The Best Golf Courses in Greece
Greece was a golfing afterthought until Costa Navarino arrived in the Peloponnese and changed the picture entirely. Four signature courses by Langer, Robert Trent Jones junior and Olazabal now lead a small but rising field. Our ranked eight, with verdicts and how to play them.
Photograph: The Dunes Course, Costa Navarino, The Dunes Course, Costa Navarino, via Google
How we ranked them
For decades Greece had only a handful of golf courses, fine in their way but hardly a reason to cross a continent. Then came Costa Navarino, the vast, beautifully made resort on the southwest coast of the Peloponnese in Messinia, which has built four signature courses since 2010 and turned the country into a serious golf destination almost overnight. Today the choice is between that one extraordinary cluster and a scattering of older island and mainland courses that carry real charm. We weighed the quality and conditioning of the golf, the strength of the setting and its lodging, how easily a visiting group can get on, and the pedigree of the design.
Every fact here, the designers, the opening years and the indicative green fees, was checked at the time of writing in June 2026 by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Fees move with the season and the year, so treat the numbers as a guide and always confirm directly before booking. The verdicts are ours. If your group wants any of these built into a costed itinerary, with the flights, the transfers and the right resort secured, that is exactly what our concierge does.
The 8 best golf courses in Greece
Costa Navarino, The Dunes Course
Greece's first signature course and still the one that defines golf in the country, designed by two time Masters champion Bernhard Langer alongside European Golf Design. It runs from the banks of the Selas river to the Ionian coast, with olive groves, citrus trees and the sea framing a varied, walkable, strategic layout. As the original of the Costa Navarino courses and the heart of the flagship resort, it is the natural centerpiece of any Greek golf trip and the best the country has to offer.
Costa Navarino, The Bay Course
The second Costa Navarino course, a Robert Trent Jones junior design set into the hills above the historic Bay of Navarino with two holes that play right along the water. More dramatic in its elevation changes than the Dunes, with panoramic sea and mountain views from almost every tee, it is a thrilling round and a beautiful complement to its sibling. Together the two original courses anchor the resort and give a stay there genuine variety.
Costa Navarino, International Olympic Academy Golf Course
The more demanding of the two newer courses at Navarino Hills, a little inland from the coast, designed by two time Masters champion and Ryder Cup hero Jose Maria Olazabal. Set high above the countryside with sweeping views to the Bay of Navarino and the Ionian Sea, it is a bold, modern championship test that adds real depth to the resort and rounds out a golfer's week with a sterner challenge.
Costa Navarino, The Hills Course
The companion Olazabal design at Navarino Hills, a touch more forgiving than the Olympic Academy course but every bit as scenic, with the same elevated panoramas across the Messinian countryside to the sea. Playable and enjoyable for a range of abilities, it completes a four course resort that has no equal in this part of the Mediterranean and makes Costa Navarino a destination in its own right.
The Crete Golf Club
The standout course on the islands, laid out to USGA standard across rugged, mountainous terrain above Hersonissos on the north coast of Crete. Designed by Bob Hunt of PGA Design Consulting, it has a striking desert style character, with parched hills, the Aegean glittering below and a demanding, well conditioned test that surprises first time visitors. A genuine reason to pack the clubs for a Cretan holiday.
Glyfada Golf Course of Athens
The capital's course, a mature parkland of pine and eucalyptus near the coast at Glyfada, minutes from the old Athens airport site and the southern suburbs. Donald Harradine laid it out in 1966 and Robert Trent Jones senior later refined it ahead of the World Cup of Golf. Atmospheric and historic, with the scent of pine and the cicadas in summer, it is the obvious round for a city stay or a stopover.
Corfu Golf Club
A charming par 72 set in the lush, green Ropa Valley in the center of Corfu, away from the coast among cypress, olive and willow with a river winding through the layout. Cooler and greener than the mainland courses thanks to the island's Ionian climate, it is a relaxed, characterful round and a long time favorite of British golfers holidaying on Corfu. A lovely course to fold into an island summer.
Porto Carras Golf Club
The golf course of the sprawling Porto Carras resort on the Sithonia peninsula of Halkidiki in northern Greece, originally laid out by Geoffrey Cornish and Bill Robinson and later upgraded. Set among vineyards and pines with mountain and sea views, and watered by salt tolerant paspalum turf, it is the best golf in the north of the country and a natural pairing with the beaches and the wineries of the region.
Designers and opening years verified June 2026 by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Greece's golf is concentrated at Costa Navarino, with the rest spread across the islands and the mainland. Course profiles are added across the site as the directory grows. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.
Where they are, and indicative costs
Greek golf has one true hub and a few outliers. Costa Navarino, on the southwest coast of the Peloponnese in Messinia, holds four courses on one resort and is reached via Kalamata airport or a road trip from Athens. Glyfada sits in the southern suburbs of Athens, Porto Carras is on the Halkidiki peninsula near Thessaloniki in the north, and Crete and Corfu add an island round each. A hire car or transfers tie the mainland together, while the islands are short flights or ferries, so most trips center on Navarino with an island or city round added.
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Costa Navarino green fee | Around €110 to €190 | Per course, lower for resort guests and twilight |
| Island and mainland clubs | Around €60 to €100 | Crete, Corfu, Glyfada and Porto Carras, varies by season |
| A week, all in | Around €2,200 to €4,000 per person | Resort lodging, several rounds, transfers, excluding flights |
Indicative third party figures for the 2026 season, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.
Plan your Greece golf trip
Tell us the courses you want and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head, secures the resort and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
Greece golf questions
What is the best golf course in Greece?
The Dunes Course at Costa Navarino, Bernhard Langer's 2010 design in Messinia, is the clear number one and the course that put Greece on the golf map. The Bay Course and the two newer Olazabal courses at Navarino Hills complete the best cluster in the country. Away from the resort, the Crete Golf Club is the standout island round. Our ranking weighs the golf, the setting and the ease of access together.
When is the best time to play golf in Greece?
April to June and September to November are the prime windows, with warm, dry days and comfortable temperatures for walking. July and August are hot, so early tee times are essential, while the mild Greek winter keeps the southern and island courses playable when much of Europe is closed. Spring and autumn give the best balance of weather and value. Always confirm conditions before you travel.
How much does a golf trip to Greece cost in 2026?
Indicative 2026 green fees run from around €60 to €100 at the island and mainland clubs up to roughly €110 to €190 per course at Costa Navarino, lower for resort guests. A week with resort lodging, several rounds and transfers typically lands between €2,200 and €4,000 per head excluding flights. Always confirm directly before booking.
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