The Best Golf Courses That Haven't Hosted a Major

Major championships are the peak of competitive golf. These events define the careers of the greatest players in history and draw the most attention each year.

Staging a major elevates a venue and its course to an iconic level that stands the test of time. Augusta National, St Andrews and Pebble Beach are the most instantly recognisable layouts on the planet largely because of their championship pedigree.

That said, while it's a dream of many keen golfers to walk in the footsteps of legends and play on the stages that champions have graced, there are other courses that haven't had the distinction of welcoming a major that nonetheless rank alongside these more venerated venues.

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But what are the best golf courses that haven't staged a professional major championship? We have been looking at popular course rankings in both the United Kingdom and the United States to uncover those highly regarded places that - for whatever reason - haven't received one of the game's biggest events through their doors.

Whether it be their location, the infrastructure requirements, or fundamental unsuitability at hosting a massive sporting event, these places haven't been a venue for a professional major in the men's, women's or senior games, but that fact is certainly not a reflection of the quality of the courses, many of which would reside on many a golfing bucket list.

The Best UK Golf Courses That Haven't Hosted a Major

Scotland is the home of championship golf, so it's appropriate that we start there. When someone draws up a top ten list of their favourite courses across the nation, Royal Dornoch and North Berwick are probably going to be a prominent feature, but neither has staged a professional major.

Elsewhere, Castle Stuart (Cabot Highlands) is a modern classic, but unlike Kingsbarns, which hosted the 2017 Women's Open, a major hasn't come to this superb layout near Inverness. 

Cruden Bay and Machrihanish are magical spots to play golf, but no one could realistically expect them to host a major. They are magnificent and might be among the most purely enjoyable of Scottish golf courses to play.

Few destinations can match the championship history of Ayrshire, but Western Gailes might go under the radar in company that includes Royal Troon, Turnberry and Prestwick, but this layout stands right alongside them in terms of their standing.

Heading south of the border to England, the great Harry Colt described Swinley Forest as being his "least bad course", but many would place St George's Hill right alongside it.

Rye and Royal West Norfolk are two traditional links venues that aren't suitable for elite professional championships, but nonetheless deliver a golfing experience that is hard to rival.

Based in two opposite corners of the country, Ganton staged a Ryder Cup in 1949, but not an individual major, while the Church Course at St Enodoc in Cornwall is one of the jewels of English golf.

But it's not just about the seaside, as Woodhall Spa and Notts (Hollinwell) stand as some of the most engagingly challenging courses that you could ever play.

The Best USA Golf Courses That Haven't Hosted a Major

Venturing across the Atlantic to the United States, where the majority of championships are staged, some truly extraordinary layouts haven't staged a professional major - although we've seen several amateur championships at them in the past. 

You don't have to gaze far from Pebble Beach to find Cypress Point, which many believe to be the superior of the two courses. It's a famously private club, but was part of the PGA Tour's Pebble Beach Pro-Am for decades and will welcome the Walker Cup in September 2025.

For many, New Jersey's Pine Valley is the greatest course on the planet, but most of us will never step foot onto the property. It has previously staged the Walker Cup and will be home to the Curtis Cup in 2034.

National Golf Links of America, located on Long Island in New York, is another American masterpiece and a course that has grown a legend of its own through time and features many holes based on famous holes in Scotland and England.

You'll have probably heard of Seminole in Florida, designed by Donald Ross, which has one of the most distinguished memberships in the country.

Other celebrated American golf courses that haven't staged a professional major include Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw's Sand Hills and Friar's Head, the revered Crystal Downs, Fishers Island, and Tom Doak's modern Pacific Dunes. 

Shoreacres, Somerset Hills, California Golf Club of San Francisco and Maidstone are other destinations that have drawn acclaim but not a major championship.

These are just some of the best courses in the United Kingdom and United States that haven't welcomed a professional major, and the likelihood is that will probably never change!

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