The 2018 Ryder Cup venue — Golf National’s Albatros Course produced one of sport’s great occasions. Europe’s 17½–10½ victory is relived on every visit to this remarkable public course near Paris.
Top 100: Europe
Top courses across continental Europe: Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Scandinavia and beyond.
The French Riviera’s finest resort course — Dave Thomas’s Provençal masterpiece through olive groves, lavender and oak forests above the Var hills is the most complete golf destination in France.
Germany’s most demanding championship course at 7,319 yards par 74 — Club zur Vahr’s Garlstedt Course in the Bremen forest hosted the German Open and World Amateur Team Championship.
France’s most private golf club — Tom Simpson’s 1927 Picardy heathland masterpiece rivals Sunningdale for design quality and remains almost entirely unknown outside French golf circles.
Spain’s finest course outside Valderrama — PGA Catalunya’s Stadium Course in the Pyrenean foothills combines Augusta conditioning with genuine European Tour championship drama.
Baron Bich’s private forest masterpiece — France’s best course by a margin. Les Bordes’ 14 water features and Sologne forest conditioning rival Augusta. Now open to the public.
Twice European Golf Resort of the Year — Costa Navarino Dunes Course combines thousand-year-old olive trees, Ionian Sea views and the fragrance of wild thyme. The finest course in Greece.
Kyle Phillips’s Sintra Hills redesign — Penha Longa’s Atlantic Course overlooks UNESCO heritage landscape from the Ritz-Carlton estate. Portugal’s most underrated championship venue.
Portugal’s most celebrated venue — Quinta do Lago South Course’s par-3 15th over the Ria Formosa lagoon is the most photographed hole in the Algarve. Three Portuguese Opens confirm its championship pedigree.
Harry Colt’s 1906 Fischbeker Heide masterpiece — Germany’s finest course is a Surrey-quality heathland that remains Europe’s most underrated golf destination.
Bobby Jones’s perfect round — 66 in 1926 qualifying. Sunningdale Old is England’s finest heathland course; the New Course is its equal. Two of the country’s ten best courses on one Berkshire estate.
James Braid’s Perthshire moorland masterpiece — the King’s Course at Gleneagles is Europe’s most complete golf resort destination, with two Michelin stars and a five-star spa to match.
Seve’s alpine redesign — the Matterhorn as backdrop, 1,500m above sea level and the European Masters since 1939. Switzerland’s most spectacular and storied championship course.
Weiskopf and Morrish’s lochside masterpiece — holes along the eastern shore of Loch Lomond with Ben Lomond rising behind. Scotland’s most beautiful parkland course.
Harry Colt’s 1927 North Sea duneland masterpiece — 30 minutes from Amsterdam and consistently rated one of Europe’s finest links courses. The Netherlands’ great undiscovered golf secret.
Robert Trent Jones Sr.’s most spectacular site — seven holes along the Corsican cliff tops above the Strait of Bonifacio, with Sardinia visible across the turquoise water. The most visually dramatic course in France.
Willie Park Jr.’s 1891 Swedish masterpiece — heathland, pink granite and 18 hours of summer daylight make Gothenburg Golf Club Scandinavia’s most compelling championship course.
An LPGA Major venue above Lake Geneva with Mont Blanc on the horizon — Evian Resort Golf Club is France’s most spectacular golf destination and the most elegant major championship setting in women’s golf.
The Augusta of Europe — the 1997 Ryder Cup venue, Robert Trent Jones Sr.’s finest design, and the legendary 17th with its cork tree and waterfall. Valderrama is continental Europe’s definitive championship test.