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Best hidden gem golf courses in the UK & Ireland

A hidden gem is defined as something which is extremely outstanding but relatively unknown and these courses are no exception. Here's a round up of the best of the best the UK and Ireland have to offer.

Billy Dunstall
Billy Dunstall
7 mins read
LinksParklandHeathlandUK & IrelandScotlandEnglandIreland

Hidden gem golf courses offer a great golfing experience and tend to be at a fraction of the price of your more well-known golf courses.

Across the UK & Ireland you can find these little pearls that will leave you and your friends coming back for more, and the exciting challenges these courses offer won’t be a secret for long. Take a look at ten of our favourite hidden gem golf courses in the UK & Ireland.

Nairn Golf Club

Created from a Highland wilderness of gorse and heather, Nairn Golf Club is one of Scotland’s finest golf courses, nestled on the shores of the Moray Firth. The Championship Course here delights visitors, but you must be accurate off the tee as you battle with the constant hazard of gorse and the strong westerly wind. There is also the nine-hole Cameron Course that all the family can enjoy and is perfect for fine-tuning your short game.

Nairn Golf Course

Fulford Golf Course

St Anne's Old Links Golf Club

Although sometimes overshadowed by its Open hosting neighbour, Royal Lytham & St Annes, the 6,941-yard St Anne's Old Links is fantastic challenge in its own right on England’s north west coast. The course has been designed to test your patience and resilience, which makes it no surprise that the club has hosted Open qualifying and international matches in the past.

St Anne’s Old Links

The Nicklaus Course, Carden Park Golf Resort

Mottram Hall Golf Course

Old Thorns Golf Course

Stoneham Golf Club

Set out through an old deer park, Stoneham Golf Club offers a fantastic 18-hole challenge on the Northern boundary of Southampton. Although only 6,400-yards, this course will reward the strategic golfer as undulating heathland means you rarely get a flat lie, and a premium is put on accuracy. This really a gem in the south of England.

Stoneham Golf Course

Thorpeness Golf Course

Donnington Valley Golf Course

The Island Golf Club

Nestled among some of the highest sand dunes known in golf, The Island Golf Club boasts a must-play classic links that is steeped in golfing history and tradition. The course provides a great test of imagination and shot-making skill that will leave you with golfing memories to treasure forever. Beginning and ending with two bold par-4s, this is one of the most popular courses in the Dublin region and of the highest calibre. One that is not to be missed.

The Island Golf Club

Feeling inspired?
Find your next UK golfing treasure at one of these outstanding courses that have yet to reach international acclaim.

Published

Billy Dunstall avatar
Billy Dunstall

Senior UK Travel Consultant

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