20 Best Golf Courses in the World (And the Bags Built for It)

When you envision the best golf courses in the world, you're picturing jaw-dropping scenery, peerless design, and bucket list experiences. But let’s not forget your gear as each iconic course deserves a matching golf bag that speaks to its terrain, climate, or overall vibe.

From windswept coastal links to plush forest layouts, here’s the ultimate pairing of greens and gear.

Best Golf Courses in the Americas

Cypress Point Club

Source: Golf Digest

• Location: Pebble Beach, California

• Opened: 1928

• Par: 72

• Length: ~6,524 yards

• Architect(s): Alister MacKenzie  and Robert Hunter

Best Golf Bag Match: Sunday Golf Big Rig Cart Bag — roomy enough to hold extra layers and sunblock for foggy California mornings, all while looking crisp in Pebble Beach’s upscale ambiance.

About: Nestled on dramatic coastal cliffs, Cypress Point features unforgettable holes 15 through 17 that are bordered by crashing Pacific waves. It’s private, exclusive, and ranked #2 globally by Golf Magazine.

Shop The Big Rig

Pine Valley Golf Club

Source: Golf Digest

• Location: Pine Valley, New Jersey

• Opened: 1913

• Par: 70

• Length: 7,201 yards

• Designer: George Crump, H.S. Colt, A.W. Tillinghast, et al.

Best Golf Bag Match: Jones Sports Utility Trouper II — Comfortable to carry through harsh layouts like Pine Valley, and its smart organization helps keep your gear dialed in under pressure.

About: Frequently called the most challenging course in the world, Pine Valley delivers relentless bunkers, unique routing, and elite prestige as it’s topped Golf Digest’s rankings for years.

 

National Golf Links of America

Source: Top 100 Golf Courses

• Location: Southampton, New York

• Opened: 1911

• Par: 72

• Length:  ~6,873 yards

• Architect: Charles B. Macdonald

Best Golf Bag Match: Sunday Golf Loma XL Stand Bag — a stylish, minimalist carry bag that fits the classic course aesthetic and keeps you nimble during a thoughtful walk.

About: One of America’s oldest layouts, this Long Island classic inspired by British originals is known for strategic bunkering, firm fairways, and a quiet, scholarly vibe.

Shop The Loma XL

Source: Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

• Location: Jasper, Alberta, Canada (though technically north of the U.S., it’s a must-visit North American course)

• Opened: 1925

• Par: 72

• Length: ~6,460 yards

• Architect: Stanley Thompson

Best Golf Bag Match: MacKenzie Original Walker Bag — Handcrafted simplicity with just the right amount of class. Feels like it belongs among the Canadian Rockies.

About: Set in the Canadian Rockies, Jasper’s layout snakes through forest and lakes, offering mountain vistas unlike any other.

 

Santapazienza Golf Club

Source: Hole19

• Location: São Roque, São Paulo, Brazil

• Opened: 2006

• Par: 72

• Length: ~5,011 yards

• Architect: Dan Blankenship, Tom Fazio & Logan Fazio

Best Golf Bag Match: Sunday Golf El Camino Bag — compact enough for travel, with a personality that stands out. Ideal for this exclusive, walkable layout that values style and subtlety.

About: Built on a former coffee plantation, this ultra-private Brazilian gem blends dramatic elevation changes with artistic course design. It’s lush, bold, and totally off the radar for most golfers… and that’s exactly what makes it special.

Shop The El Camino

Best Golf Courses in Europe

Royal County Down (Championship)

Source: Royal County Down Golf Club

• Location: Newcastle, Northern Ireland

• Opened: 1889

• Par: 71

• Length: 7,186 yards

• Architect(s):  Old Tom Morris, Harry Colt, et al.

Best Golf Bag Match: Sun Mountain Mid-Stripe Bag — Durable and links-ready, this bag’s modern build feels right at home with the traditional grit of RCD.

About: One of the world’s most photographed courses, Royal County Down hugs the Irish Sea with gorse-lined fairways and postcard-worthy views of the Mourne Mountains. It’s a stunning (and demanding) course.

 

Morfontaine (Grand Parcours)

Source: Golf de Morfontaine

• Location: Mortefontaine, France

• Opened: 1913

• Par: 70

• Length: ~5,985 yards

• Architect(s): Tom Simpson; updated by Kyle Phillips in 2004

Best Golf Bag Match: Sunday Golf S-Class Leather Bag — Understated luxury in a leather build that mirrors the refined elegance of France’s finest fairways.

