18 golf courses that will destroy your handicap

There are numerous attributes that make golf such a compelling game to play, no matter what level of golfer you are, with its enduring challenge being high among them. 

It's not easy - which makes the good days and great shots so rewarding when they happen. For the majority of us who are devotees to this sport, even the supposedly straightforward courses can be a test, but there are those select layouts dotted across the land that are clearly on a greater category of difficulty altogether.

The better players among you love to see just how successfully you can navigate those longer, tighter, stricter designs that have been created to only accept the best and to roundly punish those who simply aren't good enough.

You could argue that the most robust golfers are inherently masochistic at heart. They don't mind putting themselves out there, taking blows and often coming off the course with a bruised ego. It's what drives them forward to improve their game and return for another examination.

But what are the venues out there that are almost certain to stretch your abilities and mental resilience to the limit? 

Golfshake Ambassador Matt Holbrook recently took on the formidable Aldeburgh Golf Club in Suffolk, while these are some places that regular golfers suggested were among the toughest courses you could ever face. The Golfshake Score Tracker - which houses thousands of newly tracked rounds each week - was also useful to identify the courses that everyday players out there often find extremely difficult.

Taking inspiration from those findings, in addition to using Slope Ratings, eye-watering yardages and leaning on some intimidating reputations, we have picked out 18 golf courses that may very well destroy your handicap.

So, if you are in search of a true challenge, if you wish to scale even the most fearsome of golfing heights, then you really ought to start with these locations that can often prove to be the ultimate of card-wreckers!

Woodhall Spa Hotchkin Course

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

One of England's finest heathland courses, the Hotchkin at Woodhall Spa boasts a terrifying Slope Rating of 152 from its back men's tees, with its dramatic bunkering consistently ruining many a promising score.

When Golfshake Ambassador Andy Picken played here in 2019, he wrote: "Serious golfers looking for a challenge will find Woodhall Spa well worthy of a visit."

Royal Lytham & St Annes

Host of the AIG Women's Open in 2026, it was also recently confirmed that the 156th Open Championship will be staged here in 2028. Incredibly strategic in nature, the famed course here is most known for featuring 174 bunkers that are waiting to catch out anyone who has gone astray or bitten off more than they can chew.

Royal Liverpool

Another championship venue in the North West of England, Hoylake offers several notable obstacles, including internal out of bounds and punishing rough that can capture your golf ball.

One of the most historic clubs in the country, the demands of this course remain substantial.

Carnoustie Championship Course

Many would consider this to be the most exacting of the venues on the Open rotation - and for very good reason. The bunkering is supreme, the lines often tight in places, while the snaking Barry Burn will consume wayward shots, especially on a closing stretch that is undeniably one of the scariest in the game.

If you happen to play here on a windy day - you're in for an experience!

Royal Birkdale

The Open returns to Royal Birkdale in 2026 - and what a treat that is. Those in the know often cite this as being the best links in England and it's, not coincidentally, one of the most challenging too.

It's a test that begins strongly with a fierce opening hole and the examination doesn't often ease up from there. Demonstrating just what can happen here when the conditions get involved, no one who played in the 1998 and 2008 Opens finished under par for the week.

Wychwood Park

Located just to the south of Crewe, Wychwood Park can be stretched to a brutal 7,213 yards with its various tees being named after their Slope Rating.

It's therefore why The 151 tees - with a Slope to match - can present a relentless test of golf that would push even the most skilled of players beyond their limitations.

Hollinwell (Notts Golf Club)

Presenting a Slope Rating of 145, Hollinwell is a jewel of the Midlands and is clearly one of England's most impressive and testing inland courses. 

However, despite that well-earned reputation, it's a fair examination, as our reviewer wrote in 2020: "Throughout playing here you really get an appreciation of why the course is so highly rated. The heathland fairways are firm and bound on, reducing any early fears over a course playing too long for anyone but the longest hitters, and the greens throughout are in great condition and run smooth and fast."

Royal St George's

One of the celebrated links courses in England, its undulating fairways, unpredictable bounces and blind shots make it a strategic test that has challenged the best golfers on the planet for well over a century.

Naturally, like any layout on the seaside, it's the weather that determines much of the difficulty here, and when those conditions make an appearance, this is one course that will be beyond the capabilities of many.

