Iceland has 65 golf courses and 12,000 registered golfers — roughly one course per 5,500 residents, the highest density per capita in the world. The reason is the midnight sun: from late May through July, the sky never fully darkens, and Icelandic golfers tee off at 11pm and finish at 2am in full daylight. The Arctic Open at Akureyri Golf Club (the world's northernmost top-100 course) runs this way every June. It's the most genuinely unusual golf trip on the planet.
What makes Iceland actually playable is the volcanic landscape. Lava fields, geothermal vents, glacial rivers, and basalt cliffs form the rough on most courses. Keilir Golf Club (10 minutes from Reykjavík, host of the Iceland Open) has holes routed through 6,000-year-old lava fields. Brautarholt north of the city plays through fjord-side meadows. Vestmannaeyjar — on a volcanic island formed in 1973 — has a course routed around an active volcanic crater. None of these are major-championship venues, but the setting puts them in a category of one.
The trip is short by golf-destination standards. Reykjavík is the natural base, with 4-5 marquee courses within a 1-hour drive. Add the Blue Lagoon, a Golden Circle waterfall tour, a glacier hike, and you have a 5-7 day trip that golfers and non-golfers both enjoy. Direct flights from Boston and NYC make it the easiest European destination from the US East Coast — under 6 hours. The catch is the price: Iceland is expensive, and the golf-specific economics aren't great. Most groups go for the experience, not the rounds.
Best courses
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Keilir Golf Club
10 minutes from Reykjavík. The Iceland Open host, with holes routed through 6,000-year-old lava fields. $95 green fee, walking-friendly, the easiest marquee tee time in the country.
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Akureyri Golf Club
Host of the Arctic Open every June — played 24-hour daylight. World's northernmost top-100 course. $90 green fee, the bucket-list visit for the midnight-sun round.
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Brautarholt Golf Course
20 minutes north of Reykjavík, fjord-side. Most photogenic Iceland course — the routing crosses meadows with views of the Snæfellsjökull glacier. $85 green fee.
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Vestmannaeyjar Golf Club
On the Westman Islands, formed by the 1973 Eldfell volcanic eruption. The course routes around an active crater. $80 green fee. Reach by 40-minute ferry from Landeyjahöfn.
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GKG (Garðabær)
15 minutes south of Reykjavík, the most-played Icelandic course by locals. Two 9-hole layouts on rolling moor. $75 green fee, walking-friendly, the easy first round of any trip.
Sub-areas to know
Reykjavík (capital region)
Iceland's only major city. Three top-tier courses within a 20-minute drive (Keilir, GKG, Brautarholt), the Blue Lagoon, the Old Harbour. The default base for any first trip.
Akureyri (the north)
World's northernmost top-100 course, host of the Arctic Open (24-hour daylight in June). 45-minute flight or 4-hour drive from Reykjavík. The northern-Iceland golf base.
Westman Islands (Vestmannaeyjar)
Volcanic islands off the south coast formed by the 1973 Eldfell eruption. 40-minute ferry from Landeyjahöfn. The crater course is the unique Iceland experience.
South Coast (Vík + Skógafoss)
2-3 hours east of Reykjavík along the Ring Road. Black-sand beaches, glacier walks, the Eyjafjallajökull volcano. Useful for a non-golf day trip or 2-day side loop.
When to go
Best monthsMid-May through mid-September
Short season. Late May still cool (45-55°F) with daffodils still in bud; June-August is the peak (55-65°F highs, midnight sun); September cools quickly. The midnight sun window — when 24-hour daylight makes Arctic Open possible — is from mid-June to early July.
Sample itinerary
5-day Iceland golf + sights
- Day 01Land KEF, drive to Reykjavík
45 minutes from Keflavík to downtown Reykjavík. Check in at a downtown hotel. Loosener at GKG in the afternoon.
- Day 02Keilir + Blue Lagoon evening
Keilir morning — the Iceland Open venue with lava field holes. Blue Lagoon in the late afternoon (book ahead, 30 min from Keilir).
