North Scotland – Best in Region Rankings 2019
This is the first of three regional news items relating to our fifteen districts in Scotland, with this one covering Angus & Dundee, North East Scotland, North Scotland and Perth & Kinross. We maintain ranking charts for each of these four areas, featuring eighty courses in total, and around half of these layouts will also appear in our national listings.
Our revision process is undertaken every two years and this is the fourth edition of the Scottish district tables that were first established in 2012. Shortly after these three regional news items are published, we’ll announce our new Top 100 for Scotland. So, without any further introduction, let’s have a look at what our latest chart reappraisals have thrown up in the northern part of the country.
Angus & Dundee
There’s not much movement in our Angus & Dundee listings, where the Championship course at Carnoustieremains in an unassailable position at the top of the chart. Even though it was only last year, it seems a long time now since Francesco Molinari became the Champion Golfer of the Year when he won the 2018 Open here. Recognised as a tough track, the Championship course is also one of the most respected, as vouched for by our Argentina Correspondent Javier Pintos who played here a few months ago with a retiring member of staff.
Carnoustie Championship course
There’s a new entry in the table at No. 10 and it belongs to the Buddon course at Carnoustie, which means that all three 18-hole courses at this golfing mecca now occupy positions in our county standings.
Carnoustie Buddon course
The Buddon replaces the Old course at Letham Grange, which has ceased operation. According to an article in the local Courier newspaper last week, club members voted to disband and remove themselves from the property.
The club committee had maintained and operated the Old Course (and the Glens Course) since 2011 against the backdrop of a long-running legal wrangle over the ownership of the estate’s hotel. The dispute ended last year with the property reverting to Taiwanese owner Peter Liu, whose development company had previously collapsed in 2002.
Angus & Dundee Top 10 Golf Courses 2019
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North East Scotland
Eight of the top ten places in North East Scotland stay as they were, including the No. 1 course, the Balgownie at Royal Aberdeen. Our International Correspondent David Davis revisited the links last year and summed up his playing experience with the following endorsement: “Royal Aberdeen is a Top 100 Golf Course in the World for me, and with Cruden Bay and Trump International makes for an amazing triumvirate of world-class courses. If you didn’t know, Aberdeen is one of the premier golf destinations in Scotland.”
Royal Aberdeen Balgownie course - photo by Aidan Bradley
The only move within the upper reaches of the chart sees Duff House Royal – which made a welcome return to the Scottish Top 100 two years ago – climb one spot to number 8. A genuine Alister MacKenzie design that was constructed by the Good Doctor’s brother Charles, the Banff layout is also one of the best conditioned courses in Scottish golf.
Duff House Royal Golf Club
As we’re expanding the North East rankings to a Top 25, there are five newcomers, the highest of which is Inverallochy at No. 11. We admit to having overlooked this links previously and are happy now to rectify that situation. The course dates back to the late 1880s but it fell into disrepair just before the onset of The Great War and didn’t re-emerge until the mid-1950s. Nowadays, the layout extends to a little less than 5,500 yards, with six par threes and only one par five on the card.
North East Scotland Top 30 Golf Courses 2019
North Scotland
The Championship course at Royal Dornoch retains its No. 1 status in North Scotland, comfortably holding off potential challenges from other well-regarded courses in the Highlands and beyond. Work has now finished on the new 7th hole, which will be a massive improvement on the existing hole when it comes into play next year – in good time for the club hosting the R&A Senior Amateur Championship in 2021.
Royal Dornoch Golf Club Championship course
As we’re increasing our coverage in this district to a Top 30, there are five new entries, starting with a brand new course at No. 11 that recently opened outside Inverness, called Kings Golf Club. Designed by up-and-coming architect Stuart Rennie, the 18-hole layout replaces the old course at Torvean Golf Club which was lost to a road development. For a first solo design, it’s mightily impressive.
Kings Golf Club
North Scotland Top 30 Golf Courses 2019
Perth & Kinross
Eight of the Perth & Kinross entries remain as they were, including the county No. 1, the King’s course at Gleneagles, one of three 18-hole layouts at the world-famous resort to feature in our updated county standings. It was overshadowed somewhat when the golf world focused on the Solheim Cup matches being held on the PGA Centenary a couple of months ago, but there’s no denying it’s still the top track at this magnificent Auchterarder golf complex.
