Laid out in over 350 acres of hardwood forest in the mountain area of Enfield, the course at Montcalm Golf Club was four years in the making, finally debuting in 2004.
Laid out in over 350 acres of hardwood forest in the mountain area of Enfield, the course at Montcalm Golf Club was four years in the making, finally debuting in 2004.
Situated between the Green Mountain National Forest and the White Mountain National Forest in the Upper Valley section of the Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee region, the 18-hole layout at Montcalm Golf Club is set within 350 acres of hardwood forest in the mountain area of Enfield. The course was all of four years in the making, finally debuting in 2004.
Some of the more memorable holes here include the par three 5th, which plays to a long, offset green that tilts from back to front, the short par four 8th, where the hole veers sharply left, with bunkers all down the right flank of the fairway, and the 415-yard 16th, which runs uphill the entire length of the hole.
GF Sargent Design commented as follows:
“Montcalm presented many unique challenges before we could achieve a level of completion that both the course ownership and we were satisfied with. Our first main challenge was the very remoteness of the location. Prior to the creation of the course, Enfield was a secluded location and our teams were tasked with providing the optimum in efficiency and planning to ensure that we would have both the supplies and resources needed to complete the project in a timely manner.
The terrain itself also proved an interesting but inviting challenge. Our adherence to the Donald Ross philosophy of trying to maintain as much of the land’s natural character as possible, required us to find creative solutions to using the many rolling hills to our advantage. While the natural terrain could easily challenge a PGA professional, we needed to ensure playability for all levels of golfer, while still providing each with an opportunity for challenge.
Finally, while we enjoy the challenge, the very scale of the project was nothing less than daunting to many. Creating an 18-hole course where previously there was nothing but hills and valleys required an immense level of strategic planning. Our experience in designing and building large scale projects was essential in achieving the goals of completing the project in a cost-effective and timely manner.”
The latest ranking of the Top 100 Golf Courses in the World serves as the ultimate global golf bucket list. Most members of our World Top 100 Panel are seasoned golfers, each playing 20-30 of these courses annually while travelling extensively over decades to form their opinions on others. We recognise that opinions vary—even among our panel members. Rankings are subjective, and there are undoubtedly 50 or more courses in the UK and USA alone that could easily fit onto this list. Links Golf Pilgrimages The rankings
California, United States
New Jersey, United States
Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
New York, United States
New York, United States
US New England Division Best in State Rankings 2016 Six States in the Northeast Region are re-ranked in our ninth and final US divisional update We conclude our biennial Best in State re-ranking exercise for the United States of America with new listings for courses in the New England division. This article, the ninth one to accompany our review of courses in the US, concentrates on the northeast states of Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont. Our coverage of the US has increased significantly over the last four months, with almost every state featuring a newly expanded ranking list. For instance, in this new England division, we’ve added an extra sixty courses, up from the previous total of eighty-five. Nationwide, the total number of courses listed in our state charts has now reached 1,650, an increase of more than 40%. Massachusetts The top seven positions in our Bay State chart are all nationally ranked, which gives some indication of the high quality of courses found at the upper end of the state listings. Also, such is the architectural strength in depth within Massachusetts, we’ve decided to expand the number of courses that we feature for the state, adding a further twenty layouts to form a new Top 50. The top three spots in the state chart remain the same, which means the Clyde and Squirrel nines at The Country Club in Brookline holds onto the number one slot. One of five founder members of the American Golf Association (later named the USGA), the club is best known by many for hosting the US Open that Francis Ouimet famously won in 1913, though the notorious Ryder Cup matches in 1999 might be a little fresher in the minds of contemporary golfers. A couple of courses make noteworthy upward moves in the new standings: Essex County Club in Manchester (up two to number 4) is where Donald Ross rebuilt the 18-hole layout during his seven-year tenure as club professional in the 1920s and Eastward Ho! in Chatham (up five to number 5) is another fine Golden Age design from the same decade, one of only a handful of American courses designed by English architect Herbert Fowler. Another two Donald Ross designs make significant strides up the chart. The first of these is Hyannisport Club, a short Alex Findlay track re-designed by Ross in 1936 (rising six places to number 12) which was described last year by one reviewer as having “old New England charm, outstanding design variety, moving