A new list of Britain & Ireland’s best golf courses you can play for £40 or less proves you don’t need to spend big money to play memorable golf.
Look at a list of the best golf courses in Great Britain & Ireland and you’d be forgiven for thinking every memorable round now costs somewhere between £100 and £400.
Green fees have undoubtedly risen, particularly at Britain’s most famous venues, but that doesn’t mean you need to spend a fortune to play fantastic golf courses.
Exceptional golf remains remarkably affordable – if you know where to look.
TG’s newly updated Top 100 Best Golf Courses for £40 or Less ranking celebrates exactly that, featuring layouts across Great Britain and Ireland that deliver outstanding architecture, unforgettable scenery, and brilliant fun – without demanding a premium price.
And perhaps the biggest surprise isn’t just that these courses exist – it’s where they are.
Cheap, great golf, is closer than you think
It’s easy to assume every bargain course worth playing is a remote honesty-box links somewhere on Scotland’s west coast.
And while there are some spectacular Highland courses in the ranking, the list deliberately avoids becoming a collection of hidden Scottish gems.
Instead, it highlights exceptional value throughout Britain and Ireland, including Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, and even Greater London – areas many golfers assume are among the country’s most expensive places to play.
That geographical spread is one of the list’s biggest strengths.
Expensive doesn’t automatically mean better
The ranking isn’t built around immaculate presentation.
Instead, it rewards courses that are enjoyable and memorable to play.
That means inventive architecture, engaging green complexes, natural landforms, strategic interest, and holes you’ll still remember weeks later.
Many of the highest-ranked venues in the list embrace a more natural style of golf, where rugged terrain and firm-running fairways replace pristine stripes and ornamental landscaping.
Lower maintenance costs help keep green fees down – but they also often produce more interesting golf.
The No.1 course costs less than many municipal rounds
Topping the list is Kington Golf Club in Herefordshire.
At under £40 for a weekday summer round, it’s not simply remarkable value – it’s one of England’s finest inland courses full stop.
The Cecil Hutchison design is already a fixture in the Top 100 Best Golf Courses in England list thanks to its natural moorland-heathland terrain, outstanding drainage, and endlessly engaging routing.
The fact you can experience it for under £40 is almost secondary.
There are 100 reasons to play somewhere new
Whether you’re planning a golf road trip, looking for somewhere different this summer, or simply trying to make your golfing budget stretch further, the updated ranking demonstrates one thing above everything else: the best rounds aren’t always the most expensive ones.