Best Golf Courses in the World to Visit in 2027

The best golf courses in the world are not only places to play a game, they are places where history was made, where the game was invented, and where the landscape itself is part of the challenge. St Andrews, in Scotland, is the home of golf, where the game has been played for six hundred years, and where the Old Course, with its double greens and its Road Hole, is the most famous course on earth. Augusta National, in Georgia, is the home of the Masters, the most exclusive club in golf, and the most beautiful course in America. Pebble Beach, in California, is the course that plays along the Pacific Ocean, with views that make golfers forget their score. This guide looks at the courses that every golfer should visit once in their life, explains what makes each one special, how to play them, and what they cost, because the best courses are not only about the golf, they are about the place, the history, and the feeling of standing where the greatest players have stood.

St Andrews Old Course: The Home of Golf

St Andrews, in Fife, Scotland, is the home of golf, and the Old Course is the most famous course in the world, because the game has been played there since the fifteenth century, and the course has changed less than any other. The Old Course is a links course, which means it is built on sandy land by the sea, with no trees, with deep bunkers, and with greens so large that two holes can share one green. The most famous hole is the seventeenth, the Road Hole, where the golfer must hit over the hotel, avoid the road behind the green, and putt on a green that slopes away. The course is public, which means anyone can play it, but it is also popular, so golfers must enter a ballot two days before they want to play, or arrive early and queue. Playing St Andrews is not only about golf, it is about walking where Old Tom Morris walked, where Bobby Jones won, and where the game began, and that feeling is worth the journey.

Augusta National: The Masters and the Most Beautiful Course

Augusta National, in Georgia, is the home of the Masters Tournament, which has been played there since 1934, and it is the most beautiful and most exclusive golf course in America. The course was designed by Bobby Jones and Alister MacKenzie, and it is famous for its azaleas, its magnolias, and its Amen Corner, the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth holes, where the Masters is often won or lost. Augusta is a private club, with only a few hundred members, and it is almost impossible to play unless you are invited by a member, but the Masters is open to the public, and tickets are available through a ballot, which is oversubscribed every year. The course is closed in the summer, it is maintained to perfection, and the greens are the fastest in golf. Watching the Masters is the best way to see Augusta, and the tournament, with its green jacket, its pimento cheese sandwiches, and its traditions, is the most watched golf event in the world.

Pebble Beach: Golf by the Pacific Ocean

Pebble Beach, in California, is the most beautiful golf course in America, because it plays along the Pacific Ocean, with seven holes on the cliffs above the sea, and views that make golfers stop and stare. The course, which opened in 1919, has hosted the US Open six times, and it is famous for the seventh hole, a short par three over the ocean, and the eighteenth hole, a par five that plays along the bay. Pebble Beach is a public course, which means anyone can play it, but it is expensive, with a green fee of more than six hundred dollars, plus a caddie, and it must be booked months in advance. The course is not the hardest in the world, but it is the most scenic, and the experience of playing golf with the Pacific on one side and the cypress trees on the other is one that no golfer forgets. The resort also has three other courses, and the town of Carmel, nearby, is one of the most beautiful in California.

Royal County Down, Royal Portrush and the Irish Links

Ireland and Northern Ireland have some of the best links courses in the world, and Royal County Down, in Newcastle, Northern Ireland, is often ranked as the best course in the world by golfers who have played everywhere. Royal County Down is set beneath the Mountains of Mourne, with views of the sea, and it is a difficult course, with blind shots, deep bunkers, and greens that are hard to read, but it is also a beautiful course, and the challenge is part of its charm. Royal Portrush, in County Antrim, hosted the Open Championship in 2019, the first time the Open had been played in Northern Ireland in sixty-eight years, and it was won by Shane Lowry, an Irishman, in front of a home crowd. The course is a links, with dunes, with views of the Atlantic, and with a history that goes back to 1888. Ireland has more great links courses than any other country, and a golf trip to Ireland, playing Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, and Ballybunion, is the best golf holiday in the world.

Pinehurst, Pine Valley and the American Classics

America has its own classic courses, and Pinehurst No. 2, in North Carolina, is the most famous, because it was designed by Donald Ross, it has hosted the US Open several times, and it is famous for its crowned greens, which are like upside-down saucers, and which make putting a test of nerve. Pinehurst is a resort, with nine courses, and it is open to the public, which means anyone can play it, and the town of Pinehurst, with its golf history, is worth a visit. Pine Valley, in New Jersey, is often ranked as the best course in America, but it is private, and it is almost impossible to play unless you are invited. The course, which was designed by George Crump, is set in the pine forest, with deep bunkers, with island greens, and with a reputation for being the hardest course in the world. Other American classics include Shinnecock Hills, on Long Island, which hosted the first US Open, and Cypress Point, in California, which is one of the most beautiful and exclusive courses in the world.