About: Tucked inside a forest near Paris, Morfontaine is known for its aristocratic air and exquisite conditioning. It’s a private escape with a quiet, classic rhythm.

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Utrecht De Pan Golf Club

Source: UK Golf Guy

• Location: Utrecht, Netherlands

• Opened: 1929

• Par: 72

• Length: ~6,097 yards

• Architect(s): H. S. Colt, Hawtree Ltd ., Frank Pont,  G.M. del Court van Krimpen

Best Golf Bag Match: MacKenzie Canvas Walker — Classic lines and handcrafted detail match the natural rhythm of this Colt masterpiece.

About: Often overlooked, this Dutch gem is Colt design at its best: natural terrain, strategic bunkering, and a rhythm that flows like a Shakespearian sonnet.

 

Trump Turnberry Resort – Ailsa

Source: GolfNow

• Location: South Ayrshire, Scotland

• Opened: 1901

• Par: 71

• Length: 7,300 yards

• Architect(s): Mackenzie Ross; updated by Martin Ebert 2015

Best Golf Bag Match: Sunday Golf Big Rig Cart Bag — when the Scottish wind hits, you’ll want a secure, durable cart setup. Plus, it stores that extra windbreaker.

About: Set on the Ayrshire coast, Turnberry’s Ailsa course delivers powerful ocean views and dramatic holes like the legendary par-3 9th.

Shop The Big Rig

Royal Dornoch Golf Club (Championship)

Source: Royal Dornoch Golf Club

• Location: Dornoch, Scotland

• Opened: 1877

• Par: 70

• Length: ~6,626 yards

• Architect(s): Old Tom Morris, John Sutherland, George Duncan, Donald Ross; restored by Tom Mackenzie & Martin Ebert

Best Golf Bag Match: Jones Classic Stand Bag — A nod to old school with modern comfort. Ideal for a stroll through Dornoch’s remote, rolling dunes.

About: Golf at Dornoch is raw and pure. No gimmicks. Just rolling fairways, hidden pot bunkers, and a remote setting that transports you to a simpler time and place.

 

Best Golf Courses in Asia

Hirono Golf Club

Source: Golf in Japan

• Location: Hyogo, Japan

• Opened: 1932

• Par: 72

• Length: ~6,400 yards

• Architect: Charles Hugh Alison

Best Golf Bag Match: Vessel Sunday III Stand Bag — travel-ready, lightweight, and versatile for the international golfer.

About: Known as Japan’s finest course, Hirono blends Western design principles with Japanese landscaping to make this course a bold, strategic test framed by pines and azaleas.

 

Shanqin Bay Golf Club

Source: Golfweek - USA Today

• Location: Hainan Island, China

• Opened: 2012

• Par: 71

• Length: 6,894 yards

• Architect(s): Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw

Best Golf Bag Match: Vessel Player IV Stand Bag — Tour-level design meets coastal chic. Great for a tropical round with cliffside swings.

About: Spectacular cliffside holes and stunning coastal views make Shanqin Bay a modern classic. It’s still relatively unknown, but destined for golfing greatness.

 

South Cape Owners Club

Source: GOLF.com

• Location: Namhae, South Korea

• Opened: 2013

• Par: 72

• Length: ~7,200 yards

• Architect: Kyle Phillips

Best Golf Bag Match: Sunday Golf Loma Bag — small and stylish enough to complement the course’s elegance without stealing the show.

About: A design marvel by Kyle Phillips, this clifftop course is as much a visual art piece as it is a golf course. Waves crash, and the holes themselves coil and twist like some fanciful new wave sculpture.

Shop The Loma Bag

PGA Golf Club An Ying – Yangtze Dunes

Source: Top 100 Golf Courses

• Location: Shanghai, China

• Opened: 2011 (rebuilt 2018)

• Par: 72

• Length: ~7,100 yards

• Architect(s): Jack Nicklaus; rebuilt by Ogilvie, Clayton, Cocking & Mead

Best Golf Bag Match: Ping Hoofer Lite — a reliable, lightweight walker for sandy terrain and long fairways.

