Germany is set deep in the heart of Europe and it has left its indelible historical mark. Synonymous with reliable cars, Weltschmerz, Black Forest gateaux, poolside beach towels and the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall. With exciting and vibrant cities such as Cologne and Munich, Germany has plenty to offer between its world-famous museums, perched up fairytale castles and mouth-watering culinary delights.

The natural scenery is pretty impressive too with expansive beaches, rugged cliffs and lovely heather in the north, the mighty Bavarian Alps in the south, the Rhine Valley, a 40-mile long Unesco World Heritage site in the west and the birthplace of free climbing, the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, in the east.

Much of the northern part of Germany has sandy soil, which is often protected from development, so only very few golf clubs have been able to build on those free draining sites. Instead, clay and trees dominate the German golf landscape and so the parkland style prevails. Towards the south the soil becomes heavier and, while the average architectural quality of the courses is comparable, the high end cannot hold a candle to the north.

According to the German Golf Association there are 727 golf courses in the country serving more than 640,000 affiliated golfers (2019). Golf is growing slowly in Germany, but it is still growing – although there are concerns that the traditional club membership isn't part of that growth. The majority of clubs are semi-private, so we are confident that you can get a game in most places if you call in advance.

Our rankings of the Top 100 Golf Courses of Germany were last updated in January 2020. Click the link to read the story.