by Turo
posted on 14 May 2026
A UK golf road trip works best when there’s time to do more than drive, play, and head home
With the right route, you can build a weekend around golf and still find time to explore the local area. Maybe a beach walk before dinner, a long lunch between courses, or a spa that works for the partner who didn’t come along just to hear about your short game.
Here are three UK golf road trips worth planning a long weekend around, whether you’re after a championship links test, a resort stay for the whole family, or a bigger Scottish drive through some of the game’s most iconic places.
Southport and the Open route
This road trip follows England’s north-west coast around Southport – the so-called Golf Coast – where dune-backed links courses sit along the Sefton coastline. It’s a compact stretch of serious golf: Royal Birkdale, Hillside, and Southport & Ainsdale are all within around two miles of each other, so you can base yourself in Southport and spend the weekend moving between championship fairways, coastal roads, and the pinewoods at Formby.
Who it’s for
Low-handicappers looking for links golf, wind, dunes, and a championship challenge.
Why go
Royal Birkdale gives this route its headline moment. It’s hosted The Open Championship ten times and will host again in July 2026. If you plan a late-spring visit, it’ll come with a nice sense of anticipation: the crowds haven’t arrived yet, but the place is already moving towards a championship summer.
It’s also a very easy trip to enjoy beyond the scorecard. You get the drama of the dunes, the wide open feel of the coast, and the convenience of having several major courses close together without having to keep packing up and moving on.
Add Hillside or Southport & Ainsdale, and the weekend becomes more than a single famous round. It’s a proper coastal break with serious golf at its centre.
What to do off the course
For non-golfers, Southport is a practical base for the trip: seafront, cafés, restaurants, and enough town life to make the weekend feel shared rather than split between golf and waiting.
Formby is the best nature add-on. It’s a short drive south of the courses, with beach, dunes, pinewoods, and coastal walks. It gives the non-player a proper day out and the golfer somewhere to stretch out after a round that may already have involved too much sand.
For something lower-key, keep things local with a walk along Southport Pier and the promenade, a drink on Lord Street, or dinner in town after the round.
How to plan the drive
Once you’re in Southport, the golf is nicely compact. Royal Birkdale sits just south of the town centre, off the A565. Hillside is nearby, so moving between the two is more of a short local hop than a separate journey.
Southport & Ainsdale is also in the same coastal pocket, only a few minutes away by car. If you’re adding Formby after golf, follow the A565 south along the coast. Southport to Formby is roughly eight miles, and the drive usually takes around 15 to 20 minutes, depending on traffic and where you park.
Southport itself is the easiest base. The Vincent Hotel is a good choice if you want a more contemporary town-centre stay. The Waterfront Southport Hotel is a good pick if you want to be by the sea and have easy access to the promenade.
The car to choose
An estate car is a great fit for this road trip. Although the drives between courses are short, the boot still has to work hard: golf bags, luggage, and shoes all need to fit in comfortably.
A Škoda Superb Estate or a Volkswagen Passat Estate is a strong mid-range choice, with plenty of boot space and a lower load height than most SUVs. If you want something more premium, a Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate gives the same practical shape with a more comfortable long-distance feel.
The Belfry and the Ryder Cup route
This road trip takes you into the West Midlands countryside, just outside Birmingham, where The Belfry sits in Wishaw near Sutton Coldfield. It’s a resort-led route rather than a touring one, with three celebrated courses, The Brabazon, PGA National, and The Derby, all on-site.
Who it’s for
Players who want famous holes, parkland pressure, and a resort setup where the non-golfer has plenty to do without needing a separate itinerary. Families are covered too, with a family pool, kids’ playground, and on-site activities.
Why go
Playing at The Belfry takes you through Ryder Cup history. It’s hosted the Ryder Cup four times, and The Brabazon is still full of holes that ask for a decision rather than just a decent swing. The 10th is the famous risk-reward hole over water, linked with Seve Ballesteros driving the green, and the notorious 18th gives the round a proper finish.
What to do off the course
For non-golfers, The Belfry works because the trip can feel like a hotel break rather than a golf tour. The resort has a large, modern feel, with busy bars, multiple dining options, spa facilities, and a golf course that still gives the place its character.
