Golf World Top 100: Best Courses in the UK and Ireland – 100-76

The JCB Club is one of the best golf courses in the UK and Ireland.

What are the best golf courses in the UK and Ireland? The revered Golf World Top 100 reveals all in our most anticipated ranking.

JUMP TO: How we did it | 200-101 | 100-76 | 75-51 | 50-26 | 25-11 | 10-1

Let’s begin our countdown of the best golf courses in the world. And remember, we’ve only considered courses that are open to the public in this inaugural ranking. Head over to our ‘How we did it‘ for a full explanation of why and to see how we carried out this mammoth task!

As this is our flagship ranking, we’ve produced a special 84-page digital magazine, which is packed with additional content, including expert interviews, opinion, guides to the best GB&I trips, statistics from the rankings and a fascinating look at the evolution of the list. You can download your copy, here.

Please do feed back where you feel we’re right and, more likely, where you think we’ve gone wrong. We’d love to hear from you via email, on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

And, once you’ve enjoyed this ranking, please do take a look at some of our others – from the best courses in Europe and the USA, to the finest golf resorts in Britain and the world, we’ve got it covered.

Chris Bertram, Golf World Top 100 Editor

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Golf World Top 100: Best courses in the UK & Ireland – 100-76

100. St Andrews (Castle): ⬇️ 4

St Andrews, Fife, Scotland

Design 28 Setting 14 Memorability 12 Playability 7 Consistency 7 Presentation 7 Total 75

This David McLay Kidd design on the outskirts of the Auld Grey Toun was initially criticised for its extreme greens, since softened. It has a clifftop setting and several heart-stopping moments. A very good course to be No.100 – with plenty of fine ones outside the list.

99. Portstewart (Strand): ⬇️ 34

Portstewart, Co. Londonderry, Northern Ireland

Design 30 Setting 12 Memorability 13 Playability 7 Consistency 6 Presentation 7 Total 75

A return to the Top 100 for a former entry. You’ll have read before that it is a course of two halves and that is absolutely true. The back nine is much less dramatic but, to be fair, almost anywhere would be after the Strand’s opening half between the dunes – including one of the great opening tee shots.

98. Sherwood Forest: Re-entry

Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England

Design 31 Setting 11 Memorability 11 Playability 7 Consistency 8 Presentation 7 Total 75

Claims a place in the list in front of many more prestigious names, but anyone who’s played here will nod with approval. It is a heathland of class and authority on the outksirts of Mansfield. A succession of strong par 4s test the best and it has enough character to be of GB&I Top 100 calibre.

97. Castletown: Re-entry

Derbyhaven, Isle of Man

Design 27 Setting 14 Memorability 13 Playability 8 Consistency 6 Presentation 7 Total 75

Castletown has always been a contender for our GB&I lists, but hasn’t made it into one for more than a decade.

It is in its best shape for years and that presentation, allied to its natural attractions, see it make this ranking with something to spare. Expect it to stay there, because there really is a lot to like about this historic links.

Shaped by the nous of Old Tom, Alister MacKenzie and Philip Mackenzie Ross, it benefits from one of the finest settings in the list. That’s best seen in the 16th, an all-world par 3, and the 17th, the epic par 5 pictured above.

The sea is present on many other holes too, but Castletown is much more than just pleasing on the eye. There is plenty for architecture connoisseurs to lap up, too; the 14th, for example, is a strategic delight that you keep wanting to have another go at from a different angle with a different tactic.

It begins a closing stretch as good as pretty much anything in this list, the 15th being a stout two-shotter to a wonderful green, then after the unforgettable 16th and 17th comes the home hole, which asks for a heroic carry over a gorge to a target teetering on the edge of the cliffs.

No.97 is the least Castletown deserves; take our advice and make the trip to the Isle of Man… we’re confident you won’t regret it.

96. Ballyliffin (Old): ⬇️ 25

Inishowen, Co. Donegal, Ireland

Design 31 Setting 12 Memorability 11 Playability 7 Consistency 7 Presentation 7 Total 75

The No.2 at this world-class Irish club, but not by much. Many golfers will rate the Old higher than the Glashedy – that’s how good it is. Founded in 1947 but only extended to 18 in the ’70s, Nick Faldo’s love for its wonderful rippling fairways put it on the map. Like its sister, beautifully presented.

