The GolfForKings Course Data Report 2026: Designers, Eras and What Golf Costs
We keep a structured record of every course we profile. We pulled the 463 entries that carry complete design data — architect, era, course type and price band — and counted. Here is what the world's travel-worthy golf actually looks like in 2026.
What we did
GolfForKings indexes 1,722 course pages across 70 countries. For this report we took the 463 courses for which our database holds the full design record — named architect, opening or redesign year, a course-type classification and an indicative price band — and aggregated them. No estimates and no outside lists: just our own data, counted. Every fee is indicative and seasonal, so treat the money below as orientation, not a quote.
1. Links and parkland still rule
Two course types account for more than half the set: Links (137) and parkland (129) together make up 57% of the 463 courses. The rest fans out into heathland, desert, resort and a long tail of coastal, clifftop and hybrid styles — a reminder that the modern golf trip is no longer just a links pilgrimage.
| Course type | Courses | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Links | 137 | 30% |
| Parkland | 129 | 28% |
| Heathland | 30 | 6% |
| Desert | 30 | 6% |
| Resort | 45 | 10% |
| Coastal/clifftop | 39 | 8% |
| Forest | 20 | 4% |
| Sandbelt/sandhills | 12 | 3% |
| Other | 21 | 5% |
2. The most-featured architects
Design pedigree is one of the strongest reasons a course earns a place on a trip. Across the set the names that recur most blend the modern era with the golden age — Jack Nicklaus and Kyle Phillips alongside Harry Colt and James Braid.
| # | Architect | Courses |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jack Nicklaus | 18 |
| 2 | Robert Trent Jones Sr | 16 |
| 3 | Kyle Phillips | 13 |
| 4 | Harry Colt | 13 |
| 5 | Pete Dye | 12 |
| 6 | Greg Norman | 12 |
| 7 | James Braid | 12 |
| 8 | Robert Trent Jones Jr | 11 |
| 9 | Gary Player | 9 |
| 10 | Tom Fazio | 9 |
Where a course credits more than one architect, each is counted once.
3. Built across 180 years
The set spans courses laid out before 1900 to brand-new 2020s builds. The single busiest stretch is the modern resort boom of 1990–2009, but the 1900–1939 golden age is still strongly represented — the era of Colt, Braid and Fowler that travellers still cross oceans to play.
| Era | Courses |
|---|---|
| Pre-1900 | 20 |
| 1900–1939 (golden age) | 74 |
| 1940–1989 | 63 |
| 1990–2009 | 162 |
| 2010 onward | 71 |
Based on the 390 courses with a recorded design or opening year.
4. What it costs
We band each course's indicative green fee rather than chase a single moving number. The set skews mid-market: 87% sit in the two middle bands, with a small premium tail and a useful value tier. The fees themselves span the world — 107 courses priced in euros, 98 in dollars and 54 in pounds — which is why we always quote indicative, dated figures and tell you to confirm before booking.
| Indicative price band | Courses | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Band 1 — value | 52 | 11% |
| Band 2 — mid | 220 | 48% |
| Band 3 — premium | 184 | 40% |
| Band 4 — top | 7 | 2% |
5. Par 72 is the world standard
Of the courses with a recorded par, 336 play to par 72 — comfortably the global default for a championship-length round. Par 71 and 70 make up most of the rest, typically the older or tighter links where length was never the point.
Method & limits
Figures are counts from the GolfForKings database as of June 2026, covering the 463 of 1,722 indexed courses with complete design records. Architect attribution follows the primary designer of record; era uses the recorded design or opening year; price bands are our own indicative classification and not live pricing. We never invent a number, a review or a quote — green fees move with the season, so always confirm directly before booking.
Planning a trip around any of these? Browse the course index, read how we rank courses, or tell us the brief and we will build and cost it.
Researched, written and fact-checked by the GolfForKings founders. Data compiled June 2026 from the GolfForKings course database. Last reviewed June 2026.