It usually starts in the group chat. A grey Tuesday in January, the season a long way off, and someone asks the question that matters: where are we going this year? Europe gives a golfer almost too much choice. The Mediterranean plays deep into December, the home of
It usually starts in the group chat. A grey Tuesday in January, the season a long way off, and someone asks the question that matters: where are we going this year? Europe gives a golfer almost too much choice. The Mediterranean plays deep into December, the home of the game sits an hour’s flight north, and proper winter sun is four hours away in the Canaries. What follows is our honest read on the nine destinations we send groups to most, what each one actually feels like, who it suits, and where the catches are. And if half the group would rather skip the airport altogether, we build breaks at home too; The Belfry, from
Spain — the Costa del Golf, where the season never really ends
This is the stretch of coast that invented the modern golf holiday, and it still does the job better than anywhere. The light is soft and golden, the season runs from spring right through to a mild December, and the rhythm is unmistakably Spanish: eighteen holes, then a long lunch overlooking the Mediterranean. Around Sotogrande the golf turns serious. Finca Cortesín, a former Solheim Cup host and one of the genuinely great courses in Europe, sets the standard, with the Fairmont La Hacienda close by.
Base yourselves at the design-led SO/ Sotogrande for the contemporary version of the Costa del Sol, or keep it classic with the parkland of Real Club de Golf Guadalmina on Marbella’s doorstep. If Sotogrande prices make the treasurer wince,
Portugal — the Algarve, the most loveable golf coast in Europe
The Algarve wins more golf-destination awards than anywhere else on the continent because it gets the basics right. Pine-lined fairways, clifftop tees above the Atlantic, grilled fish that costs less than a sleeve of balls. The Penina Hotel & Golf Resort is Henry Cotton’s original Algarve course and still carries itself like it. Amendoeira offers two contrasting championship layouts, while the secluded Monte Rei, a Jack Nicklaus design, is widely rated the finest course in Portugal.
Push north to the Lisbon coast and the golf gets windier and more interesting. The links-like Oitavos Dunes near Cascais and the dramatic Praia D’El Rey are the headline acts, and we’d base a Lisbon-coast group at Dolce CampoReal, from
Turkey — Belek, the resort-golf capital of the Mediterranean
If the group’s idea of a good week is reliable sunshine, pine-and-eucalyptus fairways and a hotel that frankly spoils you, Belek is the one. This short stretch of Turkey’s southern coast has quietly become the best all-inclusive golf destination in Europe. The seasons run long either side of high summer and course conditioning is consistently excellent. Maxx Royal Belek and Regnum Carya sit at the top of the tree, pairing flagship golf with resorts on a scale you have to see to believe.
For a gentler pace, the elegant Gloria Verde and the grand Titanic Deluxe deliver the same sun-and-quality formula with golf on the doorstep. A caveat, though. Give July and August a miss; midsummer heat in Belek regularly passes 35 degrees, and nobody enjoys a four-hour round in that. Go in March, April, October or November and it is the strongest value on this list. Explore our Turkey golf holidays →
Cyprus — Paphos, golf with a sense of occasion
Cyprus packs a great deal into a small island, and the Paphos coast is its golfing heart. Days stay warm well into the off-season, the sea is impossibly blue, and the pace suits a group that wants good golf without rushing anywhere. The star is Aphrodite Hills, a stylish resort built around PGA National Cyprus, whose signature ravine carry is one of the most photographed holes in the Mediterranean.
Pair it with the refined seafront Annabelle in Paphos itself for the full island stay: proper hospitality, good local wine, and ancient mosaics a short walk from dinner. Be honest with yourselves about one thing first. The island has only a handful of courses, so it suits a four-night escape better than a full week of new golf every day. Explore our Cyprus golf holidays →
Italy — Sicily & Tuscany, golf for the romantics
Italy is for the group that wants the golf to be only half the story. In Sicily, Kyle Phillips’s Verdura Resort runs down to the Mediterranean with two links-style championship courses, a vast spa, and lunches that turn into afternoons. Picciolo Etna plays in the shadow of the smouldering volcano. Over on the Tuscan coast, Argentario commands the point where the Maremma meets the sea.
Inland, La Bagnaia sits among the vineyards outside Siena, and it is the rare golf trip from which the non-playing partners come home happier than the players. Choose Italy when the table matters as much as the tee. Explore our Italy golf holidays →
France — the Riviera and the elegant north
France offers two very different trips, both unmistakably French. On the Riviera, Terre Blanche, two Dave Thomas courses set in the hills behind Cannes, is one of the great golf-and-spa retreats in Europe, with the rugged Saint Endréol nearby for contrast. Rosé at lunch is not optional.