95. The Renaissance Club: ⬇️ 21

North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland

Design 30 Setting 12 Memorability 11 Playability 7 Consistency 7 Presentation 9 Total 76

This Tom Doak links perhaps suffers from sitting among the jewels of East Lothian, but it is also probably true to say he may have routed it differently had the seaside land acquired later been available at the start. That might have turned ‘really good’ into ‘great’. As it is, a fine modern links.

94. Southport & Ainsdale: ⬇️ 12

Southport, Merseyside, England

Design 30 Setting 12 Memorability 11 Playability 8 Consistency 7 Presentation 8 Total 76

The two-time Ryder Cup course comfortably retains its place despite notable incoming entries. The turf is a joy to hit from and there is an ambience to the course that you’d love to carry around with you. S&A starts with a par 3 of high class and the standard rarely deviates after that. A joy.

93. Walton Heath (New): ⬇️ 5

Tadworth, Surrey, England

Design 32 Setting 12 Memorability 12 Playability 7 Consistency 7 Presentation 6 Total 76

Doesn’t quite capture the imagination as the Old does, but classy enough to stay in the list. Characterised by cross-hazards that demand strategic thinking and solid striking. Really comes alive among the heather from the 3rd on. Presentation will hopefully be back to normal by the 2024 list.

RELATED: Best Golf Courses in Surrey

92. St Andrews (New): ⬇️ 5

St Andrews, Fife, Scotland

Design 31 Setting 12 Memorability 11 Playability 8 Consistency 7 Presentation 7 Total 76

For many years – in fact decades – the New was under-appreciated and underrated. Now established in our GB&I list, but some on the panel believe this slot still undersells it. At least as strategic as the Old, it’s as good as it gets if you want to plot your way round an unfussy links. Atmospheric, naturally.

91. The Berkshire (Blue): ⬇️ 8

Ascot, Berkshire, England

Design 31 Setting 12 Memorability 11 Playability 8 Consistency 7 Presentation 7 Total 76

“Always a pleasure, once you have conquered the intimidating 1st hole. Make sure you have warmed up for it,” says one panellist. In addition to the terrific short opener, strong finishing holes help keep the Blue comfortably in the list. Another of Herbert Fowler’s heathland jewels.

90. The JCB Club: New Entry

Uttoxeter, Staffs

Design 32 Setting 10 Memorability 12 Playability 7 Consistency 7 Presentation 8 Total 76

This outstanding modern course by Robin Hiseman, of European Golf Design, found universal favour with those who have played it. Hiseman has got the most from an often-awkward piece of land. It builds steadily over the front nine and from the 7th is never anything other than exceptional.

The 17th, picture at the top of this page and below, will get the plaudits, but JCB, used by the machinery firm to host clients, has memorable moments throughout. The successive sporty par 4s at 11 and 12 are highlights. Its conditioning is phenomenal. Indubitably a long walk, but a thoroughly entertaining one. In the Top 100 to stay.

‘My masterplan for the JCB Club’

Architect Robin Hiseman offers a fascinating insight into what he wanted to achieve for this unique venue

First impressions when you saw the site?

I’d never seen a site with so many different characters. There were eight distinct areas, visually separated from one another. Some of the areas were beautiful and it was easy to see natural holes, while the open farmland was mostly featureless and would require a more creative approach. It was an exciting prospect. I also noticed the soil type was a very heavy clay, which would be challenging.

What did the client want from the course?

A course capable of hosting international professional tournaments. The example
of the John Deere Classic was often referred to. The course has been built to help build relationships with their clients and suppliers and ultimately to drive product sales.

Was there more emphasis on hosting a tour event or on JCB clients every week?

That’s one of the hardest things to do well. When you go to a ski resort, the runs are neatly laid out for skiers of different abilities, but a course must fit everybody on to the same hole 18 times over and try to make it work for all. Both us and JCB focused on this from the beginning, even though the lure of a TV tournament was clearly a big incentive.

With most of the play being corporate, which is, if anything, of a lesser standard than regular club play, I had to ensure we had as good a range of forward tees as possible, some of which entirely bypass the primary hazards seen from the back tees (the 1st for example).

In truth, it’s easier for me to empathise with the average player than imagine myself in the head of a tour pro. I know the physics of the sport and what is a fair target. The rest is all about messing with a golfer’s psychology and tempting them to try things they perhaps shouldn’t.

How many days were you on site and were you tinkering prodigiously?

