Golf Courses Off The Beaten Track

Here is a list of golf courses that you probably haven't heard of because of their solitude.

Golf Courses Off The Beaten Track

Golf is a sport that takes place on all manner of different landscapes and locations which therefore lends itself to be played pretty much anywhere.

As a result this means golf courses can occasionally be a long way from civilisation. In this piece we have provided a list of courses that may be a little out on a limb, but they’re well worth going the extra mile for...

UK & Ireland

Askernish

On the island of South Uist in Scotland, Askernish was designed by Old Tom Morris and has nothing to protect it from the North Atlantic.

Carne

Often regarded as Eddie Hackett's finest design, Carne sits on the Atlantic edge of County Mayo, on a peninsula that has gigantic dunes and valleys to play through, around and over.

Connemara

The long and winding road that leads from Galway into the sunset midway up Ireland’s west coast is a beautiful drive in its own right.

Keep going as far as you can, and then some, and you arrive at Connemara’s spectacularly located 27 holes.

Cruit Island

Cruit Island sticks out into the Atlantic Ocean on the west side of Ireland's coastline and is often regarded as one of the best nine-hole golf courses in the world.

Old Head

Old Head, set on a promontory on the south cost of Ireland, really is the closest GB&I gets to Pebble Beach, and many will argue that it is in fact more spectacular than its American counterpart

Waterville

Almost completely surrounded by water and with mountains in the background, Waterville is an excellent test that was most recently upgraded by Tom Fazio.

The Machrie

Set on the ruggedly beautiful Isle of Islay, The Machrie blends old and new links with a layout dating from 1891 that has been more recently updated by DJ Russell.

Durness

If you want to know what it is like to play golf on the moon and you are not Alan Shepard, then this fabulous little course on the north-western edge of mainland Scotland is as close as you will get.

Southerness

Set on the beautiful and peaceful Solway coast, the course at Southerness is a relative youngster in the scope of Scottish links golf.

Mullion

England's most southerly golf course Mullion is set atop the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall.

Kington

Words can’t do justice to the setting of this short but sweet design on the Welsh borders, England’s highest 18-holer. Kington is more hilltop than hillside, with the panoramic vistas rather than the walking taking your breath away

Silloth on Solway

As far to the north and west as you can possibly go in England, Silloth is a gloriously remote and unspoiled gem of a course.

Both Willie Park Junior and Alister MacKenzie are credited with the design, but nature itself can take a proud bow for this superbly conditioned but testing challenge.

Whalsay

Whalsay Golf Club is on the Isle of Whalsay, an hour north of the main town of Lerwick including a short ferry crossing. It is unique and visually stunning.

Worldwide

Cape Kidnappers (NZ)

Cape Kidnappers is probably Tom Doak’s most famous course because of images like the one above. Completed in 2004, the back-nine in particular is outrageous as the holes are situated on top of fingers of land. It is located on the east coast of the north island of New Zealand.

Kinloch Club (NZ)

Just west of Taupo, Kinloch Golf Club is not your traditional Jack Nicklaus design. It is a course that sits right next to Lake Taupo and provides a links feel which makes sense given its design was influenced by courses in Great Britain and Ireland.

Ile Aux Cerfs (Mauritius)

Ils Aux Cerfs Golf Club, the Bernhard Langer design, has to be one of the world’s most incredible golf courses. The bucket list venue, on its own island, features nine lakes and views of the Indian Ocean on every single hole.

Langer said he wanted to create “a golfing experience that truly arouses all the senses,” and he did just that with the course that opened in 2003.

Thracian Cliffs (Bulgaria)

Thracian Cliffs runs alongside cliffs in Bulgaria and all its holes have a view of the Black Sea. The course is laid out on a series of shelves between cliff sides. The first eight holes on this out-and-back design have the sea on the right, and then you turn back.

Casa de Campo Teeth of the Dog (Dominican Republic)

One of Pete Dye's most famous designs, Teeth of the Dog in the Dominican Republic is visually stunning thanks to a set of beautiful par-3s in particular.

Costa Navarino (Greece)

Situated right at the bottom of Greece, Costa Navarino has two challenging courses on offer, one designed by Bernhard Larger and another laid out by Robert Trent Jones Jr.

Great Rift Valley (Kenya)

Halfway between the Samburu and Masai Mara nature reserves, Great Rift Valley in Kenya has quickly gained a reputation as one of the toughest courses in the country.

Al Mouj (Oman)

Sandwiched between the Gulf of Oman and the Hajar Mountains lies the ‘Middle East’s best-kept secret’, Al Mouj. You won’t find any swanky skyscrapers here, like those dominating the skyline in many of its extravagant neighbours.

Ba Na Hills (Vietnam)

This remarkable course works its way through an undulating and peaceful jungle-scape. Designed by Luke Donald in 2016, it has already won multiple awards including best new course in the world, and it is packed with drama and fun.

Other notable mentions - Castletown, La Moye, Furnas (Azores), Canouan Estate (St Vincent & Grenadines), Ayla (Jordan), Nuwara Eliya and Victoria (Sri Lanka), Santo da Serra and Palheiro (Madeira)

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