WORLD’S GREATEST GOLF COURSES

151–175 Golf Courses

Explore courses ranked 151 to 175 in our journey through the world’s greatest golf courses, featuring remarkable layouts, memorable holes and spectacular golfing destinations.

🌍 WORLD | UPDATED 2026 | RANKS 151–175

#151
Streamsong Red

About The Course

I flew down to Florida on a trip as it can be quite difficult to get on a lot of US courses on the weekends and I heard a lot about Streamsong. They have 3 public courses there at the moment with an excellent 200 bedroom hotel on site so I decided to play the Red and Blue and they didn’t disappoint.

On this trip I played 13 courses in 14 days namely Harbour Town Golf Links, Yeamans Hall, Peachtree, Old Town Club, Old Barnwell, Streamsong Red, Streamsong Blue, Prairie Dunes, Childress Hall Upper, Southern Hills, CapRock Ranch, Sand Hills and then Cabot St. Lucia on the way home.

It was quite the adventure as I played in 8 states plus St. Lucia. There were 12 flights during that time too. It may seem mad to some people but you have to pack in plenty of courses in one trip if you want to finish a long list. I loved every minute of it.

My flight was delayed that morning to Tampa so I only made my 3.10 tee time by 10 minutes. When I got there my playing partners were waiting. It turned out that Gerry, Michelle and Tim were the most lovely people you could ever meet. I heard our Caddie Trent asking Gerry asking how far do you hit it on the fly and he replied maybe 290. I exclaimed “What !” It turned out that Gerry was twice the world long driving champion. What were the chances ? We had a great laugh on the way round after that.

This course only opened in 2013 and was designed by the excellent Coore & Crenshaw. It is a sand based course and certainly has an inland links feel to it. It is similar in ways to Sand Valley in that regard. There are many tee boxes on offer and we played off the Black tees which measured 6,537 yards. I always try to play a course at roughly 6,500 yards or maybe a little more, where possible, just so it’s a better comparison between courses.

The first was a super par 4 of some 417 yards with a large bunker down the left and plenty of other trouble down both sides. The 4th is a driveable par 4 while the 5th is not long but plays around a lake which is down the right hand side. The 8th is a lovely par 3 of 119 yards for us which was followed by a lovely half way house. America does half way houses really well.

After the 9th I thought the course was a little on the short side. When I looked at the scorecard it seemed a little odd that the front measured 3,026 yards while the back nine was 3,511 with both being a par 36. I much preferred the back nine. It was a proper test of golf.

The 10th, 11th and 12th were strong par 4’s that all played over 400 yards. You needed to have scored well on the front as these 3 holes could damage any scorecard. The same is true for holes 15 and 16. The 15th is index (handicap) 1 and played 453 yards for us. It was into the wind and played a little uphill. It’s a beast or certainly was that day.

The 16th is a wonderful par 3. It was 184 yards. You play over water and bunkers with a large mound of rough ground to your right. It’s a long narrow green where you simply must be straight to get any reward. Gerry and Michelle both parred the hole which was a fine effort.

The Red course at Streamsong is a tale of two nines. The front is relatively easy but the back nine is anything but. Our caddie Trent did a super job. He was excellent and a nice guy too. Tim was a fine golfer and his grandad Ken came out and watched the back nine with us. Gerry and Michelle are friends and we had many laughs on the way round. Gerry was a pro and plays really well while Michelle has a great swing and will be a single figure golfer in time. I’d say some of us will meet up again for another round somewhere along the way. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day.

BEST 6 HOLES

16, 15, 12, 5, 1, 11

BEST PAR 3

16

BEST PAR 4

15

BEST PAR 5

18

Course Gallery

A closer look at Streamsong Red

On The Course

Watch videos from Streamsong Red

#152
Dumbarnie

About The Course

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. It is set on a site of 345 acres and the small but lovely clubhouse is positioned in exactly the right spot. There are many elevated tees which is clever and they certainly maximise the views on offer.

BEST 6 HOLES

10, 18, 5, 13, 16, 15

BEST PAR 3

16

BEST PAR 4

10

BEST PAR 5

13

Course Gallery

A closer look at Dumbarnie

#153
Sand Valley

About The Course

Sand Valley has become quite the golf destination. You could spend a week here. There are 4 golf courses – namely Lido, Sand Valley, Mammoth Dunes and Sedge Valley. The accommodation onsite is decent and the food in the clubhouse is decent too. I have played the first three courses named and I would certainly recommend giving it a visit. It is owned by the Keiser family who also own Bandon Dunes and both have a similar atmosphere. Efficient and relaxed.

