Golf travel
Trip guides and advice — planning, packing and where to go — plus in-depth destination guides to the courses worth flying for, organised by country.
Waterville golf guide: the Ring of Kerry links Payne Stewart loved
On the far edge of the Ring of Kerry sits one of Ireland's most spiritual links — Eddie Hackett's routing through the dunes of Ballinskelligs Bay, later polished by Tom Fazio. How to play it, when to go, and how it fits a south-west Ireland trip.
By Callum Reid
The Belfry golf guide: playing the Ryder Cup's Brabazon
The Brabazon Course near Birmingham has hosted more Ryder Cups than anywhere on earth — and unlike most famous venues, you can just book it. How to play the iconic 10th and 18th, the resort, when to go, and stay-and-play.
By Jordan Hale
Wentworth golf guide: the West Course & the BMW PGA
The Harry Colt heathland masterpiece in Surrey, home of the DP World Tour and its flagship BMW PGA Championship. How visitors play the Ernie Els–revamped West Course, when to go, and the Surrey heathland cluster around it.
By Dan Mercer
Muirfield golf guide: playing the Honourable Company's links
The home of the world's oldest golf club and a 16-time Open venue on the East Lothian coast. How visitors play Muirfield, its famous two-loop routing, the handicap rules, when to go, and the golf-rich coast around it.
By Ross Hamilton
Harbour Town golf guide: the lighthouse, Pete Dye & the RBC Heritage
The Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus classic at Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island — small greens, tight tree-lined holes and the iconic red-and-white lighthouse 18th. How to play it, the 2025 restoration, when to go, and the Lowcountry trip around it.
By Tom Whitaker
Kapalua golf guide: the Plantation Course on Maui
The dramatic Coore & Crenshaw Plantation Course in West Maui — for 25 years the PGA Tour's season opener. How to play its huge elevation changes and trade winds, the Bay Course, when to go, and the resort's story after the fires and drought.
By Ross Hamilton
TPC Scottsdale golf guide: the Stadium Course & the 16th
The public-access home of the WM Phoenix Open in the Sonoran Desert. How to play the Weiskopf/Morrish Stadium Course, the story of the par-3 16th 'Coliseum', when to go, and how to build a Scottsdale golf trip around it.
By Jordan Hale
Royal Birkdale golf guide: playing The Open's Southport links
The 2026 Open host and one of England's greatest links — fair, dune-lined championship golf on the Sefton coast. The course, how visitors play it, the season, getting there and the Open pedigree.
By Tom Whitaker
Gleneagles golf guide: the King's, Queen's & PGA Centenary
Scotland's grand five-star golf resort in the Perthshire hills — James Braid's classic King's and Queen's plus Jack Nicklaus's Ryder Cup PGA Centenary. The three courses, how to play, when to go and getting there.
By Ross Hamilton
Mission Hills golf guide: the world's biggest golf resort
China's golf mega-resort across Shenzhen and tropical Hainan — a Guinness-record complex of 20-plus public courses by Nicklaus, Norman, Els and more, led by the volcanic Blackstone Course. Courses, access, season and getting there.
By Jordan Hale
Kennemer golf guide: Harry Colt's dunes near Amsterdam
A classic 1928 Harry Colt duneland links on the Zandvoort coast, longtime host of the Dutch Open and home to a landmark thatched clubhouse — 27 holes a short hop from Amsterdam. The course, visitor access, season and getting there.
By Dan Mercer
Prestwick golf guide: where The Open was born
The birthplace of The Open Championship — Old Tom Morris's quirky, blind-shot Ayrshire links that hosted the first Open in 1860, and welcomes visitors today. The course, its history, how to play it, and the Ayrshire golf coast.
By Ross Hamilton
Chambers Bay golf guide: playing a public U.S. Open venue
The links-style municipal course above Puget Sound that hosted the 2015 U.S. Open — walking-only, treeless and genuinely public. The course, how to book it, when to go and getting there.