If you do want to leave the resort, the town of Lichfield is a good nearby add-on for a wander, lunch, and a stop at the cathedral. Sutton Park is closer still and works well for a low-effort walk before the drive home.
How to plan the drive
The Belfry is close to the M6, M42, M6 Toll, and the wider Midlands motorway network, so the approach is straightforward from most directions.
Staying on-site is the obvious move. The Belfry has the scale and energy of a large golf resort rather than a small country-house hotel, so it suits a weekend where convenience is part of the point. You can park up, unpack, and use the car for one or two local trips rather than moving between hotels.
The car to choose
To get to The Belfry, most of the driving is on motorways, so you’ll want something roomy and comfortable, as well as plenty of boot space for your clubs.
A BMW 5 Series, Audi A6, or Mercedes-Benz E-Class fits that job well. If you’re travelling with kids or extra bags, a Tesla Model Y or Kia Sportage gives you even more flexibility. For a group of golfers, a Mercedes-Benz Vito minivan is less glamorous on paper but very useful in practice.
St Andrews and the Scottish east coast
This road trip follows Scotland’s east coast from East Lothian into Fife, with an optional finish inland at the iconic Gleneagles. Start around Gullane or North Berwick, where Muirfield sits among some of the country’s strongest links golf courses, then drive north towards St Andrews for Kingsbarns and the wider golf culture of Fife. If you add Gleneagles, the route turns inland towards Perthshire for a country-estate finish.
Who it’s for
Golfers who want a serious Scottish trip, and non-golfers who want coastal towns, special hotels, long lunches, and a few slower hours woven through the plan.
Why go
Muirfield gives the route its East Lothian anchor. It’s hosted The Open 16 times, but the appeal isn’t just historical. The course is known for being clear and exacting.
Kingsbarns gives the trip a different feel. It sits just outside St Andrews on the North Sea coast, with big views, broad fairways, and a modern links layout that feels generous without being too easy to score on.
Together, they keep the trip varied. Add one of Gleneagles’ three championship courses at the end, and the landscape of your trip shifts again into Perthshire countryside, with estate walks and a finishing flourish with high-end dining.
What to do off the course
In East Lothian, North Berwick is an easy non-golf base to love: beaches, coastal walks, independent shops, seafood, and enough going on to fill a day. Gullane is quieter and closer to Muirfield, with the feel of a golf village rather than a resort town.
Gleneagles is a country-estate Grand Dame. It’s big, theatrical, and a destination in itself, with bars, restaurants, spa, walking, cycling, and Perthshire scenery all built into the stay.
How to plan the drive
Start around Edinburgh, Gullane, or North Berwick for the East Lothian leg. Muirfield is in Gullane, so staying locally keeps the first golf day simple. Greywalls is the classic stay if you want something intimate and traditional: a historic country house with gardens, a well-regarded restaurant, and a quieter feel than a large resort.
A decent drive comes after Muirfield. Gullane to St Andrews is roughly 70 miles by road, and the drive usually takes around 1 hour and 40 minutes. The route typically takes you back towards the Forth crossings before heading into Fife, so this is the stretch where a comfortable car starts to feel worthwhile.
From St Andrews, Kingsbarns is simple. It’s only about seven miles along the coast, so you can stay in St Andrews and reach the course without turning the day into a second road trip.
The Old Course Hotel is an option. It has the scale of a five-star golf hotel, with views over the Old Course, a serious spa, and the Road Hole Bar for drinks above the links. Fairmont St Andrews is also worth a look, home to The Torrance and The Kittocks links-style courses. Gleneagles is the optional final stop. From St Andrews, it’s roughly 40 to 50 miles by road and usually takes about an hour, depending on traffic and route.
The car to choose
For Scotland, choose your car wisely, bearing in mind distance, weather, and luggage. This is the route where a larger SUV earns its keep: longer drives, varied roads, golf kit, walking gear, and a forecast that may not behave.
A Volvo XC90, Audi Q7, or Range Rover Sport gives you space and a more settled feel on the longer stretches between East Lothian, Fife, and Perthshire. For a mid-range option, a Škoda Kodiaq or Kia Sorento offers plenty of practicality. If you’re travelling as a group with golf travel cases, a Ford Tourneo Custom or Volkswagen Multivan is worth considering. Not as sleek, but very hard to beat when everyone’s luggage has to fit.
