Our historic links are the lifeblood and roots of golf, but clifftop courses offer a coastal contrast that is often even more dramatic
Five Of The Best Clifftop Golf Courses
Nefyn & District (Pictured above)
Par 70, 6,267 yards
Nefyn & District is blessed with a truly stunning setting and some of the finest views in golf.
It now has 27 holes configured as two distinct 18-hole layouts, but it is the holes on the promontory – The Point – that will blow you away… sometimes quite literally.
The fairway blowhole, through which the sea occasionally rises, is perhaps unique in golf.
The lighthouse hole will shine brightly in the memory, and there is even a footpath down to a beachside pub.
Sheringham
Par 70, 6,251 yards
Norfolk is a peaceful, idyllic county, and this beautiful clifftop course offers a fine contrast to its testing links.
Holes three to seven run closest to the precipice, and there are some terrific elevated vantage points that provide panoramic views over the rest of the course.
The closing four holes are flanked by the North Norfolk Railway, where a slice and a northerly wind make for a very bad combination.
Hit the ball straight, and this is a joyful place for golf.
Related: 5 of the best off-the-beaten-track golf courses
St Andrews (Castle Course)
Par 71, 6,759 yards
St Andrews and Fife have more than their fair share of classic links including the Old Course, and whilst some purists are happy not to stray from these, David McLay Kidd’s contemporary creation is a wonderful alternative that offers fabulous views out to sea and back over the town.
There are some thrilling holes, plenty of impressive bunkering, and some tricky and at times mind-bending greens.
The par-3 penultimate hole is one of many memorable highlights.
Related: St Andrews Castle Course Review
Continues below
Five Of The Best Picturesque Par 3s
We take a look at an eclectic collection…
Five Of The Best Tough Par 4s
A tough par 3 calls for one great…
Five Of The Best Bunkerless Courses
One way to avoid the sand is to…
Old Head
Par 72, 6,508 yards
While it has its detractors who think it is more style than substance, Old Head is an amazing links-like, clifftop hybrid perched on a truly spectacular peninsula on the coast of County Cork.
Less debatable is that it has the most breathtaking location of any course in the Golf Monthly Top 100.
The jaw first drops on the 2nd, a dogleg which hugs the shore, and from then on it is both a proverbial and literal rollercoaster ride all the way.
Related: Old Head Golf Links Course Review
Bridport & West Dorset
Par 71, 6,213 yards
Some of our loveliest courses are also our least well known, and while this centurion on the Jurassic coast will never stage The Open, it is a delightful place for golf.
The beautiful location came to greater prominence when it featured in ITV’s Broadchurch, and although this friendly club is the oldest in Dorset, it has moved with the times.
The feature hole is the short but sweet 6th, played from an elevated tee down into a lovely valley.
Don’t forget to follow Golf Monthly on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
This article Five Of The Best Clifftop Golf Courses appeared first on Golf Monthly.