Royal Cinque Ports

The Kent neighbour of Royal St George's, the links at Deal can be staggeringly brutal on a tough day, especially on the back nine that is simply relentless as you reach the finish.

But despite its difficulty, it's a fabulous place to play golf, as one reviewer wrote on Golfshake: "The course was in sublime condition; tight, firm fairways, wickedly undulating greens and the traditional out and back layout."

Hillside

With a Slope of 138 from the back men's tees, Hillside is a challenging layout to manage, especially on the extraordinary back nine that ranks among the best stretch of holes in the country. 

Showcasing dunes that are frequently covered in thick grass, if your sense of accuracy betrays you, then you are probably going to record some high numbers.

Walton Heath Old Course

With a Slope of 135, the heathland classic of the Old Course at Walton Heath is one of England's finest golfing tests. Able to be stretched back to almost 7,400 yards, the undulating greens, treacherous heather, and deep bunkers ensure that you're facing a challenge that can ensare you in a variety of ways.

Sunningdale New Course

Part of what is perhaps the greatest 36 holes in golf, Sunningdale's New Course remains a masterpiece, but while its modest length makes welcoming a regular tour event here unlikely, don't assume that means it's an easy layout, as this is a tough challenge, especially off the tee, that will punish you severely if you have the wrong strategy or have played a wayward shot.

Wentworth West Course

Home of the BMW PGA Championship, Wentworth's West Course has been a relevant test for generations of leading golfers. It's no surprise, therefore, that Golfshake's Derek Clements cited it as one of the toughest layouts he had played.

"On my first trip I was playing off seven but nothing could have prepared me for the test that lay ahead that day. We had endured a week or so of torrential rain but on the day we turned up to play it had finally relented. However, it meant that the fairways were still pretty soggy - and there was literally no roll. You hit a drive, watched it soar through the air and stop stone dead where it landed. It meant that on just about every par four we were reaching for a three wood for our second shots. I reckon the course played to about 9,000 yards that day. I played superbly - and walked off, added up my score and was horrified to realise that it all came to 97 blows. That meant I had shot a nett 90!"

Bearwood Lakes

Playing through the woodlands with plentiful water hazards in view, Bearwood Lakes, a relatively modern addition to the Berkshire landscape, has a Slope Rating of 145 from the men's back tees, establishing it as one of England's most difficult golf courses.

This is what one Golfshake user said: "I recently played at this golf course, and I was thoroughly impressed. The entire course was in fantastic condition, and the practice facilities were exceptional. The course itself was both beautiful and challenging, making it the best course in the local area. I was also impressed with the overall upkeep of the course and the excellent facilities. It was a truly picturesque course, and provided a good test of my golf."

JCB Golf & Country Club

From the very back tees, this modern creation, which has staged LIV Golf UK, is one stout test, especially when you consider the harsh features and huge carries over hazards that can catch you out.

But that doesn't mean it can't be fun. As our reviewer on Golfshake concluded: "It's not a course that you’d necessarily want to nip around for a casual nine holes after work, there’s much shorter and easier destinations for that. But as a special treat, and true test of championship golf, you’ll struggle to find many places better; both on and off the golf course."

Rockliffe Hall

Length may be easily overcome by the leading tour players these days, but for most of us, the longer a course is, the more difficult it becomes, and when you step onto the very back tees at Rockliffe Hall, which tally up to a total of 7,879 yards, then you are about to encounter an absolute monster.

Royal Porthcawl

Host of 2025's AIG Women's Open and a regular venue for the Senior Open, Royal Porthcawl is considered by many keen minds to be the greatest course in Wales and its blend of a resolute links design that is frequently buffeted by the elements make it one of the most challenging layouts you are likely to face.

Muirfield

Arguably the finest design among the most revered links courses in Scotland, Muirfield's fierce challenge comes from its superb bunkering and the ever-changing wind direction that differs almost hole by hole as this strategic masterpiece loops within itself.

One Golfshake reviewer wrote: "The course requires you to hit good golf shots at every turn - the design is a great test of golf for your average golfers."

Having seen this selection of brutes, what is the hardest golf course you have played, and how do you think it would compare to these choices we have made?