The Best Golf Courses to Play Near The Open Venues

For golfers in the UK & Ireland, the Open Championship has been part of our golfing consciousness from the beginning, which makes the 14 venues that have staged the game's oldest major truly iconic.

Playing one of those storied layouts is a dream scenario for many - but it can be expensive. It's worth remembering that these magical tracks are often just part of a wider landscape and are routinely surrounded by other courses of outstanding quality. 

We wanted to pick out the best courses that are located near an Open venue. This means that if you can't play the main attraction, you could always have a memorable experience close by!

For this task, we deployed the Golfshake Course Search & Interactive Map, which is a useful tool for discovering new places to visit and identifying destinations that are Highly Recommended by the Golfshake Community.

• The Best Golf Courses to Play Near Prestwick
• The Best Golf Courses to Play Near St Andrews
• The Best Golf Courses to Play Near Musselburgh
• The Best Golf Courses to Play Near Muirfield
• The Best Golf Courses to Play Near Royal Troon
• The Best Golf Courses to Play Near Carnoustie
• The Best Golf Courses to Play Near Turnberry
• The Best Golf Courses to Play Near Royal St George's & Prince's
• The Best Golf Courses to Play Near Royal Liverpool
• The Best Golf Courses to Play Near Royal Cinque Ports
• The Best Golf Courses to Play Near Royal Lytham & St Annes
• The Best Golf Courses to Play Near Royal Birkdale
• The Best Golf Courses to Play Near Royal Portrush

Choose a venue of your liking above and see which adjacent courses that the system uncovered for us!

The Best Golf Courses to Play Near Prestwick

The birthplace of the Open Championship, Prestwick Golf Club hosted the first 11 editions and 24 in total. It's now been almost a century since the last of those was contested here, but Prestwick retains a unique place in history and is a jewel on the glorious golf coastline of Ayrshire.

Ballochmyle Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.43

Review Comment: "Gem of a course. Fantastic course with some great challenges on the many doglegs. Fairways and greens in superb condition and rough not bad at all. A great course to play."

Belleisle Golf Course

Golfshake Rating: 4.05

Review Comment: "Better than many private courses. Played here in the summer. Good condition, nice layout and lovely surroundings. Forgot I was on a council course."

Prestwick St Cuthbert Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 3.91

Review Comment: "Group golf outing. Despite lots of rain in days before, course was in excellent condition. Greens played very well and challenging layout for all abilities."

Prestwick St Nicholas Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 3.91

Review Comment: "Fantastic course, has to be added to any coastal challenge. Greens in excellent condition, and very true all the way through."

Seafield Golf Course

Golfshake Rating: 4.26

Review Comment: "First class course and staff in the clubhouse were all great, made to feel very welcome, a little gem of a course, perfect for a high handicapper."

The Best Golf Courses to Play Near St Andrews

The spiritual Home of Golf, the Old Course has staged 30 Open Championships from 1873 to 2022. Indeed, as part of the St Andrews Links complex, the adjacent New and Jubilee courses are among the very best in the area, but for this search, we have expanded beyond that close proximity to pick out other nearby Highly Recommended venues.

Crail Golfing Society

Golfshake Rating: 4.38

Review Comment: "A wee cracker. Having played the Craighead course a few years ago we finally had the chance of the Balcomie on our visit this year. Did not disappoint. Some magic holes and some tough ones (4th and 5th if I remember rightly) over the bay, we had a calm day but when windy those are beasts. 13 and 14 are two lovely par 3s on the way back in."

Fairmont St Andrews

Golfshake Rating: 4.33

Review Comment: "The well kept fairways and greens make for a pleasant playing experience and the friendly staff are always on hand to offer help and advice. I highly recommend Kittocks as a fantastic golf course to visit - the scenery and the challenging course play make for an enjoyable round."

Kingsbarns Golf Links

Golfshake Rating: 4.96

Review Comment: "Great experience in a very professional environment. Scenic views and a great course with high quality of the tee boxes, fairways and greens."