The Open Championship Courses and the Rota

The Open Championship, the oldest golf tournament in the world, is played on a rota of links courses in Scotland and England, and each one is worth visiting. St Andrews, Carnoustie, Royal Troon, Royal Birkdale, Royal Liverpool, Royal St George’s, and Muirfield are all on the rota, and each one has its own character. Carnoustie, in Angus, is known as the hardest course in the rota, with deep bunkers and a narrow fairway, and it is where Jean van de Velde lost the Open in 1999, in one of the most famous collapses in golf. Royal Troon, in Ayrshire, is famous for the Postage Stamp, the eighth hole, a short par three with a tiny green and a deep bunker. Royal Birkdale, in Southport, is a links course with dunes, and it has hosted the Open ten times. Playing an Open course is a special experience, because you are playing where the greatest players have played, and where history was made, and the courses are open to the public, which means anyone can play them.

How to Plan a Golf Trip in 2027

Planning a golf trip to the best courses in the world takes time, because the most famous courses must be booked months in advance, and the cost can be high. St Andrews requires a ballot, Pebble Beach requires a booking and a stay at the resort, and Augusta is almost impossible to play, so the best plan is to watch the Masters rather than play it. The cost of a round at the best courses ranges from one hundred dollars at a public links in Scotland to more than six hundred dollars at Pebble Beach, plus a caddie, plus travel, plus accommodation. The best time to play is in the summer, when the weather is warm and the days are long, but the courses are busiest then, and the best time for a quiet round is in the spring or autumn, when the weather is cooler and the courses are less crowded. A golf trip is not only about the golf, it is about the place, the food, the people, and the memories, and the best trips are the ones where the golf is good, the company is good, and the stories last for years.

Ballybunion, Turnberry and the Scottish Links

Ballybunion, in County Kerry, Ireland, is one of the greatest links courses in the world, with dunes that are among the highest in golf, with views of the Atlantic, and with a challenge that has made it a favourite of Tom Watson, who called it one of the best courses he ever played. Turnberry, in Ayrshire, Scotland, is famous for the Duel in the Sun, the 1977 Open Championship, when Tom Watson beat Jack Nicklaus by one shot, in one of the greatest duels in golf history, and the course, with its lighthouse, its views of the Isle of Arran, and its Ailsa course, is one of the most beautiful in Scotland. These courses are not as famous as St Andrews, but they are as good, and a golfer who plays them will understand why links golf is the purest form of the game, because the land, the wind, and the sea are the architects, and the golfer must adapt to them.

The Cost of Playing the Best Courses

The best golf courses are expensive, and the cost is a barrier for many golfers. A round at Pebble Beach costs more than six hundred dollars, a round at St Andrews costs more than three hundred, and a round at a top private course can cost even more, plus a caddie, plus travel, plus accommodation. The cost is high because the courses are maintained to perfection, because the demand is high, and because the clubs can charge what they want. Some courses, such as the Old Course at St Andrews, are public, and they offer cheaper rates for local residents, but for a visitor, the cost is still high. The best way to play the best courses is to plan ahead, to book early, to play in the off-season when prices are lower, and to share the cost with friends, because a golf trip is expensive, but it is also an experience that lasts a lifetime.

Golf Etiquette and the Spirit of the Game

Golf is a game of etiquette, and the best courses expect golfers to follow it: to repair divots, to rake bunkers, to keep up with the group ahead, to be quiet when someone is putting, and to respect the course and the other players. The etiquette is not about snobbery, it is about respect, for the game, for the course, and for the people you play with. A golfer who follows the etiquette will be welcomed at any course, while one who does not will be noticed, and not in a good way. The spirit of the game, which is written in the rules, is to play the ball as it lies, to play the course as you find it, and to be honest about your score, even when no one is watching. That honesty is what makes golf special, and it is why the game has survived for six hundred years.

Playing Golf on a Budget

You do not need to play the most expensive courses to enjoy golf, because many of the best experiences come from smaller, cheaper courses that are well kept and welcoming. A municipal course, a nine-hole course, or a course in the countryside can cost a fraction of a famous resort, and the golf can be just as enjoyable, because the game is about the shots, the company, and the walk, not the price. Many golfers play their best golf on a simple course, where there is no pressure, where the greens are true, and where the round is relaxed. The best way to enjoy golf on a budget is to play with friends, to walk rather than ride, to play in the off-season, and to remember that a round of golf is a privilege, whatever it costs, and that the cheapest round can be the most memorable.

My Take:

I think St Andrews is the greatest golf course in the world, and I think the reason is not the design, or the difficulty, or the beauty, but the history. No other course has six hundred years of history, no other course is the home of the game, and no other course makes a golfer feel that they are part of something bigger than themselves. When you stand on the first tee at St Andrews, with the town behind you, the sea in front of you, and the Swilcan Bridge in the distance, you are standing where every great golfer has stood, and that feeling is worth more than any score. I have played many courses, and I have enjoyed them, but St Andrews is different, because it is not just a course, it is a place of pilgrimage, and every golfer should visit it once in their life, even if they only play one round, because that round will stay with them forever.

