The 247 True Links Courses of The World

According to the list that The Links Association has put together, there are only 247 true links courses in the world. Of which 211 are in the British Isles. 

Doonbeg Golf Links Opening hole

PRETTIEST OPENING HOLE: Hole 1 at Doonbeg on the West coast of Ireland is rated as the prettiest opening hole in golf by CNNgo.com. It’s a 566 yards (518 meter) par 5. Doonbeg is one of 58 Irish true links golf courses on The Links Association’s list. (Photo: The Migrant Golfer)

The Links Association have used the British Golf Museum’s defintiion for their list:

«A golf links is a stretch of land near the coast characterised by undulating terrain, often associated with dunes, infertile sandy soil and indigenous grasses such as marram, sea lyme and the fescues and bents which, when properly managed, produce the fine textured, tight turf for which links are famed. The course rota used for the Open Championship is made up of Links golf courses».

Scotland (85 courses):
Arbroath Golf Club
Askernish Golf Club
Balnagask Golf Course
Brora Golf Club
Carnoustie Buddon Golf Course
Carnoustie Burnside Golf Course
Carnoustie Golf Links Championship Course
Castle Stuart Golf Links
Colonsay Golf Club
Craigielaw Golf Club
Crail Golfing Society (Old)
Cruden Bay Golf Club
Cruden Bay (St Olaf) (9)
Cullen Golf Club
Dumbarnie Links
Dunaverty Golf Club          Dunbar Golf Club
Dundonald Links Golf Course
Durness Golf Club
Elie Golf Course
Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf Club
Fraserburgh Golf Club
Glasgow Gailes Golf Course
Gullane Golf Club No 1
Gullane Golf Club No 2
Gullane Golf Club No 3
(The Isle of) Harris Golf Club (Scarista) (9)
Hopeman Golf Club
Inverallochy Golf Club
Irvine Golf Club
Isle of Skye Golf Club (Sconser) (9)
Kilmarnock (Barassie) Golf Club
Kilspindie Golf Club
Kings Links Golf Course
Kingsbarns Golf Links
Leven Golfing Society
Luffness New Golf Club
Lundin Golf Club (Lundin Links)
Machrihanish Golf Club
Machrihanish Dunes
Monifieth Golf Links
Montrose Golf Links
Montrose Broomfield Golf Course
Moray Golf Club Old Course (Lossiemouth)
Moray Golf Club New Course
Muirfield (the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers)
Murcar Links Golf Club
Musselburgh Links Old Course (9)
Nairn Golf Club
Nairn Dunbar Golf Club
Newburgh on Ythan Championship Links Golf Club
North Berwick Golf Club
Panmure Golf Club
Peterhead Golf Club
Prestwick Golf Club Old
Prestwick St. Nicholas Golf Club
Reay Golf Club
Renaissance Club (The) 
Royal Aberdeen Golf Club
Royal Dornoch Golf Club Championship Course
Royal Dornoch Golf Club Struie Course
Royal Troon Golf Club
Shiskine Golf & Tennis Club (12)
Skibo Castle Golf Course
Southerness Golf Club
Spey Bay Golf Club
St Andrews Eden Course
St Andrews Jubilee Course
St Andrews New Course
St Andrews Old Course
St Andrews Strathtyrum Course
Strathlene Golf Club
Tain Golf Club
Tarbat Golf Club (9)
The Machrie Golf Links
Traigh Golf Course
Troon Municipal Golf Club (Darley)
Troon Municipal Golf Club (Lochgreen)
Troon Portland Golf Course
Turnberry Ailsa Course
Turnberry Kintyre Course
West Kilbride Golf Club
Western Gailes Golf Club
Wigtownshire County Golf Club
Winterfield Golf Club
England (53 courses):
Berwick-Upon-Tweed (Goswick) Golf Club
Bude & North Cornwall Golf Club
Burnham & Berrow Golf Club Championship Course
Burnham & Berrow Golf Club Channel Course
Castletown Golf Club (Isle of Man)
Cleveland Golf Club
Felixstowe Ferry Golf Club
Fleetwood Golf Club
Formby Golf Club
Great Yarmouth & Caister Golf Club
Hartlepool Golf Club
Hayling Golf Club
Hesketh Golf Club
Hillside Golf Club
Hunstanton Golf Club
La Moye Golf Club (Jersey)
Leasowe Golf Club
Littlehampton Golf Club
Littlestone Golf Club
Minehead & West Somerset Golf Club
Newbiggin Golf Club
Newquay Golf Club
Perranporth Golf Club
Princes Golf Club
Royal Birkdale Golf Club
Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club
Royal Guernsey Golf Club
Royal Jersey Golf Club
Royal Liverpool Golf Club
Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club
Royal North Devon Golf Club
Royal St George’s Golf Club
Royal West Norfolk Golf Club
Rye Golf Club
Rye Golf Club Jubilee Course (9)
Sandilands Golf Club
