Golf has been played at St Andrews since around 1400 AD. That single fact tells you most of what you need to know about a golf trip to the UK: nowhere else on earth blends this much history with courses you can actually walk onto and play. If you’re planning where to go, here are the best golf courses to visit in the UK, from the home of the game itself to resorts built for a proper golf weekend.
The Old Course, St Andrews
There’s no sensible way to start this list anywhere else. The Old Course is the oldest golf course in the world, and it only picked up that name in 1895, once the New Course opened next door and people needed a way to tell them apart.
St Andrews Links is the largest golf complex in Europe, with seven public courses in total. All of them can be booked in advance, which matters, because demand for the Old Course itself is enormous.
The Hole Everyone Talks About
The 17th, the Road Hole, is often called the toughest par 4 in golf. Your tee shot has to carry part of a hotel building, and missing right brings the infamous Road Hole bunker and the road itself into play.
112 bunkers wait across the course, along with vast double greens shared between the outward and inward nines. It’s a layout shaped by centuries of play, not by a single architect’s plan.
Carnoustie Golf Links
Carnoustie earned its nickname “Car-nasty” the hard way. The Championship Course runs 7,390 yards at a par of 71, and the Barry Burn winds through the closing stretch, waiting for any shot that drifts even slightly off line.
The course started life as a 10-hole layout designed by Allan Robertson and Old Tom Morris in 1842. Old Tom extended it to 18 holes in 1867, and James Braid’s 1926 redesign set the routing that’s still used today.
Where Golf History Gets Cruel
The 18th hole produced one of golf’s most infamous collapses in 1999, when a double bogey would have won the Open outright and didn’t happen. Anyone who plays the hole today walks the same ground where that meltdown unfolded.
Gleneagles, Perthshire
Gleneagles is built for a golf weekend rather than a single round. The resort sits about ninety minutes from St Andrews and has three courses on site: the King’s and Queen’s, both designed by James Braid, and the more modern PGA Centenary Course.
The PGA Centenary Course hosted the 2014 Ryder Cup, and it remains the sterner test of the three. The King’s and Queen’s, meanwhile, have the old-school heathland charm that made Braid’s reputation in the first place.
Ninety minutes is all that separates Gleneagles from St Andrews, making it easy to combine both into one trip.
The Belfry, Warwickshire
No Ryder Cup venue has hosted the matches more often than The Belfry. Its Brabazon Course, designed in 1977 by Dave Thomas and Peter Alliss, staged the Ryder Cup four separate times: 1985, 1989, 1993 and 2002.
That 1985 edition marked Europe’s first Ryder Cup win since 1957, and The Belfry has carried that reputation ever since. It sits just outside Birmingham, making it one of the more accessible resort courses on this list for visitors flying into England.
Royal Troon, Ayrshire
Royal Troon was founded in 1878 by 23 members who split away from nearby Prestwick to start their own club. It’s hosted the Open Championship most recently in 2024 and remains a fixture on the rota.
Its most famous hole isn’t its longest. The 126-yard par-3 8th, known as the Postage Stamp for its tiny green, is the shortest hole on the entire Open rota, and it punishes a missed green about as harshly as any hole in golf.
Turnberry, Ayrshire
Turnberry’s Ailsa Course sits right on the Ayrshire coast and carries one of the most famous chapters in Open history. The 1977 “Duel in the Sun” between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus, decided by a single stroke, is still talked about as one of the greatest head-to-head battles the sport has produced.
Watson returned to the same stage in 2009, chasing a win at age 59, only to lose a playoff to Stewart Cink. Greg Norman and Nick Price have also lifted the Claret Jug at Turnberry, and the coastal views alone make it worth the trip regardless of your handicap.
Ganton, Yorkshire
Ganton doesn’t get the same name recognition as St Andrews or Turnberry, but its résumé is hard to match. It’s hosted the Ryder Cup, the Curtis Cup and the Walker Cup, and it was the home club of Harry Vardon, who played famous matches here against J.H. Taylor back in 1899.
The heathland design, shaped over the years by architects including H.S. Colt and Alister MacKenzie, rewards accuracy over power. Green fees run around £220, making it a reasonable splurge for a course with this much history behind it.
Key Takeaways
- Oldest course in the world: golf has been played on the Old Course at St Andrews since around 1400 AD.
- Toughest test on the rota: Carnoustie’s Championship Course stretches to 7,390 yards at par 71.
- Most Ryder Cups hosted: The Belfry has staged the matches four times, more than any other venue.
- Shortest hole on the Open rota: Royal Troon’s Postage Stamp measures just 126 yards.
- Best combined trip: Gleneagles sits only ninety minutes from St Andrews.
FAQs
Can the public play the Old Course at St Andrews?
Yes, it’s a public course and part of the bookable St Andrews Links complex.
Which UK course has hosted the most Ryder Cups?
The Belfry, which has hosted the matches four times.
What is the Postage Stamp?
Royal Troon’s 126-yard par-3 8th hole, the shortest on the Open Championship rota.
How far is Gleneagles from St Andrews?
About a ninety-minute drive, making it easy to visit both on one trip.
What makes Carnoustie so difficult?
Its length, at 7,390 yards, and the Barry Burn, which threads through the closing holes.
Conclusion
Whichever route you take, the best golf courses to visit in the UK offer something no other golf trip can match: centuries of history built into every hole you play. From the Old Course’s ancient fairways to The Belfry’s Ryder Cup pedigree, this list is a solid starting point for planning a trip that goes well beyond just eighteen holes.
