Top 100 Courses in the World: GOLF’s 2020-21 ranking of the best golf courses on the planet

Atlanta, GA Robert Trent Jones Sr./Bobby Jones, 1947

Though Valderrama dropped off our ranking this time, Robert Trent Jones’s work is still represented with the return of Peachtree to the list. Built in the late 1940s, this design came before Jones had acquired his Oakland Hills “monster” rep. Here, we even find a punchbowl green (at the 10th) among a host of other imaginative green contours. (New)

South Hamilton, MA H.C. Leeds, 1898

Some critics of rankings sniff that hosting a major unduly elevates a course. Is that true for Myopia Hunt, given that it has hosted four U.S. Opens? Probably not, given its last one was in 1908. What helped Myopia was recent restoration work during which trees came down, allowing for the fairways to be reconnected to Leeds’s famous bunkers. With the wind again evident and the playing surfaces firm, the course’s thorny playing attributes are once again on full display. Fun fact: the winning score at its four U.S. Opens averaged nearly 324, or 81 strokes per round. (New)

Jeju Island, South Korea Ron Fream/David Dale, 2001

Nine Bridges's appeal starts with its tranquil setting, with holes etched into pine-clad, rolling topography in the shadows of Mount Halla, Korea's tallest mountain. Lakes, creeks and wooded slopes not only contribute to the beauty and variety, but are seamlessly integrated into the design. Nine Bridges has played host to the PGA Tour's CJ Cup. (Down 53)

Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada Stanley Thompson, 1929

Preeminent Canadian architect Stanley Thompson hit his professional peak at this quiet club near downtown Toronto. The wonderful rolling parkland terrain is replete with streams and natural valleys and has witnessed five Canadian Opens, most recently in 2010. Tom Doak and Ian Andrew spearheaded a restoration that was completed in 2015. (Down 1)

Black Rock, Australia Alex Russell, 1932

Ever confident in his own work, Alister MacKenzie was quick to praise the talent of others. In the United States, he considered Perry Maxwell to be as talented as anyone; in Australia, his man was Alex Russell. Another of Russell’s creations, Paraparaumu Beach in New Zealand, just missed out inclusion this year but the panel’s appreciation of the East Course raises the question: What is the best 36-hole day in golf at one site? Winged Foot, Cabot, Bandon, Sunningdale or here? (New)

Waterville, Ireland Eddie Hackett, 1973

Waterville's slithering par-5 11th, hemmed in by dune ridges and its seaside par-3 17th, with a back tee isolated by dense vegetation and backdropped by MacGillycuddy's Reeks, are both world-class. A 2006 reno by Tom Fazio helped balance the two nines by removing some artificial features and blending new features into the existing dunescape. (Down 14)

Cobbtown, GA Gil Hanse, 2018

Set on the east side of the Ohoopee River where sand accumulated for centuries, Hanse finally got a dream site upon which to build an original design. His own sense of aesthetics complemented the rustic site’s color palette of browns, rusts and tans and the end result is a low-profile design that beguiles. Be careful of its short par-4s: the 4th, 9th and 14th holes all tempt you with driver off the tee — and can punish you with a big number for such rash thinking. (New)

Deer Lodge, MT Tom Doak, 2008

Tom Doak’s works along large bodies of water populate our list but some contend what he did in the American West at Rock Creek is just as exhilarating as his more photographed courses in sandy soil. Though Montana’s rocky conditions made for a tough build, the end result are wide fairways that flow over the tumbling land with a grace and ease that is hard to fathom. The same design principles — fairway contours that either shunt you out of position or send you to the ideal location, hazards that appear ageless and greens that offer a wide range of hole locations — demand you reassess how to best play each hole from one day to the next. Hard to find better playing angles. (New)

Aberdeen, Scotland Martin Hawtree, 2012

Blend the towering dunes of Ballybunion, the relentless challenge of Carnoustie and the legendary bombast of Donald Trump and you'd have a potential Open site for the ages. Trump Scotland serves up a superb collection of par-3s and a set of fully exposed back tees perched atop sandhills. The standout on the back is the 14th, with its valley fairway and glorious North Sea vistas. (Down 54)