Best Harry Colt golf courses

In 1929 Harry Colt laid out the plans for the Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush, Northern Ireland. Ranking among the best golf courses in the world, it would be hard to disagree with Bernard Darwin’s comment that “Mr HS Colt…has thereby built himself a monument more enduring than brass.” Unimaginable rough, tricky greens and the unpredictable weather that roars off the North Atlantic, make for a tough but beautiful test of golf.

Key Features:

• Dramatic coastal dunes and cliffside views
• Precision-demanding fairways flanked by thick rough
• Natural undulations and ever-changing wind conditions

Key Facts:

• Hosted The Open Championship twice (1951, 2019)
• Par 71 – a true test of shot-making and strategy
• Signature Hole: Par-3 16th “Calamity Corner” – a long, wind-exposed shot

Originally designed by George Lowe in 1886, it was Harry Colt who was responsible for the redesign of this Open Championship venue in 1919. Today the course features 174 bunkers that line the fairways and surround the greens, and it is one of the few great inland links courses in the world. Although a long way from the coast, the sea breeze still has an effect on your round and left golf writer Bernard Darwin to describe it as “a beast of a course.”

Key Features:

• 174 bunkers—strategically placed and punishing
• Firm, fast-running fairways with subtle elevation changes
• Inland links style with minimal visual distractions

Key Facts:

• Hosted 11 Open Championships
• Par 70 – relatively short, but extremely tight
• Signature Hole: Par-4 6th – a brutal test with bunkers left and right

There are 27-holes of golf to be played at Golf de Saint-Germain, France, both of which were designed by this great British golf course architect. Le Grand Parcours is the 18-hole design that meanders through the forest of St. Germain, and incorporates 116 strategically placed bunkers. Regarded as one of the best golf courses in France, it is no surprise this course has hosted the French Open nine times, with the likes of Sandy Lyle and Seve Ballesteros winning here.

Key Features:

• Tree-lined fairways with classic parkland charm
• Strategic bunkering and subtly contoured greens
• Designed by Harry Colt – timeless architecture with modern challenge

Key Facts:

• Established in 1922, west of Paris
• Par 72 – elegant layout with a mix of power and precision holes
• Signature Hole: Par-4 13th – a tight dogleg demanding accuracy off the tee and finesse into the green

Although only a redesign by Harry Colt, you could argue that the Championship Course at The County Sligo Golf Club at Rosses Point wouldn’t be held in as high regard if it wasn’t for the famed designer adding his own touch. This really is an aesthetically pleasing golf course with three large beaches beneath the cliffs keeping the Atlantic Ocean at bay, while the Benbulben Mountain competes with the Atlantic for scenic splendour.

Key Features:

• Sweeping views of Benbulben and the Atlantic coastline
• Traditional links layout with rolling fairways and bold contours
• Windswept terrain demanding creativity and control

Key Facts:

• Redesigned in 1927 by Harry Colt
• Par 71 – links golf in its purest, most scenic form
• Signature Hole: Par-4 17th “The Jump” – elevated tee, blind drive, and a green tucked beneath a ridge

Although opening in 1896, it was Harry Colt who produced a blueprint in 1913 to turn the course into the challenge it is today. He removed the blind shots and replaced the weaker holes with new 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 9th, 10th, 16th and 17th holes. The Championship Course here is set among towering sand dunes on the Bristol Channel Coast and makes for an exciting challenge.

Key Features:

• Towering dunes and fast-running links turf
• Natural routing shaped by the coastal landscape
• Challenging blind shots and ever-present wind

Key Facts:

• One of England’s premier championship links, with rich amateur history
• Par 71 – classic out-and-back links layout
• Signature Hole: Par-3 9th – elevated tee to a narrow, exposed green surrounded by trouble

In the East Midlands, east of Mansfield, you will find the superb heathland layout at Sherwood Forest, which Harry Colt laid out in 1912. Here, golfers wind their way through the pines, silver birch and oak trees of the Clipstone Woods, which is within the legendary Sherwood Forest. It is no wonder this course has hosted qualifying for the Open Championship in the past, and has become renowned for its excellent greens.

Key Features:

• Heathland setting with fast, firm fairways and gorse-lined rough
• Tall pines frame strategic doglegs and tight approaches
• Subtle elevation shifts and classic Colt-era bunkering

Key Facts:

• Established in 1912, nestled on the edge of the legendary Sherwood Forest
• Par 72 – demanding yet elegant heathland challenge
• Signature Hole: Par-4 13th – a sweeping hole through the pines, requiring precision and nerve

Harry Colt was one of many great architects to have their say on the layout at Ganton Golf Club, helping it become arguably one of the best golf courses in Yorkshire. Nestled in the Vale of Pickering, close to York and Scarborough, the sandy and gently undulating terrain creates a blend of links and heathland. When you add to that the cavernous bunkers and tricky greens, you create an unforgettable challenge in the North of England.

Key Features:

• Heathland-meets-links style with sandy soil and firm turf
• Over 100 deep, penal bunkers—placement is everything
• Expansive, undulating greens that demand sharp putting

Key Facts:

• Refined by Vardon (1907), Colt (1911), and MacKenzie (1931)
• Par 71 – one of England’s toughest inland tests
• Signature Hole: Par-4 10th – long, bunker-laced, and brutally honest from tee to green

Harry Colt’s design at Royal Zoute is one of the finest in Belgium, thanks to its location in a superb landscape of pine, hawthorn hedges, silver birch and poplar trees. The fairways navigate between waves of dunes and, when the strong wind blows, the course will not leave any golfer unmoved.

Key Features:

• Subtle seaside links with inland polish and charm
• Wide fairways met with clever bunkering and shifting winds
• A natural, flowing layout that rewards precision over power

Key Facts:

• Founded in 1907, redesigned by Harry Colt in the 1920s
• Par 72 – elegant Belgian links with Scottish soul
• Signature Hole: Par-4 13th – a sweeping dogleg with strategic options and a well-guarded green

The Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa was originally a Harry Vardon design in 1905 before Harry Colt made major changes, just before the Great War. A couple more design additions by Colonel S.V. Hotchkin later, and the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa invariably fights it out with Loch Lomond and the Old Course at Sunningdale for the position of best inland golf courses in the UK.

Key Features:

• Pure heathland terrain with firm fairways and natural beauty
• Over 140 fearsome, revetted bunkers—deep and unforgiving
• Towering pines and heather frame every strategic decision

Key Facts:

• Opened in 1905, with major refinements by Harry Colt and later Donald Steel
• Par 73 – a rare mix of charm and championship bite
• Signature Hole: Par-4 12th – tight driving corridor, brutal bunkering, and a sloping green

Harry Colt’s La Mer Course at Golf du Touquet opened in 1931, but was recently renovated by architects Patrice Boissonnas and Frank Pont to restore holes that were abandoned after World War II. The course is now back in line with its historic, original Colt design. As one of the few genuine links courses in mainland Europe, you’d be a fool not to play this gem on your next golf break in France.

Key Features:

• True links layout carved through wild coastal dunes
• Raw, rugged terrain with minimal shaping—nature leads
• Exposed to strong winds, with dramatic elevation changes

Key Facts:

• Opened in 1931, designed by Harry Colt
• Par 72 – considered France’s finest championship links
• Signature Hole: Par-4 15th – a blind tee shot into a sweeping fairway, followed by a perilous approach into a dune-protected green