terrain [and] the best conditioned greens in the region.” The other high flying Ross course is Whitinsville in Blackstone Valley (up twelve spots to number 17), a track that many seasoned commentators regard as one of the finest 9-holers in the country. The three highest newcomers in our revised listings are all classic Golden Age designs from the 1920s: Tedesco Country Club (new at number 24) was laid out by Skip Wogan (former assistant pro under Donald Ross at Essex CC) with two contrasting nines, Plymouth Country Club (new at number 27) was built in two 9-hole stages by Donald Ross during the 1920s, and Dedham Country & Polo Club (new at number 29), where Seth Raynor redesigned the layout for a grateful membership during the same era. Rank/ Click this link to see full details of our 2016 Massachusetts Best in State rankings Connecticut We’ve doubled the number of courses in the Constitution State from fifteen to thirty. The top four places remain as they were when we last re-ranked, so Yale is still the state number 1, a position it has held since we first established our US state lists in 2012. A recent reviewer wrote in glowing terms about his visit to this classic Seth Raynor/C.B. Macdonald design: “you’re at a historic and special layout which has lasted almost 100 years… [where] the architects created a fabulous routing with outstanding template holes known all over the world.” Another two Golden Age courses rise two places up the Top 10. The first of these is Round Hill Club in Greenwich (at number 5), where long-term greenkeeper Emilio Strazzo assisted Walter Travis with the course construction in 1922. The other climber is Tamarack Country Club (at number 6), which Charles Banks built in 1929, fashioning his usual requisite quota of replica par three holes, including an Eden at the 3rd, a Redan at the 7th and a Short at the 15th. The highest new entry arrives at number 7 and it’s Woodway Country Club, a near 100 year-old Willie Park track that had a new par three 9th hole added (and the other holes re-sequenced) when the clubhouse was replaced in the late 1990s. Architect Mark Mungeam has consulted at the club in recent years, carrying out major restorations of both the bunkers and tee boxes. Click this link to see full details of our 2016 Connecticut Best in State rankings New Hampshire Having just added another ten New Hampshire courses, we now have a Top 20 for the Granite State, where a new number 1 heads the chart. The Golf Club of New England in Stratham is a new millennium Arnold Palmer course that’s generally regarded as one of The King’s stronger designs. Measuring more than 7,500 yards from the back tees and with a rating/slope of 77.0/149, there’s no denying this par 72 layout is a championship test for serious golfers. Also climbing one place to the runner-up position, the course at Lake Winnipesaukee Golf Club is a rare American design from Englishman Clive Clark, where the former Walker Cup and Ryder Cup player set out the fairways of this White Mountain track across a beautiful canvas of wetlands and woodlands two miles to the east of Lake Winnipesaukee in 1990. The highest new entry in the updated New Hampshire table is Atkinson Resort & Country Club at number 9, a mid-1990s public access course from Phil Wogan that’s complemented by a fantastic practice facility and a super little 9-hole par three layout. One place behind at number 10, Concord Country Club is another newcomer on our chart which has been faithfully serving its members since 1930. Click this link to see full details of our 2016 New Hampshire Best in State rankings Maine The chart for the Pine Tree State has been expanded to a Top 15, with Portland Country Club fending off all comers to retain the number 1 position. The club was formed in 1895 but moved to its present coastal location twenty-five years later, engaging Donald Ross to lay out a relatively short, though thoroughly engaging, course overlooking the harbour and city of Portland. Three courses make upward moves in the new state listings: Belgrade Lakes Golf Club (up two to number 2) was Clive Clark’s first US design in the late 1990s, Woodlands Club (up two to number 6) is a late 1980s layout from George and Jim Fazio, and Ledges Golf Club (up one to number 8), which was architect Brad Booth’s first solo design in 1999. Click this link to see full details of our 2016 Maine Best in State rankings Rhode Island The course at Newport Country Club remains the top track in the Ocean State. It’s an important historical layout as it hosted both the first US Open and US Amateur in 1895, though it was subsequently redesigned by A. W. Tillinghast in 1924. A reviewer said this about it last year: “Yes, there are ocean views. Yes, there’s a links feel… augmented by the fact there’s no fairway irrigation. Yes, there are some fine holes… and yes, the clubhouse is one of the world’s finest.” Donald Ross’s 1914 design at Wannamoisett Country Club drops down one spot, swapping places with Shelter Harbor, which rises one place to the runner-up position. A modern layout designed by Dr Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry, Shelter Harbor’s most widely acclaimed feature is the bunker work carried out by Jeff Bradley, who constructed similar sand traps for Coore and Crenshaw at places like Friar’s Head and Bandon Trails. Two of the five new entries on the state chart make their mark within the Top 10 and they’re both located on the shores of Narragansett Bay, having been constructed within two