25 of The Best Golf Courses to Play This Season

It's time to look forward and start planning the golf courses that you wish to play during this coming season. This is an exercise that many golfers undertake each year, and we are no exception.

When it comes to searching for potential new layouts to experience, the Golfshake Course Section is a good place to start as you can benefit from studying the many thousands of reviews that have been submitted by other golfers.

Breaking it down further to uncover more venues that boast a minimum overall rating of 4.00 and a high average rating from 2024, we can now showcase places throughout the UK and abroad that drew the acclaim of everyday golfers last year.

Take a look below and see which courses that you're going to be adding to your must play lists this season!

Southwick Park Golf Club

Location: Fareham, Hampshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.16

Average 2024 Rating: 4.39

Review Comment: "Challenging course with varied holes in excellent condition. Good practice facilities and clubhouse."

Woodlands Golf & Country Club

Location: Bristol, Gloucestershire

Golfshake Rating: 4.17

Average 2024 Rating: 4.38

Review Comment: "Enjoyable round of golf. The course was in better condition than I had expected. The greens were very nice, with even grass and no lumps or bumps. Recommended."

Oakland Park Golf Club

Location: Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.15

Average 2024 Rating: 4.36

Review Comment: "Lovely course, fantastic greens, even with all the rain recently, they still had good pace. Staff are very friendly and helpful."

Kingswood Golf Club

Location: Tadworth, Surrey

Golfshake Rating: 4.04

Average 2024 Rating: 4.35

Review Comment: "Excellent course with simply stunning views, very challenging in places but also very open which allows for the odd wayward shot, friendly staff."

Redlibbets Golf & Country Club

Location: Sevenoaks, Kent

Golfshake Rating: 4.05

Average 2024 Rating: 4.33

Review Comment: "Course in great condition. Greens were superb. A really interesting course. No two holes the same. Quite hilly, so if you're not the fittest, get a buggy. Staff and food were excellent."

Warley Woods Golf Club

Location: Smethwick, West Midlands

Golfshake Rating: 4.05

Average 2024 Rating: 4.33

Review Comment: "My local course so play regularly, but when the guys can't get another course in this wet winter, they always come over and play. Friendly staff and attached cafe not too expensive, great food."

Pedham Place Golf Centre

Location: Swanley, Kent

Golfshake Rating: 4.06

Average 2024 Rating: 4.31

Review Comment: "Tight fairways but forgiving rough. Lovely undulating course with some challenging doglegs and bunker placement. The course is in absolutely fantastic condition considering how wet it’s been. Drains so well. Reallly enjoyable round of golf for two mid handicappers."

Vale do Lobo Golf Club

Location: Almancil, Faro

Golfshake Rating: 4.00

Average 2024 Rating: 4.31

Review Comment: "The resort of Vale do Lobo really looks after you very well, there is a free resort shuttle that takes you from your apartment to the course, local restaurants or the beach. There are two golf courses on site that are great to play, in fantastic condition with the only small complaint being that they are too busy at times."

Gleneagles

Location: Auchterarder, Perth & Kinross

Golfshake Rating: 4.88

Average 2024 Rating: 4.31

Review Comment: "A fantastic challenge, with no two holes alike. In great condition throughout and the greens very demanding with their hidden, subtle borrows."

Test Valley Golf Club

Location: Basingstoke, Hampshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.42

Average 2024 Rating: 4.31

Review Comment: "A very interesting course with many challenges, particularly the difficult 15th! I really enjoyed it."

Rufford Park Golf & Country Club

Location: Newark, Nottinghamshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.26

Average 2024 Rating: 4.30

Review Comment: "Great course, in good condition, very enjoyable round, friendly staff. The 17th hole is so daunting and hard to judge in a cross wind."

Gosfield Lake Golf Club

Location: Halstead, Essex

Golfshake Rating: 4.16

Average 2024 Rating: 4.30

Review Comment: "Excellent course. Been meaning to play it for years. Really enjoyed the layout. Has some great challenges due to some very well positioned trees!"

Beau Desert Golf Club

Location: Cannock, Staffordshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.85

Average 2024 Rating: 4.30

Review Comment: "The club were very welcoming and the practice facilities were excellent from driving range, short game area and putting green. The course design is pleasing to the eye with holes sculptured through trees and heather. The bunkering adds to the beauty. The greens were large and slopey so positioning your ball was vital to scoring well."

