The 7 best golf trips to take in 2025

We’re running down the 7 best golf destinations every golfer wants to experience this year including; Spain, California and Scotland.

Golf is a really popular sport, which has been growing rapidly since 2020. According to Golf Monthly, there are around 68 million golfers playing worldwide in 2023, across 146 countries. There has also been a 15% rise in participation since 2020 and the numbers are expected to rise.

These passionate golfers love to play at home, but also want to take their favourite game abroad and pit their skills against some of the world’s best courses. In 2023, in the US alone, over 12 million golfers went on a golf holiday and golf tourism is big business. Golf tourism is expected to hit 27 billion dollars in revenue this year, and exceed a 65 billion US dollars by 2035, fuelled by a continued demand for luxury golf experiences.

Will you join the millions of golfers hitting the road for a golf holiday in 2025?

If you’re considering it, here are our favourite golf destinations to add to the list.

1. Marbella, Spain

You won’t be surprised to hear that Marbella is on the top of our list! We’re keen golfers at Vacation Marbella and have personally tried the majority of the 70 golf courses on the Costa del Sol. We can tell you first hand that the range and quality of these courses, as well as the proximity and ease of travelling between them, makes this area hard to beat. On top of the courses, the weather makes Marbella a very popular place to practice golf under sunny skies, and combine a round or two, with topping up your tan.

A large golf industry has sprung up around this high density of golf courses. This means that you can take golf classes in Marbella, with some top golf pros, and improve your game during your next golf holiday. You can also visit golf shops and pick up some new gear, as a memento of your trip.

Marbella is a fantastic holiday destination all year round, but still best known as a summer holiday destination. The golf season in Marbella is in the traditional off-peak season of spring and autumn. This means that the flights and accommodation prices are lower than during the summer months. But as a tourist hot spot, you still get all the amazing restaurants, bars, shops, tours and experiences to enjoy when you’re not on the golf course – with less people to share it with!! It’s a win-win.

Find out more about the Costa del Golf and all it has to offer on our website, or contact us to arrange a vacation rental in Marbella, which makes the perfect base for your next golf holiday.

2. Scotland

Scotland is known as the home of golf, and has the world’s oldest golf course, the aptly named Old Course in St Andrews, which has been in use for over 600 years. Scotland has the highest number of courses per head of population in the world, more than 550 golf courses in total. Many of the world’s best tournaments are played in Scotland as well, so you can combine playing with watching golf. Find out more about golf in Scotland.

In addition to the golf, the city of Edinburgh is a beautiful destination, and a comedy hot spot in August during its famous festival. The Scottish countryside is another big draw for visiting Scotland for a golf holiday.

The big downside to Scotland is the weather, which is often rainy and cold. So, a golf holiday to Scotland is for the hardy golfer! 

3. France

France has a long history of golf, and boasts the first golf course in Europe, which opened in 1856. There are over 600 courses in France and the nation is passionate about the game, with more than 400,000 members of golf courses in the country.

The countryside is beautiful, and varied, with a great range of courses adapting to the stunning landscape and you can follow in the footsteps of some of the world’s best golfers by playing the Le Golf National’s L’Albatros course, which hosted the 2018 Ryder Cup.

A golf holiday in France is often combined with visiting the wine makers and enjoying the amazing French food, so it’s a good option if you like your food and wine, as well as your golf.

4. Florida

There’s more to Florida than Disney! It has over 1,200 courses and has been called the Golf Capital of the World. Some of the most famous courses in the world are found in Florida, and its home to The Players Championship, PGA Tour and Champions Tour. The warm climate is a big draw as well, with great conditions all year, and you can combine golf with visiting the beach and theme parks too.

5. Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland boasts over 90 golf courses and punches well above its weight when it comes to quality. Golf Digest’s World’s 100 Greatest Courses ranking names Royal County Down in Northern Ireland as the best course in the world and has four courses in the country in its top 100. Royal Portrush will be hosting The Open championship between the 13th and the 20th of July 2025, really shining a light on the great golf courses in Northern Ireland and seeing thousands of fans flocking to watch the best golfers in action. Find out more about golf in Northern Ireland.

6. England

England is fourth in the world for number of courses, with 2,270, according to Golf Monthly. It’s a good destination for a golf holiday because of the variety of landscapes, which give rise to a great mix of courses. In England you can play on links, heathland and parkland courses, including some of the best in the world. Golf Digest names Sunningdale Golf Club in Berkshire as the best course in England, followed by Royal Birkdale in Merseyside and Royal St. George’s in Kent in third place, which has been an Open Championship venue since 1894.

Of course, as well as golf, England boasts a wide range of historical and architectural places of interest, plus vibrant multicultural cities and an amazing theatre and arts scene. Despite the weather, this makes it a great destination for a golf holiday.

7. Northern California

California is probably best known as the home of Hollywood and the vibrant cities of LA and San Francisco, or perhaps for the natural delights of Yosemite National Park, but it’s also a fantastic place to visit on a golf holiday. Golf has been a feature of this part of the US since 1892 and has some amazing courses from the Golden Age of golf. It boasts over 900 golf courses in total, only beaten by Florida and New York in terms of numbers. Probably the best known is Pebble Beach, as the home of the US Open on six occasions, due to return there in 2027. It’s expected to increase in importance for golf breaks in the future, thanks to its excellent climate and wonderful landscape, amazing infrastructure and other things to visit.

We hope you enjoyed our run down of the 7 best golf destinations in 2025. Have an amazing golf holiday!

If Marbella is at the top of your list, you can trust in the golf holiday experts from Vacation Marbella.

Contact us and we’ll help you find the best accommodation and support you with everything from Green Fees to recommendations on where to go and what to do, to ensure you have the best time. 

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