Top 10 Golf Courses in Iceland
Iceland is the world's most northerly golf country of significance, and the conditions that make it logistically extreme also make it extraordinary. In June and July, the sun barely sets — the Arctic Circle Golf tournament at Akureyri has been played at midnight since 1986, with golfers finishing rounds in full summer light at 2 am. The volcanic terrain produces landscapes of lava, moss, geysers and glacier-fed rivers that frame courses unlike anything in the golfing world. Iceland has around 65 clubs for a population of 370,000, a per-capita participation rate that rivals Scandinavia's most golf-obsessed nations. The season runs from late April to October, with August typically the most reliable month for weather. Green fees are reasonable by Nordic standards and visitor access is straightforward at most clubs.
1. Keilir Golf Club, Hafnarfjörður
Keilir is the premier club in the greater Reykjavik area and consistently ranked among the top three courses in Iceland. The course, par 71, around 6,000 metres, sits on lava fields with views of the eponymous Keilir volcanic cone and, on clear days, the Snæfellsjökull glacier. The lava rough is unplayable — lose a ball in it and it is gone — which concentrates the mind considerably on accuracy. The fairways are maintained in the Scandinavian tradition: firm, well-watered in summer, with bent grass greens that roll true. Keilir hosts major Icelandic amateur championships and is the closest top-quality course to Reykjavik's international airport. Green fees are around 8,000–10,000 ISK.
2. Brautarholt Golf Club, Reykjavik
Brautarholt is the golf course of Reykjavik's capital club and occupies a ridge above the city with panoramic views over Faxaflói Bay and the mountains of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Par 70, around 5,700 metres, the course is compact by international standards but uses its elevated terrain cleverly: several holes play across natural valleys with significant wind exposure, and the greens, perched on ridges, demand precise approaches. The clubhouse is the social hub of Reykjavik golf and the bar — open late in summer given the endless light — is a reliable venue for post-round discussion. Visitor green fees are in the 7,000–9,000 ISK range.
3. Akureyri Golf Club (Jaðarsvöllur), Akureyri
Akureyri is the home of Arctic golf. The club, founded in 1935, plays its famous Arctic Open tournament in late June under the midnight sun, and the course — par 71, around 5,800 metres — sits in a dramatic natural bowl overlooking the Eyjafjörður fjord, the longest fjord in Iceland. The surrounding mountains, still snow-capped in June, create a backdrop that no other golf course in the world can replicate. The course itself is well-maintained, with challenging uphill approach holes and several tees that provide the golfer with the sensation of playing on the edge of an Arctic landscape. Green fees are modest; the Arctic Open entry is open to visiting golfers on application.
4. Golfklúbburinn Geysir, Haukadalur
Geysir Golf Club sits adjacent to the famous geothermal field of Geysir and Strokkur — you play with geothermal activity on the horizon. The 9-hole course, par 35, is not long by any measure, but the experience of playing in the golden valley of Haukadalur, with steam rising from the earth a few hundred metres away and the occasional eruption of Strokkur punctuating the round, is simply unlike anything else in golf. The course is part of the golden circle tourist route and attracts visitors combining the geyser sites with a round of golf. Green fees are very modest.
5. Golfklúbbur Reykjavíkur, Reykjavik
The Reykjavik Golf Club is the oldest and most historically significant club in Iceland, founded in 1934. The course at Grafarholt on the east side of the capital city plays to par 71, around 5,800 metres, across gently rolling lava terrain that has been grassed over decades. The mature bent grass fairways and the long history of the club give it a character that newer Icelandic clubs cannot replicate. The club has produced more Icelandic international players than any other and its junior programme is the most developed in the country. Visitor green fees are around 7,000–9,000 ISK.
6. Golfklúbburinn Húsafelli, Húsafelli
Húsafelli Golf Club sits in a birch woodland reserve near the Hvítá river in west Iceland — one of the few areas of natural woodland in a country largely treeless since Viking-era deforestation. The course, 9 holes, par 36, benefits from the shelter the birches provide and the Langjökull glacier visibility from its upper holes. It is a peaceful, unhurried course that rewards the kind of exploratory tourism that Iceland's interior facilitates. The nearby hot pot and waterfall at Hraunfossar make it easy to combine golf with Iceland's broader natural attractions.
7. Golfklúbbur Ísafjarðar, Ísafjörður
Ísafjörður Golf Club is the most dramatically situated course in Iceland and possibly one of the most dramatically situated in the world. It occupies a narrow coastal plain at the head of the Ísafjarðardjúp fjord in the remote Westfjords, with sheer mountain walls rising on three sides and the fjord on the fourth. The 9-hole course, par 35, is modest in its architecture but the setting is overwhelming: mountains of 900 metres drop almost vertically to the fairways and the sea is visible throughout. Getting here requires either a short flight from Reykjavik or a lengthy drive through the fjord roads; the remoteness is part of the experience.
8. Golfhöllin, Reykjavik
Golfhöllin is the principal indoor golf facility in Iceland, offering simulator bays and a professional coaching operation that keeps Iceland's golf community active through the winter months when outdoor play is impractical. Located in Reykjavik, it provides swing analysis, club fitting and practice facilities to a standard comparable to indoor golf operations in Scandinavia and northern Europe. For visitors arriving outside the outdoor season — October through April — or wanting a warm-up session before heading to a course, Golfhöllin is the natural option.
9. Nesvöllur Golf Course, Neskaupstaður
Nesvöllur occupies a coastal site in east Iceland near the town of Neskaupstaður, one of the East Fjords communities that are worth the journey from Reykjavik for the landscape alone. The 9-hole course plays on relatively flat terrain reclaimed from the fjord shore, with the mountains and fjord providing the visual drama that the design itself cannot create. Like most Icelandic rural clubs, it operates on very modest green fees and a relaxed visitor policy that simply asks for consideration of the course. East Iceland is the least-visited region of the country, which makes its golf course a genuine discovery for the adventurous travelling golfer.
10. Grafarholtsvöllur, Reykjavik
Grafarholt is the second course operated by the Reykjavik Golf Club — a more practice-oriented 9-hole layout in the same east Reykjavik lava terrain as the main 18-hole course at the same club. It provides an accessible entry point for visitors who want a shorter round or who are new to the Icelandic game. Green fees are minimal and equipment hire is available; the site also operates a driving range that is useful for warming up before tackling Keilir or Brautarholt in earnest.
Planning an Iceland Golf Trip
The outdoor season runs from late April to mid-October; June and July are peak months for the midnight sun experience. Most Icelandic courses operate informally — you can arrive and play at most rural clubs without advance booking, simply paying at the clubhouse. Reykjavik clubs are busier and weekend morning tee times can be occupied by members; midweek mornings are the most reliable option. Green fees are typically 7,000–12,000 ISK at the main clubs. To locate every course across Iceland's dramatic geography, open the map and plan a route that combines golf with the country's extraordinary volcanic landscape.