Where are the world’s best golf courses? A country-by-country breakdown
Royal County Down is one of two courses in Northern Ireland to make GOLF's latest Top 100 list.
Evan Schiller
Our latest GOLF Top 100 Courses in the World ranking is here! The dozens of courses included on the 2023-24 list span across 16 different countries and 19 separate states (including some new ones this year).
If you’re seeking a more location-based guide to the best courses in the world, we have you covered. Below you will find all Top 100 Courses in the World organized by country. For the United States, which is home to by far the most top courses on the list at 49, we organized those courses by state.
So scroll down to check out which countries and states have the most Top 100 Courses in the World.
GOLF’s Top 100 Courses in the World, by country
Scotland (13)
St. Andrews (Old Course)
St. Andrews, Scotland
Nature, 1400s/Old Tom Morris, 1865
Royal Dornoch (Championship)
Dornoch, Scotland
Old Tom Morris, 1886
Muirfield
East Lothian, Scotland
Old Tom Morris, 1891/H.S. Colt, 1925
Trump Turnberry (Ailsa)
Turnberry, Scotland
Willie Fernie, 1909/Mackenzie Ross, 1946/Martin Ebert, 2016
North Berwick (West)
North Berwick, Scotland
David Strath, 1895
Carnoustie (Championship)
Carnoustie, Scotland
A. Robertson, 1842/Old Tom Morris, 1872/James Braid, 1926
Cruden Bay
Cruden Bay, Scotland
Tom Simpson, 1926
Prestwick
Prestwick, Scotland
Old Tom Morris, 1851
Ardfin
Isle of Jura, Scotland
Bob Harrison, 2017
Royal Troon (Old)
Troon, Scotland
Willie Fernie, 1887
Kingsbarns
St. Andrews, Scotland
Kyle Phillips, 1999
Castle Stuart
Inverness, Scotland
Gil Hanse/Mark Parsinen, 2009
Machrihanish (Championship)
Campbeltown, Scotland
Old Tom Morris, 1879; J.H. Taylor, 1914; Guy Campbell, 1940s
England (11)
Sunningdale (Old)
Sunningdale, England
Willie Park Jr., 1901/H.S. Colt, 1922
Royal St. George’s
Sandwich, Kent, England
W. Laidlaw Purves, 1887/H.S. Colt, 1922
Royal Birkdale
Southport, England
George Low Jr., 1889/Fred Hawtree, 1932
Swinley Forest
South Ascot, England
H.S. Colt, 1910
Sunningdale (New)
Sunningdale, England
H.S. Colt, 1922
Woodhall Spa (Hotchkin)
Woodhall Spa, England
Harry Vardon, 1905/H.S. Colt, 1912/S.V. Hotchkin, 1926
St. George’s Hill (A & B)
Weybridge, England
H.S. Colt, 1913
Rye (Old)
Camber, England
H.S. Colt, 1895/Tom Simpson/Herbert Tippet/Guy Campbell, 1907
Royal Lytham & St. Annes
Lytham St. Annes, England
George Low Jr., 1897
Royal Liverpool
Hoylake, England
George Morris, 1869/H.S. Colt, 1924/Fred Hawtree, 1960s/Donald Steel, 2000
Royal Cinque Ports
Deal, England
Henry Hunter/James Braid, 1919; Guy Campbell/Henry Cotton, 1946
Australia (6)
Royal Melbourne (West)
Black Rock, Australia
Alister Mackenzie, 1931
Kingston Heath
Cheltenham, Australia
Dan Soutar, 1925/Alister Mackenzie, 1928
Barnbougle Dunes
Bridport, Australia
Tom Doak/Mike Clayton, 2004
New South Wales
La Perouse, Australia
Alister Mackenzie, 1926/Eric Apperly, 1947
Royal Melbourne (East)
Black Rock, Australia
Alex Russell, 1932
Victoria
Cheltenham, Australia
Alister Mackenzie, 1927; Ogilvy Clayton Cocking & Mead, 2019
Ireland (4)
Ballybunion (Old)
Ballybunion, Ireland
P. Murphy, 1893/Tom Sipson, 1936
Lahinch (Old)
Lahinch, Ireland
Old Tom Morris, 1893/Alister Mackenzie, 1927/Martin Hawtree, 2003
St Patrick’s Links
Rosapenna, Ireland
Tom Doak, 2021
Portmarnock (Old)
Portmarnock, Ireland
W.C. Pickerman/George Ross/Mungo Park, 1894/George Coburn, 1896
New Zealand (3)
Tara Iti
Te Arai, New Zealand
Tom Doak, 2015
Cape Kidnappers
Te Awanga, New Zealand
Tom Doak, 2004
Te Arai (South)
Tomarata, New Zealand
Canada (2)
Cabot Cliffs
Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada
Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw 2016
Cabot Links
Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada
Rod Whitman, 2012
Northern Ireland (2)
Royal County Down
Newcastle, N. Ireland
Old Tom Morris, 1889
Royal Portrush (Dunluce)
Portrush, N. Ireland
H.S. Colt, 1929
France (2)
Morfontaine
Mortefontaine, France
Tom Simpson, 1927
Les Bordes (New)
Saint-Laurent-Nouan, France
Gil Hanse/Jim Wagner, 2021
Japan (2)
Hirono
Miki-Chi, Japan
C.H. Alison, 1932
Kawana (Fuji)
Ito-Shi, Japan
C.H. Alison/Kinya Fujita, 1936
The Netherlands (1)
Haagsche (Royal Hague)
Wassenaar, The Netherlands
J.S.F. Morrison/C.H. Alison, 1938
Dominican Republic (1)
Casa de Campo (Teeth of the Dog)
La Romana, Dominican Republic
Pete Dye, 1971
South Korea (1)
Nine Bridges
Jeju Island, South Korea
Rom Fream/David Dale, 2001
China (1)
Shanqin Bay
Hainan, China
Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw, 2012
Norway (1)
Lofoten
Gimsoysand, Norway
Jeremy Turner, 2015
St. Lucia (1)
Point Hardy Golf Club
Cap Estate, St. Lucia
Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw, 2023
United States (49)
**Sorted by state
New York (11)
Shinnecock Hills
Southampton, N.Y.