Well over 100 for sure. We had detailed plans, but tinkering is fun! The 9th is entirely the product of an on-site design change and is far superior to the hole I first designed. Every hole has improvised features, but you’ve got to commit to a design without holding up the schedule.

I probably tried the patience of the construction team! While there are many lovely moments of classic architecture, it is a long walk…That is a product of the landscape and topography of the site. There are woodlands, brooks and hills that create the extended transitions between holes.

I would have loved for more holes to bleed into one another, like 2 and 3 do, but the site is compartmentalised and it would have meant destroying the natural environment to achieve and I wasn’t prepared to do that.

What would you hope people walk off the 18th saying about the course?

That they’ve had a ton of fun engaging with the design and can remember every hole.

89. Royal North Devon: Re-entry

Westward Ho!, Devon, England

Design 30 Setting 12 Memorability 12 Playability 9 Consistency 7 Presentation 6 Total 76

What’s not to love about RND, England’s oldest golf course? It’s forgiving, it’s fun, it’s natural, it’s scenic, it’s compelling, it’s atmospheric, it’s historic and it’s in a village called Westward Ho! It’s how golf used to be, and all the better for that. The grazing sheep hint at its raw nature, so perhaps not for everyone. But it is for us.

88. The Addington: Re-entry

Croydon, Surrey, England

Design 32 Setting 11 Memorability 12 Playability 8 Consistency 7 Presentation 7 Total 77

A tricky one to rank because The Addington is in the middle of the kind of comprehensive restoration we’ve hoped it would undergo for many years. We still liked it even in its overgrown state because there was still great character and entertainment in its holes. So, naturally, we like it a little more now the five-year Clayton, DeVries & Pont overhaul is in progress – but by the time the next GB&I Top 100 is produced we feel sure it will be notably higher. If anything, we might be being cautious with this position, for this is one of the most compelling courses in Britain. Destined to be one of the greats, with the top 50 far from unimaginable.

87. Liphook: ⬇️ 8

Liphook, Hampshire, England

Design 29 Setting 12 Memorability 12 Playability 9 Consistency 7 Presentation 8 Total 77

Exquisite is the word that springs to mind when one thinks of Liphook. A playable, relatively short heathland, it has some of the most engaging green complexes in this Top 100. A couple of its magnificent short holes are out of this world and the same can be said for a handful of its par 4s. A delight.

RELATED: Best Golf Courses in Hampshire

86. Broadstone: ⬆️ 4

Bournemouth, Dorset, England

Design 30 Setting 11 Memorability 13 Playability 8 Consistency 7 Presentation 8 Total 77

The beauty of Dorset is in the variety and depth of its heathlands. We’ve already had Parkstone while Ferndown, just outside the Top 100, is deeply flattering and charming. Broadstone sits on more adventurous land and that results in more dramatic holes. Often heroic, always interesting.

85. The Golf Club House, Elie: New Entry

Earlsferry, Fife, Scotland

Design 30 Setting 12 Memorability 12 Playability 9 Consistency 7 Presentation 7 Total 77

This entry – and indeed its position very comfortably inside the list – for Elie is a revealing window into the kind of course doing well in this ranking generally (and indeed our other Top 100s).

It’s not as if it has just been created or notably refined recently. But while it has always been on our radar, only now does it come into the GB&I elite. Why? It is fun, it is playable, it is scenic and it is strategic.

But it has been all these things for more than 100 years you could say. It has. But as we have noted in the early pages of this supplement, the emphasis is on these attributes now more strongly than ever, and thus Elie has been promoted accordingly.

Some might say it is too easy for the skilled player, and that stronger, longer courses
that used to be in the list are a better test. Possibly. But two things: first, the large majority of golfers are not category one players; and secondly, it depends what you consider a ‘better test’. If you want a brawny examination of hitting, it is not that, agreed. If you want questions posed of course management, strategy, imagination, creativity, crisp ball-striking and nous, you’ll think it offers those and then some.

What’s more, it does all that in so many different ways on a collection of varied holes set down on wonderful undulating terrain that was made for golf. The green complexes are just brilliant and you get the wow factor along the shore, too. Magical.

RELATED: Best Golf Courses in Scotland

84. Royal Worlington & Newmarket: Re-entry

Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England

 Design 31 Setting 11 Memorability 12 Playability 8 Consistency 7 Presentation 7 Total 76

Just nines hole are needed to get Royal Worlington & Newmarket in this list for the first time since 2004. ‘The Sacred Nine’ is essentially an education in the best of architecture, with lovely touches on every hole.

