The winners of the 2025 Golf Course Awards were announced at Emirates Stadium in London – with golf industry professionals from across the UK and Ireland coming together to celebrate excellence across a diverse range of categories.
The Golf Course Awards – now in their second year – seek to recognise courses and facilities from across the golfing ecosystem. The awards consider a broad set of criteria – heavily weighted towards improvements or initiatives delivered over the preceding year – recognising innovation, sustainability and accessibility alongside design and conditioning.
The winners were chosen by a panel of expert judges drawn from diverse sectors of the golf industry including former tour professional and Sky Sports Golf presenter Nick Dougherty; Eimear McManus (head of marketing and PR at the KPMG Women’s Irish Open); David Jones (The UK Golf Guy), David Jones (Sky Sports broadcaster), golf course architect Scott Macpherson, and PGA professionals and content creators Peter Finch and Trey Niven. Finalists were identified following the submissions process, selected by the evaluations of a team of expert reviewers and the awards administrators, with input from the 2025 judging panel.
Chair of judges Nick Dougherty, who also hosted the awards, said: “As judges, we looked for courses and facilities that met every criteria point – courses that have recently improved the playing experience, as well as the overall property, but also courses and clubs that sought a role in their local communities and ran programmes and initiatives to create a more inclusive environment. Ultimately, all our winners have succeeded in delivering a first-class experience on and off the course.”
Rudding Park received the Short Course of the Year prize, sponsored by Gusbourne, for its Repton Short Course – which judges praised for its sheer fun and smart design that packs a full golfing experience into a much shorter round.
The full list of winners at this year’s awards included:
GB & Ireland Golf Course of the Year: Ballyneety Golf Club, County Limerick, Ireland
England: Golf Course of the Year: Prince’s Golf Club, Kent
Wales: Golf Course of the Year: Aberdovey Golf Club
Scotland: Golf Course of the Year: The Championship Course at Carnoustie
Ireland: Golf Course of the Year: Enniscrone Golf Club, County Sligo
Members Club of the Year, sponsored by Open Links: Bush Hill Park Golf Club, Middlesex
Short Course of the Year, sponsored by Gusbourne: Repton Short Course at Rudding Park, Yorkshire
Affordable Excellence Award, sponsored by Mymo: Ballyneety Golf Club, Limerick
Sustainability Award, sponsored by Husqvarna: West Sussex Golf Club, Pulborough
Junior Golf Programme of the Year, sponsored by Tee Time Tips: Royal Norwich Golf Club, Norfolk
Golf Resort of the Year, sponsored by Golf’s Greatest Holes: The Grove, Hertfordshire
Indoor Golf Venue of the Year, sponsored by Charles Tyrwhitt: Pitch Wharf, London
Inclusivity Award, sponsored by The OuttaBoundz Show: Golf in Society
Highly Commended courses:
Affordable Excellence Award: Cleeve Hill, Gloucestershire
Junior Golf Programme of the Year: Sunningdale Heath, Berkshire
Members Club of the Year: Close House, Newcastle
England: Golf Course of the Year: St Enodoc, Cornwall
Scotland: Golf Course of the Year: Dumbarnie Links, Scotland
Submissions for the 2026 Golf Awards will open in March. For more details, visit www.golfcourseawards.com
