The Best Emerging Golf Destinations for 2026 and Beyond
The golf map is being redrawn. New courses by the best architects are opening in places that barely had golf a decade ago, from the Red Sea to the central coast of Vietnam. Our ranked eight emerging destinations, with the verdict on each, what is new and why to go now before the crowds catch on.
How we chose
Golf goes through waves of expansion, and the next one is well under way. A combination of new money, fresh land and a generation of architects working at the top of their craft is opening world class courses in destinations that were off the golf map a few years ago. The reward for going early is real: empty fairways, keen pricing while a destination establishes itself, and the chance to play a future classic in its opening seasons. We have weighed the quality of the new golf first, then the momentum of the destination, the pedigree of the architects involved, and how realistic and rewarding a trip there is right now.
The result is a top eight that ranges from established giants making a leap, like Saudi Arabia and Vietnam, to single resorts redrawing a region, like Cabot Highlands in Scotland and the Dunas course at Comporta in Portugal. Some are ready to visit today, others are best for a trip in the next year or two as the marquee courses open. All are places we expect to be talking about for a long time to come.
The ranking
Vietnam, Central Coast
The strongest emerging destination in Asia, anchored on the central coast around Da Nang and Hoi An. The Greg Norman designed Danang Golf Club, opened in 2010, is a genuine seaside dunes course, joined by Luke Donald's mountain layout at Ba Na Hills, opened in 2016, and Nick Faldo's celebrated Laguna course at Lang Co nearby. High quality golf, excellent value, world class beaches and fast improving resorts make Vietnam the value play of the moment.
Indicative 2026 green fees keen by world standards, vary by season. Always confirm directly before booking.Saudi Arabia, Red Sea Coast
The boldest new frontier in the game, where vast investment is building golf at speed on the Red Sea coast. Royal Greens at King Abdullah Economic City, a 2017 European Golf Design course, already hosts a winter professional event, and major resort developments at projects like NEOM and AMAALA promise far more to come. For the adventurous golfer it offers brand new courses, warm winter sun and a country opening to tourism for the first time.
Indicative 2026 green fee, winter peak season. Always confirm directly before booking.Cabot Highlands, Scotland
The most anticipated opening in British golf, where the Cabot group has taken over the former Castle Stuart and is adding a second eighteen, Old Petty, designed by the great Tom Doak and due to open in 2026. The original Castle Stuart links beside the Moray Firth is already a modern classic, and the pairing turns Inverness into a genuine two course destination in the heart of the Highlands. A future giant taking shape now.
Indicative 2026 visitor green fees, summer peak season. Always confirm directly before booking.Comporta, Portugal
The hottest new course in Europe, the Dunas course at Terras da Comporta, David McLay Kidd's first design on the continent, which opened in 2023 and was named the best new course in the world at the 2024 World Golf Awards. Routed through pine and natural sand south of Lisbon on the unspoilt Alentejo coast, it has made the bohemian beach region of Comporta golf's most fashionable new address. Go before the rest of the world arrives.
Indicative 2026 green fee, peak season. Always confirm directly before booking.Oman
The Gulf's quietest gem, a country of dramatic mountains and empty coast that has built fine golf without the crowds of Dubai. Al Mouj Golf in Muscat, a Greg Norman design from 2012, runs along two kilometres of the Arabian Sea and anchors a relaxed, scenic luxury break paired with Oman's wadis, forts and beaches. For golfers who want Gulf winter sun with a sense of place, Oman is the rising alternative.
Indicative 2026 green fee, winter peak season. Always confirm directly before booking.Madeira, Portugal
A spectacular Atlantic outpost on the rise, where the lush Portuguese island already has two scenic courses and a dramatic Nick Faldo design, Ponta do Pargo, draped across the western cliffs and due to open in late 2026. Year round mild weather, breathtaking ocean views and the island's gardens, hiking and food make it a destination for golfers who want more than just golf. The new course should put Madeira firmly on the map.
Indicative 2026 green fees, mild year round climate. Always confirm directly before booking.Tasmania, Australia
The new pilgrimage at the end of the earth, where a cluster of modern links on Tasmania and King Island has drawn architecture lovers from around the world. Cape Wickham and Ocean Dunes on King Island and Barnbougle Dunes and Lost Farm on the Tasmanian coast offer raw, wind blown links golf of the highest order. Remote and weather dependent, it is the bucket list emerging destination for the committed traveller.
Indicative 2026 green fees, summer peak season. Always confirm directly before booking.Morocco
The most accessible new winter destination from Europe, where Morocco has built on its royal golf tradition with a wave of modern resorts around Marrakech and Agadir. Reliable winter sunshine, courses framed by the Atlas Mountains, rich culture and short flights from Europe make it a fast growing alternative to the established Mediterranean. A complete cultural and golf escape just three hours from London.
Indicative 2026 green fees, winter peak season. Always confirm directly before booking.Designers, opening years and projected opening dates verified June 2026. Several headline courses, including Old Petty and Ponta do Pargo, are due to open during 2026 and dates can move. Rankings reflect our editorial view. Course profiles are added across the site as the directory grows.
How to play them
These divide into trips you can take today and trips to plan for the next year or two. Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Tasmania and Morocco are ready now, each offering complete itineraries built around courses that are already open and resorts that are up and running. Cabot Highlands, Comporta and Madeira are the openings to watch, where a marquee new course is opening or has just opened and is best paired with the established golf nearby while the destination finds its feet. The reward for going early is the same everywhere: space, value and the story of having played a future great in its first seasons.
Because these places are still establishing themselves, good planning matters more than usual, from flight connections to the wild weather of Tasmania and the new visa rules of Saudi Arabia. Tell us which frontier appeals and roughly when, and we will tell you honestly what is ready, what is worth waiting for, and how to build the trip around it.
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Emerging golf destination questions
What is the best emerging golf destination for 2026?
Vietnam's central coast is the standout emerging destination, pairing the Greg Norman links at Danang with Luke Donald's Ba Na Hills and Nick Faldo's Laguna Lang Co for high quality golf at keen prices. In Europe, the Dunas course at Comporta in Portugal, named the best new course in the world at the 2024 World Golf Awards, and the arrival of Tom Doak's Old Petty at Cabot Highlands in Scotland are the most exciting developments.
Why play an emerging destination before it is established?
Going early means empty fairways, keener pricing while a destination builds its reputation, and the chance to play a future classic in its opening seasons before tee times become hard to get. The trade off is that infrastructure is still developing, so flights, transfers and access need more planning, which is exactly where a trip planner earns its keep.
Which new golf courses are opening in 2026?
Two headline links are due in 2026: Old Petty, a Tom Doak design at Cabot Highlands near Inverness in Scotland, and Ponta do Pargo, a Nick Faldo course on the western cliffs of Madeira due late in the year. The Dunas course at Comporta in Portugal opened in 2023 and is already ranked Portugal's number one. Opening dates can move, so always confirm before building a trip around a new course.
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Hero photograph of Cabot Highlands via Google Places, courtesy Cabot Highlands.