Top 100 Golf Courses of Britain & Ireland 2016

Britain and Ireland represent the spiritual heartland of golf. Nowhere else on earth can a golfer experience such density, diversity and sheer quality of courses within easy reach of one another — from the windswept links of the Outer Hebrides to the Surrey heathland belt, from the Antrim coast to the dunes of County Kerry. Eight new entries join the rankings alongside a series of significant climbers, while the summit remains as stable and formidable as ever. The GB&I ranking draws on the assessments of a dedicated panel of well-travelled golf enthusiasts who evaluate courses across all five nations under consistent criteria. The result is the most authoritative cross-border ranking of golf in the British Isles — a resource for every golfer planning a links pilgrimage or seeking out a heathland gem closer to home. See the GB&I Rankings Now The 2026 Rankings The 2026 list spans links masterpieces, heathland classics, parkland gems and modern championship designs, offering something for every golfing traveller regardless of budget, geography or preferred style of play. Eight courses make their debut in this edition, and Scotland leads the new-entry count with three. England adds four fresh names. Ireland contributes a landmark addition in Royal Portrush Valley, while Wales and the Isle of Man both contribute. 2026 GB&I Top 100 at a Glance 🏅 The Immovable Elite The entire top 30 holds its position unchanged from 2025, which is due to the alignment with the world ranking. (European Club has been removed after its sale and new development). Royal County Down (Championship) retains top spot, a position it has occupied since 2006. Harry Colt's masterpiece on the County Down coast remains the benchmark against which all others are measured. St Andrews Links (Old Course) holds second, Muirfield fourth, and Trump Turnberry Ailsa fifth, with Royal Dornoch sixth, completing a top-six that reads like the definitive roll-call of British links golf. Royal Porthcawl (21st) anchors the Welsh presence at the upper end of the table. See the GB&I Rankings Now 📈 The Rising Stars Brora Golf Club Brora's rise signals a renewed appreciation for one of Scotland's most characterful links experiences. James Braid's Sutherland has long been cherished by those who make the pilgrimage north, and the panel's verdict this time around is emphatic. St Andrews Links (New Course) Tom Morris's New Course at St Andrews makes a similarly dramatic leap. Laid out on the same Fife linksland, the New Course offers a subtler but no less rewarding examination of links golf, and its rise reflects growing recognition among the panel of its considerable merits. Pennard Wales's most dramatic mover, Pennard's climb continues a strong upward trajectory for Welsh golf in this ranking. Set atop dramatic cliffs with views across Three Cliffs Bay, James Braid's coastal design delivers a links experience unlike anything else in the principality. The Addington Golf Club The Addington's extraordinary heath-and-heather landscape and inventive routing through woodland have always inspired devotion among connoisseurs of the inland game; the panel now recognises it more prominently within the national context. Formby Golf Club Formby's leap into the top 40 is particularly noteworthy. The Merseyside club, now sits among the top tier of English links venues. West Lancashire's rise reinforces the quality of the Lancashire coast corridor, which already features Royal Birkdale, Royal Lytham & St Annes, Hillside, Southport & Ainsdale and Wallasey. Carne Golf Links (Wild Atlantic Dunes) Three Irish courses make meaningful advances. Portstewart's Strand Course, County Louth, and Carne Golf Links on the wild Atlantic coast of County Mayo, shaped into the dunes by Eddie Hackett. See the GB&I Rankings Now 🆕 New Entries Eight courses make their debut in the 2026 GB&I Top 100: Cabot Highlands Old Petty (Scotland, #51) — the second Cabot Highlands layout to feature in the rankings, joining Castle Stuart in the list and continuing the rapid rise of this Inverness-shire resort as a world-class golfing destination. Elie (Scotland, #54) — one of the most characterful and historic clubs in Scotland, on the East Neuk of Fife. The course's unique features — including a periscope on the first tee — have made it beloved by generations of Scottish golfers. Trump International Scotland (New Course) (Scotland, #63) — the second Trump Dunes layout at Balmedie, joining the Old Course (25th), extends the Aberdeenshire complex's representation in the national rankings. Royal Portrush (Valley) (Ireland, #81) — the second course at Royal Portrush Golf Club, after new routing and holes from M&E. Prince's Golf Club (Dunes & Himalayas) (England, #82) — the Sandwich Bay classic returns to the rankings in a strong position. Guy Campbell and John Morrison rebuilt the layout after World War II, and Martin Ebert's recent upgrade, adding new tees, restoring natural sand scrapes and creating a new sea-facing par-three. Aldeburgh Golf Club (Championship) (England, #96) — the Suffolk links, founded in 1884 with design contributions from John Thompson, makes its debut in the national rankings after a major overhaul. Hayling Golf Club (England, #97) — the Hampshire links on Hayling Island, shaped in part by Tom Simpson, enters the rankings for the first time. Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club (Old Course) (England, #98) — one of the most unusual and celebrated inland courses in England, Royal Ashdown is unique for having no bunkers. Beau Desert Golf Club (England, #100) — the Staffordshire heathland gem, founded in 1921 by Herbert Fowler, completes the expanded century of courses. See the GB&I Rankings Now Best Golf Courses by Nation 🗺️ England — 47 Courses England accounts for nearly half the rankings — a reflection of both the volume and variety of world-class golf across the country. The Surrey and Berkshire heathland belt contributes a disproportionate share of the upper-table entries: Sunningdale Old (8th) and New (13th), Swinley Forest (18th), St George's Hill (27th), West Sussex (31st), Walton Heath Old (38th) and Hollinwell (41st) all feature within the top half. The links of Lancashire, Kent and East Anglia provide a contrasting but equally compelling strand of the English golfing story. Four new entries — Aldeburgh, Hayling, Royal Ashdown Forest and Beau Desert — expand the list's geographic footprint into Suffolk, Hampshire, East Sussex and Staffordshire, demonstrating that England's golfing heritage extends well beyond its most celebrated corridors. Scotland — 30 Courses Scotland's 30 entries include five of the top six — a statistical dominance that reflects the country's unique concentration of championship links. St Andrews (2nd and 69th), Muirfield (4th), Turnberry Ailsa (5th) and Royal Dornoch (6th) anchor the Scottish contingent at the summit, while Carnoustie (11th), North Berwick (14th), Kingsbarns (15th), Ardfin (16th) and Cabot Highlands Castle Stuart (19th) complete a formidable top-20 presence. Ireland — 18 Courses Eighteen Irish courses feature across the island, with 11 of them sitting in the top 52 — a density of quality that underscores Ireland's claim to be the world's premier links destination. Royal County Down (1st) and Royal Portrush Dunluce (3rd) lead the charge from Northern Ireland, while Ballybunion Old (9th), Lahinch Old (10th), Rosapenna St Patrick's (12th) and Portmarnock (24th) anchor the Republic's contribution at the highest level. Wales — 4 Courses Wales holds four positions in the ranking, led by Royal Porthcawl. Pennard's rise is the Welsh highlight of 2026, with Royal St David's (77th) and Aberdovey (90th) completing the principality's quartet. The Welsh presence reflects a small but fiercely competitive national golfing scene whose best courses can match many of their more celebrated neighbours. Isle of Man — 1 Course Castletown enters the rankings at 93rd, extending the list's geographic scope to include what is perhaps the most underrated links destination in the British Isles. Designed on Langness Peninsula with views across Castletown Bay, the course offers a genuine links experience that few golfers beyond the island's shores have yet discovered. See the GB&I Rankings Now What the Rankings Tell Us 🔍 Scotland's Mid-Table Revolution Brora and the New Course at St Andrews both making gains along with three new Scottish entries arriving suggest that the expanded panel membership has brought fresh perspectives to the evaluation of Caledonian golf, reaching beyond the famous Fife and Ayrshire corridors into the Highlands and East Neuk. England's Heathland Heritage Runs Deep With 47 entries, England dominates the ranking numerically. But the nature of the English contribution is as interesting as the volume. The heathland courses of the Surrey and Berkshire sandbelt account for a remarkable cluster of entries in the top 40. Royal Ashdown Forest's debut as a bunkerless inland classic adds yet another dimension to the story of English golf design. The four new English entries span different eras and geographies, from the ancient links of Hayling Island to the heathland of Beau Desert. Welsh Golf Reaching New Heights Four Welsh courses in a combined GB&I Top 100 is genuinely significant. With Aberdovey re-entering the list at 90th, the principality now presents a quartet of genuinely diverse and compelling experiences. See the GB&I Rankings Now See the Full Rankings The complete 2026 GB&I Top 100, with individual course pages, panellist commentary and regional breakdowns, is available at Top100GolfCourses.com. Each of the 100 courses links through to detailed profiles, visitor information, and review collections from thousands of golfers who have experienced them firsthand. For regional perspectives within Britain and Ireland, the site also maintains separate Top 100 rankings for England and Scotland, a Top 50 for Wales, and individual rankings for Ireland and Northern Ireland — together covering nearly 700 distinct golf courses across the five nations. See the GB&I Rankings Now

The Green Journey Golf Rally along Northern Ireland By Javier Pintos Javier@wegolf.com.ar www.wegolf.com.ar Three great days of golfing in the northwest of England were over and it was time to fly to Belfast and start a great trip leading a group of twenty-four golfers around the north of Ireland. The schedule was to play six consecutive days, tackling the two classics - Royal Portrush (Dunluce) and Royal County Down (Championship) - along with the Glashedy and Old courses at Ballyliffin, Portstewart (Strand) and the beautiful Ardglass. I arrived on the Friday and checked in at the Ramada Portrush, a very nice hotel in the middle of the town. Driving from Belfast, I had stopped at Portrush around twilight and was able to take some great photos around the clubhouse and 18th hole. The Ramada enjoys an excellent location, offers excellent service and a good restaurant, all of which was a good combination in advance of The Green Journey starting. On Saturday, before my clients arrived, I had a game on the Strand course at Portstewart, playing in really heavy rain. I also got onto the Mussenden course at Castlerock, another 18-hole layout that golfers