Toomey & Flynn, 1931
National Golf Links Of America
Southampton, N.Y.
C.B. Macdonald, 1911
Fishers Island
Fishers Island, N.Y.
Seth Raynor, 1926
Friar’s Head
Baiting Hollow, N.Y.
Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw, 2003
Winged Foot (West)
Mamaroneck, N.Y.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1923
Garden City
Garden City, N.Y.
Devereux Emmet, 1899/Walter Travis, 1906
Maidstone
East Hampton, N.Y.
John Park/Willie Park Jr., 1922
Bethpage (Black)
Farmingdale, N.Y.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1935
Oak Hill (East)
Pittsford, N.Y.
Donald Ross, 1921/Andrew Green, 2020
Sleepy Hollow
Scarborough, N.Y.
C.B. Macdonald/Seth Raynor, 1913/A.W. Tillinghast, 1929/Gil Hanse, 2017
Winged Foot (East)
Mamaroneck, N.Y.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1923
California (6)
Cypress Point
Pebble Beach, Calif.
Alister Mackenzie, 1928
Pebble Beach
Pebble Beach, Calif.
Jack Neville/Douglas Grant, 1919
Los Angeles (North)
Los Angeles
George C. Thomas Jr., 1927
Riviera
Pacific Palisades, Calif.
George C. Thomas Jr./Billy Bell Sr., 1927
San Francisco
San Francisco, Calif.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1918
California Club Of San Francisco
So. San Francisco, Calif.
A.V. Macan, 1926/Alister Mackenzie, 1928/Kyle Phillips, 2007
Ohio (3)
Camargo
Cincinnati
Seth Raynor, 1926
Inverness
Toledo, Ohio
Donald Ross, 1919/Andrew Green, 2017
Muirfield Village
Dublin, Ohio
Jack Nicklaus/Desmond Muirhead, 1974
New Jersey (3)
Pine Valley
Pine Valley, N.J.
George Crump/H.S. Colt, 1918
Somerset Hills
Bernardsville, N.J.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1918
Baltusrol (Lower)
Springfield, N.J.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1922
Georgia (3)
Augusta National
Augusta, Ga.
Alister Mackenzie/Bobby Jones, 1933
Ohoopee Match Club
Cobbtown, Ga.
Gil Hanse/Jim Wagner, 2018
Peachtree
Atlanta
Robert Trent Jones Sr./Bobby Jones, 1947
Oregon (3)
Pacific Dunes
Bandon, Ore.
Tom Doak, 2001
Bandon Trails
Bandon, Ore.
Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw, 2005
Bandon Dunes
Bandon, Ore.
David McLay Kidd, 1999
Massachusetts (2)
The Country Club (Clyde/Squirrel)
Brookline, Mass.
TCC Members/Willie Campbell, 1899
Myopia Hunt Club
So. Hamilton, Mass.
H.C. Leeds, 1898
North Carolina (2)
Pinehurst (No. 2)
Village of Pinehurst, N.C.
Donald Ross, 1907
Old Town
Winston-Salem, N.C.
Perry Maxwell, 1939
South Carolina (2)
Kiawah Island (Ocean)
Kiawah Island, S.C.
Pete Dye, 1991
Yeamans Hall
Hanahan, S.C.
Seth Raynor, 1925
Michigan (2)
Oakland Hills (South)
Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Donald Ross, 1917
Crystal Downs
Frankfort, Mich.
Alister Mackenzie/Perry Maxwell, 1932
Pennsylvania (2)
Oakmont
Oakmont, Penn.
Henry Fownes, 1903
Merion (East)
Ardmore, Penn.
Hugh Wilson, 1912
Illinois (2)
Chicago
Wheaton, Ill.
C.B. Macdonald, 1895/Seth Raynor, 1923
Shoreacres
Lake Bluff, Ill.
Seth Raynor, 1921
Wisconsin (2)
The Lido
Rome, Wisc.
Tom Doak/Brian Schneider (C.B. Macdonald reincarnation), 2023
Whistling Straits (Straits)
Haven, Wis.
Pete Dye, 1998
Nebraska (1)
Sand Hills
Mullen, Neb.
Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw, 1994
Colorado (1)
Ballyneal
Holyoke, Colo.
Tom Doak, 2006
Florida (1)
Seminole
Juno Beach, Fla.
Donald Ross, 1929
Kansas (1)
Prairie Dunes
Hutchinson, Kan.
Perry Maxwell, 1937/Press Maxwell, 1957
Montana (1)
Rock Creek Cattle Company
Deer Lodge, Mont.
Tom Doak, 2008
Oklahoma (1)
Southern Hills
Tulsa, Okla.
Perry Maxwell, 1936
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