101 - 125 Golf Courses
101. Gleneagles (Kings), Scotland
It is pretty much a wow moment when you drive into Gleneagles. This place is 5 star all the way. We stayed in a hotel 10 minutes away to save money but the hotel at Gleneagles looks stunning, if your pocket allows. The first tee for the Kings course is on the left as you drive in and the clubhouse is right there too. They have three courses here –Â the Kings, the Queens and the PGA course. They used the PGA course when they held the Ryder Cup here in 2014. Read More
6 Best Holes: 3, 4, 10, 13, 7, 14
Best Par 3: 5
Best Par 4: 3
Best Par 5: 18
Playlist
102. Pasatiempo, USA
This course opened in 1929 and was designed by the brilliant Dr. Alisteir MacKenzie who also designed courses such as Cypress Point, Augusta and Royal Melbourne. Unlike many of the best courses in the US, this course is bookable. While we were on a family holiday in California, I decided to play here and it was a great decision. There is a plaque to the left of the 6th fairway to show people the house where MacKenzie lived in from 1929 until his death in 1934. After his funeral and cremation his ashes were scattered via airplane over his beloved Pasatiempo. Read More
6 Best Holes: 16, 3, 11, 5, 10, 18
Best Par 3: 3
Best Par 4: 16
Best Par 5: 6
Playlist
Pasatiempo, USA
0:16103. Kinloch, New Zealand
This Jack Nicklaus designed Links course only opened in 2007 and it is a wee belter. It is courses like this in recent years that have turned New Zealand into a top golf destination. You need to play well hereac to score. There are undulating fairways, lots of large bunkers which are then followed by fast greens. The first is a super par 4 that gently doglegs to the right. Aim more down the right than you may first think. Read More
6 Best Holes: 18, 11, 1, 16, 17, 5
Best Par 3: 11
Best Par 4: 1
Best Par 5: 18
104. Sebonack, USA
What a location Sebonack has, overlooking the Great Peconic Bay on Long Island. It is located right next to National Golf Links of America and Shinnecock Hill which are ranked in the top 5 courses in the world. The course was designed by Tom Doak and Jack Nicklaus and opened in 2006. It is an exclusive private members club and I was very fortunate to get to play here. When it opened, membership opened at a half a million dollars and has risen considerably since then. You can’t help but notice a massive American flag as you drive up to this beautiful clubhouse. Read More
6 Best Holes: 18, 2, 11, 1, 7, 3
Best Par 3: 12
Best Par 4: 2
Best Par 5: 18
Playlist
Sebonack, USA
0:16Sebonack, USA
0:16105. Emirates, United Arab Emirates
All the courses in the Dubai area are all bookable which is great. I got to play Emirates, Yas Links and the Jumeirah Earth course with my cousin Sean which was great. The facilities at the Emirates are top class, as you would expect. The amount of money spent here is off the charts. The course was in mint condition. The course was established in 1988 and was the first grass course in the Middle East and since then has played host to the Dubai Desert Classic most years since. Read More
6 Best Holes: 8, 5, 14, 9, 16, 6
Best Par 3: 7
Best Par 4: 8
Best Par 5: 18
Playlist
106. Spyglass Hill, USA
This course is located on the Monterey Peninsula in California and has some famous neighbours in the shape of Cypress Point and Pebble Beach. It is a public course and is a gem. It has a basic clubhouse but that does not detract from your day out one single bit. The first is a downhill dogleg left par 5 with a tricky green while the 3rd is one of the photographed par 3’s in the US. There are so many great holes on this course. The 4th is a famous short dogleg left par 4 with one of the narrowest greens you are ever likely to play. The 8th is a super par 4 that makes you think you’re in Augusta for a few moments. Read More
6 Best Holes: 8, 16, 4, 9, 13, 3
Best Par 3: 12
Best Par 4: 8
Best Par 5: 14
107. Alwoodley, England
I had never heard of Alwoodley but when I read who designed it I knew we were in safe hands and that it would be worth the trip to England to play it. It was the first course designed by the legendary Dr. Alisteir MacKenzie and it opened in 1907. Also, visually it has one of the most stunning clubhouse you are likely to see particularly when you see it playing the 18th. The course is situated in the city of Leeds in northern England and is a twenty minute drive from Leeds Bradford Airport. Read More
6 Best Holes: 18, 12, 8, 17, 6, 15
Best Par 3: 11
Best Par 4: 18
Best Par 5: 8
Playlist
108. Boston, USA
There are not many modern designers who are as good as their counterparts from 100 years ago but Gil Hanse is one of them and he designed this lovely course which opened in 2005. It has a perfect location in Massachusetts and is only 30 minutes south of the great city of Boston itself. I think it is fair to call the course an inland links where the wild bunkers are stunning. The first is a par 5 and is one of the better long holes that you will encounter. Take a 5 and run. Read More
6 Best Holes: 14, 9, 2, 12, 6, 18
