76 - 100 Golf Courses
76. Cruden Bay, Scotland
If ever a golf course could be the drummer in a rock band then it has to be Cruden Bay. It is quite mad in places but excellent everywhere else. The 2nd is played to an elevated green that you must hit. The 3rd is a wild blind driveable par 4 that would not be designed nowadays. The 4th is a stunning par 3 with the bay to your left. It is world class. The 5th is a beautiful par 4 played between the dunes and is index (handicap) 1 for a reason. Read More
6 Best Holes: 5, 4, 17, 7, 14, 13
Best Par 3: 4
Best Par 4: 5
Best Par 5: 13
Playlist
Cruden Bay, Scotland
0:16Cruden Bay, Scotland
0:1677. The Lido, USA
This course opened in 2023 in central Wisconsin and is a direct and pretty much exact copy of The Lido Golf Club which opened in 1914 on Long Island. The original was designed by C B Macdonald and contained many classic templates such as Alps, Eden and Redan style holes. Sadly the original was used as a military base in World War 2 and was destroyed. The people at Sand Valley resort have done an amazing job to replicate that old classic. Read More
6 Best Holes: 4, 16, 12, 8, 18, 17
Best Par 3: 16
Best Par 4: 12
Best Par 5: 4
78. Prestwick, Scotland
In 1851, a group of 57 locals, who met regularly at the Red Lion Inn in Prestwick, decided to form a golf club and purchased two cottages opposite the tavern. The first cottage would become the members clubhouse while the other was given to the greenkeeper, ball maker and club maker Old Tom Morris who went on to design the course, albeit 12 holes at the beginning. Read More
6 Best Holes: 9, 10, 8, 17, 1, 13
Best Par 3: 11
Best Par 4: 9
Best Par 5: 12
79. Barnbougle Lost Farm, Australia
This course opened in 2010 and was designed by Coore and Crenshaw. That was 6 years after Barnbougle Dunes had opened. It is located across the river from the Dunes course and if anything it has even stepper sand dunes than its neighbour next door, which says a lot. The views are stunning at various points especially when playing the 4th and 5th holes. These are public courses which is great news and they also have beautiful accommodation on site. The overall facilities are perfect and are not Pebble Beach prices either, that’s for sure. Read More
6 Best Holes: 5, 11, 16, 18, 3, 17
Best Par 3: 17
Best Par 4: 5
Best Par 5: 8
80. Cabot Links, Canada
This course opened in 2012 some 3 years before its sister course, Cabot Cliffs opened. The setting for these 2 courses in Nova Scotia is perfect. You will never get tired of the views. The accommodation on site is excellent as is the food and pub. There is a pool table in the pub to keep you entertained in the evening. Read More
6 Best Holes: 18, 6, 16, 4, 15, 11
Best Par 3: 7
Best Par 4: 18
Best Par 5: 11
81. Haagsche (Royal Hague), Holland
A beautiful clubhouse is the first thing you notice when you arrive and the view you get of it as you walk up the 18th hole is even more beautiful. We were a 3 ball and we teed off behind some 4 balls and we thought we would be held up. That is not the case in Holland. We never got to see them again. Pace of play in Holland is the most important thing for local golfers. We spoke with a member afterwards and he said if a 4 ball takes more than 3 1/2 hours to play 18 holes then they run the risk of being reported to the club’s committee. Interesting. Read More
6 Best Holes: 18, 6, 14, 13, 7, 15
Best Par 3: 8
Best Par 4: 6
Best Par 5: 18
Playlist
82. Naruo, Japan
To get to play Naruo you must be invited by a Member and I was very lucky for that to happen. This is a super course with many great stretches on it. The first is a gem of a par 4 with such a beautiful first tee shot. Holes 7, 8 and 9 are stunning holes with the 8th being a particular favourite. It is a narrow drive out through trees. It is quite a sharp dogleg left and then the green is surrounded on two sides by more trees. Read More
6 Best Holes: 15, 8, 16, 18, 7, 1
Best Par 3: 15
Best Par 4: 8
Best Par 5: 7
83. Fancourt (Links), South Africa
There are three courses at Fancourt and the Links is the best one. It is located five hours east of Cape Town. This is a five star resort all the way. The hotel here is beautiful. The course was designed by Gary Player and he has described it as his best ever feat as a course designer. It is widely regarded as the best course in South Africa. It opened in November 2000 and in 2003 it held the Presidents Cup. This was a famous event as it finished 17 each after Ernie Els and Tiger Woods could not be separated in the dark. Both captains agreed to call it a draw. Read More
6 Best Holes: 12, 10, 7, 3, 14, 17
Best Par 3: 17
Best Par 4: 12
Best Par 5: 16
84. Sheshan International, China
What a stunning place. What a stunning golf course. The clubhouse is huge but has lots of charm at the same time. I got to play here with Charlene and Chunyan and the ladies played very well. I was struggling to arrange golf in China but was greatly helped by an Irish pro named Paul who had worked in Shanghai for years. Paul was so helpful and is a super guy. Read More
6 Best Holes: 17, 15, 6, 8, 18, 2
Best Par 3: 17
Best Par 4: 15
Best Par 5: 8
85. TPC Sawgrass, USA
We played here in 2017 and it was the day after we went to Augusta to see Sergio win the Masters. We were very tired at this stage of our trip as a day walking around Augusta is exhausting with all the hills there. Peter, Mick and I played poorly at Sawgrass but we had a super day there. It is a very cool moment when you drive through the estate and then you see the clubhouse. Read More
6 Best Holes: 17, 14, 18, 10, 7, 4
Best Par 3: 17
Best Par 4: 14
Best Par 5: 16
86. Yangtze Dunes, China
This has often been listed as the No. 1 course in China and is a proper links course which was a nice surprise. The clubhouse must be one of the biggest in the world. I stayed onsite the night before and the accommodation was good. It is one of the toughest courses that I’ve played. You must be long off the tee and extremely accurate as there is plenty of trouble about. Read More
