The 5 Best Golfing Road Trips In The UK & Ireland

There’s something highly satisfying about throwing your clubs in the boot of a car and forging off on a golfing road trip. You go at your own steam, you pick your own route, you listen to your own tunes, stop when you want and where you want.

Owing to the sheer number, and density of golf courses on our Isles, the UK and Ireland offers some great opportunities to enjoy a road trip that takes in great and famous golf courses.

Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to play in most areas of these islands and have had some highly memorable trips. Particular mention should go to an honesty box pilgrimage I took up the west coast of Scotland about 10 years ago now, and to a beautiful couple of days driving out to the stunning courses at Rosapenna in the north of Ireland.

But those two don’t quite make my top five. I’ve gone for areas where the scenery plays a role and the quality and abundance of the courses stands out. You probably wouldn’t play every course mentioned on each of these trips but you could pick and choose!

North East Scotland and The Highlands

The North Coast 500 has received a huge amount of coverage in recent years as one of the iconic road trips, with scenery to match almost anywhere in the world.

It is certainly one of the most incredible road circuits I’ve ever been on, albeit I did it on a bicycle rather than in a sports car and many of the single-track roads on the route are really not suitable for heavy traffic or wider vehicles.

The best golf courses on the circuit are also confined to the south eastern corner of the loop.

I think a far better road trip is to start in Aberdeen where you can play the fabulous Royal Aberdeen – a course with a front nine delivering a truly exceptional run of links holes. There’s also Murcar, next door which, again, has a highly memorable run of holes along the beach side.

Further north there are spectacular dunes at Trump International Scotland and stunning views at Cruden Bay.

On up the A90 past fine courses at Peterhead and Fraserburgh then west towards the tremendous Old and New Courses at Moray Golf Club in Lossiemouth where fighter jets from the Air Force base provide a fascinating distraction.

Further west there’s The Nairn Golf Club, a Walker Cup venue and simply brilliant layout.

At Cabot Castle Stuart there are tremendous views to the Black Isle and the mountains further inland. Then head through the vibrant little city of Inverness, over the Kessock Bridge and north, past Tain and the Glenmorangie distillery to Royal Dornoch.

It’s a fitting course to end what will have been a long but beautiful road trip. If you want more, head further up to the rugged but brilliant Brora.

North Wales Coast

Starting from Chester, get onto the coast as soon as you can and take the A548 round to Prestatyn – a stunning course. Continue round to Llandudno Maesdu with the Great Orme to one side plus Anglesey and Puffin Island visible across the bay.

Stop in at Conwy, a former Open qualifying venue and then head onwards on the North Wales Expressway. You might continue across the Menai Straight in to Anglesey and even to the excellent course at Holyhead at the end of the A55.

Or, keep following the mainland coast. You might go across to Nefyn and District for a spectacular round and a pint in the Ty Coch pub...

Or, keep going via the excellent course at Porthmadog to Harlech and one of my favourite tracks – Royal St David’s. With views of the imposing castle and up towards Snowdonia, it’s a stunning place to play.

Further south, past Barmouth, you’ll come to the beautiful Aberdovey – Also a joy to play.

If you drive back up to Barmouth and then head out, back towards Chester through the Snowdonia National Park and Denbighshire you’ll encounter some of the most stunning and entertaining roads this country has to offer.

The Norfolk, Suffolk Coast

Some very different scenery on the east coast of England, but also very beautiful.

Start in Kings Lynn where there’s a lovely parkland course and head north up the A149 to Hunstanton.

There’s a fantastic variety of holes at this classic out and back links where you play, largely, on either side of a dune running through the middle of the course.

Firm, fast fairways, quick greens and consistent bunkering are the order of the day here.

Continue round the coast, only a few miles mind you, to the superb Royal West Norfolk. It’s a wonderful, historic club with a links course to match the impressive heritage.

Staying on the A149 heading east, you’ll come to Sheringham GC. The famous writer Bernard Darwin commented that Sheringham demands, “Some of the very stoutest hitting with the brassey that there has ever been required of us.” Aside from being a challenging course Sheringham is also incredibly beautiful.

Round further, you’ll get to Royal Cromer – It provides an interesting and varied challenge to suit golfers of all standards. Sitting on a cliff-top above the beach this is not a typical seaside course; trees and bracken presenting as much of a hazard as the gorse.