My strongest feeling is about Augusta National, because I believe it is the most beautiful course in the world, and I believe the Masters is the greatest tournament in golf, but I also believe it is too exclusive, and that exclusivity is a problem. Augusta is a private club, with few members, and it is almost impossible to play, which means the most beautiful course in America is closed to almost everyone. I understand that private clubs have the right to choose their members, but I think a course as important as Augusta should be more open, because golf is a game for everyone, not only for the wealthy. I love watching the Masters, I love the azaleas, the green jacket, and the traditions, but I wish more people could play the course, because a course that beautiful should be shared, not hidden, and I think the game would be better if it were.

I also believe links golf is the purest form of the game, because it is played on land that was not designed for golf, it was designed by nature, by the sea, the wind, and the sand, and the golfer must adapt to it, not the other way round. A links course has no trees, it has deep bunkers, it has firm fairways, and it has wind that can change in minutes, and a golfer who can play links golf can play anywhere. I love the challenge of links golf, because it rewards creativity, it rewards imagination, and it rewards a player who can hit a low shot into the wind, a bump-and-run onto the green, and a putt from fifty yards. Parkland golf, with its trees and its soft fairways, is beautiful, but it is not as honest as links golf, because links golf is golf as it was invented, on the coast of Scotland, with the sea on one side and the wind in your face.

Another thing I care about is the cost of golf, because the best courses are becoming too expensive for ordinary golfers, and that is a problem for the game. A round at Pebble Beach costs more than six hundred dollars, a round at St Andrews costs more than three hundred, and a set of clubs, a bag, and a membership can cost thousands, which means golf is becoming a game for the rich, not for everyone. I think that is a shame, because golf is a wonderful game, it is good for your health, it is good for your mind, and it should be available to everyone, not only to those who can afford it. I hope the game finds a way to keep its best courses affordable, because if it does not, it will lose the next generation, and a game that loses its young players will not survive.

Finally, I think a golf trip is about more than golf, because the best memories from a trip are not the scores, they are the people, the places, and the stories. I remember a round at St Andrews, not because I played well, I did not, but because I played with friends, because the sun was shining, and because we laughed all the way round. I remember a round at Pebble Beach, not because of my score, but because of the view from the seventh tee, with the Pacific below, and the feeling that I was in the most beautiful place on earth. Those memories are what golf is for, and they are the reason I play, and I hope every golfer has a trip like that, because a golf trip is not a holiday, it is a pilgrimage, and it is worth the money, the time, and the effort.

There is one more thing I want to say, and it is about the future of golf, because the game is changing, with new technology, new formats, and new players, and some people worry that it is losing its traditions. I do not worry, because golf has always changed, from wooden clubs to steel, from gutta-percha balls to modern balls, and the game has survived every change. I think the future of golf is bright, because young players are coming through, because the game is growing in Asia and Africa, and because the best courses are still there, waiting to be played. I hope the game keeps its traditions, its etiquette, and its respect for the course, because those are the things that make golf special, and I hope the next generation learns them, as I did, from the people who played before them.

I also think golf etiquette matters more than most people realise, because it is the thing that makes golf different from other sports. In football, a player can argue with the referee, in tennis, a player can shout, but in golf, a player is expected to be honest, to be quiet, and to respect the course, and that honesty is what makes the game special. I have played with golfers who cheated, who moved their ball, who wrote down a wrong score, and I have never wanted to play with them again, because golf without honesty is not golf. I think the etiquette should be taught to every young golfer, because it is not about rules, it is about character, and character is what golf is really about.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best golf course in the world?

St Andrews Old Course in Scotland is often ranked first as the home of golf, with Royal County Down, Augusta National and Pebble Beach also regularly named among the best.

Can anyone play St Andrews Old Course?

Yes, St Andrews is a public course, but golfers must enter a ballot two days before they want to play, or queue early, because demand is very high.

Can I play Augusta National?

Augusta National is a private club and almost impossible to play unless invited by a member, but the Masters Tournament there is open to the public through a ticket ballot.

How much does it cost to play Pebble Beach?

A round at Pebble Beach costs more than six hundred dollars, plus a caddie fee, and it must be booked months in advance, usually with a stay at the resort.

What is a links golf course?

A links course is built on sandy coastal land, with no trees, deep bunkers, firm fairways and wind, and it is the oldest form of golf, invented in Scotland.

Which courses host the Open Championship?

The Open is played on a rota including St Andrews, Carnoustie, Royal Troon, Royal Birkdale, Royal Liverpool, Royal St George’s and Muirfield.