By Dan Mercer
Budersand golf guide: Germany's links in the Sylt dunes
A genuine modern links in the North Sea dunes of Sylt, routinely rated Germany's best course, attached to a five-star hotel. The course, how to play it, when to go and getting there.
By Jordan Hale
DLF Golf & Country Club: India's tour-standard test
The dramatic Gary Player championship course near Delhi that hosts the DP World Tour's Hero Indian Open — water, quarry rock and floodlit night golf. The course, access, season and getting there.
By Tom Whitaker
Casa de Campo golf guide: Teeth of the Dog & the Caribbean's best
Pete Dye's Teeth of the Dog — seven holes hand-carved along the Caribbean shoreline — is the Caribbean's number-one course and one of three Dye designs at Casa de Campo. The courses, how to play, the season and getting there.
By Dan Mercer
Old Head golf guide: clifftop golf on a Kinsale headland
A one-of-a-kind course on a headland jutting two miles into the Atlantic, with nine holes on cliff tops 300 feet above the ocean. The course, how to play (and stay), the season and getting there.
By Jordan Hale
North Berwick golf guide: the West Links, the Redan & the wall
One of the world's oldest courses still played over its original ground — a quirky, walkable seaside links on the Firth of Forth, home of the original Redan and the wall at the 13th, and open to visitors. The course, booking, season and getting there.
By Ross Hamilton
Torrey Pines golf guide: the public muni that hosts the U.S. Open
Two clifftop courses over the Pacific in La Jolla, San Diego — a genuine city-owned muni that has staged two U.S. Opens and the annual Farmers Insurance Open, and that anyone can book. The courses, booking, season and getting there.
By Tom Whitaker
Royal Birkdale will humble them — and that's exactly why you should watch
One week from now the 154th Open begins in Southport, and the most optimised power golfers in history will spend four days negotiating with wind, firm turf and pot bunkers. It's the best golf-watching week of the year — and the gear lessons for the rest of us are hiding in plain sight.
By Ross Hamilton
Montgomerie Maxx Royal guide: value golf on Turkey's coast
Colin Montgomerie's course at Belek — a Turkish Airlines Open host on Turkey's pine-forested Antalya coast, and the anchor of Europe's best-value winter-golf trip. The course, booking, and when to go.
By Tom Whitaker
Heritage Golf Club guide: golf & beach on Mauritius's south coast
The Peter Matkovich course at Bel Ombre — a Mauritius Open host between mountains and the Indian Ocean, plus a new Oosthuizen links. The courses, access, when to go, and getting there.
By Dan Mercer
HimmerLand golf guide: Denmark's DP World Tour resort
The North Jutland resort that was the long-time home of Denmark's DP World Tour event — the Spogård-redesigned New Course among the lakes and forests. The courses, booking, season, and getting there.
By Jordan Hale
Kingsbarns golf guide: the modern links you can actually book
The Kyle Phillips links near St Andrews that plays like it's been there for centuries — a Dunhill Links course, world top-100, and open to visitors. The course, booking, season, and getting there.
By Ross Hamilton
Crans-sur-Sierre golf guide: the Alps' most scenic round
The high-altitude European Masters course at Crans-Montana, redesigned by Seve Ballesteros — where the ball flies far and the backdrop is 4,000-metre peaks. The course, when to go, and getting there.
By Dan Mercer
TPC Sawgrass guide: playing the island-green 17th
Pete Dye's stadium course at Ponte Vedra Beach — home of THE PLAYERS and the most famous par 3 in golf. The course, how the public plays it, when to go, and getting there.
By Ross Hamilton
Adare Manor golf guide: Ireland's 2027 Ryder Cup resort
The Tom Fazio-rebuilt parkland at JP McManus's five-star Limerick resort — host of the 2027 Ryder Cup. The course, stay-to-play access, when to go, and the south-west Ireland trip around it.
