50 Courses With Hardest Greens in the UK

Golf courses present a myriad of challenges and hazards, and putting can often feel like a game within a game. For some layouts, the difficulty of the surfaces is a main feature. Think about the most testing that you have faced. 

We often see greens with significant undulations and slopes, while others are more subtle and deceptive. Some are quite simply huge in their expanse, making approaching shots awkward to judge, leaving many lengthy putts from great distance. There is no exact science to determine the difficulty of a green, but statistics from the Golfshake Score Tracker and the thousands of golfers who use it have given us a degree of factual evidence to make an assessment.

Delving into rounds tracked on Golfshake in 2016, 2017 and 2018, we have identified 50 courses in the UK (plus one standout venue in Ireland) that our golfers have consistently found a challenge when it comes to putting. These all had at least 30 rounds recorded during the time, by players with handicaps less than 28, and with anomalies such as 0 putts on a hole being removed from the stats to hopefully deliver an accurate (as possible) representation of the most challenging greens that you could face across the country. Here are 50 Courses with the Most Challenging Greens in the UK.

Bunsay Downs

Average Total Putts - 38.15

Hardest Green - 14th: 2.292

Easiest Green - 4th & 6th: 1.958

Guildford Golf Club

Average Total Putts - 37.48

Hardest Green - 13th: 2.246

Easiest Green - 16th: 1.836

Hollins Hall

Average Total Putts - 37.45

Hardest Green - 4th & 16th: 2.263

Easiest Green - 7th: 1.868

Old Course at St Andrews

Average Total Putts - 37.43

Hardest Green - 10th: 2.415

Easiest Green - 2nd: 1.868

Sand Martins Golf Club

Average Total Putts - 37.31

Hardest Green - 13: 2.164

Easiest Green - 3rd & 9th: 1.955

The Players Club (Codrington Course)

Average Total Putts - 37.13

Hardest Green - 7th: 2.300

Easiest Green - 4th: 1.867

Waterfront Golf

Average Total Putts - 37.13

Hardest Green - 1st: 2.302

Easiest Green - 4th: 1.849

Strathmore Golf Centre

Average Total Putts - 37.11

Hardest Green - 10th: 2.320

Easiest Green - 4th: 1.981

Sharpley Golf Centre

Average Total Putts - 37.10

Hardest Green - 8th & 10th: 2.276

Easiest Green - 2nd: 1.828

Wishaw Golf Club

Average Total Putts - 37.07

Hardest Green - 16th: 2.279

Easiest Green - 12th: 1.791

Chippenham Golf Club

Average Total Putts - 37.07

Hardest Green - 6th: 2.261

Easiest Green - 8th & 17th: 1.913

Treloy Golf Club

Average Total Putts - 37.04

Hardest Green - 3rd: 2.235

Easiest Green - 18th: 1.863

Windmill Village Golf Club

Average Total Putts - 37.03

Hardest Green - 1st: 2.323

Easiest Green - 7th & 12th: 1.871

Chesterton Valley Golf Club

Average Total Putts - 36.94

Hardest Green - 1st & 14th: 2.281

Easiest Green - 9th: 1.750

Swanston New Golf Club

Average Total Putts - 36.87

Hardest Green - 4th: 2.257

Easiest Green - 14th: 1.857

Kirtlington Golf Club

Average Total Putts - 36.87

Hardest Green - 10th: 2.278

Easiest Green - 11th: 1.889

Farleigh Golf Club (Purple Course)

Average Total Putts - 36.81

Hardest Green - 7th: 2.344

Easiest Green - 11th & 18th: 1.938

Woolley Park Golf Club

Average Total Putts - 36.72

Hardest Green - 6th: 2.241

Easiest Green - 8th & 11th: 1.793

Royston Golf Club

Average Total Putts - 36.72

Hardest Green - 7th: 2.222

Easiest Green - 4th: 1.861

Purley Downs Golf Club

Average Total Putts - 36.71

Hardest Green - 16th: 2.262

Easiest Green - 17th: 1.857

Carnoustie Golf Links (Burnside)

