Sun’ between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus in 1977, one of the greatest spectacles in Open Championship history, could match the level of competition at this venue, which has hosted four Open Championships.

Royal Liverpool Golf Club

The links of the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake can be beautiful, inspiring, challenging, and even terrifying when the wind is howling, and the summer rough is thick. The course has been an integral component of the growth and evolution of golf in the United Kingdom because of its reputation as a challenging test of the sport.

Royal Portrush – Dunluce Links

The 2019 Open Championship was held at Royal Portrush, the only golf course outside of Great Britain to ever hold the tournament. The greatest golfers in the world competed on the challenging links course.

For the most anticipated major of the year, two extra holes have been added to the previously challenging layout, giving both amateurs and professionals a new obstacle to overcome.

Vale Resort

The Vale Resort in beautiful South Wales is more than just a five-star hotel; it’s set on a 650-acre private estate.

Whether in town for business or pleasure, you’ll immediately receive a genuine Welsh welcome and feel at home. Our team is always willing to lend a hand, and we never let our pride get in the way. That’s not to say you won’t find the standard fare of a high-quality 4-star hotel, though; you will. Without a doubt, our facilities are among the best in the world, but we’d rather let you be the judge.

Royal Dornoch Golf Club

Because of its remote location in the Scottish Highlands and its breathtaking scenery, Royal Dornoch attracts thousands of golfers every year who make the trek there.

On Golf Digest’s 2018 list of the “World’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses,” only Royal County Down in Ireland placed higher than Royal Dornoch. It’s a wild and beautiful place and one of the most natural golf courses in the world.

Tralee Golf Club

Tralee is located in a stunning area on the coast of County Kerry. Still, it is often overlooked because it is so close to other, more well-known courses in Ireland, such as Ballybunion and Lahinch. This is a great shame, as Tralee can easily hold its own against the best layouts. 

Tralee is a wonderful test of golf, but its picturesque setting on the coasts of Ireland’s ‘Lake District’ will have players snapping as many pictures as they do with their clubs. You can settle into a rhythm on the front nine, which features some of the most breathtaking scenery conceivable, before venturing into the back nine, where it’s safe to say you’ll need your A-Game to emerge from the round with a respectable scorecard.