6 Best Holes: 3, 13, 4, 2, 16, 9
Best Par 3: 14
Best Par 4: 13
Best Par 5: 3
87. Waterville, Ireland
One of the best courses in Ireland, this links beauty is located in the stunning county of Kerry on the south west coast of Ireland. I have played the course many times and certainly the work that was done in recent times on the course and around the clubhouse will ensure its greatness for a long time. Read More
6 Best Holes: 3, 14, 11, 17, 7, 18
Best Par 3: 17
Best Par 4: 3
Best Par 5: 11
88. West Sussex, England
There have been many pleasant surprises in terms of quality golf courses on this journey of playing great golf courses but West Sussex was a massive surprise. I had heard nothing much about the course and I have to say it was a joy to play. This course which opened in 1931 is located well south of London and is closer to the coast than most of the other great heathland courses in England. You drive up a small lane, park along the road and there is this old beautiful clubhouse on the left. Read More
6 Best Holes: 12, 17, 7, 13, 16, 11
Best Par 3: 12
Best Par 4: 17
Best Par 5: 1
89. Machrihanish, Scotland
We ended up playing Machrihanish and Machrihanish Dunes on the same day and we really enjoyed both courses. It’s not an easy part of the world to get to but driving three hours from Glasgow could be worse, as the scenery in this rugged part of Scotland is raw and beautiful. We stayed in the lovely village of Campbeltown which is close by. Read More
6 Best Holes: 1, 5, 7, 14, 12, 8
Best Par 3: 15
Best Par 4: 1
Best Par 5: 12
Playlist
90. Paraparaumu Beach, New Zealand
This course is situated on the north island of New Zealand and is a 45 minute drive from the beautiful city of Wellington. If you get the chance, stay a couple of nights in Wellington as it’s a lovely city. The basin reserve is the main cricket stadium in the city and is used for some test matches. It is worth visiting and is in the centre of the city. Read More
6 Best Holes: 13, 16, 11, 3, 5, 2
Best Par 3: 16
Best Par 4: 13
Best Par 5: 12
91. St. Patrick's Links, Ireland
It is not easy for golf course developers and designers to find parcels of land to build links courses on nowadays but this stretch of earth is perfect for one. There are huge dunes and the vista out to sea is stunning. The course only opened in 2021 and is going to improve and improve. What the owners have achieved deserves huge credit. There is no clubhouse there yet but that will come in time. They have three courses here and they are all excellent links courses. It is a great golf destination. There is a hotel not far from the main clubhouse and the nearby village of Downings is lovely. Read More
6 Best Holes: 14, 2, 6, 16, 15, 13
Best Par 3: 15
Best Par 4: 14
Best Par 5: 6
Playlist
92. Western Gailes, Scotland
If you are going to play golf along the east coast of Scotland then you should play here. It’s an excellent links course. There are many famous courses close by including Royal Troon, Turnberry and Prestwick but Western Gailes deserves its own respect. It has a beautiful old clubhouse and the staff are very friendly. Read More
6 Best Holes: 16, 7, 17, 5, 2, 15
Best Par 3: 7
Best Par 4: 16
Best Par 5: 6
93. Walton Heath (Old), England
The old course opened in 1904 and has been adapted to the times as it can now play to a full length of 7,406 yards. It hosted the Ryder Cup in 1981. It also held the European Open 5 times between 1978 and 1991. Since then it also held the Senior Open Championship, the British Masters and in 2023 held the Women’s British Open. There is so much history here. When you walk around this beautiful clubhouse you feel privileged to be here. There are lots of photos to look at. The pro shop is a separate building to the club house and the whole place is so beautiful while the staff could not be nicer. Read More
6 Best Holes: 4, 14, 2, 18, 10, 15
Best Par 3: 17
Best Par 4: 4
Best Par 5: 14
Playlist
94. Kauri Cliffs, New Zealand
This course which opened in 2000 is at the top end of the north island in New Zealand. You have a choice. It is a three and a half hour drive north of Auckland or if you are playing Te Arai / Tara Iti then it’s close to a three hour drive. Afterwards we took a local flight back to Auckland which was not expensive. Read More
6 Best Holes: 7, 14, 15, 17, 4, 13
Best Par 3: 7
Best Par 4: 17
Best Par 5: 15
95. Old Sandwich, USA
You would think with a name like this, that this course is in England but in fact it is about an hour south of Boston. It only opened in 2004 and was designed by Coore and Crenshaw who did an excellent job with design and routing. It is a sand based course that may be described as an inland links as it is maybe four miles from the coast as the crow flies. Read More
6 Best Holes: 11, 7, 10, 12, 3, 16
Best Par 3: 11
Best Par 4: 7
Best Par 5: 10
96. 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
Playlist
Monte Rei, Portugal
0:1697. Yas Links, United Arab Emirates
There are a lot of fine golf courses in the Middle East and Yas Links is widely regarded as the No. 1 course in the whole region. It has Links in the name but it is more like a Links style or maybe an inland Links rather than a proper Links that people in Ireland or Britain would know. The course took three years to build and only opened in 2010. There are seven holes along the coastline with most of those on the back nine. The front nine is decent with some good holes such as No. 3, 8 and 9. The 8th is a nice par 3 along the water’s edge and the 9th is a tough par 4 with water and bunkers there to catch a poor drive. Read More
6 Best Holes: 18, 9, 17, 13, 16, 3
Best Par 3: 17
Best Par 4: 9
Best Par 5: 18
Playlist
98. 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
99. 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
100. 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