Marbella Golf & Country Club

Location: Marbella, Malaga

Golfshake Rating: 4.53

Average 2024 Rating: 4.30

Review Comment: "Reception excellent, course starter was a real character. Although we teed off early and the course was wet it was presented very well. Some tough holes with some amazing scenery. If you're in the area it's a great place to spend a few hours."

Appleby Golf Club

Location: Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria

Golfshake Rating: 4.52

Average 2024 Rating: 4.30

Review Comment: "Appleby is an utterly stunning moorland course, this is golf in its purest form, no bells and whistles. This course is a test and has a stunning signature blind par 3. I have now played at 72 golf courses in the UK and Appleby is by far my favourite. Without a shadow of a doubt one of the best golf courses in the UK."

Felixstowe Ferry Golf Club

Location: Felixstowe, Suffolk

Golfshake Rating: 4.39

Average 2024 Rating: 4.30

Review Comment: "Great course, especially the last six holes, true links, a real challenge. Friendly atmosphere, highly recommend."

Roda Golf Course

Location: Los Narejos, Murcia

Golfshake Rating: 4.34

Average 2024 Rating: 4.30

Review Comment: "Nice course for the money paid, in good condition with how hot it is. Some challenging holes and some good scoring opportunities. Good pro shop with top quality hire clubs, good practice facilities and nice bar after for a beer and lunch would definitely come again."

Frinton Golf Club

Location: Frinton-on-Sea, Essex

Golfshake Rating: 4.06

Average 2024 Rating: 4.30

Review Comment: "Frinton golf course right next to the coast in North Essex is a great place to play for golfers of any standard. The layout's defences are the long rough in the summer and the sea breezes which are frequent and ever changing. The clubhouse is welcoming and serves great food and the pro shop is well stocked. I would definitely recommend especially if you wanted to make a day of it with a round of golf and a day at the seaside."

The Rolls of Monmouth Golf Club

Location: Monmouth, Gwent

Golfshake Rating: 4.59

Average 2024 Rating: 4.29

Review Comment: "Great course, very friendly staff and members, tricky greens, many with false fronts, well worth a visit."

Tylney Park Golf Club

Location: Basingstoke, Hampshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.23

Average 2024 Rating: 4.25

Review Comment: "Challenging course in quiet Hampshire countryside. Varied holes and interesting greens. Small but cosy clubhouse with friendly staff and reasonable food."

Burhill Golf Club

Location: Walton-on-Thames, Surrey

Golfshake Rating: 4.19

Average 2024 Rating: 4.25

Review Comment: "Burhill has two very contrasting golf courses. The New Course is a muscular challenge with wonderfully true and quick greens even in October. It has a fair bit of water dotted about and a great variety of holes. A delight to play, fair but challenging. Well worth a visit."

Las Colinas Golf & Country Club

Location: Dehesa de Campoamor, Alicante

Golfshake Rating: 4.66

Average 2024 Rating: 4.25

Review Comment: "Played this course in January, absolutely loved it, what a fantastic course, by far one of the best courses I played in Spain, looking forward so much to coming back and playing it again."

Whitehill Golf Course

Location: Ware, Hertfordshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.34

Average 2024 Rating: 4.25

Review Comment: "Well maintained with enough hazards to make it a challenging course that plays consistently. The day I played was sunny and dry after several days of fairly heavy rain. All the tees and greens played well. The course seems very well drained."

Thorpeness Golf Club & Hotel

Location: Aldeburgh, Suffolk

Golfshake Rating: 4.13

Average 2024 Rating: 4.23

Review Comment: "Typical James Braid course with lots of well placed and deep bunkers. A great winter course as the sand based ground drains well and is always playable. Course and hotel staff are always polite. Super value stay and play venue. Will definitely be back."

Winter Hill Golf Club

Location: Maidenhead, Berkshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.54

Average 2024 Rating: 4.22

Review Comment: "Always a pleasure playing this course, for a change not busy allowing a nice flow to the round. This course always amazes me how well kept it is for the type of course it is, getting a lot more foot traffic and some noticeable signs on the softish greens but amazing how presentable and enjoyable this course and clubhouse is. Well worth the visit with some lovely holes and scenery to boot."

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