This course was designed by Coore and Crenshaw and it opened in 2017 but it feels it has been around a lot longer than that. As the name suggests it is a sand based course and perhaps can be best described as an inland links.

The course starts out well but really kicks into top when you get to the 4th. It is a superb par 5 that measures 593 yards from the back tee. Lots of bunkers to avoid as you meander your way up to this slightly elevated green. This hole is index (handicap) No. 1 and normally it is hard to see why a par 5 should be regarded as the toughest hole on the course but in this case I think it is fair enough. The green is not huge and it slopes from back to front just to make life even more difficult. An excellent 3 shot hole.

The rest of the front nine is top class and is one of the best stretches of holes that you could wish to play. The 5th is a par 3 that is tough as the back half of the green slopes away from you. The 6th is a brilliant par 4 of 455 yards. The 7th is a dogleg left par 5 that feels like it has acres of bunkers on it. The 8th is a short uphill par 3 of only 136 yards but you must hit the green. The green slopes hugely from back to front and a par here is well earned. The 9th is a driveable par 4 but has bunkers protecting the green and the green itself is interesting to say the least.

The back nine is decent but not as good as the front nine but then again it would be difficult to match the excellence of the front half. Holes 10 and 12 are par 5’s but were slightly downwind and were not difficult. Three of the par 4’s on the inward nine were strong – namely 11, 15 and 16. The 16th is a super hole that plays 451 yards to a green that has a false front so you have to hit two good shots to get there.

The 18th is a great par 5 to finish on. As is the case with most holes, here you must try and avoid lots of bunkers on this hole. Staying left for your second shot is a must with so much trouble down the right. It was a pleasant surprise how good Sand Valley was, especially the stretch from the 4th tee to the 9th green. It was worth playing here for that alone. I played here with a guy called Chris and he was great company. We chatted plenty on the way round. Sand Valley comes recommended and by the way it possibly has the best value halfway house on the planet with chicken or pork tacos available for $1.

BEST 6 HOLES

6, 16, 18, 7, 4, 8

BEST PAR 3

8

BEST PAR 4

6

BEST PAR 5

18

Course Gallery

A closer look at Sand Valley

#154
The Berkshire Blue

About The Course

The Blue course at the Berkshire Club was designed by renowned golf course architect Herbert Fowler in 1928. He also designed the Red course here along with Walton Heath and Cruden Bay to name just two others. The Red course has 6 par 3’s, 6 par 4’s and 6 par 5’s while this blue course is more conventional with 4 par 3’s and 3 par 5’s to give a par of 71.

BEST 6 HOLES

16, 1, 8, 12, 7, 15

BEST PAR 3

1

BEST PAR 4

16

BEST PAR 5

11

Course Gallery

A closer look at The Berkshire Blue

#155
Gullane No. 1

About The Course

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.

BEST 6 HOLES

5, 11, 14, 2, 16, 10

BEST PAR 3

16

BEST PAR 4

5

BEST PAR 5

15

Course Gallery

A closer look at Gullane No. 1

On The Course

Watch videos from Gullane No. 1

#156
Old Macdonald

About The Course

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. One thing for me is that modern designers can lose the run of themselves and I think that is what happened with the 5th green which to me seems ridiculous. There are too many undulations and two putting to some pin positions may be almost impossible.

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BEST 6 HOLES

11, 7, 16, 3, 13, 8

BEST PAR 3

8

BEST PAR 4

11

BEST PAR 5

17

Course Gallery

A closer look at Old Macdonald

#157
Torrey Pines South

About The Course

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.

BEST 6 HOLES

17, 7, 4, 12, 13, 18

BEST PAR 3

16

BEST PAR 4

17

BEST PAR 5

13

Course Gallery

A closer look at Torrey Pines South

On The Course

Watch videos from Torrey Pines South

#158
Hindhead

About The Course

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.

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.

BEST 6 HOLES

7, 9, 18, 12, 10, 5

BEST PAR 3

10

BEST PAR 4

7

BEST PAR 5

2

Course Gallery

A closer look at Hindhead

#159
County Sligo

About The Course

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.

BEST 6 HOLES

14, 7, 11, 6, 8, 17

BEST PAR 3

4

BEST PAR 4

14

BEST PAR 5

12

Course Gallery

A closer look at County Sligo

#160
Mammoth Dunes

About The Course

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.

Some fine holes on the front nine where the 3rd was a lovely par 5. It is only 518 yards from the back tee but as usual at this resort you must avoid sand which takes a bit of doing. The 8th is a beautiful par 3 of 198 yards but is played from an elevated tee so plays shorter. The 9th is a fine par 4 where your second shot is played to a green that is almost triangular in shape. As I found out, it was easy to end up in the sand around the green just when you thought you might end up 10 feet away.

