126 - 150 Golf Courses

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List of Courses

126. 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

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127. 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

128. Hollinwell, England

Hollinwell Golf Club, originally the Nottingham Golf Club, was established in 1887 and moved to its current location in Hollinwell in 1901, when the original course designed by Willie Park Jr. opened. The course was subsequently modified in 1902 by J.H. Taylor and Tom Williamson, who added bunkers and lengthened it.

It is a heathland located in the centre of England. We flew to Birmingham airport and it is roughly an hour’s drive from there. It was well worth the effort. I personally adore heathland golf and this is another course to add to the great list of heathland courses in England.Read More

6 Best Holes: 15, 18, 2, 12, 4, 11
Best Par 3: 13
Best Par 4: 15
Best Par 5: 17

129. Punta Espada, Dominican Republic

This course is widely regarded as being in the top three courses in the whole of the Caribbean. If you are looking for a game of golf in a topical setting with lots of palm trees in the baking heat then this is the place for you. This course opened in 2006 and visually it is beautiful. I played it on a windy day, not uncommon I believe, and the course certainly was no pushover. Read More

6 Best Holes: 13, 10, 17, 5, 11, 18
Best Par 3: 13
Best Par 4: 10
Best Par 5: 2

130. Hindhead, England

I had never heard of Hindhead Golf Club and perhaps you haven’t either at this stage but my ever increasing fascination with heathland golf brought me here. It is south west of London, but then again most of the heathland courses are located in this greater area. It is just under an hour’s drive from both Heathrow and Gatwick. The green fee was reasonable and it comes highly recommended.

The 18 hole version of the course, previously was a 12 hole course, opened in 1907 with a match between two greats of the game – namely James Braid and the designer of the course J. H. Taylor, which Braid won. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, was the Club’s first President from 1905 to 1907. Read More

It was the most perfect site to build a golf course on with its rolling valleys, glorious heather and tall pines. There are a lot of elevation changes during the round but as usual the old designers always made the most of that.

The front nine starts out well but the final three holes are a work of art. They are played down in a valley and are all top class. The 7th is index (handicap) No.1 and rightly so. It is 410 yards long but you must be accurate as the heather encroaches on both sides. The second shot is played to a well-protected green. A five is not a bad score at all here. The 8th is a par 3 of 233 yards so again a par is certainly not easy. The 9th is so picturesque and is simply begging for a picture to be taken from behind the green. It plays 419 yards and is index (handicap) No. 3 for good reason. Those 3 holes are an incredibly tough test where one par is a reasonable return. Years ago, those three holes were part of the back nine but that was changed to help members have a drier back nine in the winter.

The 10th is a beautiful par 3 of 171 yards. There is a falloff to the right so hitting the green is a must. I cannot think of a bad hole at Hindhead. The rest of the back nine is superb with 17 and 18 being a very strong finish. Both of these par 4’s are over 400 yards. There have been many nice surprises on this journey but Hindhead is certainly one of them. I had the pleasure of playing here with Rishi Persad who you may know from presenting sports on TV such as horse racing, golf and tennis. I know Rishi through horse racing and he is one of life’s good guys. He is an absolute gent and a decent golfer too. We had good fun on what is an excellent golf course. If you get the chance, play Hindhead.

It was the most perfect site to build a golf course on with its rolling valleys, glorious heather and tall pines. There are a lot of elevation changes during the round but as usual the old designers always made the most of that.

The front nine starts out well but the final three holes are a work of art. They are played down in a valley and are all top class. The 7th is index (handicap) No.1 and rightly so. It is 410 yards long but you must be accurate as the heather encroaches on both sides. The second shot is played to a well-protected green. A five is not a bad score at all here. The 8th is a par 3 of 233 yards so again a par is certainly not easy. The 9th is so picturesque and is simply begging for a picture to be taken from behind the green. It plays 419 yards and is index (handicap) No. 3 for good reason. Those 3 holes are an incredibly tough test where one par is a reasonable return. Years ago, those three holes were part of the back nine but that was changed to help members have a drier back nine in the winter.

The 10th is a beautiful par 3 of 171 yards. There is a falloff to the right so hitting the green is a must. I cannot think of a bad hole at Hindhead. The rest of the back nine is superb with 17 and 18 being a very strong finish. Both of these par 4’s are over 400 yards. There have been many nice surprises on this journey but Hindhead is certainly one of them. I had the pleasure of playing here with Rishi Persad who you may know from presenting sports on TV such as horse racing, golf and tennis. I know Rishi through horse racing and he is one of life’s good guys. He is an absolute gent and a decent golfer too. We had good fun on what is an excellent golf course. If you get the chance, play Hindhead.

6 Best Holes: 7, 9, 18, 12, 10, 5
Best Par 3: 10
Best Par 4: 7
Best Par 5: 2

131. 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

132. Mammoth Dunes, USA

Mammoth Dunes is located in the Sand Valley golf resort and is the course that is situated closest to the main clubhouse. There are 4 courses here including Lido, Sand Valley itself and Sedge Valley. It is owned by the same people that own Bandon Dunes and there are many similarities between the two resorts. Mammoth Dunes certainly adds a lot to the resort.

