![\"Loch](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Golfshake_-_Loch_Lomond_New_oqs629.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\tIf you’re passionate about this game, you likely possess several\u00a0characteristics like\u00a0perseverance and a determination to improve your game, but golfers are also typically dreamers at heart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\tThey have aspirations to get better, hopes that their next shot will be one to remember, and also the desire to pursue some of the unforgettable experiences that playing golf in beautiful and historic surroundings can tantalisingly offer.<\/p>\n
\tPerhaps the greatest strength of golf is reflected in the courses that you can play. Each of the tens of thousands of these layouts worldwide is unique to its place, and many of the very best are open to the public, meaning that all golfers can put together their own bucket list of venues that they wish to visit.<\/p>\n
\tHowever, there remains a not insignificant number of golf courses that most of us will probably never play, for one reason or another, whether it be due to their cost, the remoteness of their location, or perhaps most notably, the exclusivity of the club itself, which makes them\u00a0inaccessible to the overwhelming majority of golfers.<\/p>\n
\tWe hate to be the destroyer of golfing fantasies, but here are some of the very best golf courses that you will (likely) never get to play.<\/p>\n
\tExclusive Golf Clubs in The UK<\/p>\n
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\t(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography<\/a>)<\/p>\n \tBeginning closer to home, while you can access all of the Open Championship courses and much of the most acclaimed private clubs in England, there are other locations that are typically only open to members and their guests or clients.<\/p>\n \tThese include Queenwood Golf Club<\/strong><\/a> in Surrey, Bearwood Lakes<\/strong><\/a> in Berkshire, and The Wisley<\/strong><\/a> on the outskirts of Woking. Home to the BMW PGA Championship, Wentworth<\/strong><\/a> was once more accessible, but those days have changed since the new ownership, while the Centurion Club<\/strong><\/a> and JCB Golf & Country Club<\/strong><\/a>, both of which have staged LIV Golf events, also require a special invitation to take to their fairways.<\/p>\n \tIn Scotland, you may have heard of Skibo Castle<\/strong><\/a> in the Highlands, home to The Carnegie Club, but the chances are, unless you have connections, you will most probably never secure a tee time there.\u00a0<\/p>\n \tThe same can be said for Loch Lomond<\/strong><\/a>, which was showcased for many years during the Scottish Open. It’s among the most exclusive golf clubs in the country, while the current venue, The Renaissance Club<\/strong><\/a> in East Lothian, is largely of the same ilk, although it has in the past offered a lucrative “one-time experience” to potential guests.<\/p>\n \tBoth intensely private and remote, Ardfin<\/strong>, which is located on the Isle of Jura in the Inner Hebrides, has previously been open on a limited (and expensive) basis to visitors, but that window appears to have closed, leaving this remarkable piece of golfing land lost to the general public.<\/p>\n \tPrivate Golf Courses in America<\/p>\n \t \tWe’re lucky in the UK that only a tiny percentage of golf courses are near-impossible to access unless you know the right people, but that is certainly not replicated in the United States, where the most celebrated names are frequently locked behind gates and fences.<\/p>\n \tIf you were to ask any golfer what layout is at the summit of their fantasy list, Augusta National<\/strong>, the iconic of the Masters, is going to be a popular answer, but the reality is that dream tee time is going to remain just that, although you can at least walk around this legendary property should you have tickets for the tournament, which, while not easy to get your hands on either, is at least a realistic opportunity for mere mortals who possess the motivation to make it happen.<\/p>\n \tCypress Point<\/strong> and Pine Valley<\/strong> are considered by many keen minds to be among the top five golf courses on the planet, but they are extremely private, meaning that their status almost has a mythological element to them as they are rarely seen publicly, although the former will host the Walker Cup in 2025.<\/p>\n \tShinnecock Hills<\/strong> and National Golf Links of America<\/strong> on Long Island, New York, are other revered destinations that are closed to the public. We saw the US Open return to Oakmont<\/strong>, but that brutal challenge is only available to members and guests, with the same being said for Winged Foot<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \tRiviera<\/strong> is presented to the world each year on the PGA Tour, but this jewel of Los Angeles boasts a history with the rich and famous for a reason, while Florida’s Seminole<\/strong>, a favourite among top golfers who reside in the state, is another place that only offers rare glimpses to the outside world, something that can be said about so many of the finest courses in America.