The 10th might be a signature hole and while you can play an iron off the tee the second is tricky to say the least. The green is extremely tough with some violent slopes to contend with. A par here is a great result if you can manage it.

Two more signature holes must be the 13th and 14th holes. The 13th is a brilliant par 3. It only measures 130 yards off the back tee but it is set into the side of a hill with bunkers all around. Hitting the green is not negotiable. The 14th says it is 325 yards (297 yards from our tee) but it plays much shorter than that as it is significantly downhill. It is a perfect par 4 that is driveable for a lot of golfers but you must hit the right half of the fairway to end at or near the green as there are some significant slopes on the fairway.

The 18th is a fine par 5 where the fairway is huge and the green is reachable in two if you get your drive away. The greens are huge, sloping and very fast. You need to putt well to score here. It was designed by David McLay Kidd and it opened in May 2018. If you get to the Sand Valley then it is certainly worth playing Mammoth Dunes even if it is just to test your putting skills.

BEST 6 HOLES

13, 14, 9, 7, 16, 3

BEST PAR 3

13

BEST PAR 4

14

BEST PAR 5

7

Course Gallery

A closer look at Mammoth Dunes

#161
Black Wolf Run

About The Course

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.

BEST 6 HOLES

13, 11, 12, 5, 18, 3

BEST PAR 3

13

BEST PAR 4

12

BEST PAR 5

11

Course Gallery

A closer look at Black Wolf Run

#162
Enniscrone

About The Course

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.

BEST 6 HOLES

15, 17, 6, 16, 11, 18

BEST PAR 3

17

BEST PAR 4

15

BEST PAR 5

16

Course Gallery

A closer look at Enniscrone

#163
West Cliffs

About The Course

If you are thinking of heading to mainland Europe for a golf trip then I would strongly urge you to consider staying in Lisbon and playing 3 courses – namely West Cliffs, Oitavos Dunes and Dunas Comporta. We were all pleasantly surprised with the quality of the courses and they all represented decent value for money. Staying in Lisbon city was a highlight too. I think at the top end, the quality of courses in Portugal is better than in Spain.

We played West Cliffs on a windy day and it was a beast. None of the four of us played to our handicap but we still had a brilliant day. It is a difficult course with lots of trouble generally on both sides of the fairway. There are some stunning vistas out to the Atlantic Ocean at times. We had heard it was a tough course but after two holes we thought – what is all the fuss about! But we soon changed our minds.

The 3rd hole in index (handicap) 1 and if you can par this hole then you can consider yourself a golfer. There is a large lake down the right, rough down the left but the tricky part is the second shot. If you are in the left half of the fairway then it is a blind second shot over a hill to a green that has a narrow entrance. There is a bunker to the left and the lake to the right. Best of luck with that.

The 5th is a beautiful par 3 where the green slopes around to the left. You must play over a number of bunkers to get to the green. The 7th is a brilliant but tough par 5. It is quite a narrow drive and your second shot is played over a lake. It plays 537 metres (587 yards) off the back tees and we played it into the wind. A par is a super score here.

The 10th and 11th are two super par 4’s but as we found out there is lots of trouble on both sides of the fairway. The 14th is a wonderful and picturesque par 4 that plays back towards the ocean. It played almost 400 yards off our tee box but again the wind was not our friend and only one of our four ball reached the surface in two.

The 18th puts a seal on what is a great golf course. As is the case with a number of holes here, you think that there is not much room standing on the tee for your tee shot to hit the fairway but the short grass area is quite wide once you hit your drive more than say 150 yards. The last hole plays over 400 yards but it is downhill so it is easily reachable in two. There is water to the right of the green but a par is possible to send you off in a happy mood.

The course condition was superb as were the greens. The clubhouse is lovely and the staff were ever so helpful and friendly. The routing of the course is excellent and the Dye Designs Group deserve huge credit for what they achieved here. It is certainly one of the toughest courses you will play so make sure you have enough golf balls before setting off. Bo, Barry, Johnny and I loved it and would not hesitate to recommend it.

BEST 6 HOLES

14, 5, 7, 18, 3, 10

BEST PAR 3

5

BEST PAR 4

14

BEST PAR 5

7

Course Gallery

A closer look at West Cliffs

#164
Ocean Dunes

About The Course

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!

BEST 6 HOLES

3, 10, 1, 18, 8, 16

BEST PAR 3

10

BEST PAR 4

3

BEST PAR 5

1

Course Gallery

A closer look at Ocean Dunes

On The Course

Watch videos from Ocean Dunes

#165
The Machrie

About The Course

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.

