Scotland has 4 venues in Europe’s top ten

The 2022 edition of the ‘100 Best Golf Resorts in Europe’ finds that Scotland has four entries in the top ten – although the number one spot goes to a venue in Spain.

The data, which is entirely based on user ratings – 50 percent on the golf courses via Leadingcourses.com and 50 percent on the rest of the resort via Booking.com, has been published annually since 2016.

Scotland’s four venues in the top ten are Dundonald Links at nine, The Machrie Hotel & Golf Links at six, Gleneagles at five and Trump Turnberry Resort at two. Trump International Golf Links Doonbeg in Ireland also comes in at three.

The overall winner is Finca Cortesin Hotel Golf & Spa in Spain.

The highest English resort is Trevose Golf & Country Club at 21, the highest Northern Irish venue is Lough Erne Resort at 29 and the leading Welsh resort is Celtic Manor at 83.

“The Best Golf Resorts in Europe ranking has become the reference point for golfers looking for a great golf trip or golf break,” said a spokesman. “Leading Courses has been publishing the ranking since 2016 and ever since it has been very popular amongst their community. It’s based on Leading Courses review data and their hotel partner Booking.com reviews to provide a comprehensive list of the best golf resorts throughout Europe.”

Trump International Golf Links Doonbeg

How the best golf resorts rankings are determined

One of the major discussions is: when does a combination of a golf course and a hotel qualify as a resort? Is St Andrews with the Old Course Hotel a resort? Does Royal County Down with the Slieve Donard Hotel across the road qualify as a resort? Difficult to answer.

Netherlands-based Leading Courses turned to Wikipedia for a proper definition: ‘The term resort may be used for a hotel property that provides an array of amenities, typically including entertainment and recreational activities. A hotel is frequently a central feature of a resort.’ So, having a hotel and a golf course is not enough to qualify as a golf resort.

Criteria to be listed in Best Golf Resorts rankings below are Leading Courses’ criteria to be in the Best Golf Resorts in Europe rankings:

● the rating of the golf club on Leadingcourses.com must be active, so it should have enough (recent) reviews

● the rating of the resort or hotel on Booking.com must also be active

● the (official) hotel must be located next to the golf course or must be located on the premises of the golf course

● the resort should include more facilities in addition to having a golf course (for example a spa, tennis court or swimming pool)

● the golf club should explicitly mention or refer to the specific resort or hotel on its website (so linking to multiple hotels is not sufficient).

Finca Cortesin Hotel Golf & Spa

Finca Cortesin

For the fourth time, Finca Cortesin Hotel Golf & Spa is crowned ‘Best Golf Resort in Europe’. It scores a whopping 9.4 overall, combining the score of the golf club and its hotel. The golf club is rated with a 9.2 and the Finca Cortesin Hotel with a 9.6 out of 10. The Finca Cortesin Hotel boasts 67 spacious suites and the golf course consists of an 18-hole championship course. Not surprisingly, Finca Cortesin’s golf course also ranks very high in Leading Courses’ annual ‘Golfers’ Choice Rankings’.