need to play if they’re in the area. Unfortunately, the rain was so heavy that we only managed nine holes, with even my Irish playing partners saying the weather conditions were too bad to play golf. All the same, I was happy to get in a great front nine that was far better than I had imagined beforehand. It was then back to the hotel to receive clients for a Welcome Dinner and an explanation of trip details, including the tournament we were going to play. At last, we were ready to experience some great golf under really green conditions! Sunday - ROYAL PORTRUSH (DUNLUCE) The day started with breakfast after a 12km run along the strand at Portrush, as I was training for the 2014 Buenos Aires Marathon. It was one of the nicest outdoor runs I’ve ever had, with great temperatures as the sun was shining. The morning was then taken up by “Tourist Trail” visits to The Giant’s Causeway, Dunluce Castle and Bushmills Distillery. It was really worth spending the time to catch these iconic regional places before driving back to Royal Portrush for a special golfing afternoon. I had the chance to have a look inside the clubhouse and see all the pictorial images of the course, especially those relating to the 1950s, when it became the first club outside England or Scotland to host golf’s oldest Major, The Open. It’s now known that the course will host the Open Championship again as early as 2019 and changes will be made before then. I was blessed to see the plans for the new holes, although I could not take pictures. Nonetheless, what I saw will make the course even better! I’ve read many reviews, most of them good and some of them not, but everybody seems to agree that the 17th and 18th are just standard holes for such a great venue and I agree with that. Those two holes will disappear for The Open so no worries there; just a sad note to say goodbye to the huge crossbunker on the 17th called “Big Nellie”. But, as it will be reconstructed on the new 7th hole, one of the Dunluce’s trademarks will remain alive. The first three holes are maybe not that great, although the par five 2nd is a nice birdie chance. The par three 3rd is a short one but if you miss the green, making par is a huge challenge. Then we have a stretch of five great holes: the 4th is a tough par four where the uphill second shot is not easy, the 5th plays to the ocean with Dunluce Castle close by, the 6th is a terrific par three, the 7th a very tough par four before the short, right doglegged 8th, my favourite hole on the front nine. The 9th is not a bad hole, just maybe not as spectacular as the stretch of holes before it. The halfway house is nice, with anything you wish to drink, which was a good idea in the cold conditions we were playing in. The back nine starts with an easy par five at the 10th and this is maybe the last real birdie chance on the card. The short 11th hole precedes a tough stretch that includes the dramatic par three 14th (probably the toughest and nicest hole on the course), the downhill 15th and the brutal par four 16th, which will be the closing hole for The Open, playing almost 500 yards from the championship tees. As mentioned earlier, the last two holes will disappear as they don’t match the quality of the other sixteen, but they are not bad holes at all. The par five 17th is long and that big bunker gives a nice target from the tee. The closing hole is a long and rather flat par four, nothing unremarkable and a tough driving hole. In summary, the Dunluce course is a must, even worth playing twice, and I believe it justifies its status as one of the best and toughest links courses in the world. We finished playing around 8.00pm and headed for a late evening meal in the harbor area of Portrush. The word amongst the golfers over dinner was that the trip might possibly match our experience of playing in Scotland as the Dunluce could easily outperform Carnoustie or Turnberry - I’m not sure if I shared this view, but I do know that I really loved the course! Monday – PORTSTEWART (STRAND) This was a totally different day from Saturday in terms of weather as we had sun and a light wind, perfect conditions for links golf. We arrived at the club and the car park was really busy with trucks and machinery involved in nearby filming of “Game of Thrones,” the American fantasy drama television series. That didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of my twenty-four golfers though, who all rushed into the pro shop to purchase plenty of goods carrying one of the nicest logos I’ve seen in the UK. Soon after, we all set off on our round and I was last out with the Club Captain and a couple of members in what turned out to be a very fun grouping. The front nine on the Strand course has some of the nicest holes I’ve been lucky to play in my whole life. On Saturday, we had to quit due to rain but on this day we had the course in the great condition it’s usually presented in. Before we start with the course, some special words need to be said about the clubhouse, which is modern and elevated, giving clear views of the surroundings, including the beach. Everybody was warm in their welcome and the caddies for the group were all members of the Club who really enjoyed sharing their knowledge of the course with their visitors. The outward half is situated in maybe the nicest piece of property we would face in the entire trip, going around huge dunes with views of the beach and Atlantic Ocean. Although the course is playable, any mistake will result in a big number on the scorecard as there’s little chance of recovery after a bad shot. Hole 1 is a downhill right dogleg par four where finding the fairway