Gleneagles King's course
The only upward move in the chart is made by the heathland course at Alyth, rising one place to No. 6. Originally established as a 9-hole course by Old Tom Morris in the 1890s, it somehow morphed into a 13-hole affair before James Braid enlarged it to an 18-hole layout in 1934, adding six new holes and converting two shorter holes into a longer hole.
Perth & Kinross Top 10 Golf Courses 2019
The next region to come under the spotlight in our Scottish re-ranking exercise is East and South East Scotland, comprising Borders, Central Scotland, Fife and Lothians.
Jim McCann
Editor
Top 100 Golf Courses
The Second Hundred Golf Courses of Scotland 2016 We preview the challengers for the next Top 100 Golf Courses of Scotland rankings and list the second hundred Having just published the latest 2016 edition of our Top 100 for Scotland, we thought we’d take a close look at our golfing crystal ball to see if we could predict which of our “second hundred” Caledonian courses might make it into the top chart next time around. Edzell (Old) dropped out from the latest listings (from position 92 in 2014) but extensive upgrading work currently being carried out on the course could well see the modified layout bounce straight back into the chart when it’s next re-evaluated. Also from the Angus & Dundee region, the highly regarded Burnside links at Carnoustie has featured in our Scottish top 100 before (at number 91 in 2008 and 93 in 2010) and its current high riding regional position gives every indication that it might also make a re-appearance in the near future. A couple of Lothians courses just missed out on the 2016 edition of the Top 100: Duddingston, a nationally ranked course in the first three editions of our chart from 2008 to 2012, and Gullane (No.3), which was placed at number 96 and 99 in our 2008 and 2010 listings. Both of these well-respected tracks should have a reasonable chance of making a swift return next time around. Another four 18-hole layouts that have previously graced our Scottish Top 100 are also in with a good shout of securing a spot in the next set of national rankings: Duff House Royal from the North East (it was listed 2008-12), Cardrona in the Borders (it appeared 2008-10), Dunfermline from Fife (it was in the 2008 edition) and Kingussie in the North, which featured at number 99 in our 2014 chart. Last year, half a dozen courses around the country received strong support when we polled every club and every club professional in Scotland regarding our district rankings and they all narrowly missed out on a Top 100 place in this edition. From our Lanarkshire district, the parkland courses at Strathaven - where the original 9-hole layout was designed by Willie Fernie in 1907 – and Hamilton (which James Braid designed in 1925) both came very close to attaining Top 100 status and they’ll certainly be knocking on the door again next time. Two Glasgow courses may also feature when we next update our table. The first of these is another Braid layout at Cawder Golf Club’s Cawder course, where a number of revisions have sadly diluted much of the original design. The other layout is the delightful moorland track at Cathkin Braes, on the other side of the city, which is said to be the oldest golfing layout still in play in the Glasgow area. Royal Troon’s Portland course in Ayrshire has lurked just outside the Top 100 for a while now and this old Willie Fernie track, which Alister MacKenzie remodelled in the 1920s, might just make its presence in the future. Further north, the New course at Moray is a modern design that Sir Henry Cotton laid out in the late 1970s and it too might make its mark in the listings for 2018. We mustn’t disregard the possibility of a dark horse emerging from the pack and, if that was to happen, we suggest the unexpected candidate could come from the likes of Glenbervie from our Central district (which recently featured in the Scottish Top 100 chart of a national golf magazine) or the moorland Hilton course at Hilton Park Golf Club in Dunbartonshire. Both 18-hole layouts impressed members of the Top100 Team following recent visits so their emergence as a bona fide Top 100 course would not come as a surprise. Perhaps there’s a genuine contender that we’ve missed? If so, please click the “Respond to this article” link below and tell us which course you think deserves Top 100 recognition. The full second hundred list is as follows with the challengers highlighted: Jim McCann Editor Top 100 Golf Courses
