A snapshot of the world’s best golf courses

While it’s true that the UK boasts some of the best golf courses in the world, we’d be lying if we said we hadn’t dreamed about experiencing some of the more further-flung courses around the world (along with some better weather, too!). Previously, we’ve written about some of the very best golf courses in the United Kingdom, so in this article, we’re going to focus our attention on what the rest of the world has to offer when it comes to dreamy golfing destinations. Which would you visit first? In no particular order, let’s take a look at some of the world’s most renowned golf courses.

Wolf Creek, Utah, USA

We kick things off by taking a quick jaunt over the Atlantic to Utah, Western USA – a landlocked state in the Mountain West subregion. It’s bordered by fascinating states on all sides – Idaho is north, Arizona is south, Colorado is east, Wyoming is northeast and Arizona is south (and there’s even a small part of Southeast Utah which touches New Mexico).

In Eden, Utah, you’ll find Wolf Creek, a semi-private 18-hole golf course that was established in 1963. With stunning scenery overlooking the Ogden Valley, Pineview Reservoir and Power Mountain skiing areas, the staggering views have to be seen to be believed. The course itself features multiple tee boxes so that players of all experience levels are catered for, and the club is known for its warm welcome and excellent hospitality.

When asked where his dream golfing destination in the world was, our brand ambassador, England football superstar and golf fanatic Stephen Warnock put Wolf Creek at the top of his list. Since we interviewed him he’s actually been over the pond to play there, so we’ll have to catch up with him to find out whether the reality lived up to the expectations!

The West Course, Royal Melbourne, Australia

This world-renowned golf club needs no introduction. The West Course, Royal Melbourne is roughly 130 years old, and in 1895, Queen Victoria granted its royal prefix. In 1926, the famed Scottish golf course architect Dr Alister MacKenzie was brought out to consult on a new course layout for the Royal Melbourne Golf Club, which was to become known as the West Course. It’s now regarded as one of MacKenzie’s masterpieces (along with Cypress Point, Augusta National, which you’ll be hearing about again in a minute, and Lahinch.

Where is your dream golf course destination?

With its dramatic undulations, the West Course is regularly referred to as ‘the best golf course in Australia’, and is a mainstay in any ‘top ten global golf course’ lists. It features generous fairways, fast and firm conditions, and of course it is always kept in impeccable condition. Whether you’re a low, mid or high-handicapper, you’ll find that the course offers plenty of challenges while also being one of the most visually stunning courses you’ll ever play with its incredible design, topography and construction. The immaculate, large and contoured greens are particularly noteworthy for their exquisite putting surfaces, and the rough areas around bunkers and tees are made up of mixed native grasses.

Augusta National Golf Club, Georgia, United States

As mentioned above, Augusta National Golf Club, often just referred to as Augusta or Augusta National, is a for-profit golf course that was also designed by master golf course designer Dr Alister MacKenzie in partnership with one of its founders, Bobby Jones. It opened for play in 1932, and only two years after that it became the home of the annual Masters Tournament (one of the four major men’s golf championships). Still, to date, it is the only major that’s played at the same course every year, and this year Scottie Scheffler triumphed with an 11-under par finish. Since 2019, Augusta has also co-hosted the National Women’s Amateur with Champions Retreat Golf Club.

There’s nothing like a great view to lift your spirits on a round of golf

The course itself really has to be seen to be believed, and while watching it on TV during the Masters is a great introduction to Augusta, there really is no substitute for stepping foot on this historic course yourself. It features ‘colourful azaleas, flowering dogwoods and towering pines’, and the whiter-than-white bunkers, blue water and verdant grassy expanses all come together to make you feel like you’re on a film set. This may be a course that’s known for its colour and panache, but it’s probably the complex and beautiful greens which make it stand out from all the rest. If you want to conquer the course at Augusta, then local knowledge, lots of planning and a general approach to the game will help you triumph! To this day, Augusta remains a tempting challenge for the world’s greatest golfers, and we can’t see it dropping in popularity any time soon, especially given the global attention it enjoys thanks to the Masters.

The Links, Fancourt, South Africa

It’s time to take a hop across to South Africa, where an area of 1.25m square kilometres is populated by around 60m people. Sharing its borders with five other African nations, South Africa is renowned for its beautiful golf courses, not least The Links at Fancourt. Once an airfield, golf course designer Gary Player studied Scottish golf courses in huge detail before embarking on the design for this very tough and unique golf course which opened for play in November 2000. And it’s fair to say that, while the course may have echoes of a traditional seaside links course, the weather is a huge improvement on a Scottish course!

Back in 2003, The Links, Fancourt hosted the Presidents Cup which delivered the historic result of Ernie Els and Tiger Woods finishing in joint first place. With huge sand dunes and the impressive Outenique Mountains providing the scenic backdrop, The Links at Fancourt offers a memorable and unique golfing experience that will make your friends green with envy if you ever get the chance to play it.

Tara Iti, New Zealand

If you’re looking for land that lends itself perfectly to the needs of a world-leading golf course, then look no further than New Zealand. Its super-exclusive, membership-only Tara Iti Golf Course is a masterpiece of sustainable golf course design (Tom Doak), combining natural beauty, indigenous plants and superb craftsmanship. If you’re lucky enough to play this world-renowned 18-hole, par-71 course, it’ll stick in your mind forever.