is 90% of the job done. Hole 2 from an elevated tee plays downhill before an uphill approach is required while hole 3 is a long and tough par three. Hole 4 (a reachable uphill par five) and hole 5 (a downhill long par four) are difficult but great holes before golfers arrive at the extremely nice and short par three 6th, where missing the green is disaster as it’s so hard to get back to this elevated green. Arriving at the reachable par five 7th, you face a big birdie chance but don’t miss the second shot on any side. Holes 8 and 9 are two terrific par fours, where placing the tee shot is the real key to making a possible birdie. After a nice beer at the halfway hut, get ready for some different holes with fewer elevation changes closer to the river on the back nine. The par five 14th is a great hole, before the last three par fours, where scoring is not easy. The Strand course is a good test, a fun place and a very nice setting, I have to say that it’s not quite at the level of Royal County Down and Royal Portrush but it’s a must play track that co-hosted The Amateur in 2014 and the R&A wouldn’t take that event to a bad course! I was treated like a member when I was at Portstewart, where everybody made you feel so at home. After golf, we had lunch in the clubhouse lounge then some of the golfers went down to the beach to see some filming on the “Game of Thrones” set. The sun was out and watching scenes being made of the television series was a big thrill. Again, dinner was in the marina area of Portrush, where there’s plenty of nightlife and great eating alternatives available. In truth, the location of the Ramada Portrush hotel is unbeatable. Tuesday - BALLYLIFFIN (OLD) During the planning of the trip, I made one big mistake and that was not analyzing the travel distance between the two Ballyliffin courses and the Ramada Portrush hotel. Unfortunately, the order of playing the courses had to be set that way, so two long journeys were needed to play golf. But the night before going to Donegal, we came up with the idea of staying in the area close to the courses and most of the golfers decided to remain near Ballyliffin that night instead of returning to Portrush. We arrived at Ballyliffin and the first sight of the clubhouse, although modern, gives the image of pure tradition. We played the Old Course, where the layout was not even constructed as they mowed the grass, placed the bunkers, created the greens and there you have one of those true natural links where shot making is the only way to score. Opened in 1949, Nick Faldo completely refurbished the bunkers in the 1990s. The course is pretty much plain, with no big elevation changes but there are nice views of the Atlantic Ocean and Glashedy Rock, which gives its name to the other course on the property. I played with Club Captain Paddy and it was interesting to learn from him the history of the course and club, how the new Glashedy was built, how Faldo helped the club develop and how Rory as a young kid smashed the Glashedy course record with a 66. The front nine is maybe easier than the back nine with some great holes like the uphill par three 5th, played to a very tough green which, if you miss it off the tee, then God help you! The course gets tough and demanding as you arrive at the long par three 12th, where a long iron is needed to reach a really difficult green. Holes 14 to 18 comprise a good final stretch, especially the long and tough 18th. If you fluff the tee shot then your third one will be a very long one. We finished in the rain and I was pleased to get one of the best pars of the tour on the 18th after a fantastic five iron to fifteen feet, unfortunately missing the birdie putt. After getting soaked out on the course, a very nice lunch was served in the restaurant upstairs, where the views of the course and coastline are tremendous. In my case, with five other guys, we stayed at a lovely little guesthouse at Malin Head, the most northerly spot in Ireland. John McLaughlin from North & West Coast Links invited me for dinner at Ballyliffin Lodge, where we had a good chat about the fantastic trip we were experiencing. We were at the half way stage of the trip and at that moment, the north of Ireland was showing us it certainly had courses at the level of the best in Scotland. Wednesday - BALLYLIFFIN (GLASHEDY) Next day, after an early morning breakfast, it was time to head back to Ballyliffin, where I played with my Irish friends from North and West Coast Links on the Glashedy. We had a really fun match which we lost to the locals, of course, but it was a great golfing experience nonetheless. We had a decent day in terms of weather, even though there were some short, sharp showers during the round. The course is totally different to the Old as this one was completely manufactured. The views are as good as you can imagine, the best of which are from the top of the dunes on the 7th tee. This signature hole is a great downhill par three with water to the front right side of the green, where calculating distance is extremely difficult. The opening six holes are great, especially the par five 4th and par three 5th, played in the direction of Glashedy Rock (which is similar to Ailsa Craig at Turnberry). The back nine is tougher than the front nine and you will find many difficult holes. For example, the 15th is a monster par four (into the wind and rain, it was driver and 3 wood to reach the green) and the 17th is a very demanding par five that also plays into the wind normally. The home hole is a very nice right dogleg, where tee shot needs to be extremely accurate. After playing thirty-six holes here, I can