By Tom Whitaker
Marco Simone golf guide: playing Rome's 2023 Ryder Cup course
The stadium course in the hills outside Rome that staged the 2023 Ryder Cup — and welcomes visitors. The course, how to play it, when to go, and pairing it with the Eternal City.
By Jordan Hale
Royal Golf Dar Es Salam guide: cork-forest golf in Rabat
Robert Trent Jones Sr.'s Red Course in a Rabat cork forest — home of the Hassan II Trophy and a Roman-columned island green. The courses, visitor play, when to go, and getting there.
By Tom Whitaker
Danang Golf Club guide: Vietnam's links on the central coast
Greg Norman's dune links and a Nicklaus second course by My Khe Beach — the heart of Vietnam's booming golf coast. The courses, booking, when to go, and the Da Nang–Hoi An cluster.
By Ross Hamilton
Bro Hof Slott golf guide: Sweden's lakeside championship course
The Robert Trent Jones Jr. Stadium Course on Lake Mälaren near Stockholm — a Nordea Masters host and one of Europe's longest tests. The courses, booking, the short season, and getting there.
By Jordan Hale
Royal Melbourne golf guide: MacKenzie's Sandbelt masterpiece
Alister MacKenzie's West Course and the tournament Composite — the greatest course in the Southern Hemisphere. The courses, how overseas visitors play it, when to go, and getting there.
By Dan Mercer
Quivira golf guide: Nicklaus's clifftop stunner in Cabo
Jack Nicklaus's dramatic clifftop course on the Pacific tip of Baja — the most jaw-dropping round in Los Cabos. The course, the stay-to-play rule, when to go, and getting there.
By Jordan Hale
Black Mountain golf guide: Thailand's No. 1 in Hua Hin
The Phil Ryan course in the hills above Hua Hin — a perennial national No. 1 and Asian Tour host. The course, booking, when to go, and building a Hua Hin golf trip around it.
By Tom Whitaker
Kawana Fuji Course guide: 'the Pebble Beach of Japan'
C.H. Alison's 1936 clifftop course over Sagami Bay, with Mount Fuji beyond — Japan's most storied resort round. The course, the hotel-guest access rule, when to go, and getting there from Tokyo.
By Dan Mercer
Leopard Creek golf guide: Gary Player on the edge of Kruger
The Gary Player course on the Crocodile River, overlooking Kruger National Park — a golf-and-safari trip like no other. The course, how limited access works, when to go, and getting there.
By Ross Hamilton
Portmarnock golf guide: Dublin's great championship links
The revered links on a peninsula north of Dublin — a long-time Irish Open host now under R&A consideration for a future Open. How visitors play it, when to go, and the Dublin links cluster.
By Tom Whitaker
Emirates Golf Club guide: playing the Majlis in Dubai
The first grass course in the Middle East and home of the Dubai Desert Classic — the Majlis, beneath the Dubai Marina skyline. The courses, visitor access, when to go, and a Dubai golf trip.
By Dan Mercer
Carnoustie golf guide: playing the Open rota's toughest links
'Car-nasty' — the public Angus links widely rated the hardest course on the Open rota, with the fearsome Barry Burn finish. How visitors play it, when to go, and pairing it with St Andrews.
By Ross Hamilton
Bethpage Black golf guide: the public monster that hosts majors
The state-park muni on Long Island that staged two US Opens, a PGA and the 2025 Ryder Cup — and anyone can play. The course, the tee-time system, when to go, and getting there from NYC.
By Jordan Hale
Le Golf National guide: playing the 2018 Ryder Cup course
L'Albatros, the stadium course near Paris that hosted the 2018 Ryder Cup and the 2024 Olympics — and, rare for a venue of its stature, welcomes public play. The course, booking, and getting there.