Top 100 Golf Courses of Britain & Ireland 2014 Our latest Britain & Ireland Top 100 ranking list is unveiled 16th December 2013 We are thrilled to announce our latest 2014 Britain & Ireland Top 100 rankings. We’ve actually whittled our shortlist down this time round because it was taking far too long to research more than 500 courses, the majority of which were never serious contenders for this stellar chart. The top of the table has hardly changed at all and the top six remain in exactly the same positions as 2012. In total, nine courses in our Top 20 remain in the same spots as last time – this is in complete contrast to 2012 when no fewer than seventeen courses in the Top 20 moved position. The skirl of bagpipes at the unveiling of Trump International Golf Links back in July 2012 is now a dim and distant wail. We featured this high profile course on the Top 100 website soon after it opened, but inevitably our biggest challenge focused on where to rank this new kid on the block alongside two favourite classics: Royal Aberdeen (Balgownie) and Cruden Bay. I’ve already gone on record and expressed my utter surprise at a UK golf magazine that claims “definitive rankings by the people who know”. In a moment of excitement they decided to rank Trump’s new Scottish debutant at position eight in their 2012 Britain & Ireland chart – the highest new entry in the magazine’s Top 100 history. Where they ranked the course does not concern me, the fact they ranked it two months before it opened for play caused my eyebrows to involuntarily raise. Anyway, eighteen months later I can tell you that Trump Golf Links is also our highest new entry, straight in at 31st. It is possible that if the playing surfaces at Trump Golf Links firm up, it could be the highest climber in our 2016 rankings. The Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle narrowly missed out in 2012, so we’re pleased to welcome another Scottish links to our 2014 Britain & Ireland chart. Straight in at 61st, Skibo now offers limited tee times on special request. Hats off to Tom Mackenzie (Mackenzie & Ebert) and David Thomson (Skibo’s Director of Golf) who turned this course around. According to one reviewer: “The shift from 2006 to 2008 and then to the current day is dramatic. Where as in 2005 (when I first visited) Skibo was a magnificent Highland hospitality experience with an interesting golf course as a sideshow, the course now stands up in its own right.” There’s a third and final Scottish new entry, straight in at 84th, and you won’t be surprised to hear it’s another links. We first played The Renaissance Club in April 2008, shortly after it opened and our Editor and Scottish Correspondent, Jim McCann, commented: “Doak’s understated touch is a real joy to behold and it raises the bar of golfing excellence along this [East Lothian] coastline yet another notch higher.” There’s a happy return to our 2014 Britain & Ireland Top 100 for Remedy Oak and Moortown, but it gives me great pleasure to announce one more brand new entry, this time from the Emerald Isle. Please raise a glass of Guinness and let’s hear it for Ballyliffin’s Old course. Many golfers believe that Ballyliffin is Ireland’s premier 36-hole complex. The wonderful Glashedy course is knocking on a Top 50 place in Britain & Ireland and with the Old course debuting at position 100, who would argue? According to one reviewer: “Out of the two superb courses at Ballyliffin this [the Old] just nudges it for me. There’s something about the more traditional linksy feel with its numerous bumps and hollows that bring a smile to the face on every hole.” In general terms, Scottish courses fared well in our new rankings, with Duke's St Andrews climbing nine. However, English courses found the going rather more challenging. Irish courses held firm but Welsh courses dropped back a little, compounded by Celtic Manor’s Twenty Ten dropping off the list. A few English courses however made significant upward moves, including Alwoodley (up 12), Hankley Common (up 17) and Broadstone (up 10). The Marquess and Duke’s courses at Woburn both go up nine places. In Ireland the dramatic Old Head may divide opinion but its upward move of thirteen places is, in my humble view, deserved. Lough Erne in the north also makes a positive upward move of nine places. We always welcome feedback, so please feel free to let us know what you think of our latest 2014 Britain & Ireland Top 100. We won’t claim to be “definitive” but we do like to think that we’re the most “informed” and considered golf course rankings in the business. If you’ve played any of our featured courses, we’d love to know what you think, so why not post a course review or two? Keith Baxter Editor-in-Chief www.top100golfcourses.com Click to explore in detail our new 2014 Britain & Ireland Top 100 For those interested, the six courses that made way for the new are: Trevose (Championship), Chart Hills, Celtic Manor (Twenty Ten), Lindrick, Panmure and New Zealand.