Head south now, following the beautiful Norfolk coast, there’s Great Yarmouth and Caister Golf Club which is very worth a try.

Down into Suffolk and on to Thorpeness - one of Suffolk’s premier tracks. It winds through pines, silver birch, heather and gorse and travels over springy, firm and well-draining turf – a perfect golfing combination.

Then there’s the magnificent Aldeburgh. It’s a “maritime heath” with heathers as well as gorse. It’s a historic layout, one that originally dates from the 1880s.

Further south still for one final course at Felixstowe Ferry. The Martello is another historic layout – 1880. A true links with an eclectic selection of holes.

After that, you’ve probably had just about enough seaside golf, so head back towards Ipswich and begin the journey home.

Quiz: Which European Countries Have The Most Golf Courses?

South West Ireland

This is one of the most spectacular regions for golf courses anywhere in the world. And pretty good for driving too. The views are spellbinding.

Start your golfing/driving odyssey in Cork and you simply have to go down to see Old Head Golf Links in Kinsale. It’s an absolutely stunning links top layout and not one for the faint hearted, or those with a touch of vertigo.

It’s a long old way to Waterville Golf Links but it’s a stunning drive and worth it when you get there. It’s an idyllic outpost of County Kerry on Ireland’s spectacular Atlantic coast. This is a supreme links in a heavenly setting that is an equal mix of strategic test and visual delight from start to finish.

Head north via the excellent Dooks Golf Club, past Tralee and on to Ballybunion’s Old Course. A superb links examination blessed with some of the most exhilarating dunes in golf.

From there it’s a long but rewarding drive to Limerick and then back out round past Shannon and Ennis, across to the Trump International Golf Links Ireland (Doonbeg) where Greg Norman, then Martin Hawtree created a fabulous modern links at Doonbeg.

The dunes are huge and they afford some wonderful views along the coast and of the surrounding countryside. The holes are framed by those dunes, keeping the design in touch with the wider landscape.

Finish by heading north from there to Lahinch. Host to the Irish Open of 2019, it’s a fine, strong test, asking all the right questions of the player – some holes require power, others a more subtle approach.

The run from the 4^th to the 6^th is particularly good with both the 4^th and the 5^th requiring shots over the towering dunes. The 6^th goes up, over, round and down to the sea. Striking stuff.

You will have covered a huge amount of ground on some, occasionally challenging roads on this trip. But you will have seen some unbelievable scenery and played some world-class golf courses.

Somerset, Devon and Cornwall

There may not be so many courses on this route, but there are some true gems.

Start at Weston-super-Mare and head down to Burnham-on-Sea where you’ll find (if you know where to look,) the brilliant Burnham and Berrow.

Dating back more than 130 years, its development has been influenced by architectural greats such as Fowler, MacKenzie and Colt, the result being 18 individual and memorable holes.

Head down the M5 but maybe take a detour onto the A39 at Bridgwater for a more scenic option. Follow it round to Barnstaple and across to Saunton.

At Saunton there are two brilliant courses.

The East Course was designed by Herbert Fowler and is a wonderful place for golf. It has long attracted major events and a teenaged Sergio Garcia won the Boys’ Amateur here in 1997.

The West is the more forgiving, more varied, and most importantly more fun of the two courses at Saunton. Lost during the war, it was redesigned by Frank Pennink and reopened in 1973. The back nine is particularly full of variety

Then head back to Barnstaple and on to Bideford and Westward Ho!

There you’ll find England’s oldest course – Royal North Devon. An old-fashioned, unpretentious seaside course where sheep and wild horses graze freely. Playing golf at Westward Ho! feels like stepping back in time. It’s a layout packed with character.

Now, take the A39 down into Cornwall and eventually St Enodoc.

The club will forever be associated with poet laureate Sir John Betjeman. The Church Course was his favourite track and he now lies in the graveyard adjacent to the 10^th hole of the church that gives the course its name.

Nearby is the famous course at Trevose, where tightly mown firm running fairways, towering sand hills and clever bunkering combine to make the course a strict test. It’s a rugged and invigorating place to play.

Depending on timing, you might head further to play at Perranporth, another fine seaside course.

It’s a long drive down the spine of Devon and Cornwall, but well worth doing if you have the patience and a nice spell of weather.