say that Ballyliffin was a very nice golfing experience on a great pair of courses with a fantastic clubhouse, making it well worth the ride up the Inishowen peninsula. And the presence of Glashedy Rock reminded me a little bit of my beloved Scotland! But the day was not over as a three hour drive to the Slieve Donard hotel awaited us so, with my friend Fernando, we jumped into the car after lunch and set off for Newcastle. Luckily, the sun was shining so it was a very enjoyable journey to the east coast. I quickly left my belongings in my hotel room then rushed next door to the Championship course at Royal County Down to take some pictures in very nice late evening light. We had dinner at the hotel with eight other guys and the consensus of opinion was that the Slieve Donard was really something special, at least at the same level as the Turnberry hotel in Scotland. Thursday – ARDGLASS We woke up early as tee times at Ardglass were for early in the morning. The weather forecast was great, so all of us enjoyed a hearty breakfast at Slieve Donard then drove to this breathtaking place some twenty-five minutes away from Newcastle. I was the first to arrive and the clubhouse, designed like a fort, certainly grabs your attention! Regarding the course, I’d been told some months before by another client that Ardglass was not that good, despite five great opening holes and a couple of others that were good holes. I have to say that I totally disagree with this opinion! I learned a few things about the history of the club inside the clubhouse then received my group of twenty-four golfers, spending time between the putting green - rolling at 10 on the stimpmeter, at least - and the first tee. Finally, it was time for my round with the Club Captain, which is a very big honor as a visitor. The first hole is one of the most challenging opening tee shots I’ve faced, where you have to carry more than two hundred yards. You also need to be precise to have a better angle to an elevated green in between the rocks. It was very nice to start with a birdie from twenty feet downhill which rolled extremely pure. The 2nd is a dramatic, over the cliff, par three which that day played 165 yards into the wind. Holes 3 and 4 are two terrific par fours, one of them with a semi blind shot which made it tough into the wind. All four holes go along the cliff on the left. The 5th is a fine par three where, if you land in the right side bunker, you need to donate money to charity as it’s called the “Captain’s Bunker”. After that, holes 6, 7 and 8 are just standard holes which, in my opinion, might need some creativity in redesign as they go inland away from the ocean views. We then reach a great stretch from hole 9 to 13, which I loved. Hole 9 is a great uphill par five, with a very tough second shot. The 10th is a very difficult par three, where the green sits by the shore, before the spectacular par five 11th leads to a well-protected green, the shoreline flanking the right side of the fairway. Playing into the wind, I managed to hit the shot of the week with my three wood to two feet for an eagle. Hole 12 is a dramatic, downhill par three where hybrid is often the club of choice then the 13th is a demanding, long par four with a blind second shot. Holes 14 to 17 are nothing special before a very nice finishing par four, where the elevated tee and a tail wind make it reachable with the tee shot. The views of the Irish Sea and the clubhouse are amazing and maybe the nicest I was able to experience in Northern Ireland. After the round, a big dish of mussels in the clubhouse completed a very pleasurable experience that I really hope to repeat in the future. If you go to this part of the country, you have to play Ardglass. Some holes may just be “standard” but the views are all fantastic and there’s thrilling golf to be played at more than half the holes on the card. With well-maintained greens that run fast and true, staff that are kind and helpful, everything at Ardglass is just as a golf course should be. And the other special feature of the course is that they have twenty-three greens, so in winter they change the configuration of the course, enabling you to play some different layouts. On my way back to the Slieve Donard hotel, and taking advantage of a sunny day, I went to Royal County Down for a short walk and the chance to take some more pictures. It looked like the nicest woman on earth! It was then time for another long run, using the golf course, the shore and part of the dunes for a special 12km stint on my own. Dinner took place in a nearby restaurant, tasting some of the best seafood in all of the UK. A special day lay ahead of us and many of our group had already walked the course and spent a good many sterling pounds in the pro shop. Friday - ROYAL COUNTY DOWN (CHAMPIONSHIP) Well… the day finally came and my round at RCD came true. Since I started to play some of the top ranked courses in the world, I really wanted to be in Newcastle and experience for myself how good the course was, as words and text are never enough. I’ve played Pine Valley, Cypress Point, Shinnecock, Merion, Winged Foot and some more, and all I can say is that RCD comes very close, if not better, than Pine Valley. I believe it is a greater course than Cypress and Shinnecock, not only because of design and variety, but also due to the great scenery surrounding the course with the Irish Sea, the Mourne Mountains, the dunes and coloured gorse making it look totally natural. We arrived early at the course as the pro shop is an attraction not only for shirts and sweaters but for every kind of souvenir you can imagine, such