About: One of China’s newer golf destinations with minimalist, wind-swept dunes… think Shinnecock melded with Eastern aesthetics.

 

Yas Links Golf Course

Source: Golf Digest MIddle East

• Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

• Opened: 2010

• Par: 72

• Length: ~7,057 yards

• Architect: Kyle Phillips

Best Golf Bag Match: Sunday Golf El Camino Bag — Designed to thrive in heat with space for your water, sunblock, and spare glove. Ideal for a day under the Abu Dhabi sun.

About: The Middle East’s premier links course, Yas Links features ocean breezes, aggressive bunkering, and a futuristic skyline.

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Best Golf Courses in Australasia (Oceania)

Royal Melbourne Golf Club (West)

Source: GolfSELECT

• Location: Victoria, Australia

• Opened: 1926

• Par: 72

• Length: ~6,520 yards

• Architect(s): Alister MacKenzie and Alex Russell

Best Golf Bag Match: MacKenzie Golf Canvas Walker — Precision-crafted and subtle. Feels right at home on a course that rewards intellect over power.

About: Another masterpiece by Alister MacKenzie, this is the best course in the Southern Hemisphere because it is firm, fast, and tactical.

 

Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club

Source: 100% Pure New Zealand

• Location: Paraparaumu, New Zealand

• Opened: 1949

• Par: 72

• Length: ~6,520 yards

• Architect: Alex Russell

Best Golf Bag Match: Sunday Golf Loma XL — nimble and stylish… just the way you’ll need to adjust your game if you want to play a solid game here.

About: A true Kiwi links course that tests your creativity and short game with high winds and a quirky terrain… but no Hobbits. Unfortunately.

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Kingston Heath Golf Club

Source: Your Golf Travel

• Location: Melbourne, Australia

• Opened: 1925

• Par: 72

• Length: ~6,300 yards

• Architect: Dan Soutar… with significant input from Alister MacKenzie

Best Golf Bag Match: Jones Sports Ranger Bag — A rugged, minimal carry bag that mirrors the sharp, strategic design of Kingston Heath.

About: Another Sandbelt legend—shorter than Royal Melbourne but just as strategic, with lightning-fast greens and rugged bunkers.

 

Tara Iti

Source: Golf Course Architecture

• Location: Mangawhai, New Zealand

• Opened: 2015

• Par: 72

• Length: ~7,048 yards

• Architect: Tom Doak

Best Golf Bag Match: Sunday Golf S-Class Leather Bag — stylish yet grounded, perfect for this modern-meets-nature design.

About: A minimalist dreamscape with fescue fairways and expansive sea views; some say it’s the best new course on Earth. But still no Hobbits… maybe an Ent or two.

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Barnbougle (The Dunes)

Source: Golf Australia Magazine

• Location: Tasmania, Australia

• Opened: 2004

• Par: 71

• Length: ~6,100 yards

• Architect(s): Tom Doak and Mike Clayton

Best Golf Bag Match: Vessel Lux XV Cart Bag — Premium build with weather resistance. Stays steady on a breezy course and stores everything you need.

About: Windswept and wild, this public links masterpiece is accessible yet world class… pure golfing bliss by the ocean.

 

Best Golf Courses in the World FAQs

What is the world's most beautiful golf course?

Cypress Point Club often takes that title. Its oceanside holes are jaw-dropping and make you feel like golfing on an alien landscape.

What is the nicest public golf course in the world?

Barnbougle Dunes in Tasmania offers world-class links golf without an exclusive membership.

Where is Tiger Woods’ favorite golf course?

Tiger has spoken highly of St. Andrews, Augusta, and Pebble Beach: places with deep history and major wins for him.

What’s the hardest golf course in the world?

Many say Pine Valley. Between its sand hazards and narrow fairways, it’s a relentless mental test.

Which country has the best golf?

The U.S. has quantity and quality, but Scotland is the spiritual home of the game. Australia and New Zealand are definitely rising stars.

What’s the most expensive golf course in the world?

Shadow Creek in Las Vegas is up there: greens fees run over $1,000 depending on the day and time of year.

Pack Light, Play Big

Every course has a tale to tell… and your golf bag should match the chapter. Whether you’re strolling a windswept Scottish link or teeing it up cliffside in South Korea, picking the right golf bag isn’t just about convenience: it’s about style, strategy, and soaking in the experience.