126 - 150 Golf Courses

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List of Courses

126. 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

127. 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

128. 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

129. 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

130. Monte Rei, Portugal

The No. 1 course in Portugal which opened in 2007 and was designed by Jack Nicklaus. It is a one hour drive to the west of Faro airport along the south coast of the country. My pal Johnny and I played here and we also played Palmares on a short trip. Read More

6 Best Holes: 17, 15, 3, 13, 14, 7
Best Par 3: 14
Best Par 4: 17
Best Par 5: 18

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131. 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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132. 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

133. 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

134. 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

135. 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

136. 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

137. 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

138. 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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139. 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

140. 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

141. County Sligo, Ireland

The County Sligo Golf Club at Rosses Point was primarily designed by the legendary Harry Colt in 1927. While George Combe laid out the original nine-hole course in 1894, and William Campbell extended it to 18 holes, it was Colt’s redesign in 1927 that shaped the course as it is known today. Colt’s work was top class and other courses he designed include St. George’s Hill, Burnham & Berrow, Sunningdale New, Rye and Swinley Forest. He also redesigned and advised on many other world famous courses. In 2024, members voted to approve changes to the course and it will be interesting to see those in due course.Read More

6 Best Holes: 14, 7, 11, 6, 8, 17
Best Par 3: 4
Best Par 4: 14
Best Par 5: 12

142. 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

143. 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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144. 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

145. 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

146. 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

147. 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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148. Jumeirah Earth, United Arab Emirates

There are two courses at Jumeirah namely the Earth and Fire courses. The Earth course, which opened in 2009 and was designed by Greg Norman, hosts the prestigious DP World Tour Championship each year which is the final event of the Race to Dubai. It is only a thirty minute drive from downtown Dubai. Read More

6 Best Holes: 18, 8, 16, 17, 6, 12
Best Par 3: 17
Best Par 4: 8
Best Par 5: 18

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149. Burnham & Berrow, England

This is a links course set in sand dunes that is located on the south west coast of England. We flew to Bristol Airport and it is just over a thirty minute drive from there. They use this course for qualifiers for the British Open and I remember watching highlights of Justin Rose qualifying here. It is quite traditional as it is almost 9 out and 9 back. The course opened in 1891 as a 9 hole course but was then re-designed by the brilliant Harry Colt in 1913. Read More

6 Best Holes: 14, 3, 16, 18, 5, 6
Best Par 3: 14
Best Par 4: 3
Best Par 5: 8

150. Enniscrone, Ireland

Enniscrone Golf Club was founded in 1918 and is set in a stunning location amongst huge sand dunes along the Atlantic coast. It was expanded to 18 holes in 1930 and also had a significant redesign by Eddie Hackett in 1970.

The old style was for a reasonable opening hole to let you settle into your round but that is not the case here. It is a tough par 4 that doglegs to the right and is approx. 400 yards for amateurs and pros. It is index (handicap) No. 8 but it might be even tougher than that. The second hole is also a dogleg to the right but be careful off the tee as it is very easy to run out of fairway. A 3 wood might be the best option off the tee. Read More

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