Top 10 Golf Courses in Switzerland
Switzerland is not a country that typically appears high on a list of international golf destinations, but it harbours a collection of courses that can legitimately claim to offer the most spectacular mountain settings in European golf. The country's terrain — the Alps in the south and east, the Jura in the northwest, the rolling Mittelland in between — dictates an architecture of necessity: courses must work around dramatic elevation changes, alpine meadows, river valleys and, at altitude, the abbreviated growing season that comes with genuinely high terrain. The result is golf that is aesthetically distinct from anything in the British Isles, France or Iberia. The Alps produce genuine mountain golf at places like Crans-sur-Sierre and the Cervino near Zermatt; the lowland clubs around Geneva, Zurich and Basel offer parkland golf of a more conventional but often excellent standard.
1. Golf Club Crans-sur-Sierre, Crans-Montana, Valais
Crans-sur-Sierre is Switzerland's most celebrated golf address and one of the most recognisable alpine golf destinations in the world. The course sits at around 1,500 metres in the Rhône Valley above Sierre, facing south across the valley floor to the peaks of the Bernese Oberland. Seve Ballesteros played here, Tiger Woods won here, and the European Masters — now the Omega European Masters — has been held at Crans since 1939, making it one of the longest-running events on the European Tour calendar. Jack Nicklaus redesigned the course in 1997, incorporating the natural alpine meadow and mountain torrent characteristics that make it unique. The course plays to around 6,400 metres; altitude adds distance to every shot. Open from May to late October; visitor tee times available.
2. Golf Club Les Bois, Les Bois, Jura
Golf Club Les Bois is one of Switzerland's most unusual and rewarding courses, situated in the Franches-Montagnes plateau of the Swiss Jura at nearly 1,000 metres, in one of the last areas of Swiss landscape that retains a genuinely wild, pastoral character. The course runs across upland meadows that in winter are used for cross-country skiing; the summer transformation — from snow-covered pasture to immaculate fairways — is remarkable. The terrain dictates a routing that uses natural slopes and stream valleys with intelligence; the holes feel discovered rather than constructed. Visitor tee times are available; the season runs June to October. The surrounding area, famous for watchmaking and wild horse herds, adds to the appeal of a visit.
3. Golfclub Bad Ragaz, Bad Ragaz, St. Gallen
Bad Ragaz occupies the spa resort town in the Rhine Valley near the Liechtenstein border, with the course designed by Donald Harradine and later refined to offer a mountain parkland experience of genuine quality. The layout plays through the meadows and woodland of the valley floor with the Rätikon mountain range as a constant backdrop. Par is 70 at around 5,700 metres; the modest length is compensated by the strategic interest of the routing and the quality of the greens. Bad Ragaz has hosted the European Tour's BMW International Open and the Swiss Open. The resort town itself — famous for its thermal spa, which claims the hottest natural spring in the Alps — makes it an all-round destination. Visitor tee times are available year-round within the season.
4. Golf du Domaine Impérial, Gland, Vaud
Golf du Domaine Impérial, designed by Pete Dye and opened in 1993 on the shores of Lake Geneva near Gland, is consistently ranked among the best courses in Switzerland. The layout runs through the parkland of an estate on the lake's north shore, with generous views across the water to the French Alps. Dye's signature combination of railway sleeper-faced bunkers, undulating greens and risk-reward holes plays at around 6,300 metres at par 72. The European Tour's Swiss Open has been staged here. The club is a private membership operation; access for visitors is through member introduction.
5. Golf de Bonmont, Chéserex, Vaud
Golf de Bonmont, on the plateau above the Côte vineyard region west of Nyon, is set in the grounds of a 12th-century Cistercian abbey and combines historical atmosphere with a course of genuine quality. Donald Harradine designed it in 1983 on rolling farmland with the Jura to the north and Lake Geneva visible from the high points of the course. The layout plays to around 6,100 metres at par 72 with mature trees providing definition to many fairways. The club is private; visitor access is managed through member introductions. The combination of the abbey buildings, vineyard views and parkland golf makes it one of Switzerland's most atmospheric clubs.
6. Golf Club de Genève, Cologny, Geneva
Golf Club de Genève is the oldest golf club in Switzerland, founded in 1891, and its course at Cologny on the hillside above Lake Geneva is one of the most beautifully positioned in the country. The layout looks across the lake to Mont Blanc; on a clear day the view from the higher holes is among the finest from any first tee in Europe. The course has been redesigned multiple times over its long history, most recently in a project that sought to preserve its historic character while modernising its playing quality. It is a private club; access through introduction.
7. Golfclub Zurich Zumikon, Zumikon
Golfclub Zurich Zumikon is the most prestigious club in the Zurich metropolitan area, a mature parkland layout in the hills east of the city with established trees and a routing that makes elegant use of the undulating Zürichsee countryside. The Swiss Open has been held here. The course plays to around 6,400 metres at par 72. Like most Swiss private clubs, access is through member introduction; the club operates with the formality typical of Switzerland's major golf institutions. The location above the lake gives partial views across the water on several holes.
8. Golf Club del Cervino, Breuil-Cervinia
Golf Club del Cervino is a cross-border curiosity: situated near Cervinia in the Aosta Valley on the Italian side of the Matterhorn massif, it is one of the highest golf courses in the Alps and is associated with the Swiss resort culture of Zermatt directly across the mountain. The course plays through high alpine meadow at around 2,000 metres, with the Matterhorn itself — one of the most dramatic mountains in the world — visible throughout the round. The nine-hole layout is short and the altitude makes yardages misleading. The season is compressed: roughly July through September. For golfers combining Zermatt and Cervinia in a mountain holiday, it is an irreplaceable experience.
9. Golf Club Schönenberg, Schönenberg an der Thur
Golf Club Schönenberg, in the hills between Zurich and the Rhine near Schönenberg an der Thur, is a well-regarded parkland club offering 18 holes in a quiet rural setting. The course plays through farmland and woodland at around 5,800 metres with views of the pre-Alps to the east. The club is active in the Swiss amateur circuit and maintains excellent conditions through the season. Visitor green fees are available; the drive from central Zurich takes under an hour.
10. Golf und Landclub Wylihof, Luterbach, Solothurn
Golf und Landclub Wylihof, south of Solothurn in the Mittelland between Basel and Bern, is a parkland course with 27 holes offering various 18-hole combinations. The course runs through flat to gently rolling farmland, supplemented by water features and mature tree plantings that provide the visual interest absent from the surrounding landscape. The club is moderately private; visitor tee times are available on most days. For golfers passing through central Switzerland or based in Solothurn, it is a reliable and enjoyable option.
Practical Information
Switzerland's golf season concentrates between April and October at lower altitudes; high-altitude mountain courses like Crans and Cervino are restricted to June through September. Summer offers excellent conditions across the country, though the Mittelland can be humid in July. Green fees range from around CHF 80 at less prominent clubs to CHF 200 or more at the top resort and private venues. The private club culture is strong; membership introductions are genuinely necessary for many of the best courses. Switzerland's compact size makes multi-course touring practical — it is possible to play in the Jura, on the Mittelland and in the Valais within a single short trip. Open the map gives the clearest overview of Switzerland's full range of courses across all three language regions.