Up north the mood turns gloriously old-school, and this is where we point a group with only a long weekend to spend. Le Touquet is a short drive from the Calais crossing, and we’d base you at Le Manoir, from
Canary Islands — true year-round golf, four hours from home
When January bites and you simply need to play, the Canaries are the answer no other European destination can match. Dependable warmth twelve months a year, a four-hour flight, no time difference worth mentioning. On Tenerife, Buenavista Golf, a Seve Ballesteros design pinned between mountains and ocean, is as dramatic a setting as you will ever tee it up in, though the same cliff-edge exposure means the wind can bare its teeth. Take one more club and get on with it.
On Gran Canaria, the sprawling Lopesan Costa Meloneras pairs a lively resort base with golf along the dunes of Maspalomas. For guaranteed winter golf when the group cannot risk the weather, this is our first call. Explore our Canary Islands golf holidays →
Scotland — the home of golf, and a trip you'll talk about forever
Every golfer owes themselves this trip. There is a feeling on a Scottish links (the wind off the firth, sea light that lasts all evening) that exists nowhere else, and once you have felt it you understand what the game is about. Modern Dumbarnie Links on the Fife coast is already a classic, while Gleneagles remains the benchmark, with three championship courses, Ryder Cup history and a hotel that defines Highland comfort.
For the true romantic, take the ferry to Islay and play The Machrie among the dunes and the whisky distilleries. Remote and raw, in the best way. Pack for four seasons whatever month you book; that is the deal Scotland offers, and the golf is worth every layer. We handle the routing and the tee times so you can simply play. Explore our Scotland golf holidays →
Ireland — wild links, warm welcomes and the best craic in golf
Ireland has the most dramatic links land in the world and the warmest welcome to go with it. The west coast is the stuff of legend. Start with Lahinch, the boisterous ‘St Andrews of Ireland’, where the golf is huge and the town buzzes long after the round, then move on to the Greg Norman dunescape of Doonbeg, tumbling along a two-mile Atlantic crescent in County Clare.
Further north, the remote Connemara Championship Links plays out beneath the Twelve Bens with the ocean for company and barely another soul in sight. Expect pints by the fire and golf you will still be describing in the spring. This is the trip for a group that wants the game and the good times in equal measure. Explore our Ireland golf holidays →
What a golf break here costs by month, PT
| 0.74 | 0.82 | 0.95 | 1.00 | 1.03 | 1.06 | 1.17 | 1.19 | 1.12 | 1.00 | 0.81 | 0.74 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
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Frequently asked questions
Which European destination is best for a winter golf holiday?
For dependable winter sun, the Canary Islands are unbeatable — Tenerife and Gran Canaria deliver genuine year-round golf just four hours from the UK, with no time difference. Turkey’s Belek is the other standout, pairing reliable shoulder-season sunshine with extraordinary resorts like Maxx Royal and Regnum Carya. Cyprus and the Algarve are also wonderfully mild from autumn through spring. We’ll match the destination to your travel dates so you never gamble on the weather.
Where should we go for a first big golf trip or a links bucket-list?
For a first major trip with the group, Spain’s Costa del Sol and Sotogrande or Portugal’s Algarve are the surest bets — superb golf, easy logistics and a guaranteed good time. When the goal is a true links pilgrimage, it has to be Scotland or Ireland: a Scottish itinerary around Gleneagles, Dumbarnie and The Machrie, or an Irish run of Lahinch, Doonbeg and Connemara, is the trip people remember for the rest of their lives. Tell us what matters most and we’ll point you firmly in the right direction.
How far in advance should we book?
For sought-after links and marquee resorts — Scotland and Ireland in summer especially — we’d suggest six to twelve months ahead to secure the best tee times and rooms; the standout courses and the better dates go first. For Mediterranean and winter-sun destinations there’s more flexibility, but earlier booking always means more choice and better value. If your dates are fixed, talk to us as soon as you can and we’ll lock everything in.
Do you tailor the holiday to our group?
Always — that’s the whole point of working with us. Every Golf Planet Holidays trip is built around your group: the courses you want to play, the standard of hotel, the balance of golf and downtime, transfers, tee times and dining. Bringing non-golfing partners, marking a special occasion, or want flights added under our ATOL protection? We’ll shape it all into one seamless, well-judged itinerary. Just tell us your idea and we’ll do the rest.
Where are the best golf holiday destinations?
For most UK golfers the shortlist is the Algarve and Lisbon for value and course choice, southern Spain for winter reliability, Belek for all-inclusive resorts, and northern France for an easy self-drive. The right answer depends on your dates: this guide ranks each by season, price and the golf itself.
Come and play with us
Wherever you're travelling from, you're welcome on a Golf Planet hosted tour — a small group, a host with you from the first tee to the last, and every round, transfer and dinner taken care of. You just bring the clubs.