years of each other in the 1920s. At number 8, the course at Warwick Country Club is a delightful Donald Ross layout with a commendable caddie program firmly in place for the members and at number 9, Seth Raynor’s 18-hole design at Wanumetonomy Golf & Country Club – where most of the original greens are still in play – is still basking in the glory of a new millennium makeover from Ron Pritchard, when he added new tees and fairway bunkers. Click this link to see full details of our 2016 Rhode Island Best in State rankings Vermont The charming old layout at Ekwanok Country Club sits at the top of the Green Mountain State listings. A Walter Travis layout which was constructed in collaboration with Scottish professional John Dunn at the start of the last century, it’s a course that has benefited from a 1960s upgrade by Geoff Cornish and from work carried out in more recent times by Bruce Hepner when he was working with Renaissance Design. Making a sizable leap up the new chart (soaring four places to number 5), the course at Vermont National Country Club is a Jack Nicklaus/Jack Jnr co-design that first opened for play in 1998. Almost twenty years after it made its debut, it’s still Nicklaus Design’s only project within the state. A little further down the listings, the Robert Trent Jones Snr design at Sugarbush Resort Golf Club is the highest new entry at number 10. Something of a trendsetting layout in its day, it provoked other ski resort operators in the state into building courses that would bring in visitors during the skiing off season. Click this link to see full details of our 2016 Vermont Best in State rankings As ever, we welcome your comments – both good and bad – when we conduct these re-ranking exercises so let us know what you think about our six revised US Best in State charts. Whether you feel we’ve got things just about right or maybe you’ve noticed a glaring error or two, please click the “Respond to this article” link at the top or at the bottom of this page to let us know your views. Jim McCann Editor Top 100 Golf Courses
A good halfway house can turn a great round of golf into a memorable one. It might be a cold beer on a Scottish links, a burger with a spectacular view or a hot drink to warm you up before the back nine. Whatever is on offer, the best halfway houses give golfers a chance to forget about the scorecard for a few minutes and enjoy the experience. We recently asked the Top100 Golf Courses community to share their favourite halfway houses, uncovering plenty of memorable stops around the world. We've picked five of their recommendations, alongside five more renowned halfway houses that are well worth knowing about. What is a Halfway House? A halfway house is a food and drink stop positioned around the turn of a golf course, usually between the ninth and 10th holes. Some are little more than a hut serving snacks and drinks, while others have become destinations in their own right, offering everything from full meals and cocktails to fires, views and plenty of local character. Five Halfway Houses Chosen by the Top100 Community Sunningdale Golf Club (England) There is a reason the halfway hut at Sunningdale has become one of the most famous refreshment stops in golf. The small Swiss-chalet-style building has been in place since 1903, sitting where the ninth holes of both the Old and New Courses meet their respective 10th holes. But the building itself isn't the main attraction. That would be the sausage sandwich. Sunningdale's legendary hut serves a simple sausage on buttered bread, with other food and refreshments available alongside it. The hut has become such an established part of the experience that the club's own tradition says everybody stops, but does so speedily. It's not fancy, and that's rather the point. After nine holes of heather-lined fairways, a hot sausage sandwich and a cup of tea can feel like exactly what golf ordered. Nairn Golf Club - The Bothy at Nairn (Scotland) The Bothy at Nairn has a history that goes well beyond golf. Built in 1877, the stone building and neighbouring icehouse formed part of the Easter Delnies Fishing Station, one of five salmon fisheries operating along the coast between Nairn and the mouth of the Findhorn. In a good season, the fishery could catch up to 5,000 salmon, with ice collected from local rivers and a specially made pond and stored in the icehouse to keep the catch fresh. The buildings have since been given a new lease of life, with the Bothy converted into a halfway house where golfers can stop for snacks and refreshments at the turn. On a cold day beside the Moray Firth, there's also a fireplace to warm up beside. The historic stone building, Highland setting and views across the course provide plenty of atmosphere. One of our community members put it rather simply: a dram of whisky and a fire are hard to beat. Hard to argue with that. Turnberry Ailsa (Scotland) Turnberry's halfway house is about as far removed from the traditional golf hut as you can get. The Ailsa's ninth hole now finishes beside the famous Turnberry Lighthouse, which doubles as a halfway house for golfers. The lighthouse itself dates back to 1873, while the golf course's dramatic ninth was redesigned as part of the Ailsa's major renovation. Inside, golfers can stop for food and drink before heading to the 10th, but the real attraction is outside. From the lighthouse, there are views across the Firth of Clyde towards the Isle of Arran and Ailsa Craig. It's a halfway stop that feels more like a