By Dan Mercer
Celtic Manor golf guide: playing the 2010 Ryder Cup course
The Twenty Ten Course — the first course purpose-built to host a Ryder Cup — plus the resort's other two 18s. How visitors play it, when to go, getting there, and a Welsh golf trip around it.
By Tom Whitaker
Finca Cortesín golf guide: the Costa del Sol's Solheim Cup host
The immaculate Cabell Robinson course above Casares — host of the 2023 Solheim Cup and the old Volvo World Match Play. The course, booking, when to go, and the Sotogrande cluster nearby.
By Jordan Hale
Banff Springs golf guide: Stanley Thompson in the Rockies
Stanley Thompson's 1928 mountain masterpiece beside the Bow River, home of the par-3 Devil's Cauldron. The course, how to book it, when to go, and getting there from Calgary.
By Ross Hamilton
Quinta do Lago golf guide: the Algarve's flagship resort
Three courses in the Algarve's Golden Triangle — the Portuguese Open–hosting South, the acclaimed rebuilt North, and inland Laranjal. The courses, booking, when to go, and the cluster around it.
By Jordan Hale
Kauri Cliffs: clifftop golf in New Zealand's far north
The Robertson Lodges sister to Cape Kidnappers — a David Harman clifftop course high above the Pacific in Northland. The course, how outside visitors play it, when to go, and getting there.
By Dan Mercer
Royal Troon golf guide: the Postage Stamp & the Open
The 10-time Open venue on the Ayrshire coast, home of the tiny 'Postage Stamp' 8th. How visitors play the Old Course, the handicap rules, when to go, and the Ayrshire links cluster around it.
By Ross Hamilton
Royal St George's golf guide: playing Sandwich's Open links
The only Open Championship venue in the south of England — Sandwich's rumpled Kentish links. How visitors play it, the handicap rules, when to go, and the Sandwich trio around it.
By Tom Whitaker
Florida golf trip guide: the winter-sun capital, decoded
A Florida golf trip is the winter-sun capital for Americans and Brits alike: huge density, easy logistics and family-friendly resorts. Here's where to play, when to go, and why you pack a waterproof even in the sun.
By Ross Hamilton
Golf in Dubai: the winter-sun trip guide
Golf in Dubai is the premium winter-sun escape: immaculate desert courses, five-star hospitality and an easy long-haul hop. Here's when to go, what to expect on the course, and exactly what to pack for the heat.
By Ross Hamilton
Belek golf holiday guide: Turkey's value golf capital
Planning a Belek golf holiday? Here's why Turkey's Antalya coast is Europe's standout value destination, when to go, how the all-inclusive resort golf works, and what to pack for the heat.
By Tom Whitaker
Myrtle Beach golf trip guide: America's golf-trip capital
Planning a Myrtle Beach golf trip? Here's why the Grand Strand is America's buddies-trip capital, when to go, how many courses you can play in a week, and what to pack for warm, humid golf.
By Tom Whitaker
Costa del Sol golf holiday guide: the Costa del Golf, decoded
Southern Spain's Costa del Sol packs so many courses into the strip from Marbella to Sotogrande that it's earned a nickname: the Costa del Golf. Here's where to base yourself, when to go, and how to plan a trip around the warm climate and long season.
By Ross Hamilton
Golf in the Algarve: the complete trip guide
The Algarve is Europe's golf-holiday heartland: reliable sun, a dense cluster of quality resort courses on Portugal's south coast, and short flights with easy transfers. Here's when to go, where to base yourself, and how to plan a week.
By Ross Hamilton
Ireland golf trip guide: links, legends and where to base yourself
An honest Ireland golf trip guide: the great links of the Southwest, North and East, touring versus basing yourself, when to go, and what to pack for the weather.
By Tom Whitaker
Scotland golf trip guide: where to play, when to go, what to pack
Planning a Scotland golf trip? Here's where to play, when to go, how the Old Course ballot works in general terms, and exactly what to pack for links weather.
