Our updated ranking of the best golf courses in the UK and Ireland features a new No.1, big movers and plenty of surprises.
Our updated ranking of the best golf courses in the UK and Ireland is here – and there has been a remarkable amount of change.
There’s a new No.1, two brand-new courses have broken into the middle section of the Top 100, and several big-name courses have moved significantly up or down the list.
How did we rank the courses?
Our panel has visited all 100 courses, as well as the leading contenders outside the list, over the past two years. More than 95% of the courses played by our panel were paid for by the individuals themselves, helping us maintain an independent view.
Each course was assessed across six categories:
Design – 40%: Does the course take advantage of its landscape (20), the green complexes (10), and the routing (10)?
Setting – 15%: The aesthetic value.
Memorability – 15%: How easy is it to recall the holes? Are they distinctive, varied, and interesting?
Playability – 10%: Is it too tough, possibly even unfair, for the majority? Or is it enjoyed by all?
Consistency – 10%: Do most holes deliver all of the above?
Presentation – 10%: Is maintenance at ease with its surroundings? What about the condition of tees, fairways, bunkers and greens?
Importantly, the ranking is about the golf course itself. Off-course facilities, service and tournament pedigree don’t form part of the scoring.
A new No.1
The biggest change comes at the very top of the ranking, where Royal County Down has jumped to No.1 after gaining a mark for playability.
That means St Andrews Old drops to No.2, having spent the previous four years at the top of our ranking. But there is very little to separate the two: both courses scored 88 points.
Royal County Down remains one of the most spectacular and memorable tests in the world, with the Mourne Mountains providing an extraordinary backdrop and an opening nine that is arguably the finest anywhere. It is a stringent test, but playing it from the correct tees means there are surprisingly few seriously intimidating carries.
St Andrews Old, meanwhile, remains an exceptionally difficult course to knock off the top spot. Its combination of history, strategic design and variety means it was always going to be incredibly close – and the fact that just one point separates it from the third-placed course underlines how tight the top of the ranking is.
The big changes
Royal Portrush’s Dunluce has climbed two places into the top four, with the changes to the course by Martin Ebert helping to improve its consistency.
Further down the list, Royal Porthcawl has made a remarkable six-place jump to No.27, while Royal Cinque Ports is another significant riser at No.25.
Hankley Common has also broken into the top 50 following its recent work, while Formby has climbed five places to No.41.
And if you want to see the biggest leap of all, look out for Portstewart Strand, which has jumped all the way to No.71 after significant work by European Golf Design.
There are plenty of notable drops, too – although in several cases that’s more a reflection of other courses rising than the course itself getting worse.