destination than a quick pit stop. When your halfway house is a historic lighthouse overlooking one of Scotland's most spectacular stretches of coastline, you've got a pretty good excuse to take your time. Ardglass Golf Club (Northern Ireland) At Ardglass, the halfway-house experience is wonderfully straightforward: have a Guinness and enjoy the view. The course's old cottage halfway house at the back of the 7th green has become one of its most memorable features, with golfers able to stop for a pint before continuing their round. A recent visitor described it as a gorgeous cottage with Guinness, while another praised the combination of a Guinness, sausage roll and views over the Irish Sea. It fits Ardglass perfectly. The County Down links is already one of the most dramatic places to play golf in Northern Ireland, with the Irish Sea never far away. Add a pint of Guinness just before the turn and you've got a halfway house that feels distinctly of its surroundings. Sometimes you don't need to reinvent the wheel. Blair Atholl Golf Estate (South Africa) Blair Atholl might have been one of the less obvious names to appear among the community recommendations, but the descriptions made it impossible to leave out. The halfway stop sounds less like a quick break and more like an event. One golfer highlighted the chicken burger, a chef cooking a barbecue beneath the trees and a deck sitting beneath a stream. Another mentioned silver-service high tea. That's quite the halfway-house menu. It's also a good example of why the best stops aren't necessarily the most famous. A halfway house can become memorable because of the food, the setting or simply the feeling that you're being looked after rather than rushed back onto the course. Five More Renowned Halfway Houses St Andrews Links - The Old Course (Scotland) If we're talking about halfway houses, it makes sense to visit the place that has a claim to starting the tradition. In the 19th century, David "Old Da" Anderson sold ginger beer and other refreshments from a cart on the Old Course at St Andrews. It has been described as golf's first refreshment stand. The modern version sits behind the ninth green and keeps the tradition going, albeit with a rather more substantial menu. The pork and haggis sausage roll is a popular choice, while the club's own Tom Morris 1821 Lager provides a suitably Scottish accompaniment. It's difficult to think of a more fitting place for a halfway stop. The Old Course is steeped in golfing history, and even the break between nines has a story of its own. Pine Valley Golf Club (New Jersey, United States) Pine Valley's halfway house is memorable before you've even ordered anything. Rather than a conventional hut, it is built into the base of an old water tower, which golfers encounter around the eighth hole and again near the 12th tee. It's an appropriately unusual feature for one of the world's most unconventional golf courses. The tower doubles as a stop for drinks and snacks, giving golfers a chance to take a breather before continuing around Pine Valley. It even boasts an impressive collection of golf balls from around the world. There aren't many halfway houses that can claim to be built inside a water tower. Quivira Golf Club (Baja California Sur, Mexico) Quivira has taken the halfway-house concept and spread it across the entire round. The Jack Nicklaus-designed course has multiple all-inclusive comfort stations, each offering golfers food and drinks as they make their way around the Cabo San Lucas layout. The most spectacular is The Cliffs, perched almost 300 feet above the Pacific, where golfers can stop for a breakfast burrito and take in the views over the ocean. Then there's The Oasis, the main halfway house near the ninth green. Here, the emphasis is on the food, with freshly prepared Baja cuisine including tacos and tostadas, alongside a full tequila bar. A final stop, Cañada, sits near the 16th tee, while another comfort station beside the oceanfront practice facility offers snacks and cold drinks before golfers even reach the first tee. The food and refreshments are included in the green fee, making Quivira's comfort stations much more than somewhere to grab a quick drink. Tacos, tequila and spectacular Pacific Ocean views make the breaks almost as memorable as the golf. Whistling Rock Country Club (South Korea) At Whistling Rock, there isn't just one halfway house to look forward to. The South Korean club is made up of three nine-hole loops, each with its own themed tea house: Cocoon, Temple and Cloud. The three buildings are each distinctly different. One is a rounded structure between a lake and forest, another is a formal wood-and-glass building, while the Cloud tea house sits high among the trees. The result is a halfway-house experience that feels distinctly different depending on which nine you're playing, with each tea house adding another layer to the Whistling Rock experience. Royal Dornoch Golf Club (Scotland) Royal Dornoch's halfway house is proof that sometimes the best idea is a simple one. The stop sits behind the ninth green of the Championship Course, with views back across the links towards the Dornoch Firth. And then there's the traditional order: hot chocolate with Bailey's Irish Cream, a combination that makes considerably more sense when you're standing on a Scottish links in a North Sea wind. It's a small detail, but one that has become part of the Royal Dornoch experience and exactly the sort of halfway-house tradition golfers remember.