The Duke's St Andrews

Golfshake Rating: 3.84

Review Comment: "Great golf experience. 18 individual holes all a challenge, with some great views of St Andrews. Staff were friendly and helpful."

The Best Golf Courses to Play Near Musselburgh

Six Opens were contested on the Musselburgh Old Links in the 1870s and 1880s, with that legacy continuing to be celebrated to this day. The nine-hole layout here resides within the Musselburgh Racecourse, giving it one of the most distinctive locations you will ever experience.

The Musselburgh Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.41

Review Comment: "On a visit to Scotland last week I played this course twice. The greenkeepers do a fantastic job, every part of the course was in great condition. It was a great and challenging course to play."

Royal Musselburgh Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.48

Review Comment: "Not too long so able to concentrate on accuracy rather than distance. Well laid out with many bunkers and trees. Professional and assistants friendly and helpful. Clubhouse welcoming. Practice facilities are good."

The Best Golf Courses to Play Near Muirfield

16 Opens have been contested at Muirfield - and the list of champions here includes Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Nick Faldo. It's an exceptional layout and one that fits beautifully alongside the many other fabulous courses that are dotted along the East Lothian coastline.

North Berwick Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.95

Review Comment: "Every hole different, fabulous condition, true greens, On a piece of land that has not been messed with. Amazing, ever changing views."

Luffness New Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.94

Review Comment: "Beautiful links course. Course very dry and fiery playing like a true links. Greens in superb condition. Very friendly welcome from the staff and excellent food."

Kilspindie Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.55

Review Comment: "Kilspindie is a diamond in a gem-studded line of courses on the East Lothian coast. Me and my sons and son in law have an annual trip to the Scottish Open, preceded by two rounds for ourselves. We played Gullane 3 in the rain on Tuesday, but Kilspindie the next day was fabulous and not just because it stayed dry. A friendly welcome in the pro shop and the bar, followed by a superbly conditioned course with stunning views of the Firth of Forth. Greens, fairways, bunkers and even rough are all in mint condition. We will definitely be back next year. Highly recommended."

Gullane Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.92

Review Comment: "Superb links, great condition, tradition and friendliness combined. Phenomenal tee shots and views on this links course."

Glen Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.69

Review Comment: "A good day out. A cracking good golf club which is a challenge if the wind is breezy. Greens are great to play on. The clubhouse has views to die for. Excellent food and service."

Craigielaw Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.13

Review Comment: "Great links on Scotland's Golf Coast. Surrounded by amazing courses, Craigielaw shouldn't be overlooked. Great practice facilities beforehand, and a throughly enjoyable mix of holes await."

Archerfield Links

Golfshake Rating: 4.85

Review Comment: "Excellent. An amazing day, the whole experience from golf, facilities and people."

The Renaissance Club

Golfshake Rating: 5.00

Review Comment: "Amazing venue. Fantastic layout. Superb condition. Course very testing but fair. Service oustanding."

The Best Golf Courses to Play Near Royal Troon

Host of The 152nd Open in 2024, Royal Troon is a brilliant venue and a fierce links to play. Nearby, you have the likes of the Troon Municipals and stunning destinations such as Dundonald and Western Gailes, all of which come personally recommended by the Golfshake Team.

Dundonald Links

Golfshake Rating: 4.94

Review Comment: "The course was in great condition when I visited. It’s matured and lives well in its skin. Top quality venue in all aspects."

Gailes Links Golf Course

Golfshake Rating: 4.83

Review Comment: "Brilliant course in the golfing heaven of South Ayrshire. The professional, Nick, was brilliant, he even remembered us from our visit 12 months earlier. After a fairly short par 4 to open the course grabs your attention from 2 onwards with its tricky greens and some very well placed, and hidden, bunkers. Don't recall a weak hole. Well worth a visit."

Irvine Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.46

Review Comment: "Course in excellent condition for April and the greens were rolling pretty well. Good food and a warm welcome in the clubhouse - well worth playing this course."