There was a very energetic starter here and he paired me with two professional ice hockey players named Angus Crookshank and Cole Reinhardt. They were super company and I certainly knew a lot more about ice hockey after those 4 hours. They hit the ball a long way and they scored well. Angus shot around level par which was a great effort while Cole and I shot 79 apiece from memory.Read More

6 Best Holes: 13, 14, 9, 7, 16, 3
Best Par 3: 13
Best Par 4: 14
Best Par 5: 7

133. 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

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134. Black Wolf Run, USA

If you are thinking of heading to play Whistling Straits, then I would recommend playing Black Wolf Run – River course, which is less than 20 minutes away from its famous sister course. It is totally different to its neighbour insofar as it is an inland course along the Sheboygan River. It was designed by Pete Dye which makes you think that it may be difficult and you won’t be disappointed – it is difficult. Don’t judge this course until you have played the back nine as it is much the better of the two halves.

There are some fine holes on the front nine including the 3rd which is index (handicap) No. 1, which is little surprising as there appeared to be tougher holes than this on the course. It played 410 yards from the amateur tees and it doglegged to the right. The 5th is an example of one hole that might be more demanding. It played 400 yards from an elevated tee to a narrow fairway with the river down the right and with bunkers left and right. The green was raised and protected by a large falloff to the right.Read More

6 Best Holes: 13, 11, 12, 5, 18, 3
Best Par 3: 13
Best Par 4: 12
Best Par 5: 11

135. 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

136. Hunstanton, England

Hunstanton was founded in 1891. Since then, it has hosted twelve British Amateur Championships, twelve Ladies Amateur Championships and three English Amateur Championships. It is a links course that is situated along the Norfolk coastline. It is a super course and well worth visiting especially if you are coming to the area to play the brilliant Royal West Norfolk. The two courses are only 15 minutes apart. They both make an ideal short golf trip even if there is no airport close by.

There are many examples around the world where you should never judge a course too early. This is also the case at Hunstanton. Wait until you are back in the clubhouse and then start counting how many great holes there are at Hunstanton.Read More

6 Best Holes: 17, 6, 3, 16, 5, 14
Best Par 3: 16
Best Par 4: 17
Best Par 5: 9

137. 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

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138. Portstewart, Ireland

Playing Royal Portrush is a brilliant experience and is a must for all golfers but if you are venturing to the north coast of Ireland then playing Portstewart is well worth it. The two courses are only 15 minutes apart. The views from the first tee are magic and the first hole itself is one of the best opening holes you will play. It is a slight dogleg right and is 427 yards off the back tee. Read More

6 Best Holes: 8, 17, 5, 1, 2, 10
Best Par 3: 3
Best Par 4: 8
Best Par 5: 4

139. Formby, England

When people talk about the great golf destinations in the world, they will rightly talk about Melbourne, Long Island, Monterrey Peninsula and many others but the greater Liverpool area deserves a mention too. In this area you have Royal Birkdale, Royal Lytham & St. Annes, Royal Liverpool, Hillside and Formby. If you are planning a trip to the area then Formby is certainly worth considering. It is a mere forty minute drive to the north of Liverpool city centre and Anfield. Read More

6 Best Holes: 15, 9, 7, 2, 6, 11
Best Par 3: 10
Best Par 4: 15
Best Par 5: 8

140. Ocean Dunes, Australia

If you are going to King Island, which is a short flight from Melbourne, to play Cape Wickham then I would recommend you also play Ocean Dunes. This is a wild and rugged golf course. It is run by a husband and wife team in their wee clubhouse and they are lovely people. We chatted for ages and I really enjoyed my time at Ocean Dunes. I was paired with three members and they were all great characters. We had a great laugh all the way round. I’m sure most of their stories were true! Read More

6 Best Holes: 3, 10, 1, 18, 8, 16
Best Par 3: 10
Best Par 4: 3
Best Par 5: 1

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141. Banff Springs, Canada

Banff and its surrounds must be one of the most scenic and beautiful areas in the world. Type Banff into Google images and see the results. The drive from Banff to Jasper and back is incredible with the Canadian Rockies on both sides dwarfing everything. Canada is a beautiful country and Banff is a special place. Surprisingly the course opened all the way back in 1911. The Fairmont hotel is an iconic building which overlooks the start and finish of the course. Read More

6 Best Holes: 15, 4, 10, 14, 12, 1
Best Par 3: 4
Best Par 4: 15
Best Par 5: 18

142. 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

143. The Machrie, Scotland

My cousin Sean and I went and played The Machrie and Ardfin on a short trip and it was quite the adventure. We flew to Glasgow and then flew to Islay. The Machrie is beside Islay airport which was handy but we had to get a ferry to get to Ardfin and back. Some of the best courses in the world are in quite remote locations and that is what helps to make them special. It can be an effort but it is almost always worth it. Read More

6 Best Holes: 5, 13, 2, 3, 16, 8
Best Par 3: 3
Best Par 4: 5
Best Par 5: 2

144. County Louth, Ireland

This beautiful links course is located approximately 1 hour north of Dublin. The County Louth Golf Club, known locally as Baltray, was originally designed in 1892 by Thomas Gilroy. In 1938, the course was redesigned by Tom Simpson into the layout we know today. It has held two Irish Opens and the second one in 2009 was won by the then amateur Shane Lowry in a playoff.