BEST 6 HOLES

5, 13, 2, 3, 16, 8

BEST PAR 3

3

BEST PAR 4

5

BEST PAR 5

2

Course Gallery

A closer look at The Machrie

#166
Burnham & Berrow

About The Course

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.

BEST 6 HOLES

14, 3, 16, 18, 5, 6

BEST PAR 3

14

BEST PAR 4

3

BEST PAR 5

8

Course Gallery

A closer look at Burnham & Berrow

#167
Pinehurst No. 4

About The Course

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. The facilities here are top class. The famous large putting has 18 holes and is a joy to play. We were nearly late for one of our tee times because we couldn’t drag ourselves away from putting on the “Thistle Dhu”.

BEST 6 HOLES

5, 18, 10, 8, 16, 7

BEST PAR 3

14

BEST PAR 4

5

BEST PAR 5

13

Course Gallery

A closer look at Pinehurst No. 4

#168
Banff Springs

About The Course

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.

BEST 6 HOLES

15, 4, 10, 14, 12, 1

BEST PAR 3

4

BEST PAR 4

15

BEST PAR 5

18

Course Gallery

A closer look at Banff Springs

#169
Oitavos Dunes

About The Course

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.

BEST 6 HOLES

5, 17, 8, 12, 18, 14

BEST PAR 3

12

BEST PAR 4

5

BEST PAR 5

8

Course Gallery

A closer look at Oitavos Dunes

#170
Gleneagles Queens

About The Course

This course opened in 1919 and was designed by the brilliant James Braid. It is hard not to love a James Braid design and he worked on 250 courses approximately around the world. At Gleneagles, he designed the Kings course and this, the Queens course. He was so great at making the best use of the natural landscape with his designs. The course was restored to its former glory in 2017.

The first is a lovely par 4 where your tee shot is played over a dip to a fairway that swings round to the left. The first green is undulating and will catch a lot of golfers out. The 3rd is a great par 4 and was index (handicap) No. 9 when we played it. It gently rises up and there is a bunker well short of the green that plays with your mind. The 6th hole is rightly index (handicap) No.1 as it is a beast. We played it into the wind which didn’t help when added to the fact that it was 437 yards off our tee. The green is slightly hidden over a ridge. It is a big green but it is Braid at his best.

The 9th is a 419 yard slightly uphill par 4 that doglegs around to the right. A well placed tee shot is essential here. The 10th is a super hole. It is a par 4 of 421 yards where you hit to a rising fairway. Standing on the tee, you are not sure which direction the hole goes and even when we arrived at our drives we were still not 100% sure. The green is well hidden away to your left behind some ridges, hills and bunkers. The green is large and quite flat which makes it a fair hole. It’s quirky but super at the same time. Modern designers would not be brave enough to plan such a hole nowadays which is such a pity.

The 12th is a fine par 4 where your second shot plays significantly downhill. The 15th is a driveable par 4 but you must be brave off the tee and aim down the right edge of the fairway. Always nice to see one short par 4 on a course. The 17th is a top class par 3 of some 204 yards off the tips. It does not play that long as it is slightly downhill and the green is in a bowl and the ball feeds onto the green from both sides.

I preferred the Kings course at Gleneagles which is a cracker but the Queens course is well worth playing. The green fee at the time of writing is expensive at £375 but we got to play it after 2pm which meant it was £190 which was about the right price. The greens were superb and I played it with my American pal Travis. We both really enjoyed the course which is a par 68 but it is not the longest.

BEST 6 HOLES

6, 17, 10, 3, 9, 12

BEST PAR 3

17

BEST PAR 4

6

BEST PAR 5

7

Course Gallery

A closer look at Gleneagles Queens

#171
Streamsong Blue

About The Course

The facilities at Streamsong are excellent and it was nice to wake up onsite in their hotel and head to the clubhouse. It was extremely hot that weekend in Florida and while I would much prefer to walk a course, taking a cart to play the red and then the blue course made total sense.

We played the Black tees here which measured 6,692 yards and the setting for the first tee is perfect. It is high up and you can see a lot of the course from here. It is only a 330 yard par 4 so is a gentle introduction given to golfers by the designer Tom Doak. Similarly to the Red course, the Blue opened in 2013. It is a sand based course and certainly has an inland links feel to it. It is similar in ways to the Sand Valley resort courses in that regard.

The 4th hole was 417 yards and your second shot is played up to a green that is mostly hidden behind a high ridge. The 5th could be a brilliant par 3 but was only 121 yards for us which was a pity. It is quite a decent sized green and could be a great hole if amateurs could play it from a lot further back.