By Tom Whitaker
The best golf trip destinations: where to play for every kind of golfer
A no-fluff guide to the best golf trip destinations worldwide, what kind of golfer each one suits, when to go, and the kit that travels anywhere.
By Tom Whitaker
Sneaking a round into a work trip: the minimalist golf kit
A spare afternoon on a business trip is a round waiting to happen — if you've packed light and smart. Here's the minimalist kit and the low-stress way to fit golf around work.
By Ross Hamilton
Should you rent clubs abroad or take your own?
Renting clubs on arrival or hauling your own across the world is one of golf travel's recurring dilemmas. Here's the honest answer, and the kit you should pack either way.
By Tom Whitaker
Whistling Straits: the complete guide to Wisconsin's Ryder Cup links
Pete Dye's dramatic Lake Michigan links — host of the 2021 Ryder Cup and three PGAs, and it's public. How to play the Straits and the Kohler courses, when to go, and what to pack.
By Tom Whitaker
Royal Dornoch: the complete guide to golf's greatest remote links
A top-15-in-the-world links in the far-north Highlands and the birthplace of Donald Ross. How to play the Championship Course and the Struie, when to go, and what the Firth demands.
By Tom Whitaker
Monte Rei: the complete guide to Portugal's finest golf resort
A Jack Nicklaus Signature course in the quiet eastern Algarve — long rated Portugal's No. 1. How to play it, when to go, and how to build an Algarve trip around it.
By Tom Whitaker
Valderrama: how to play continental Europe's most famous course
The 'Augusta of Europe' — Robert Trent Jones's cork-oak masterpiece in Sotogrande, host of the 1997 Ryder Cup. How to get on, when to go, and the kit it demands.
By Tom Whitaker
Cape Kidnappers: golf on the cliffs of Hawke's Bay
Tom Doak's clifftop masterpiece above the South Pacific, home of the par-5 'Pirate's Plank' 15th. How to play it, when to go, and how to reach it.
By Tom Whitaker
Sunningdale golf guide: England's heathland benchmark
The Old and New courses near Ascot — the template for heathland golf. How visitors play it, the handicap rules, when to go, and the Surrey heathland belt around it.
By Tom Whitaker
Royal Portrush golf guide: the Dunluce Links & the Open
Harry Colt's Open Championship links on the Antrim coast — home of Calamity Corner. How visitors play it, when to go, and how to pair it on a Causeway Coast tour.
By Tom Whitaker
Royal County Down: playing the world's greatest links
Often ranked the #1 links on earth, at the foot of the Mountains of Mourne. How visitors play it, when to go, and how to build a Northern Ireland links tour.
By Tom Whitaker
Turnberry golf guide: the Ailsa, the lighthouse & the Open
One of the world's great links, home of the 1977 'Duel in the Sun'. How to play the Ailsa, when to go, and how to reach Scotland's Ayrshire coast.
By Tom Whitaker
Sand Valley Resort guide: Wisconsin's links-in-the-sand
The Keiser family's Midwest sibling to Bandon — Coore & Crenshaw, Kidd and Doak courses on ancient sand dunes. How to play it, when to go, and how to get there.
By Tom Whitaker
Lahinch golf guide: 'the St Andrews of Ireland'
Old Tom Morris and Alister MacKenzie's classic Clare links, home of the quirky Klondyke and Dell holes. How to play it, when to go, and how visitors book.
By Tom Whitaker
Ballybunion golf guide: playing one of the world's great links
Tom Watson's beloved Old Course, on the towering dunes of the Kerry coast. How to play it, when to go, how visitors book, and how to fit it into a south-west Ireland tour.
By Tom Whitaker
Cabot Cape Breton: the guide to Canada's links pilgrimage
Two world-top-100 links — Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs — on the wild Nova Scotia coast. How to play them, when to go, and how to reach this glorious remote resort.
