It’s the most frustrating game in the world of sport: one millimetre too fine or too coarse and you’re three off the tee or fishing the ball out of the drink.
If there’s no greater remedy for a triple bogey than a holiday, or for anything else for that matter, then why not do both at the same time?
Let’s get the ball into the fairway and give ourselves a good shot at the green. Here are the 8 best golf courses in Europe!
St Andrews Links, Scotland
The Home of Golf has over 600 years of hooks, slices, and shanks under its belt dating back to the sport’s 15th century origins with wooden balls.
Take your pick from seven courses – from the British Open hosting Old Course to the super scenic Castle Course there’s something for every budget and handicap.
Green fees: £15 – £175
Rating: 72.8 – 73.6
Royal County Down, Northern Ireland
Take in the views of the Mountains of Mourne and the shores of Dundrum Bay on the course Golf Digest called the best course in the world for 2016.
Here you’ll find number four and number nine of the 500 World’s Greatest Golf Holes.
Green fees: £70 – £200
Rating: 75.0
Golfclub Adamstal, Austria
There are few better natural settings than Austria’s Alpine Foreland and the brilliant incorporation of the area’s streams and rock formations into the course is truly a work of magic.
At the Golfclub Adamstal you can take a shot on either the Championship Course or the more forgiving nine hole Wallerbach Course.
Green fees: €65 – €95
Rating: 73.0
Valderrama Golf Club, Spain
This exclusive golf club in the Andalusia region of southern Spain is one of the few of its kind that welcomes visitors.
The single 18-hole course of the Valderrama Golf Club was awarded the Audobon Environment Certificate for its environmentally conscious operation and its doubling as an animal sanctuary.
Green fees: €350 – €370
Rating: 76.1
Utrectse de Pan, Netherlands
The constant host of the Dutch Open is a strategic and cerebral course that rewards brains over sheer power.
At Utrectse de Pan you should be prepared for doglegs through pine stands and a few terrain raises where tee shots and green approaches are played blind.
Green fees: €100
Rating: 69.7
Royal Zoute, Belgium
Located near the aptly named Knocke sur Mer on Belgium’s North Sea coast, the Royal Zoute is known for its contrast of perfectly manicured fairways and wild nature.
When the wind picks up the deceptively easy fairways turn into a place to make challenging tactical shots or risk ruin.
Green fees: €110
Rating: 72.0
PGA Catalunya (Stadium), Spain
While Vanderrama offers prestige, Spain’s second entry to the list is all about value. There’s hardly anything better than driving the ball through old oak trees and heather fields in the Spanish sun – just don’t get too tempted to cool off in one of the many water hazards.
The five tee off positions of PGA Catalunya also make this a great novice course.
Green fees: €72 – €150
Rating: 73.0
Terre Blanche, France
The peaks and valleys in this slope happy course provide great views of the Southern Alps and the surrounding villages.
The training facilities at Terre Blanche are so good that it’s the headquarters of the French Golf Union – throw in Michelin star quality cuisine and a 3000 m2 spa and this is about as holiday as golf gets.
Green fees: €170
Rating: 73.0