The 7th is a super par 3. It was 188 yards for us and you play across water to a green surrounded by large mounds and bunkers. We all loved it. Very picturesque. The 8th was a fine par 4 that played well over 400 yards but it was downwind which helped.

Just like the Red course, the back nine is the better of the two nines. The 11th and 12th are strong par 4’s while the 13th is an excellent driveable par 4. It is a superb risk reward hole. There is a narrow entrance to the green and you cannot be left while going right is not much fun either. I went left and ended up in a huge bunker where all you could see was sand and the sky!

There is a strong finish to the blue course as every hole from the 15th is really good. The 15th itself is a fine par 4 of some 400 yards followed by a par 3 of 215 yards that plays slightly uphill and where you must aim at the left edge of the green as everything kicks to the right. The 17th only played 590 yards and if you avoided sand along the way well then you did well. The 18th is a belter of a pr 4. It played 453 yards and your tee shot is played over a ridge. You then play down towards the last green.

Got to play the Blue course with a man named John and his son Noah. They were super company. John went on to play St. Andrews a little while later in the summer and he sent me some photos. Brilliant. Our caddie was Alec and he did an excellent job. A beautiful day’s golf in Florida before heading off to catch 2 flights to get to Wichita Airport to play Prairie Dunes.

BEST 6 HOLES

7, 15, 18, 16, 8, 13

BEST PAR 3

7

BEST PAR 4

15

BEST PAR 5

17

Course Gallery

A closer look at Streamsong Blue

#172
St. Andrews New

About The Course

Imagine a course opening in 1895 and being called the New course. Golf had been played for centuries on the Old course at that stage and it only became known as the Old course when this New course opened. The New course was designed by Old Tom Morris. The clubhouse for all the St. Andrews courses as we all know is not the R&A building behind the famous first tee of the Old course but it is a fine clubhouse that is situated to the right of its second hole.

The first tee of the New course is beside this clubhouse and is also close to the famous Himalayas putting green, which is certainly spending 30 minutes on before or after golf. The New course has the Jubilee course to its right and the Old course to its left. All three courses have one thing in common – the front nine mostly heads out and the back nine mostly heads back in.

It plays 6,625 yards from the back tees and is a par 71 for men and a par 75 for women. A lot of people would say that the New course is tougher than the Old course. Holes 1-5 play in the exact same direction and would generally be downwind so a good start should be possible. The 6th plays back the way and is rightly the index (handicap) No.1 hole on the course. It is a par 4 that plays 433 yards for amateurs while the back tee is 12 yards further back.

The Old course is mostly beside you and to your left while playing the front nine here and it is hard not to keep having a look at what is happening on, reportedly, the oldest golf course in the world. To finish the front nine, we have a brute of a par 3. It is 225 yards long and a bogey is a great score. It is at the end of the headland and is quite exposed which only adds to the difficulty.

The back nine was my personal favourite of the two nines and it is an excellent test of golf, especially from the 14th tee to the clubhouse. These last 5 holes are more than likely going to be played into the wind. The 16th is index (handicap) No. 2 and is a par 4 of some 416 yards for us amateurs. It’s an excellent two shot links hole – although it may take three shots to get to the putting surface. The 17th is another great par 3 which measured 211 yards. The last 18 is a par 4 of some 400 yards that has a tight fairway with bunkers down the left.

Like so many out and back in links courses, your scorecard needs to be in good shape early if you are going to score well as things will start to get much tougher from the 9th tee onwards. If you are lucky enough to get on the Old course and you have another day planned for golf, then the New course is certainly worth playing.

BEST 6 HOLES

9, 6, 16, 17, 10, 18

BEST PAR 3

9

BEST PAR 4

6

BEST PAR 5

3

Course Gallery

A closer look at St. Andrews New

#173
West Hill

About The Course

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.

BEST 6 HOLES

18, 8, 3, 11, 16, 10

BEST PAR 3

15

BEST PAR 4

18

BEST PAR 5

17

Course Gallery

A closer look at West Hill

#174
Sotogrande

About The Course

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.

BEST 6 HOLES

7, 10, 15, 4, 13, 18

BEST PAR 3

4

BEST PAR 4

7

BEST PAR 5

12

Course Gallery

A closer look at Sotogrande

#175
Shanghai Links

About The Course

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.

BEST 6 HOLES

14, 3, 9, 4, 18, 10

BEST PAR 3

4

BEST PAR 4

14

BEST PAR 5

5

Course Gallery

A closer look at Shanghai Links