Saunton Golf Club East Course
Saunton Golf Club West Course
Seacroft Golf Club
Seahouses Golf Club
Seascale Golf Club
Seaton Carew Golf Club
Sherringham Golf Club
Silloth (on Solway) Golf Club
Southport & Ainsdale Golf Club
Southport Municipal Golf Links
St Annes Old Links Golf Club
St Enodoc Golf Club
Trevose Golf & Country Club
Wallasey Golf Club
West Cornwall Golf Club
West Lancashire Golf Club
Weston-Super-Mare Golf Club
Ireland (58 courses):
Achill Island Golf Club
Arklow Golf Links
Ballybunion Golf Club Cashen Course
Ballybunion Golf Club Old Course
Ballylifflin Golf Club Glashedy Course
Ballylifflin Golf Club Old Course
Bundoran Golf Club
Bushfoot Golf Club (9)
Carne Golf Links
Castlegregory Golf & Fishing Club (9)
Castlerock Golf Club Bann Course (9)
Castlerock Golf Club Mussenden Course
Connemara Championship Golf Links (27)
Corballis Golf Links
County Louth Golf Club
County Sligo Golf Club Championship Course
CountySligo Golf Club Bomore Course (9)
Cruit Island Golf Club (9)
Dingle Golf Links
Donegal Golf Club (Murvagh)
Dooks Golf Club
Doonbeg Golf Club
DunfanaghyGolf Club
Enniscrone Golf Club The Dunes Course
Enniscrone Golf Club Scurmore Course
European Club
Gweedore Golf Club (9)
Kirkistown Golf Club
Lahinch Golf Club Old Course
Lahinch Golf Club Castle Course
Laytown & Bettystown Golf Club
Mulranny Golf Club (9)
Narin & Portnoo Golf Club
North West Golf Club
Portmarnock Golf Club Championships Links
Portmarnock Golf Club Yellow (9)
Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links
Portsalon Golf Club
Portstewart Golf Club Old Course
Portstewart Golf Club Riverside Course
Portstewart Golf Club Strand Course
Rosapenna Hotel & Golf  Resort Old Tom Morris Links
Rosapenna Hotel & Golf  Resort Sandy Hills Links
Rosslare Golf Club Old Course
Rosslare Golf Club Burrow Course (12)
Royal County Down Golf Club Championships Links
Royal County Down Golf Club Annesley Links
Royal Dublin Golf Club
Royal Portrush Golf Club Dunluce Links
Royal Portrush Golf Club Valley Links
Rush Golf Club (9)
Seapoint Golf Links
St Anne’s Golf Club
Strandhill Golf Club
Sutton Golf Club (9)
The Island Golf Club
Tralee Golf Club
Waterville Golf Links
Wales (15 courses):
Aberdovey Golf Club
Ashburnham Golf Club
Borth & Yynslas Golf Club
Conwy Golf Club
North Wales Golf Club
Pennard Golf Club
Porthmadog Golf Club
Prestatyn Golf Club
Pwllheli Golf Club
Pyle & Kenfig Golf Club
Rhyl Golf Club (9)
Royal Porthcawl Golf Club
Royal St David’s Golf Club
Swansea Bay Golf Club
Tenby Golf Club
Contintental Europe (14 courses):
Budersand Hotel, Golf & Spa (Germany)
Domburgsche Golfclub (9) (Netherlands)
Falsterbo Golfklubb (Sweden)
Fanø Golf Links (Denmark)
Golf de Granville (France)
Kennemer Golf & Country Club (Netherlands)
Ljunghusen Golfklubbb (Old 9) (Sweden)
Lofoten Links (Norway)
Noordwijkse Golfclub ( Netherlands)
Golf-Club Norderney (9) (Germany)
Nordsee-Golfclub St. Peter-Ording e.V. (Germany)
Royal Ostend Golf Club (Belgium)
Royal Haagsche Golf & Country Club (Netherlands)
Viken Helsingborgs Golfkubb (9)  (Sweden)
Australia and New Zealand (16 courses):
Barnbougle Dunes (Tasmania)
Barnbougle Lost Farm (Tasmania)
Barwon Heads Golf Club (Victoria)
Chisholm Park Golf Links (NZ)
Hokitika Golf Club  (NZ)
Karamea Golf Club (9) (NZ)
Kennedy Bay Links (Western Australia)
Nelson Golf Club (NZ)
Oreti Sands Links (NZ)
Otakou Golf Club (9) (NZ)
Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club (NZ)
Port Fairy Golf Links (Victoria)
Seaview Golf Club (9) (Western Australia)
Takaka Golf Club (9) (NZ)
The Cut Golf Course (Western Australia)
Westport Golf Club (NZ)
North America (5 courses):
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort (Oregon)
Highland Links (9) (Massachussets)
Old Macdonald at Bandon Dunes (Oregon)
Pacific Dunes at Bandon Dunes (Oregon)
Cabot Links (Nova Scotia)
Africa (1 course):
Humewood Golf Club (South Africa)

Humewood GC Club house and 2nd green

THE ONLY TRUE LINKS IN AFRICA: Humewood Golf Club, Port Elizabeth. Designed by golf course architect Colonel SV Hotchkin in 1929, and the host of five South African Open Championships. (Photo: The Migrant Golfer)

You can discuss the list at The Links Association’s Facebook-page.