Where in the world will you travel with your golf clubs?

It’s a coastal course with a staggering 11km of ocean frontage on a prime surfing beach, and that alone makes us want to go there immediately. Not only that, but it’s flanked by 225 acres of sand dunes and the Hauraki Gulf islands. In terms of stand-out features, it’s all about the sand-based terrain at Tara Iti, which provides optimal playing conditions all year round. And the course has been designed so that you get an incredible view of the Pacific Ocean from every single hole. You’ll also notice that there are no roughs, which helps to preserve the course’s natural look while also bringing the additional benefit of enhancing playability.

The unique, coastal location of Tara Iti Golf Course has led to the club forging partnerships with conservation organisations to help preserve the future of the course’s namesake bird, the tara iti (otherwise known as the New Zealand Fairy Tern), along with other species that are under threat. This is a golf club that takes its responsibilities to the planet seriously, prioritising innovative water conservation techniques and taking part in various wildlife conservation projects, all in the name of sustainable golf.

Cabot Cliffs, Nova Scotia, Canada

It’s time to put Canada in the spotlight as we turn our attention to some of the most famous Canadian golf courses. The remote province of Nova Scotia is home to Cabot Cliffs, which can be found half a mile away from the original Cabot Links. Designed by Rod Whitman, Cabot Links was the first genuine links layout in Canada. Given the course was opened for play just over a decade ago in 2011, it’s certainly made a name for itself and regularly rides high in the top five Canadian golf course charts.

Overlooking the Gulf of St Lawrence, Cabot Cliffs was opened in 2016. Designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, it features a diverse and rugged landscape with fairways that transition between wetland, woodland and meadows. But as the name would suggest, it’s the dramatic cliffs that are the showstopper on this course. The meandering course takes you through ocean scenery through to lush forests, leading to jaw-dropping views at the top. Each hole has its own distinct personality, and the strategic bunkering adds an extra element of challenge to proceedings.

This truly is a unique course, and you’ll feel like you’re on the set of Lord of the Rings or a similar epic as you traverse its vertigo-inducing holes and enjoy the breathtaking scenery. Definitely one to put on the list!

Pebble Beach Golf Links, California, United States

No list of the world’s leading golf courses would be complete without mention of the renowned and stunningly beautiful Pebble Beach Golf Links, California, on the west coast of the United States. Indeed, it’s another dream golfing destination for our brand ambassador and ex-English footballer Stephen Warnock. The oceanside-located Pebble Beach is widely regarded to be the best public golf course in America, and it has hosted six Opens (and its seventh is scheduled for 2027 which will no doubt throw the course into the spotlight once again), along with its first Women’s Open in 2023. It’s also hosted a PGA Championship, and the Pebble Beach Pro-Am appears on the PGA Tour every year.

You’ll never forget teeing off at a unique course like Pebble Beach

Built on the site of an old hotel complex, Pebble Beach Golf Links officially opened for play in 1919. It was designed by legendary golfers Douglas Grant and Jack Neville, and is laid out in a figure of eight to make the most of the beautiful and rocky Monterey coastline and views of Carmel Bay. One minute you’re taken to the edge of the ocean, and then the next minute you’re up onto much higher ground, before heading back to the cliffs for a thrilling final two holes. It’s since been revised by other massive names in golf course design and architecture such as Jack Nicklaus (who created the new fifth hole in 1998) and Dr Alister MacKenzie.

Pebble Beach Golf Links may be the most popular public golf course in the United States, but it’s also one of if not the most expensive to play in the world, with typical green fees exceeding $620. But if it’s a once-in-a-lifetime golf experience you’re looking for, we reckon it’s well worth a splurge!

Fishers Island, New York, United States

The private golf club Fishers Island is only accessible by boat or by plane, which is one of the many factors that makes it so exclusive. Designed by Seth Raynor who sadly died of pneumonia just before the course opened in 1926, this is one of the oldest links courses in America and boasts tumbling terrain, geometric greens, steeply banked bunkers and incredible views of Long Island South. And of course, being an island, there is no shortage of beautiful beaches and very posh residences too! It might be a bit of a mission to get onto the island but once you’re there you’ll find tennis courts, golf and tennis pro shops, a beach club and bar, a main clubhouse with dining rooms, and a beachfront for all members to use.

A map of Fishers Island, New York, accessible only by air or sea!

The links course is an 18-hole, 6,636-yard, par-70 course, notable for its complex greens and breathtaking backdrop. One thing that is less commented on but nonetheless very unique is the way in which the course has been designed so that you’re constantly taking shots from different directions. That means that you really have to focus on wind speed and direction at every turn.

There’s no doubt about it, for golfers looking for a memorable round of golf at one of the most impressively designed courses in the world, then Fishers Island takes some beating.

That concludes our list of some of the world’s most impressive golf courses. Have we missed your favourite? Which one would you like to visit the most? While the UK is spoilt for choice with some of the best golf courses in the world, it’s worth looking at golfing destinations that are further afield if you want to enjoy an unforgettable golfing experience with – let’s face it – better weather than the UK tends to offer.