as ball markers, glasses, paintings, club covers and logo balls. Many of my group spent quite a bit and they’ll exhibit their new gear very proudly back in Argentina. The day was not perfect and sunny, but not bad at all as we only had a little bit of wind and it rained on only one hole. Every golfer in the group was extremely excited and knew how special this course is. You could see the happiness in their faces and, when the first group hit their opening tee shots, the best round of the Tour was on its way. The first four holes are as great as you can imagine. Hole 1 is a gentle par five, where a good drive can give you a birdie chance but the second shot needs to be very accurate. Holes 2 and 3 are marvellous par fours with a very challenging tee shot normally. As we played downwind, a three wood was enough. Arriving at the 4th hole, you find the first monster, playing 215 yards into the wind, with danger all around. All I can say is bogey here is not bad! The tee shot on the 5th is tough to find the fairway but once you’ve done this, most of the job is done. The short par three 7th is relatively easy, but a shanked pitching wedge led me to a very disappointing double bogey and my only lost ball! The final two par fours on the front nine are wonderful holes, with the 9th maybe the nicest hole in Ireland. When you get over the hill, a picture there is mandatory! The back nine played downwind from the great par three 10th to the par three 14th, where I unfortunately played another shanked shot from the tee, resulting in another double bogey! The last four holes into the wind were tough but I managed pretty well as finding the fairway makes the difference between a par and a really big number. At the 15th, which was the only hole where we had some rain, one of the excellent caddies said the hole should be the rated stroke index 1 as it plays all of 454 yards, normally into the wind. My low cut drive found the fairway, 215 yards from the pin, then I hit another low cut hybrid with such good fortune that the ball went into the hole for eagle - finding the cup from that distance was 100% luck! After finishing the round, an exploration of the clubhouse is a must as there are lots of pictures to see, including one of Rory and GMac playing on their own, carrying their bags, just days after the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach, which shows the great amateur spirit they both still have. It was a great round and an even better experience on a must play course. RCD is a demanding challenge and now shares my personal number 1 rank with Pine Valley. Many may disagree and I can understand that, but neither of them should be number 2 to the other. It would certainly be a very tough job to build a course better than these two. We held our prize giving in the clubhouse then many of us spent some quality time in the hotel pool, reliving memories of an unforgettable golf trip. Before our evening meal, I went back to the course to take a few more pictures and got some fantastic shots of holes 1, 8 and 9, all the time wishing I had another chance to play the course. At the last dinner in the hotel, we all agreed that the north of Ireland is a special golfing spot where every golfer should come to play. The Irish Open 2015 will show Royal County Down to the world and in 2019 we should have The Open at a redesigned Royal Portrush, with more people hopefully falling in love with these two golfing masterpieces. I have not been to many courses in The Emerald Isle that are very well renowned (like Ballybunion, Lahinch, Old Head, Tralee, Rosapenna, Waterville, Portmarnock Old, The K Club and Druids Glen) but I really expect to visit more in the future as these eight days in the north of the island were something really special. Saturday – THE ISLAND GOLF CLUB There was a bonus for me with my good friend Áine Mangan from the East Golf Alliance and this was playing a gem of a course at The Island Golf Club. After a very early wakeup call at 4.00am and a two-hour drive to meet my friend, we met up outside a deserted clubhouse, where I hit the opening shot of the day, a very nice stinger with the three wood. On a lovely sunny day, we enjoyed one of the best, though still relatively unknown, layouts in Ireland, where the quality of the course was spectacular. The opening hole is a tough par four, whilst you go close to the sea for holes 2 and 3. All the front nine holes are good and sort of tricky, compared to some tougher holes on the back nine. A reachable but difficult 8th and a short par three 9th provide a nice finish to the outward half. The back nine starts with a long and difficult par five but when you arrive at “Valhalla” (the par four 12th) you face the best and most difficult hole on the course. After a missed drive into the rough, I had to lay up then play a 130-yard iron into the wind for my third shot! The par three 13th used to be the 18th when golfers arrived at the course by boat, up until 1973. The narrow and reachable par four 14th is maybe the last real birdie chance as the final par five at hole 15 is long and the fairway is hard to find. The par three 16th requires a long iron from the back tees to a difficult, sloping green. Hole 17 could offer a birdie if it plays downwind then the home hole is a brutal 460-yard par four which I could not reach in two despite two good shots. Lunch in the clubhouse concluded my visit to Ireland. The Green Island certainly has a lot more to show and I’ll do my best to experience more of it in the future but, as a start, this was a hell of a trip! To read my player reviews click any of the links below. Javier Pintos Royal Portrush (Dunluce) Ballyliffin (Old) Ballyliffin (Glashedy) Portstewart (Strand) Ardglass Royal County Down (Championship)