- Day 03Brautarholt + Golden Circle drive
Brautarholt morning (fjord views). Drive the Golden Circle in the afternoon — Þingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss. Back to Reykjavík for dinner.
- Day 04Akureyri day or midnight round
Option A: 4-hour drive (or 45 min flight) to Akureyri for the Arctic Open course; play a midnight round in June. Option B: Vestmannaeyjar day trip via ferry.
- Day 05GKG or sightseeing, then home
Quick morning round at GKG or skip golf for a Reykjavík museum + Old Harbour day. KEF for the evening flight.
What it costs
$3,200–$5,400 per person for 5 days
Iceland is genuinely expensive. Reykjavík hotels $250-500/night, rental car $500-700/week (you'll want a 4WD for the Golden Circle), green fees $75-95 per round (the one cheap thing). Food is expensive — $40-80/person/dinner. Add the Blue Lagoon ($85), Akureyri flight or 4-hour drive, and most groups land $3,800-4,800 per person for 5 days.
Want a real number for your group? The planner produces a per-person estimate based on your dates, party size, and course choices.
Getting there
- KEF · Keflavík (Reykjavík)45 min driveThe only major airport. Direct from JFK, EWR, BOS, IAD, ORD, MSP, plus most European hubs. Icelandair and PLAY are the two main carriers; both run Reykjavík stopover programs free of charge.
- AEY · AkureyriIn town driveDomestic only — 45-minute flight from Reykjavík (REK). Useful for the Arctic Open course and northern-Iceland day trips.
Rent a 4WD car at KEF — Iceland's road conditions outside Reykjavík can be rough, and you'll want flexibility for the Golden Circle drive. Right-hand drive, English signage, low traffic. The Hringvegur (Ring Road) loops the entire country if you have 10 days.
Practical
- New York (JFK) → KEF5h 30m direct (Icelandair, PLAY)
- Boston (BOS) → KEF5h direct (Icelandair, PLAY)
- London (LHR) → KEF3h direct (Icelandair, easyJet)
- SpringCool, 40-50°F highs, daylight extending fast. The first 18 holes for the season is usually mid-May.
- SummerPeak. 55-65°F highs, midnight sun from mid-June to early July, the local festival season.
- FallQuickly cooling. September 45-55°F highs, courses close by October 1.
- WinterCourses closed. Iceland in winter is the Northern Lights / hot-spring trip — beautiful, but not a golf destination.
FAQ
Is Iceland actually worth a golf trip?
For the experience, absolutely. The midnight-sun rounds at Akureyri or Keilir, the lava-field routings, the volcanic landscapes — there's nothing like it in golf. For the course caliber alone, no — Iceland's tracks are good but not world-class. The smart framing: Iceland is a 5-day Iceland trip with 2-3 rounds, not a 5-day golf trip in Iceland.
When is the midnight sun?
From roughly June 17 to June 26 the sun doesn't fully set in Reykjavík; you can tee off at 11pm and play in full daylight. Akureyri (further north) extends this window from early June to early July. The Arctic Open at Akureyri runs in late June with 24-hour daylight — book a year in advance.
Combine Iceland with Scotland or Ireland?
Yes, and Icelandair encourages it with their free stopover program. Fly New York → Reykjavík → Edinburgh (or Dublin) with the Iceland leg as a 3-5 day stopover at no extra airfare. A natural Scotland + Iceland combination is 4-5 days in Iceland (Reykjavík golf + Golden Circle + Akureyri) then 5 days in Scotland (St Andrews + East Lothian).
How expensive is Iceland really?
Hotels $250-500/night for anything good; rental car $500-700/week; restaurant dinner $50-100 per person; activities (Blue Lagoon, glacier hike) $85-200. Green fees are the one bargain at $75-95. Budget $4,000-5,000 per person for 5 days; cheaper if you self-cater in an Airbnb.
What about non-golfers?
Iceland is one of the best mixed-trip destinations in the world. The Blue Lagoon, Golden Circle waterfalls, glacier hikes, whale watching from Húsavík, the Reykjavík harbour and the National Museum — a non-golfer has a full week of activities without ever touching a golf course. The trip works equally well as a couples' vacation with a single round.
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