Some of the world's great golf trips need no car at all. A walkable links town, a rail line that stops beside the first tee, a resort shuttle that runs all day: get the destination right and you can swap the rental desk for a relaxed pint after the round. Here are the ten best car free golf destinations, ranked.
A great car free destination has to make the golf easy to reach without a steering wheel. We looked for three things: a walkable golf town where you can stroll from your room to the tee, a reliable rail or ferry link that drops you beside the courses, or a resort that shuttles you everywhere all day. Then we ranked by the quality of the golf you can reach that way. The verdicts are ours; the transport details we cite are current at publication, so always check timetables before you travel.
Scotland dominates the top for a reason: the railways and the game grew up together, and the links were built beside the stations. But the model travels. America's destination resorts shuttle you door to door, Cabot's two courses sit beside the village, and a city like Singapore has world class public transport to its golf. Every destination here can be done, and enjoyed, without ever renting a car.
Reviewed June 2026 by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Destination and transport facts verified at publication. How we research and review.
From the walkable home of golf to a resort that shuttles you to five links, ranked with our verdicts and how you get around at each.
The best car free golf town on earth. Seven public courses, the Old Course among them, sit within walking distance of the medieval centre, and a train to Leuchars and a short bus get you in from Edinburgh. Walk to the first tee, walk back for dinner, and let the bus or train carry you out to Carnoustie or Kingsbarns. Golf the way it was meant to be.
Scotland's golf coast, just half an hour by train from Edinburgh. North Berwick and Gullane sit a short walk from their stations, with Muirfield, Renaissance and a dozen more links strung along the shore. Base in North Berwick, ride the train in and out and play a different links every day without ever touching a car.
The American resort built to be car free. Fly into the coast, check in, and the resort shuttle runs to all five links while the golf itself is walking only with a caddie. Once you arrive you never need a car again, just your spikes and a rain jacket. The purest links trip in the country.
A genuine walkable golf village wrapped around nine courses, led by Donald Ross's No. 2, with the Carolina Hotel and The Cradle short course steps from the clubhouse. The resort shuttle covers the rest. Stay in the village and the whole trip happens on foot, porch beers included.
Two of the modern era's best links, Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs, sit right beside the village of Inverness on Cape Breton, with the lodges a short walk from the first tee. Once you reach this corner of Nova Scotia, everything is within strolling distance of the golf. Remote, but car free when you get there.
Portrush has a railway station in town and a clutch of hotels a short walk from Royal Portrush, the Open Championship links, with Portstewart and Castlerock close by on the same line. A seaside resort town where you can stay, walk to the golf and ride the train along the Causeway Coast. Superb links, no car needed.
The grand Perthshire resort has its own station around two minutes away, with direct trains from London and complimentary transfers to the door. Three championship courses, including the PGA Centenary that hosted the 2014 Ryder Cup, are all on site. Step off the train and you are home for the week.
Proof that a great city can be a car free golf destination. World class metro and taxis reach Sentosa Golf Club, host of the Singapore Open and one of Asia's finest, along with the island's other layouts. Pair the golf with one of the world's great food and hotel scenes, all without a rental.
An isolated golf resort on reclaimed mining land, built around walking golf and a single lakeside lodge. Once you transfer in, the resort moves you between the Red, Blue and Black courses and the golf is walked, so the car stays parked. A self contained car free escape in the heart of Florida.
Stay at the Lodge at Pebble Beach and the most famous course in America is a short walk from your room, with resort transport running the rest of the 17 Mile Drive to Spyglass Hill and Spanish Bay. Pricey, but you can do a Pebble trip on foot and shuttle, no rental required. A fitting end to our car free ten.
The trick to a car free golf trip is choosing the right kind of place: a walkable golf town, a rail served coast or a shuttle resort. The table below sums up how you get around at each, so you can match the destination to the way you want to travel. Check current timetables and transfer arrangements before you go, as services change with the season.
| Destination | How you get around | Anchor golf |
|---|---|---|
| St Andrews | Walkable town, train and bus | The Old Course |
| East Lothian | Train from Edinburgh | North Berwick, Gullane |
| Bandon Dunes | Resort shuttle, walking only | Pacific Dunes |
| Gleneagles | Own station and transfers | PGA Centenary |
| Portrush | Train and walkable town | Royal Portrush |
Compare live tee times through our partner: [TEE_TIME_AFFILIATE_LINK]. Hotels near the courses and stations: [HOTEL_AFFILIATE_LINK].
A car free trip takes a little more planning and a lot less stress. The reward is staying in the heart of a golf town, riding the train along a links coast, or letting a resort shuttle you door to door while everyone enjoys a drink after the round. Tell us where you want to play and how you like to travel, and we will build it around trains, ferries, shuttles and caddies.
We book the courses, the central hotels and the transfers, line up the rail connections and taxis, and make sure the clubs and bags get where they need to be, so the only thing you carry is a putter.
St Andrews is the best car free golf destination in the world. The town's seven courses, including the Old Course, are within walking distance of the centre, and trains and short buses reach Carnoustie and other Fife links. Gleneagles and East Lothian are the other great rail served options in Scotland.
Yes. Bandon Dunes is designed to be car free once you arrive. The resort runs shuttles to every course and the golf is walking only, so most guests fly into the area and never touch a car for the rest of the trip.
Gleneagles in Scotland has its own station around two minutes from the hotel, with direct trains from London and complimentary guest transfers. St Andrews is reached by train to Leuchars then a short bus, North Berwick and the East Lothian links sit beside their stations, and Portrush has a station in town.
The best car free trips lean on three things: a walkable golf town such as St Andrews or Pinehurst, a rail network like Scotland's that drops you beside the links, or a resort like Bandon Dunes that shuttles you everywhere. Taxis and caddies fill any gaps.
Often yes. Skipping car rental, fuel and parking can save several hundred dollars on a week, and rail or resort shuttle trips let everyone relax and enjoy a drink after the round. It also tends to mean staying right in the heart of a golf town, which is half the fun.
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