There are many course rankings out there. What’s the point? For starters, to educate golfers on everything this game can do to challenge your skill and — more important — your spirit. That’s exactly what makes GOLF’s inaugural rank of the Top 100 Courses in the UK and Ireland our most thrilling yet, spotlighting the obvious (i.e., the courses that have played host to the 149 previous Opens ahead of this July’s sesquicentennial), those that routinely pepper our World Top 100 and a few surprises. Golf here is, well, as bloody good as it gets.
It’s no surprise that thirty of the Top 100 Courses in the UK and Ireland reside in Scotland, the home of golf. Between the repealed golf ban by King James IV in 1502 and the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews this week, Scotland has golf’s deepest history. Old Tom Morris’ made his architectural contribution at Carnoustie and Dornoch, and Jack Nicklaus described Scotland’s countryside as “the finest parcel of land in the world I have ever been given to work with.” Due to amazing landscapes and course design, Scotland is home to five of the ten Open rotation courses–St. Andrews, Muirfield, Turnberry, Carnoustie, and Troon (Prestwick and Musselburgh no longer host competition). Here are the best courses in Scotland.
Scotland
1. St. Andrews (Old)*
3. Royal Dornoch (Championship)
4. Muirfield*
6. Trump Turnberry (Ailsa)*
10. North Berwick (West)
12. Carnoustie (Championship)*
19. Prestwick**
20. Cruden Bay (Championship)
21. Royal Troon (Old)*
25. Ardfin
26. Kingsbarns
28. Machrihanish
30. Castle Stuart
35. Royal Aberdeen (Balgownie)
36. Askernish
37. Trump International
44. Gleneagles (King’s)
45. Western Gailes
47. Loch Lomond
49. Gullane (No. 1)
57. Nairn (Championship)
62. St. Andrews (New)
63. Brora
77. Renaissance Club
80. The Golf House Club (Elie)
87. Machrie
90. Macrihanish Dunes
91. Skibo Castle (Carnegie)
93. Dumbarnie Links
97. Fraserburgh
*Open Championship host in active rota
**Open Championship host not in active rota