Top 100 Golf Courses of Britain & Ireland 2018 Having produced updated ranking lists for England, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales over the last couple of months, we’ve now gone through the process of merging those national charts then siphoning off the top one hundred courses to create an all-embracing Top 100 table for the geographical location which is commonly known as the British Isles. Several UK-based members of the Top 100 Team have each played more than 75% of the new GB&I standings but spare a thought for our Midlands and North of England correspondent Brian Ward, who thought he’d recently completed the hundred, only to now discover there’s a Scottish new entry in this edition that he’s not yet played! For those interested in statistics, the chart contains 45 English courses, 30 Scottish courses, 18 from the Republic of Ireland, 4 from Wales and 3 from Northern Ireland. Overall, 39 courses move up, 34 go down, there are 23 non movers and 4 new entries. The four courses dropping out (Lough Erne, Druids Glen, Moortown and Sherwood Forest) join 34 others which have appeared in at least one of the seven previous editions before falling out of favour. At the top of the chart, the Championship course at Royal County Down in Northern Ireland retains the number 1 position, holding off four very strong Scottish contenders in positions 2 to 5. It’s been at the top of our chart since 2006 and, quite frankly, something really extraordinary will have to happen to see the course dislodged from the top spot. A reviewer described it like this earlier in the year: “the course once again never ceases to amaze me… RCD is a wonderful golf course not to be missed by those who truly love golf and the magical places and topography upon which it is played.” There’s not much movement within the Top 20. The “re-born” Ailsa at Trump Turnberry (# 5) swaps places with the Dunluce at Royal Portrush (# 6) – both of these Open venues have just undergone extensive renovations by Martin Ebert – and the New course at Sunningdale (#14) and West course at North Berwick (#15) each advance one position at the expense of the Championship course at Portmarnock (#16). Royal Lytham & St Annes (#18) and the Balgownie at Royal Aberdeen (#19) also switch positions. Two English courses make it into the Top 30 for the first time. The James Braid-designed Church course at St Enodoc in Cornwall climbs a creditable nine places to number 28 and the Sir Guy Campbell and Major C K Hutchison co-designed layout at West Sussex in Pulborough leaps up eleven spots to number 30. Don’t be at all surprised if these two 18-hole tracks also make a first appearance in our World Top 100 when it’s published next month. Opened in 2002 and recently remodelled by Martin Hawtree, the Trump International Golf Links at Doonbeg soars an incredible thirty five places to number 41 in our revised Top 100, which is actually the same position it held in the 2006 edition of our GB& I chart. Our correspondent Fergal O’Leary visited the course a couple of months ago and he had nothing but praise for what he found: “I wholeheartedly encourage everybody to visit Trump Doonbeg… the playing conditions, the fun and the beauty are all a sight to behold. Doonbeg is once again ready for the world to arrive.” A decade ago, the West course at Wentworth occupied a position just outside the Top 20 in these rankings but it took a mighty tumble when we last reappraised the chart two years ago, falling out of the Top 50. After publishing an article back in March entitled The rise and fall of the troubled Burma Road, we think a climb of eight positions in the new chart to number 46 indicates the latest round of renovation work (involving the costly installation of a sub-air system on new bent grass greens) has gone some way toward rekindling affections for this much maligned Harry Colt track. Also making an impressive leap in the listings (up fourteen to 50), the course at The Island in Donabate, near Dublin, has benefitted from a raft of course improvements in the last few years. Under the direction of course superintendent David Edmonston, the club has returned native links grasses to the playing surfaces, improved its rough management and removed unsightly areas of seabuckthorn to open out vistas over the Malahide estuary. Architect Martin Ebert has also advised on the redesign of a number of fairway bunkers, using a technique called “marram slabbing”. In the lower half of the new Top 100, the following five courses make substantial positive moves. Renaissance Club, where the Senior Scottish Open was held this year on the European Senior Tour, rises twelve places to number 55. This Tom Doak design entered the GB&I chart in 2014 at number 84 then advanced to number 67 in 2016 so it’s following a clear path of upward progression. The club doesn’t exactly seek out casual golfers but it does offer a “One Time Experience” which many consider worth the hefty green fee in order to sample the playing privileges for a day at this private members’ club. Many were concerned when The Machrie closed for extensive remodelling a while back. Essentially, those who had previously played this old Willie Campbell layout on the Isle of Islay were probably thinking this late 19th century layout would lose much of its old-fashioned charm with a modern makeover. Well, we visited just three months ago and were mightily relieved to discover that architect DJ Russell has not just replaced what was there before, he’s vastly improved