Best Par 3: 6
Best Par 4: 14
Best Par 5: 1
Playlist
Boston, USA
0:16109. Old Head of Kinsale, Ireland
This course is the Irish version of Pebble Beach and is certainly as dramatic with so many stunning holes played along the cliffs. The course is set out on a headland that juts out into the Atlantic. If you play here then it is highly recommended to stay in the nearby colourful coastal town of Kinsale. It is one of the finest towns in Ireland where the choice of restaurants is excellent as is the hospitality. If you are coming to Ireland on a golf trip you must play the Old Head but if you have flexibility try and pick the calmest day to play here because if it is windy then it becomes an incredibly difficult course. Read More
6 Best Holes: 12, 4, 17, 13, 16, 7
Best Par 3: 13
Best Par 4: 4
Best Par 5: 12
110. Hillside, England
If you are heading to the greater Liverpool area to play some of their famous courses including three British Open venues then you should consider adding Hillside to your list because this is a great golf course. It has a lovely clubhouse and a train line to the left of the first hole. What more could you want! You might bump into a few ex Liverpool players who are members here. The course held the British Masters in 2019. Read More
6 Best Holes: 6, 18, 14, 10, 1, 13
Best Par 3: 10
Best Par 4: 6
Best Par 5: 17
111. Old McDonald, USA
This was the 4th course to open at the Bandon Dunes resort in Oregon and did so in 2010. It was designed by Tom Doak and Jim Urbina and pays homage to the great golf course architect C. B. Macdonald. The designed concept centred around – what would Macdonald have done? They focused on huge greens, deep bunkers and angles of attack to each green. Read More
6 Best Holes: 11, 7, 16, 3, 13, 8
Best Par 3: 8
Best Par 4: 11
Best Par 5: 17
112. The Berkshire - Red, England
Every time we get to play a heathland course that we haven’t played before, we get pleasantly surprised and that was certainly the case with the Berkshire Red. The course opened in 1928 which was 17 years after Sunningdale and four years after Wentworth. I have come to adore heathland courses and when you stand on the first tee of the red course you know you are in for a great afternoon. Read More
6 Best Holes: 16, 17, 8, 14, 4, 10
Best Par 3: 16
Best Par 4: 8
Best Par 5: 17
113. Tralee, Ireland
This course was designed by Arnold Palmer and most people have heard of the famous quote “I designed the front nine and God designed the back nine”. The course starts very strongly. The 2nd hole is a super par 5, which is a dogleg right around the cliffs above Barrow beach. The 3rd hole is a par 3 where you can almost feel the waves crashing up against the tee box, the same feeling applies up at the green with water all down the right hand side. Read More
6 Best Holes: 16, 13, 12, 3, 8, 2
Best Par 3: 16
Best Par 4: 12
Best Par 5: 2
114. Peninsula Kingswood, Australia
This is another brilliant sand belt course and it is situated 45 minutes south of Melbourne City which puts it within easy reach of some of the other great courses such as Royal Melbourne. It has to be one of the great golf destinations in the world. It has the perfect climate with a combination of heat and rain to help the courses to show off their brilliance. This course is fast, firm and difficult which is the norm around here. It is possible to putt into a bunker or chip off the green from the edge. Read More
6 Best Holes: 10, 1, 4, 9, 14, 18
Best Par 3: 14
Best Par 4: 10
Best Par 5: 15
Playlist
115. Nairn, Scotland
Nairn is located in the north of Scotland and is only a twenty minute drive from Inverness Airport. There are not many more beautiful tee shots than the first here with the North Sea to your right hand side. You start with three par 4’s where the second is the longest and most difficult of the three. The 5th is index (handicap) 2 and is the most difficult hole on the outer half. Read More
Nairn is located in the north of Scotland and is only a twenty minute drive from Inverness Airport. There are not many more beautiful tee shots than the first here with the North Sea to your right hand side. You start with three par 4’s where the second is the longest and most difficult of the three. The 5th is index (handicap) 2 and is the most difficult hole on the outer half. Read More
6 Best Holes: 12, 14, 5, 13, 3, 16
Best Par 3: 14
Best Par 4: 12
Best Par 5: 7
Playlist
Nairn, Scotland
0:16116. Woking, England
Woking Golf Club is a heathland course near London that is situated right next door to Westhill GC and Warplesdon GC. They are known as the Three Ws. The clubhouse at Woking is possibly the most quaint of its kind. We had lunch beforehand on the front patio and literally there is a golf green right beside you. We assumed this was the 18th, but in fact it was the 14th. It’s hard to imagine people playing golf this close to people having lunch anywhere else in the world. We loved it. Read More
6 Best Holes: 2, 6, 13, 9, 3, 11
Best Par 3: 2
Best Par 4: 6
Best Par 5: 14
Playlist
