When you consider what qualities make golf such a special game, there are several to ponder, including the enduring challenge it offers, the character building demands it places upon you, and the opportunity to spend several hours in the company of friends, outdoors in a beautiful environment.
Those are all wonderful attributes, but we shouldn’t underrate the variety presented by golf courses themselves. You might encounter different surfaces, but tennis courts are dimensionally standard, as are snooker tables and football pitches, even if the quality of the latter can differ across a spectrum of venues.
But golf stands out because our courts, our playing fields are dynamic and unique to their location, posing a range of questions to answer and calculations to solve. That’s before you even think about the views you can take in and the locations to consume.
No two layouts feel quite the same, there are always distinctive characteristics that make them original.
Playing golf every day might be a dream of yours, perhaps a fantasy of retirement, but where would you go, if these rounds could only be played on one course?
We all have a favourite place and our minds are full of destinations that we’d relish experiencing, so we decided to ask the Golfshake Community on Facebook which golf course could you play over and over again given the chance?
Generating over 1,200 responses, we received literally hundreds of courses, but there were some that made repeat appearances to elevate themselves above the rest.
Let’s take a closer look at the venues that golfers most want to play repeatedly.
The ultimate bucket list golf courses
You won’t be surprised to see that Augusta National, home of The Masters, dominated the comments, as the iconic and unobtainable nature of the place only adds to the allure.
While it’s unlikely that any of us will take on this most recognisable of designs, the same can be said of another exclusive American golf club, Cypress Point in California, which was recently showcased during the 2025 Walker Cup.
Pebble Beach is open to the public, albeit expensively, so this is a more realistic one to include, as Golfshake’s Derek Clements once played to leave unforgettable memories.
You would also include the Old Course at St Andrews in this category – which is another place that all golfers have the opportunity to play at least once.
I’ve strolled around this historic layout about 120 times with my clubs and it would be my choice to play every day, as the subtleties of the course become apparent the more you face them, the variety of shots that you are tasked with hitting is often startling, and the nature of the test itself evolves dramatically when conditions, wind direction and pin positions are changed.
Playing the Old Course every day would be an education – although the time it can take to go around might become a drag.
Classic links courses
It’s clear that traditional, vintage links courses hold an appeal in the hearts of golfers, and several of these featured prominently in the comments that were submitted.
Royal Dornoch – a favourite of mine – was a regular, as was the revered Championship Course at Carnoustie. Likewise, the West Links at North Berwick is one Scottish classic that many golfers would love to play over and over again (we agree with that!), while the famous Ailsa Course at Turnberry is another that you clearly relish.
Moving south of the border to England, 2026 Open Championship venue Royal Birkdale was a popular choice, as was nearby Hillside, while Northern Ireland can boast both Royal County Down and Royal Portrush.
The Republic of Ireland is home to Ballybunion and Waterville, which both were regularly cited as courses you wanted to play every day.
Cult favourite golf courses
Many of the above courses are the most obvious ones, so we were excited to see some proper cult favourites mentioned, including the enchanting Cruden Bay in the North East of Scotland.
Tucked away effectively on the opposite corner of the nation, Machrihanish holds a similar reputation, while England has many candidates here too, including Silloth-on-Solway, Wallasey, and Cornwall’s St Enodoc.
Old Head in Ireland is a clifftop feast for the senses that is undeniably a dream location for many keen golfers.
Modern masterpieces
It’s not just the historic, classic courses that you want to take on every day of the week, as Kingsbarns, Dumbarnie and Castle Stuart (Cabot Highlands) are a trio of layouts in Scotland that have all emerged this century.
These are modern links designs, created to be visually spectacular, playable for all, but challenging for better players, and having visited each of them, I can confirm that they tick all of those boxes and more.
Trump International in Aberdeenshire is another place that many of you want to take in, especially now that it has a stunning second course on the property.
It’s not just about the seaside
Having read everything thus far, you could be forgiven for being under the impression that golfers simply pine for days spent on the seaside, but there are notable inland courses that many of you would happily play every day.
What about the immaculately presented Adare Manor, home of the Ryder Cup in 2027, or the acclaimed King’s Course at Gleneagles in Perthshire? Druids Glen was an Irish venue that you might be surprised to see included.
The Old Course at Sunningdale was commonly mentioned – and if you align that with the New Course you arguably have the best day of golf in the world.
Hankley Common and Swinley Forest are of a similar mould, the latter described by the legendary Harry Colt as his “least bad” work.
Former Scottish Open venue, Loch Lomond, one of the most private clubs on the planet, was somewhere that rests highly in the minds of golfers, while we head to the continent to give a mention to the formidable test of Valderrama that evidently fascinates quite a number of you out there.
Ultimately, whether it be returning to a favourite or stepping onto the first tee at the course of your dreams, these are just some of the layouts that keen golfers would gladly play every day.
Which of them speaks to you the most?
Kieran Clark is the Digital Editor of Golfshake. He oversees editorial content, community engagement, forums, and social media channels. A lifelong golfer from the Isle of Bute in Scotland who has now lived in St Andrews for a decade, he began playing at the age of five and maintains a passion for exploring courses, with a particular affection for historic layouts. Kieran regularly contributes in-depth opinion pieces and features, drawing on his enthusiasm for the game and its culture.