83. Parkstone: ⬆️ 7

Bournemouth, Dorset

Design 31 Setting 11 Memorability 12 Playability 8 Consistency 7 Presentation 8 Total 77

For many years Parkstone was on the outside looking in on this list. No longer. Right from the 1st hole, a brilliant par 4 to a tucked green, it is a heathland of high calibre. In super condition and constantly engaging, we’d be surprised if many thought it did not belong in this company.

RELATED: Best Golf Courses in England

82. West Hill: ⬆️ 8

Woking, Surrey, England

Design 32 Setting 11 Memorability 11 Playability 8 Consistency 7 Presentation 8 Total 77

Elegant heathland with many interesting approaches. It has improved significantly thanks to tree removal. “It’s hard to rank it below the other Ws when you do a hole vs hole comparison. It might not have the very best holes of the three but, 14th apart, the rest are very strong,” says one panellist.

81. Moortown: ⬇️ 10

Leeds, West Yorkshire

Design 32 Setting 11 Memorability 11 Playability 8 Consistency 7 Presentation 8 Total 77

This grand old Leeds club undertook a tree management programme long before it became as popular as it is now. The results – a heathland that can now breathe – are now being built on by Doak disciple Clyde Johnson. The famous short 10th might be the highlight, but there are plenty of highs.

80. Worplesdon: ⬇️ 2

Woking, Surrey

Design 31 Setting 12 Memorability 12 Playability 7 Consistency 7 Presentation 8 Total 77

A weaker start compared to others in the list, but a strong, challenging finish more than makes up that. A fine routing by JF Abercromby, a welcome bunker programme by Tim Lobb and a top-class second nine keeps the pretty heath and heather of Worplesdon among the elite.

79. Rosapenna (Sandy Hills): ⬇️ 6

Downings, Co. Donegal, Ireland

Design 29 Setting 13 Memorability 13 Playability 7 Consistency 7 Presentation 8 Total 77

Ironically finds itself as the No.2 course at this links mecca just as it is in arguably its best ever shape. St Patrick’s would put most courses in second place, though, and Sandy Hills is seriously good now. Offering more width off the tee and seriously well presented, it’s a superstar in its own right.

78. Aberdovey: ⬆️ 12

Aberdovey, Mid Wales, Wales

Design 30 Setting 12 Memorability 14 Playability 7 Consistency 6 Presentation 8 Total 77

Starts and ends as impressively as all but the very best in these islands, and while the middle phase doesn’t quite reach those highs it’s hardly modest. Bernard Darwin’s favourite is headlined by high-calibre short holes and sporty par 4s such as the 16th, one of the finest two-shotters in the land.

RELATED: Best Golf Courses in Wales

77. Brora: Re-entry

Brora, Highlands, Scotland

Design 31 Setting 12 Memorability 12 Playability 8 Consistency 7 Presentation 7 Total 77

If you’ve been to Brora and don’t have a soft spot for it, you’re probably not going to like much about this list. It oozes the kind of playability, charm and natural appeal that underpins much of this 100. It has its moments of scenic highs, but mostly it’s about the cute holes among perfect linksland.

76. Enniscrone: ⬇️ 19

Enniscrone, Co. Sligo, Ireland

Design 29 Setting 13 Memorability 14 Playability 7 Consistency 7 Presentation 7 Total 77

That we are suggesting there are 75 better courses in GB&I than Enniscrone is testament to the incredible depth to our golf. Enniscrone would comfortably sit 40 places higher. Packed with rumbustious holes over rumbling terrain, the stretch from the 11th home is magnificent.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chris Bertram is the Golf World Top 100 Editor.

He was born and brought up in Dumfriesshire and has been a sports journalist since 1996, initially as a junior writer with National Club Golfer magazine.

Chris then spent four years writing about football and rugby union for the Press Association but returned to be Editor and then Publisher of NCG before joining Golf World and Today’s Golfer as Senior Production Editor.

He has been freelance since 2010 and when he is not playing and writing about the world’s finest golf courses, he works for BBC Sport.

A keen all-round sportsman, Chris plays off 11 – which could be a little better if it wasn’t for hilariously poor lag putting which has to be seen to be believed.