Kilmarnock (Barassie) Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.43

Review Comment: "Wonderful links course. Played this following weeks of wet weather in this part of the world and the course was in great nick. Greens were really true and it was a real pleasure to play."

Western Gailes Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.95

Review Comment: "Old school, class links, personified tradition, history, links perfection of the highest of standard."

Troon Lochgreen

Golfshake Rating: 4.44

Review Comment: "We played the course for the first time in a few years, and it is still very enjoyable and challenging."

The Best Golf Courses to Play Near Carnoustie

Back on Scotland's eastern coastline, Carnoustie is one of the most testing links courses on the planet - and one of the best. The Burnside and Buddon courses are part of the complex here, but expanding beyond that, you have other fantastic venues with significant pedigree.

Monifieth Golf Links

Golfshake Rating: 4.48

Review Comment: "Nice variety of holes on a genuine Scottish links that's features stand out. Whilst not overly long the weather can make this a very tough test of golf."

Panmure Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.89

Review Comment: "Fantastic course with great holes and a great test of golf. The clubhouse was amazing."

The Best Golf Courses to Play Near Turnberry

Somewhat more remote in southern Ayrshire, Turnberry has welcomed four Opens and is most remembered for the Duel in the Sun of 1977 between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus. Alongside the famed Ailsa Course, the King Robert The Bruce is a fine companion at the resort.

Girvan Golf Course

Golfshake Rating: 4.32

Review Comment: "Pleasant wee course. A little short but it was a good test of accuracy. Would go back and play again."

The Best Golf Courses to Play Near Royal St George's & Prince's

England's original Open venue, Royal St George's has welcomed 15 championships to its reverred links. Just across the wall, Prince's Golf Club - which has been dramatically revamped in recent years - hosted one Open in 1932, which was won by the great Gene Sarazen. Given their proximity in Sandwich, we have grouped them together for this search.

Canterbury Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.24

Review Comment: "Challenging but fair. Lovely course, not overly long but short game in good shape required. As with most golf courses, good driving needed but you will probably need to chip and pitch well."

North Foreland Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.45

Review Comment: "Good links style course in great condition. Greens in excellent condition that allows true putting. Friendly staff and course marshall."

The Best Golf Courses to Play Near Royal Liverpool

Across in Wirral in Merseyside, Bobby Jones, Peter Thomson, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have all lifted the Claret Jug here, with Hoylake enjoying one of the deepest histories in both this championship and the game of golf as a whole.

Caldy Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.49

Review Comment: "I was extremely impressed with the overall layout and condition of the course. The greens were true and the members were really friendly and welcoming. The course was interesting and challenging, especially when the wind picked up."

Prenton Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.24

Review Comment: "Played really well which always helps, but the course was in great condition. Always plays well in the summer months."

Wirral Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.27

Review Comment: "This is a lovely short golf course which is well presented and will help you work on all aspects of your game. The course is not long but there are some interesting and challenging holes. It is well worth a visit and rarely closed even in the worst weather due to excellent drainage systems. The greens are consistent and run true also."

The Best Golf Courses to Play Near Royal Cinque Ports

Back to Kent, and just down the road from Sandwich, you will find Deal, home to Royal Cinque Ports. John Henry Taylor (1909) and George Duncan (1920) both won Opens here at a course that many believe is even superior to nearby Royal St George's.

Walmer & Kingsdown Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.09

Review Comment: "A good test. We were lucky in that it was a very calm day. I'm sure it would have been a different proposition playing in windy conditions. The course looked great and the greens were in good condition. All day breakfast very good value."

Broome Park Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 3.75

Review Comment: "Been here before. Challenging parkland course. Some steeply sloping holes that with the current very dry weather pose a problem. Greens very good and true. Bunkers good with enough sand and consistent."