This is one of those courses that the first time you play it, you might think that It is very nice but trust me the more times you play the greater the appreciation you will develop for it. There are lots of subtle design features that you may not notice on your first visit.Read More

The first hole is one of the most challenging opening holes you will face in Ireland as your second shot will most likely be played to a green where you can only see the top of the pin. Aim slightly more to the left than you think as the greens slopes off to the right. The 3rd hole is a super par 5 where your third shot is a bling shot to the green. It is a narrow green and quite a tricky shot. If you hit the left side of the green you may end shooting off to the left and down into a valley well off the green.

The 7th is one of the finest par 3’s in the land. The green is triangular in shape and is a work of art. The green is perched on top of a hill and if you miss left, you will kick a long way left. There is a bunker front right. There is also a falloff to the right of the green which feels like a grass bunker. If you ever want to become a golf course designer then study the 7th at County Louth – it is a masterpiece.

The 9th and 11th holes are low index (handicap) long par 4’s and if you only take 9 shots in total for those two holes, then well done. The 12th rivals the 7th for the best hole on the course. It is a dogleg left par 4 with 3 bunkers down the right hand side of the fairway. You then play your second shot over two large ridges to a blind green where, if you are lucky, you may see the top of the flag. The slopes on both sides feed the ball onto the green, which is a big help.

The 14th is a short par 4 but is a wee stunner. You can hit whatever you like off the tee but your second shot with a wedge will test every golfer in the game. It is a small green perched on another hill. The ball can easily roll off on all sides so a 4 is a great score.

If the weather is decent, then you can score quite well at County Louth especially on the front nine. It is a golf course that makes you think. Strategy is important round here. I luckily live only 40 minutes from the course and I usually get to play it at least once a year. I always look forward to playing it. If you are staying in Dublin then I would encourage you to play the course. It’s a gem that is always in excellent condition.

6 Best Holes: 12, 7, 14, 5, 9, 13
Best Par 3: 7
Best Par 4: 12
Best Par 5: 3

145. West Hill, England

This is another fine example of a heathland course just to the south west of London and heathland is certainly a type of golf that I have come to love. There is a lovely atmosphere around this club and the staff, especially the head pro, were very friendly. The course was designed by Jack White and Willie Park Jnr, both of whom had won the Open Championship. The course opened in 1909 and the course had remained similar since then apart from some holes being lengthened, which is quite normal.Read More

6 Best Holes: 18, 8, 3, 11, 16, 10
Best Par 3: 15
Best Par 4: 18
Best Par 5: 17

146. 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

147. Shanghai Links, China

I went to China, Japan and New Zealand on a golf trip and this was the first course I got to play. I had never played in Asia before and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with Shanghai Links. I got to play with three locals who had decent English and we had a good laugh on the way round. It is only a thirty minute drive from downtown Shanghai. It is a huge and beautiful city where the people are friendly and polite. It is a very inexpensive place to visit. Read More

6 Best Holes: 14, 3, 9, 4, 18, 10
Best Par 3: 4
Best Par 4: 14
Best Par 5: 5

148. Bro Hof Slott, Sweden

The stadium course at Bro Hof Slott is the number one course in Sweden and it opened in 2006. It is less than an hour’s drive from the Swedish capital city of Stockholm. My wife and I stayed in Stockholm for three nights and it is a fabulous city. It comes highly recommended. A boat trip, the palace, the old town and the Abba museum were all worthwhile. Read More

6 Best Holes: 15, 17, 9, 10, 16, 8
Best Par 3: 17
Best Par 4: 10
Best Par 5: 15

149. Golden Valley, Japan

I was fortunate enough to play four courses in Japan, namely Hirono, Naruo, Kawana Fuji and Golden Valley. Golden Valley was certainly the most difficult of the four, although the weather didn’t help. We had sunshine for the other three, but the day at Golden Valley was extremely wet. This course is rated the toughest in Japan and you must remember that Japan has over 3,000 courses and is second only to the US which has over 16,000. Read More

6 Best Holes: 18, 13, 7, 15, 2, 5
Best Par 3: 15
Best Par 4: 13
Best Par 5: 18

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150. Gullane No. 1, Scotland

Gullane No.1 course is forty five minutes east of Edinburgh and has some famous neighbours including Muirfield and North Berwick. It is a brilliant area for links golf. There are three courses at Gullane and the No.1 course is the most famous. The 2nd hole here is well renowned. It is a beautiful uphill par 4 of 412 yards with large hills on both sides of the fairway. Accuracy is required for your second shot as the green is quite narrow. The 4th is a lovely par 3 where it is quite easy for your tee shot to fall off the green. Read More

6 Best Holes: 5, 11, 14, 2, 16, 10
Best Par 3: 16
Best Par 4: 5
Best Par 5: 15

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