You don't need a four-figure budget, a private-club connection or an invitation from a member to play a course in the World Top 100. Top100 has collated the 10 cheapest visitor-accessible courses on our current World Top 100 Ranking, based on standard green fees. From a world-class links in Tasmania to a U.S. Open and Ryder Cup venue in New York, these courses offer the chance to play some of the best golf on the planet without the eye-watering green fees attached to many of their World Top 100 counterparts. 1. St Andrews Beach Golf Course (Victoria, Australia) World Ranking: 89th | Australia ranking: 6th | Green fee: A$139 (£74) Tom Doak’s first Australian mainland design, St Andrews Beach opened in 2004 on the Mornington Peninsula and has since become one of the country’s best-value, ranked courses. The public-access layout occupies 175 hectares of former grazing land, with wide fairways, rolling terrain and sandy natural contours that give several holes a links-like feel. Measuring just over 6,000 metres from the back tees, it is playable for a broad range of golfers, though the subtle greens ensure there is still plenty to think about. In a region known for outstanding golf, St Andrews Beach stands out not only for its quality but also for its accessibility, offering everyday golfers the chance to experience a Tom Doak design without the premium price tag often attached to courses of this calibre. 2. Bethpage Black (New York, USA) World Ranking: 58th | USA ranking: 28th | Green fee: From US$140 (£106) Bethpage Black has the rare distinction of being a World Top 100 course, a major championship venue and a public golf course. Located within Bethpage State Park on Long Island, the A.W. Tillinghast design opened in 1936 and has since hosted two U.S. Opens and the 2025 Ryder Cup. The Black is renowned for its difficulty, with narrow fairways, deep rough, large sculpted bunkers and elevated greens making accuracy essential. It is a demanding test, but one that remains remarkably accessible to everyday golfers. That combination of championship pedigree and public access is what makes Bethpage Black so unusual. Few golfers get the chance to play a course of this stature without needing a private-club connection or resort stay. 3. Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club (Wellington, New Zealand) World Ranking: 91st | New Zealand ranking: 2nd | Green fee: NZ$275 (£118) Set on the Kapiti Coast, north of New Zealand's capital city Wellington, Paraparaumu Beach has been one of the country’s most celebrated golf courses since Alex Russell designed it in 1949. The links has hosted 12 New Zealand Opens and has long been regarded as one of the country’s finest layouts. It is a relatively short course by modern championship standards, but the coastal wind, firm fairways, deep bunkers and undulating greens provide plenty of challenge. The split-fairway 17th is a particular highlight, forcing golfers to choose between two very different routes to the green. For international golfers, Paraparaumu offers the chance to experience a genuine piece of New Zealand golfing history without needing access to a private resort. 4. Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course (Alberta, Canada) World Ranking: 73rd | Canada ranking: 2nd | Green fee: C$280 (£149) Set among the Canadian Rockies in Jasper National Park, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge is one of Stanley Thompson’s most celebrated designs. Opened in 1925, the course winds through the valley beside Lake Beauvert, with snow-capped peaks providing a backdrop to almost every hole. The course combines wide fairways, elevated tees and strategically placed bunkers with the natural contours of the landscape. Thompson’s design rewards thoughtful play rather than simply demanding power, making it a course that can be enjoyed by golfers of different abilities. The result is a rare combination of classic golf and Canadian wilderness, with the surrounding mountains and forest making the journey between shots almost as memorable as the golf itself. 5. Barnbougle - The Dunes Course (Tasmania, Australia) World Ranking: 25th | Australia ranking: 3rd | Green fee: A$285 (£151) Barnbougle Dunes is about as close as Australia gets to a traditional seaside links. Set on Tasmania’s northeast coast, the course was designed by Tom Doak and Australian Mike Clayton and opened in 2004, establishing Barnbougle as one of the country’s premier golf destinations. The layout runs through towering coastal dunes, with wide fairways, natural contours and greens that follow the movement of the land. The wind is an ever-present factor, while the strategic design rewards golfers who think their way around the course rather than simply relying on power. For golfers seeking a genuine links experience outside the British Isles, Barnbougle Dunes is about as compelling as it gets, combining world-class golf with the rugged coastline of Tasmania. 