The Best Golf Courses in Iceland
Golf on lava and clifftop, played under a sun that never quite sets. Iceland packs a short, wild season into the most dramatic scenery in the game, from the Arctic Open in the north to the volcanic shores around Reykjavik. Our seven, ranked, with verdicts and how to play them.
Photograph: Keilir Golf Club, Keilir Golf Club, via Google
How we picked them
Iceland is a bucket list golf destination more for its setting than its scorecards, and we ranked accordingly: the quality and character of the holes first, then the drama of the land, the conditioning across a brutally short season, and the simple novelty of a midnight round. The country has more than sixty courses for a population the size of a small city, a remarkable golfing culture, and a clutch of layouts that genuinely belong on any adventurous traveller's list.
Every fact here, the designers, the dates and the settings, was checked at the time of writing. The season is short and the weather is wild, so opening dates and green fees vary, and you should treat any figure as a guide and always confirm directly before booking. The verdicts are ours. If you want a round under the midnight sun built into a wider trip, that is exactly what our concierge does.
The ranking
- 1
Keilir Golf Club, Hvaleyrarvollur
HafnarfjordurLava and clifftop · visitor friendlyThe course that tops most national rankings and the easiest great round to reach, about 25 minutes from Keflavik airport. The front nine threads ancient, jagged lava along the water, links like and unlike anywhere else, before the back nine climbs out onto a peninsula for genuine clifftop holes above the sea. A round of two distinct halves and a perfect first or last day of any Iceland trip.
- 2
Akureyri Golf Club, Jadarsvollur
Akureyri, north IcelandParkland · Arctic Open hostOne of the northernmost 18 hole courses on earth and the home of the Arctic Open, where players tee off through the small hours under the midnight sun. The club dates to 1935, and the course tumbles down toward the Eyjafjordur fjord beneath the surrounding mountains. The setting and the round at midnight are the experience here, well worth the flight or the drive north.
- 3
Brautarholt Golf Course
Kjalarnes, near ReykjavikClifftop · visitor friendlyThe most visually spectacular course in the country for many, set on a dramatic coastal peninsula about half an hour from Reykjavik, with several holes perched directly above the Atlantic. A boutique, lovingly run layout that trades length for sheer drama and sea views at almost every turn. If you have one round near the capital beyond Keilir, make it this one.
- 4
Reykjavik Golf Club, Grafarholt
ReykjavikParkland · championshipIceland's oldest 18 hole course, opened in 1963 to a design by the Swedish architect Nils Skold, on the eastern edge of the capital. Long regarded as one of the country's most demanding championship tests, it rolls over heath and hillside with city and mountain views, and remains the historic heart of Icelandic golf. A proper, mature round close to town.
- 5
Vestmannaeyjar Golf Club
Westman IslandsIsland links · visitor friendlyOne of the most dramatic island courses in the world, laid out in a natural amphitheatre between an extinct volcano and the Atlantic on Heimaey in the Westman Islands. Puffins wheel along the cliffs, the wind is a constant companion, and the ferry or short flight from the mainland only adds to the sense of adventure. Unforgettable, weather permitting.
- 6
Reykjavik Golf Club, Korpa
ReykjavikParkland · visitor friendlyThe second course of the venerable Reykjavik Golf Club, designed by the prolific Icelandic architect Hannes Thorsteinsson and opened in 1997. Set by the Korpa river and the Kollafjordur shore on the edge of the city, it is a gentler, scenic counterpoint to Grafarholt and an easy second round on a capital based trip.
- 7
Oddur Golf Club, Urridavollur
Gardabaer, near ReykjavikParkland · championship hostA polished championship layout just south of Reykjavik that opened as nine holes in 1990 and grew to a full eighteen in 1997. Routed around lakes and woodland with the lava landscape never far away, it has hosted the Icelandic national championship and rounds out the strong cluster of courses within easy reach of the capital.
Designers, dates and settings verified June 2026. Most of these courses sit within an hour of Reykjavik, with Akureyri and the Westman Islands worth the extra travel for the experience. The season is short and weather dependent, so always confirm opening dates and fees directly before booking.
Plan an Iceland golf trip
Tell us which of these you want to play and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head, midnight rounds and all, and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
Iceland golf questions
What is the best golf course in Iceland?
Keilir Golf Club, on the Hvaleyrarvollur course at Hafnarfjordur just south of Reykjavik, tops most national rankings. Its front nine runs through ancient lava along the shore before the back nine heads out to clifftop holes on a peninsula. It sits only about 25 minutes from Keflavik airport, which makes it an easy first or last round of any trip.
Can you play golf at midnight in Iceland?
Yes. Around midsummer the sun barely sets, and courses across the country offer tee times late into the night. The most famous celebration of this is the Arctic Open at Akureyri Golf Club in the north, one of the world's northernmost 18 hole courses, where rounds are played through the small hours under the midnight sun.
When is the golf season in Iceland?
The season is short, running from roughly May to September, with June and July offering near 24 hour daylight. The weather is changeable and the wind is a constant, so pack layers and waterproofs even in summer. Outside those months most courses close or move to limited play. Always confirm opening dates and fees directly before booking.
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The Tee Sheet
Unusual course openings, midnight sun trips and the journeys worth taking. One considered email every other week.