The Best Golf Courses to Play Near Royal Lytham & St Annes

Notable for its vast collection of bunkers and the fact that the sea is not visible from its layout, Royal Lytham is a true classic, with Bobby Jones and Seve Ballesteros both winning two Opens here. It's a jewel in the crown of Lancashire!

Fairhaven Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.58

Review Comment: "Pristine condition, the weather scorching. The course was set up for a competition coming soon. Extremely tough, but fair. You have to be straight!"

Penwortham Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.51

Review Comment: "The course was in great condition and the greens were easily the best I've played since summer. Everyone was super friendly on the course and in the clubhouse. We didn't eat, but I have in the past and it was very good also."

Preston Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.45

Review Comment: "Not played Preston for a few years and thought I would give it go in one of their open events. Friendly welcome in pro shop and clubhouse. Driving range on site, putting green next to 1st tee. Course in great condition, greens very good, little tricky to read though. Some great holes like the par 4 2nd and the par 3 14th from elevated tees. Nice walk around with a couple of uphills to negotiate. Will certainly be returning to this one."

St Annes Old Links Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.29

Review Comment: "Exceptional course. Greens were in great condition, as was the rest of the course. Rough was tough but fair. Pro shop was very welcoming and helpful. Clubhouse was very comfortble and food and drinks not overly expensive. Highly reccomended."

Herons Reach Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.08

Review Comment: "The course was in a very good condition, especially given the inclement weather we have had for our summer! No muddy shoes, no wet patches. Thoroughly enjoyed the facilities and the course. Play again? Absolutely."

Lytham Green Drive Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 3.86

Review Comment: "Very friendly staff. The course was well presented. The speed of the practice green matched the ones on the course. Greens all ran true and bunkers had just the right amount of sand in (I was in rather a lot!). Fairways clearly delineated. A nice course with no contrived/artificial holes."

The Best Golf Courses to Play Near Royal Birkdale

Travelling south to Southport, Royal Birkdale is - for many - the finest of the Open rota courses in England. But it's not the only great layout in this part of Merseyside!

Formby Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 5.00

Review Comment: "Absolute gem of a course with rolling fairways and true greens. Friendly service in the clubhouse with huge breakfast rolls."

Formby Ladies Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.46

Review Comment: "Great course, would highly recommend to anyone, great people, greens were fantastic, fairways in great condition, lovely course to play."

Hesketh Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.21

Review Comment: "Excellent test of golf in very good condition. Set on Southport coast with views across the marshlands and bird sanctuaries."

Hillside Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.93

Review Comment: "Beautiful links course with stunning views, absolutely love the place."

Ormskirk Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.63

Review Comment: "Great golf course in equally good condition. Long par fours unless you're a big hitter. Lots of bunkers so tee shots need some thought. Tricky par threes with well protected greens."

Southport & Ainsdale Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.93

Review Comment: "A must play if in area. A stunning course that asks lots of questions from tee to green. Then once you find the putting surface you are confronted by humps and hollows galore. An absolute pleasure to play, in such fine condition."

The Best Golf Courses to Play Near Royal Portrush

Back in 1951, the Open left Great Britain for the first time to be staged at Royal Portrush. The championship finally returned to Northern Ireland in 2019 and will do so again in 2025.

Castlerock Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.22

Review Comment: "Great links course, lovely views, challenging holes, the course fitted into the natural sand dunes."

Portstewart Golf Club

Golfshake Rating: 4.84

Review Comment: "Undoubtedly a great course, particularly over the first few holes that weave through the dunes. Like all links courses you have to pay for the privilege and accept it's going to be busy. But it's a slick operation and marshalls keep everybody moving. The clubhouse and pro shop match the course in expectation and I can't imagine anybody going home without having had a good day's golf."

Related Content

How Much Does it Cost to Play The Open Championship Golf Courses

Is This The Best Open Championship Venue

The Best Golf Courses That You Can Play This Year

You Need to Play These Scottish Links Golf Courses

You Should Play These Underrated Golf Courses in 2024

Have You Played The Most Underrated Golf Courses in The UK

Have You Played These Scottish Golf Courses