the links layout with a sympathetic new routing, completely revitalising the old course. Once the new hotel is finished next year, Machrie (up seventeen to number 56) should become a really formidable 21st century links golf destination. Broadstone in Dorset progresses thirteen positions to number 73. First set out by Tom Dunn in 1898, the course has been modified at various times by the likes of Willie Park Jnr, Herbert Fowler and Harry Colt so there’s never been any doubt about its architectural integrity. Ed Battye, a regular Top 100 reviewer and founder of the Golf Empire website, had this to say about the course six months ago: “Broadstone is a wonderful golf course on a truly amazing property in an area of the country that is quickly establishing itself as a region for top class golf. Traversing some superb golfing terrain it is an idyllic place to play golf with a spaciousness that few other courses can boast.” The Queen's course at Gleneagles rockets a sensational 24 places up to number 74. We invited four Scottish members from the ranking panel of a leading golf magazine to assist with our biennial chart revision north of the border this year and it was largely their collective opinion that made us realise we’ve been undervaluing this lovely old track for some time now. As a recent reviewer said: “it’s possible, and most likely probably, that the Queen’s at Gleneagles is the best golf course under 6,000 yards. Not just in Scotland, but anywhere” – and we’re not going to argue against that assertion. The Strand course at Portstewart makes an impressive 17-place upward move to number 76. Numerous course improvements were implemented ahead of the 2017 Irish Open, won by Jon Rahm. New tees have been added and one of the most dramatic is on the 8th hole (“Portnahapple”), which is set on the highest point of the course, from where you can see the adjacent Riverside course and the flowing waters of the River Bann. The club has also installed its own “Big Nellie” bunker on the short par five 14th (“The Hill”), where the tee has been offset to create a sweeping dogleg and an extra 30 yards of length. The back nine cannot compete with the drama of the stellar front nine, but these changes have markedly improved this impressive links course. There are four new entries in our Britain and Ireland Top 100. The first of these is Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links (new at number 90), located less than half an hour’s drive to the north of Dublin City centre on the ancestral family estate of the Jameson whiskey family. A mid-1990s co-design from Bernhard Langer and Stan Eby, the course and attached hotel were acquired by new owners in 2014 and a significant level of investment has been made to upgrade the visitor experience both on and off the course here. Links Superintendent Fintan Brennan has overseen the revetting of bunkers, the introduction of turf paths, the implementation of a rough management programme and the return of putting surfaces to fescue dominated grasses. Two places behind, at number 92, the Old course at Moray in Lossiemouth makes its debut in the GB&I hundred. The Moray Firth area is fast becoming something of a golfing hotspot, what with the championship courses at Royal Dornoch, Castle Stuart and The Nairn all within easy reach of Inverness airport. The 36-hole golf club at Moray lies just a little further away from this triumvirate, between the RAF Lossiemouth base and the Covesea Skerries Lighthouse, so it’s often overlooked by visiting golfers, which is a big mistake. Truth be told, the unpretentious Old and New courses at Moray offer as good a day’s play out on the links as you might find anywhere in Scotland. New at number 99, the course at West Lancashire dates back to 1873, when the club was founded. A number of prominent architects have made revisions to the layout over the last 144 years, including Ken Cotton and Fred Hawtree in the early 1960s, but it’s the club’s recent appointment of Course Manager Stuart Hogg that has elevated the layout to its new found position among the elite of Britain and Ireland. Stuart’s a firm advocate of the firm and fast game and his staff have carried out lots of little projects around the course to emphasise its link credentials, from reintroducing natural swales around greensites to refurbishing many of the revetted bunkers. The final new entry arrives at number 100 and it’s Liphook, which is currently the number 1 course in Hampshire and the number 45 in England. Strictly speaking, it’s actually a re-entry into these rankings as it featured in our inaugural chart back in 2004 at #96 before making another brief appearance at #94 in 2010. First opened for play as an 18-hole layout in 1923, the course was designed by Arthur Croome, a partner in the architectural firm of Fowler, Abercromby, Simpson and Croome. It’s a charming heathland layout that’s much appreciated by golfing connoisseurs who don’t mind travelling the extra mile to savour the delights of such a delightful, understated course. We welcome feedback when we produce new rankings so please feel free to share your opinion of our new Top 100 for Britain & Ireland. Is there a top track that we’ve overlooked or is there a layout included that really has no business being there? Maybe a certain course is resting on its laurels or there’s one that should be higher in the standings? Whatever your view, click the “Respond to this article” link at the bottom of the page to let us know what you’re thinking. Rank/ To view the complete detailed list of the 2018 Britain & Ireland Top 100 click the link. Jim McCann Editor Top 100 Golf Courses