Iceland’s Most Beautiful Golf Courses

From the Westman Islands Golf Course.

From the Westman Islands Golf Course. Photo/GSÍ

Jordan Fuller

Iceland may seem like an unlikely place to get in an amazing round of golf, but don’t be fooled! This unique and beautiful country is packed with golf courses, many of which provide spectacular views and challenging gameplay.  

If you’re going to be in the area, don’t miss your chance to tick one of these off your bucket list. Even better if you can manage to get in the midnight round! 

Here are (just a few of) Iceland’s most beautiful golf courses. 

Geysir Golf Club

Golfers will find this course demanding, as you’ll have to navigate your way over two rivers while watching geothermal hot springs shoot boiling water up into the sky at regular intervals (and trying not to be distracted). 

Each hole on this 9-hole, par-37 course is named after the hot springs that run alongside the course. Shaped by the natural terrain, each hole is a challenge. 

It’s advisable to take extragolf balls with you when playing this course. Between the rivers and the shrub-laden roughs, you’ll likely lose a few! 

Akureyri Golf Club 

This golf course should be on your bucket list. The 18-hole, par-71 course is the most northerly course in the world. 

Breathtaking views can be seen from the 4th and 5th golf tees, especially if you’re lucky enough to catch the sunrise over Eyjafjörður bay.

If you’re up for a challenge, enter The Arctic Open Golf Championship, where you’ll be playing golf at midnight while the sun is still shining. 

Brautarholt Golf Course

Brautarholt features magnificent views of the sea, undulating hills, and fairways that follow the natural contours of the coastline. 

This golf course has 12 holes, and you can choose from playing the first 9 twice, par-70, or you can play 21 holes —12+9. 

The elevated first hole features a spectacular green sitting on top of a cliff, with a sheer drop into the ocean to your right. You’ll find each hole a beautiful challenge

Westman Islands Golf Course 

Is there anything more adventurous than playing a round of golf in an old volcano

This championship course will have you teeing off with volcanic walls as your backdrop, while winds from the Atlantic ocean will make tracking the course more of a challenge. 

You have lush greens, fantastic views of the volcano on the one side, the Atlantic ocean on the other, and an array of wildlife. These things make this short but open golf course one of the best and most challenging in the world to play on. 

Borgarnes Golf Course 

You could consider Borgarnes to be a parkland golf course, and you’ll find the fairways lined with trees, rocky hills, and water hazards. 

You’ll have spectacular views of the mountains and the bay from each hole on this 18-hole, par-71 course. 

The 8th hole is a short par-3 with an island green, and with some luck, the wind will be in your favor! You’ll find this championship golf course to be just as challenging as it is spectacular.

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