Having grown up in the UK, I’ve been lucky enough to play some of the most famous golf courses in the world.
The UK is home to some truly incredible places to play golf, from St Andrews to Royal Birkdale Golf Club, the choice of golf is phenomenal.
It’s the place where golf began all those years ago and one of the nation’s most popular sports, but how many golf courses are there actually in the UK? Let’s take a look.
How Many Golf Courses In The UK?
How Many Golf Courses In The UK and Ireland?
According to a recent study carried out by Statista, the United Kingdom and Ireland has a total of 2982 golf courses.
This number includes both 18-hole and 9-hole golf courses, spread out across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, with the most golf courses in England.
This means the UK and Ireland hold a large percentage of the world’s total golf clubs and it tops the list for the number of golf courses in Europe, followed by Germany.
United Kingdom golf courses also feature many different styles of golf courses.
From historic links courses such as Royal St George’s in England and Royal County Down in Northern Ireland to iconic heathland courses such as Sunningdale and Wentworth.
Rolling hills, lush parkland and plenty of seaside golf mean the UK is a serious golfing country where playing golf is a must for any golf enthusiast.
How Many Royal Golf Courses In The UK?
The UK has a total of 39 golf courses which have “Royal” status, 23 in England, 11 in Scotland, 2 in Wales and 3 in Northern Ireland.
The number doesn’t include Royal Jersey and Royal Guernsey golf courses on Jersey and Guernsey respectively, as these Islands aren’t considered to be part of the UK, but the British Isles.
Royal golf courses are a list of clubs which were granted specific permission to use “Royal” in their name from the reigning monarch of the time.
These courses in the UK include Royal Winchester, Royal Aberdeen, Royal Porthcawl and Royal County Down.
The most recent UK golf course to be given “Royal” status was Royal Troon Golf Club in 1978 by Queen Elizabeth II.
Final Thoughts
The UK is a great place for golf.
Whether you’re shooting the course record around a famous Scottish parkland or you’re losing all your golf balls on the links at Royal Lytham and St Annes, the UK has golf courses for all skill levels.
If you’re looking to play golf in the UK, check out our golf course reviews. Or find out how many golf courses are in the US.
FAQs
What percentage of UK land use is golf course?
The UK has a large number of golf courses, which equates to approximately 2% of the total available space. That number is thought to use up almost twice as much as land used for housing.
How many public golf courses are there in the UK?
Although the number is not known for certain, a large percentage of the 2982 golf courses in the UK and Ireland will be public courses open to visitors.
Founder, Editor
Ed is the founder and editor at EEE Golf. He’s been playing golf for over 20 years, competing in many top amateur events. He’s played courses all over the world and played with some of the best players in the game. His aim is to help educate people about the game of golf and give insights into the sport he loves most.