6. Cape Wickham Golf Links (Tasmania, Australia) World Ranking: 47th | Australia ranking: 4th | Green fee: A$315 (£167) Cape Wickham occupies a spectacular stretch of coastline on King Island, sitting in Bass Strait between Tasmania and mainland Australia. Designed by American architect Mike DeVries, the links opened in 2015 and quickly established itself as one of the country's standout modern courses. The course makes the most of its remote coastal setting, with the opening five holes winding around Cape Farewell before the layout moves through sand hills and limestone outcrops. Several holes hug the shoreline, while the closing stretch heads towards the imposing Cape Wickham Lighthouse. The 18th provides a fitting finale, with the fairway doglegging around a sandy bay before reaching the home green, making Cape Wickham a memorable links experience from start to finish. 7. St Enodoc Golf Club - Church Course (Cornwall, England) World Ranking: 49th | England ranking: 4th | Green fee: £175 Set among towering dunes overlooking the Camel Estuary in Cornwall, St Enodoc’s Church Course is one of James Braid’s most distinctive designs. Founded in 1891, the course was transformed by Braid in the early 20th century and remains a spectacularly natural links. It is a relatively short par 69 at 6,010 metres, but its undulating fairways, dramatic elevation changes and formidable dunes create a test that demands imagination. The famous 6th is the standout, with the enormous Himalaya dune obscuring the green and making club selection particularly difficult. The course also has an unusual piece of history, with the 13th hole running alongside the churchyard where poet laureate John Betjeman is buried. 8. South Cape Owners Club (Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea) World Ranking: 63rd | South Korea ranking: 2nd | Green fee: From KRW 350,000 (£195) Set on Namhae Island off the southeast coast of South Korea, South Cape Owners Club is a dramatic Kyle Phillips design where the ocean is visible from all 18 holes. The course opened in 2013 as part of a luxury resort development and has quickly established itself among Asia's most striking modern layouts. The course is framed by granite outcrops, coastal cliffs and rolling terrain, with bluegrass fairways contrasting against fine fescue rough. The standout stretch comes from the 11th onwards, culminating in two spectacular waterside par threes at the 14th and 16th. For golfers willing to make the journey to Namhae Island, South Cape offers a rare combination of world-class golf, dramatic coastal scenery and a luxury resort experience. 9. Utrecht De Pan Golf Club (Utrecht, Netherlands) World Ranking: 56th | Netherlands ranking: 1st | Green fee: From €235 (£198) Dating back to 1894, Utrecht De Pan is the second-oldest golf club in the Netherlands, with Harry Colt designing the current course in 1929. Set in secluded woodland near Utrecht, the layout is a classic heathland course, winding through pine, birch, oak and chestnut trees. De Pan has hosted the Dutch Open three times and is built around strategic rather than power golf. Several of its most memorable holes play over valleys of heather and sand, while the sixth and seventh demand particularly thoughtful tee shots and approaches. Recent restoration work by Frank Pont has helped return the course towards Colt’s original design, making De Pan a fascinating example of Golden Age heathland golf in the Netherlands. 10. Cruden Bay Golf Club - Championship Course (Aberdeenshire, Scotland) World Ranking: 70th | Scotland ranking: 10th | Green fee: From £205 Cruden Bay is one of Scotland’s most distinctive links, winding through towering dunes on the Aberdeenshire coast with the North Sea providing a constant backdrop. The course opened in 1899 after being laid out by Old Tom Morris and Archie Simpson, before Tom Simpson and Herbert Fowler remodelled it in 1926. Cruden Bay makes spectacular use of its natural terrain, with elevated tees, blind drives, punchbowl greens and fairways that rise and fall between the dunes. The 193-yard 4th, played from an elevated tee across a deep hollow, is one of several standout holes. There is plenty of character, too, from driveable par fours and back-to-back par threes to the feeling that every hole reveals something different. It is exactly the sort of course that rewards golfers willing to embrace its quirks. Green fees are based on standard 18-hole visitor rates, using international visitor rates where applicable. All prices are peak-season rates and do not take twilight, off-season or promotional rates into account. Prices are correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.