Average Total Putts - 36.62

Hardest Green - 7th. 2.241

Easiest Green - 2nd, 12th & 17th: 1.897

Congleton Golf Club

Average Total Putts - 36.59

Hardest Green - 12th: 2.164

Easiest Green - 13th: 1.869

Mardyke Valley Golf Centre

Average Total Putts - 36.59

Hardest Green - 15th: 2.282

Easiest Green - 11th & 16th: 1.923

Marriott Worsley Park

Average Total Putts - 36.55

Hardest Green - 2nd, 10th & 16th: 2.110

Easiest Green - 6th & 18th: 1.915

Brandhall Golf Club

Average Total Putts - 36.55

Hardest Green - 9th: 2.509

Easiest Green - 1st: 1.887

Croham Hurst Golf Club

Average Total Putts - 36.53

Hardest Green - 3rd: 2.233

Easiest Green - 7th: 1.867

Hollywood Golf Club

Average Total Putts - 36.48

Hardest Green - 13th: 2.136

Easiest Green - 4th & 6th: 1.929

Lickey Hills Golf Club (Rose Hill)

Average Total Putts - 36.47

Hardest Green - 14th: 2.250

Easiest Green - 9th: 1.781

Celtic Manor (Montgomerie)

Average Total Putts - 36.45

Hardest Green - 16th: 2.182

Easiest Green - 7th: 1.841

Highwoods Golf Club

Average Total Putts - 36.44

Hardest Green - 9th: 2.741

Easiest Green - 11th: 1.852

Braids United Golf Club

Average Total Putts - 36.42

Hardest Green - 5th: 2.212

Easiest Green - 17th: 1.788

Bowring Golf Club

Average Total Putts - 36.36

Hardest Green - 10th: 2.182

Easiest Green - 12: 1.848

The KP Club

Average Total Putts - 36.34

Hardest Green - 1st: 2.200

Easiest Green - 3rd: 1.824

Cameron House (Carrick)

Average Total Putts - 36.32

Hardest Green - 14th: 2.162

Easiest Green - 13th: 1.811

Royal Automobile Club (Old Course)

Average Total Putts - 36.31

Hardest Green - 6th: 2.241

Easiest Green - 17th: 1.690

Eden Golf Club

Average Total Putts - 36.30

Hardest Green - 14th: 2.286

Easiest Green - 13th & 16th: 1.821

Brampton Heath Golf Centre

Average Total Putts - 36.23

Hardest Green - 11th: 2.143

Easiest Green - 8th: 1.829

Rustington Golf Centre

Average Total Putts - 36.21

Hardest Green - 11th: 2.234

Easiest Green - 5th: 1.723

Lullingstone Park Golf Club

Average Total Putts - 36.21

Hardest Green - 11th: 2.186

Easiest Green - 17th: 1.837

Forfar Golf Club

Average Total Putts - 36.19

Hardest Green - 17th: 2.119

Easiest Green - 6th: 1.853

Wrangaton Golf Club

Average Total Putts - 36.19

Hardest Green - 6th: 2.259

Easiest Green - 11th: 1.852

Tylney Park (The Rotherwick)

Average Total Putts - 36.16

Hardest Green - 4th & 17th: 2.073

Easiest Green - 2nd: 1.927

Horsehay Village (Telford) Golf Club

Average Total Putts - 36.15

Hardest Green - 12th: 2.206

Easiest Green - 3rd: 1.794

Caversham Heath Golf Club

Average Total Putts - 36.14

Hardest Green - 11th: 2.250

Easiest Green - 16th: 1.750

Petersfield Golf Club

Average Total Putts - 36.14

Hardest Green - 17th: 2.161

Easiest Green - 1st & 18th: 1.893

Chartham Park

Average Total Putts - 36.14

Hardest Green - 5th: 2.255

Easiest Green - 7th: 1.784

Barnsley Golf Club (The Limes)

Average Total Putts - 36.13

Hardest Green - 15th: 2.110

Easiest Green - 8th: 1.890

Carden Park (Cheshire Course)

Average Total Putts - 36.10

Hardest Green - 11th: 2.200

Easiest Green - 16th: 18.33

Bromsgrove Golf Centre

Average Total Putts - 36.09

Hardest Green - 16th: 2.212

Easiest Green - 2nd: 1.758

The Nottinghamshire Golf & Country Club (The Signature)

Average Total Putts - 36.08

Hardest Green - 7th: 2.636

Easiest Green - 4th: 1.818

and one special inclusion from Ireland!

Carne Golf Links

Average Total Putts - 36.24

Hardest Green - 13th: 2.182

Easiest Green - 11th: 1.855