By Tom Whitaker
St Andrews & the Old Course: the complete golf guide
The Home of Golf. How the Old Course ballot really works, why there's no Sunday play, the other six courses, when to go, and how to plan the pilgrimage.
By Tom Whitaker
Kiawah Island golf guide: playing the Ocean Course
Home of Pete Dye's Ocean Course — Ryder Cup and PGA host — plus four more courses near Charleston. How to play it, when to go, and how to get a tee time.
By Tom Whitaker
Streamsong Resort guide: Florida golf like nowhere else
Three world-top-100 public courses by Coore & Crenshaw, Doak and Hanse on dramatic reclaimed dune land. How to play Red, Blue and Black, when to go, and how to get there.
By Tom Whitaker
Pebble Beach golf guide: how to play the Monterey Peninsula
The most famous public golf in the world. How to play Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill and Spanish Bay, when to go, and how to actually get a tee time.
By Tom Whitaker
The Melbourne Sandbelt: a guide to Australia's strategic golf heartland
The world's densest cluster of great courses — Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath and more — on firm, sandy, bunker-carved land. What to play, how visitors actually get on, and when to go.
By Tom Whitaker
Pinehurst: the complete guide to the cradle of American golf
Ten courses in one storied village, led by Donald Ross's No. 2 — now a permanent home of the US Open. How to play No. 2, the Doak-designed No. 10 and The Cradle, when to go, and how to get there.
By Tom Whitaker
Bandon Dunes: the complete guide to America's links pilgrimage
Five walking-only links courses on Oregon's wild coast — the closest thing the US has to Scotland. How to play Pacific Dunes, Old Macdonald, Sheep Ranch and the rest, when to go, and how to get there.
By Tom Whitaker
Barnbougle: the complete guide to Tasmania's links pilgrimage
Three world-class courses on a wild stretch of Tasmanian coast. Here's how to play the Dunes, Lost Farm and Bougle Run — when to go, how to get there, where to stay, and the gear the wind demands.
By Tom Whitaker
The cotton polo is why you play badly in the cold
Most golfers ruin a winter round before the first tee by dressing for warmth instead of movement. The fix is counterintuitive: fewer, thinner layers — and never the one fabric almost everyone reaches for.
By Ross Hamilton
Flying with your golf clubs: how to protect your bag (and what it costs)
Airlines are hard on golf bags. A little planning — and a few quid of protection — is the difference between your clubs arriving ready to play and arriving in pieces.
By Tom Whitaker
What to pack for a golf trip: the kit that actually matters
The difference between a smooth golf getaway and a stressful one is mostly in what you pack. Here's the away-day checklist that earns its place in the bag.
By Tom Whitaker
Playing links golf for the first time: what's different, and what to pack
A links trip to the coast is golf's great rite of passage — and it punishes the unprepared. Here's what changes, and the kit that makes it playable.
By Tom Whitaker
The hot-weather golf holiday survival kit
A golf holiday somewhere hot is a different physical test from a round at home. Here's the kit that keeps you swinging well when it's 35 degrees and glaring.
By Ross Hamilton
How to plan a golf trip with your mates (without it falling apart)
The golf is the easy part. Organising a group of adults to actually turn up, pay and play is where trips live or die — here's how to run one well.
By Tom Whitaker
Resort, links or desert: which kind of golf trip is right for you?
Not all golf holidays are the same sport. Picking the type of trip that suits your game and your group matters more than the brochure — here's how to choose.
By Tom Whitaker
The 36-hole day: how to play (and survive) a marathon golf trip
Golf trips tempt you into dawn-till-dusk doubles. Done wrong, the second round falls apart and you're wrecked for the week. Here's how to last the distance.
By Ross Hamilton
Shoulder-season golf trips: better courses, smaller crowds, lower prices
The same course costs a fraction in May or October as it does in peak summer — and plays better, with fewer people on it. Here's how to time a trip right.
By Tom Whitaker