For golfers planning their first serious links trip, the choice often comes down to two destinations: Scotland or Ireland. Both offer some of the finest links courses in the world, dramatic coastal landscapes, historic clubs and enough quality to fill several days without playing the same type of golf twice. Scotland has the strongest claim to being the home of the game, with St Andrews, Muirfield, Carnoustie and Royal Dornoch among its headline acts. Ireland, meanwhile, can counter with Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, Ballybunion, Lahinch and Rosapenna. There is no wrong answer. But if you only have one major links trip to make, which country should come first? The Headline Courses Scotland has an almost unfair collection of famous links. The Old Course at St Andrews remains the obvious pilgrimage, while Muirfield, Turnberry Ailsa, Royal Dornoch and Carnoustie provide four very different reasons to keep travelling beyond the Home of Golf. North Berwick and Kingsbarns add further depth, and there is no shortage of excellent options once you move away from the biggest names. Ireland has an equally compelling collection. Royal County Down’s Championship course currently sits at No.1 in the Top100 GB&I ranking, with Royal Portrush at No.3, Ballybunion, Lahinch and Rosapenna Golf Resort’s St Patrick's Links adding further heavyweight options. That means neither country is short of a bucket-list course. Scotland perhaps has the deeper bench of instantly recognisable names, but Ireland can comfortably match it at the very top. Winner: Scotland The Links Experience The character of the golf is one of the biggest differences between the two destinations. Scotland gives you an extraordinary range of links experiences. The Old Course at St Andrews is steeped in history, Carnoustie has its fearsome reputation, Royal Dornoch delivers a more remote Highland setting, while North Berwick and Turnberry offer their own very different takes on seaside golf. Ireland's great strength is the way its links interact with the landscape. At Royal County Down, the Mountains of Mourne provide a spectacular backdrop. Royal Portrush winds through some of the biggest dunes in the British Isles, while Ballybunion, Lahinch and Rosapenna put the Atlantic firmly into the equation. That doesn't necessarily make Ireland's golf better, but it does give many of its standout courses a particularly strong sense of place. The landscape is part of the experience of playing the course. For golfers looking for variety, Scotland has the edge. For those who want their links golf to feel wild and dramatic, Ireland takes the cake. Winner: Ireland Building The Perfect Itinerary For the travelling golfer, the quality of individual courses is only half the equation. The other question is how easily you can string them together. This is one of Scotland's greatest strengths. A St Andrews trip can be built around the Old Course and supplemented by the six other courses at the St Andrews Links complex (New, Jubilee, Castle, Eden, Balgove, and Strathtyrum), alongside Kingsbarns Golf Links and Crail Golfing Society. An East Lothian trip can combine Muirfield with North Berwick, Gullane and Dunbar. Further west, the Ayrshire coast offers Turnberry, Royal Troon, Prestwick and Western Gailes. Then there is the Highlands, where Royal Dornoch, Castle Stuart and Nairn provide the foundations for another outstanding trip. Ireland has excellent clusters of its own. Dublin and the east coast provide several strong options, while the southwest combines Ballybunion, Lahinch and Waterville. Further north, Royal County Down and Royal Portrush provide the kind of double act that could justify an entire trip. But Scotland gives you more ways to construct the itinerary. You can build a four-day trip around one region or spend a week travelling between some of the game's most famous courses without running out of options. Winner: Scotland The Scenery and Atmosphere Both countries offer more than enough scenery to make the journey worthwhile, but they create very different kinds of golf trips. Scotland has the history and sense of occasion. A day at St Andrews can feel like a pilgrimage, while travelling through East Lothian or Ayrshire takes you between courses that have been part of the game for generations. Ireland's appeal is slightly less about pilgrimage and more about exploration. The best trips often involve following the coastline, travelling between small towns and remote clubs, and arriving at courses where the dunes and sea dominate the view. The golf can feel like part of a wider road trip, with the day's round followed by a trip to the pub to dissect it. Scotland has the stronger sense of golfing history, but Ireland arguably offers the more rounded sense of adventure. Winner: Ireland Value for Money Neither Scotland nor Ireland is a destination for the golfer looking for a bargain-basement holiday. The headline courses can command substantial visitor fees, particularly during the summer, but neither country requires you to play the most expensive courses every day. Scotland's depth is particularly useful, with an enormous range of courses allowing you to mix marquee names with excellent, less expensive links. That depth also means you can build an itinerary around value rather than simply ticking off the most famous names. Ireland competes strongly, particularly if you are prepared to venture beyond its biggest tourist destinations. But Scotland's sheer number of quality options makes it easier to put together a varied trip without paying a premium every day. Winner: Scotland The Verdict For your first links trip, choose Scotland. It has the history, depth, variety and concentration of world-class courses to make almost any itinerary work. The Old Course alone is enough to justify the journey, but Scotland's greatest strength is what comes after it. There are enough outstanding links to turn one trip into several without simply repeating the same experience. Ireland is the destination to choose when you want something a little more adventurous. Its great links are often dramatic, windswept and surrounded by scenery that can be as memorable as the golf itself. Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, Ballybunion, Lahinch and Rosapenna form an extraordinary collection, and the wider experience of travelling around the island only adds to the appeal. So Scotland wins the first-trip argument. But once you've made the journey, Ireland won't be far behind on the list.