<\/p>\n \tExpensive Golf Courses<\/p>\n \t \tGratefully, we can play a large number of the most revered golf courses on the planet, especially in the UK & Ireland, but the expense for a coveted green fee is making it increasingly prohibitive for large swathes of the population.<\/p>\n \tThe Open Championship venues are revered for good reason – and each of them is special – but playing them in the peak months of the season these days will comfortably set you back at least \u00a3300. That might be a cost you are willing to pay for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but ticking all of them off requires deep pockets.\u00a0<\/p>\n \tIf you wished to play every course that has staged the grandest championship in golf, including the likes of St Andrews<\/strong><\/a>, Royal Portrush<\/strong><\/a>, Royal Birkdale<\/strong><\/a>, Royal St George’s<\/strong><\/a>, and Royal Troon<\/strong><\/a>, we calculated that it could set you back\u00a0\u00a34,517.40<\/a>.<\/p>\n \tThe Ailsa Course at Turnberry<\/strong><\/a> is on another level in terms of price. Headlines were widespread last year<\/a> about the peak \u00a31,000 green fee that was introduced, but even the standard one of \u00a3545 is close to what some golfers will pay for an annual club membership.<\/p>\n \tKingsbarns<\/strong><\/a> is considered to be a modern classic in Scotland, but its summer green fee of \u00a3448 will raise eyebrows and terrify wallets, while the likes of Cabot Highlands<\/strong><\/a> and Trump International<\/strong><\/a> in Aberdeenshire (home to the supposed Greatest 36 Holes in Golf<\/a>) are of a similar level.<\/p>\n \tSunningdale<\/strong><\/a> is arguably the peak of English golf, but playing there will set you back \u00a3450 for either course, or \u00a3800 to play both of them.<\/p>\n \tThe island of Ireland is home to the most visually spectacular links courses in the world, whether it be Ballybunion<\/strong><\/a>, Lahinch<\/strong><\/a>, Royal County Down<\/strong><\/a> and Portmarnock<\/strong><\/a>, but those will also require deeper pockets<\/a> that many golfers simply won’t consider.<\/p>\n \tBack in the United States, the likes of Pebble Beach<\/strong>, Pinehurst No. 2<\/strong>, Whistling Straits<\/strong> and Kiawah Island<\/strong> can also be played by the general public, but securing a tee time at these locations, when all expenses are considered, could easily see you parting with $1,000.<\/p>\n \tThe reality is that while the opportunity is there to play these courses, economic realities mean that it won’t be taken up by many of us.<\/p>\n \tHard to Reach Golf Courses<\/p>\n \t \tIndeed, rather than just being exclusive and expensive (and some of these are), there are other courses that you are not likely to play simply because they are difficult to reach.<\/p>\n \tWe’re based in the UK, and while a trip to Australia for golf sounds incredible, that’s a mammoth undertaking that is probably not going to happen, so the likes of Royal Melbourne<\/strong>, Kingston Heath<\/strong> and Tasmania’s Cape Wickham Golf Links<\/strong> will (sadly) remain out of reach.<\/p>\n \tThe same can be said for New Zealand’s\u00a0Cape Kidnappers<\/strong> and\u00a0Tara Iti<\/strong>, while the extraordinary Lofoten Links<\/strong> can be found on a remote segment of a Norwegian island within the Arctic Circle. Getting there is a challenge and it will require various modes of transport, but the rewards are obvious for more adventurous golfers<\/a>.<\/p>\n \tGolfers are fortunate in that the chance is there to play so many wonderful courses, but unless you have the right connections, financial means and determination to make it happen, there are some that you most probably will never play.<\/p>\n \tRelated Content<\/strong><\/p>\n \tTop 10 Golf Courses That Every Golfer Must Play<\/a><\/p>\n \tThe Best Countries Where You Can Play Golf<\/a><\/p>\n \tThe Most Expensive Golf Green Fees in The World<\/a><\/p>\n \tHow Much Does it Cost to Play The Best Golf Courses in Ireland<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Augusta](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Augusta_12th_hole_y38ojb.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Turnberry\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/turnberry_9_high_tngt1i.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Lofoten](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/028_LOFOTEN_LINKS_Photo_Jacob_Sjoman_62A3156_V1_copy_1_i7ghiq.jpg\")
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