Woking, England
0:16Woking, England
0:16117. Dumbarnie, Scotland
This Links only opened in 2020 and is brilliantly located a mere twenty five minutes drive from St. Andrews itself. The course has a mile and a half of sea frontage and fourteen holes have beautiful views over the Firth of Forth. The course measures 6,900 yards but if required the back tees can extend to 7,600 yards. Risk and reward is the main theme here and there are three drivable par 4’s which to me is at least one too many. Read More
6 Best Holes: 10, 18, 5, 13, 16, 15
Best Par 3: 16
Best Par 4: 10
Best Par 5: 13
118. Pinehurst No. 4, USA
There are now 10 courses at Pinehurst and I personally think it is the best resort in the world for resorts that have three courses or more. I have not played the No. 10 course yet but from what we have seen, this course is the second best at the resort except for the legendary No. 2 course. We stayed on site for two nights in one of their log cabins and the accommodation was perfect. It is not cheap to stay and play here but since it is a bucket list item, then that makes it ok. Read More
6 Best Holes: 5, 18, 10, 8, 16, 7
Best Par 3: 14
Best Par 4: 5
Best Par 5: 13
119. The Island, Ireland
This links course opened all the way back in 1890 and is perfectly located thirty minutes north of Dublin City Centre. It may be the perfect place to start a golf trip in Ireland as the course is less than a twenty minute drive from Dublin Airport. Read More
6 Best Holes: 12, 13, 18, 14, 3, 10
Best Par 3: 13
Best Par 4: 12
Best Par 5: 10
120. Torrey Pines (South), USA
While on a family holiday in Los Angeles I took the opportunity to play this famous public Golf Course. It is located just to the north of San Diego and is a 90 minute drive south of Los Angeles. The course held the US Open twice in 2008 and 2021. Every year it hosts a PGA Tour event namely the Farmers Insurance Open which takes place early in the year. The course opened in 1957 and since then has been renovated and extended. The back tees play up to 7,800 yards nowadays. Read More
6 Best Holes: 17, 7, 4, 12, 13, 18
Best Par 3: 16
Best Par 4: 17
Best Par 5: 13
Playlist
121. European Club, Ireland
If you are looking for 3 top class Links courses along the east coast of Ireland that are close to Dublin then look no further than Portmarnock, The Island and the European Club. This course was designed and built by Pat Ruddy and what a superb job he did. The European Club is set amongst large dunes where playing to your handicap is aspirational as the course is a beast. The 4th and 5th are two superb par 4s and are tough holes. Avoiding trouble off the tee is paramount. A total of 10 shots or less for those two holes is just fine. Read More
6 Best Holes: 7, 4, 10, 5, 18, 8
Best Par 3: 14
Best Par 4: 7
Best Par 5: 3
122. The National (Old), Australia
The National is a great golf club that has 4 courses and is situated 90 minutes south of Melbourne City. It is set on a headland overlooking the waters of the Bass Strait and offers some stunning views. The Old course is the oldest of the 4, as the name suggests, and was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jnr. Two of the other courses also figure prominently in the best courses in Australia lists, namely The Moonah course which was designed by Greg Norman while Tom Doak designed the Gunnamatta course. Read More
6 Best Holes: 7, 2, 13, 16, 9, 1
Best Par 3: 7
Best Par 4: 2
Best Par 5: 17
Playlist
123. Sotogrande, Spain
We were flying to Spain to play Valderrama and we said we would add a second course for our trip. We didn’t realise that the No. 2 course in Spain was only a 10 minute drive from its famous neighbour. There are 400 courses in Spain and it is great for visitors that the two best courses are so close together. Sotogrande is such a beautiful place to play golf where water comes into play on 7 holes on this parkland layout. Read More
6 Best Holes: 7, 10, 15, 4, 13, 18
Best Par 3: 4
Best Par 4: 7
Best Par 5: 12
124. Sheep Ranch, USA
There are five 18 hole courses at Bandon Dunes and this is the newest of the five. Believe it or not there are no bunkers on this course. There are wastelands of sand but no bunkers. This course was designed by Coore and Crenshaw and only opened in 2020. They had 1 mile of coastline and cliffs to play with and as a result 9 of the greens are perched at the top of those cliffs. The views are breath-taking. Read More
6 Best Holes: 6, 9, 12, 11, 14, 4
Best Par 3: 7
Best Par 4: 6
Best Par 5: 11
125. Oitavos Dunes, Portugal
Lisbon is a stunning city and this course is only a forty minute drive to the west of the city centre. The course opened in 2011 and is always at the top of the rankings in Portugal. It is set in sand dunes, as the names suggest, and is what I would call a European style links. It is different to a links course that you would play in Ireland or Britain but that is understandable as the terrain and soil is different. Read More
6 Best Holes: 5, 17, 8, 12, 18, 14
Best Par 3: 12
Best Par 4: 5
Best Par 5: 8
