Top 100 Golf Courses has ranked every course that has hosted the Walker Cup since 1922. The rankings cover three categories and provide insight into the championship venues that have shaped amateur golf's most prestigious international competition.
The research has produced three specialised rankings:
USA Walker Cup Venue Ranking - American courses that have hosted the biennial competition.
Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup Venue Ranking - Historic links courses and venues across the British Isles.
Combined Walker Cup Venue Rankings - All American and international venues ranked together.
The Walker Cup is a biennial match-play competition between 10-man amateur teams from the United States and Great Britain & Ireland. Named after George Herbert Walker, USGA president in 1920, the competition began in 1922 at the National Golf Links of America.
The tournament has maintained its status as amateur golf's premier international competition for over a century, showcasing the world's finest golf courses.
Cypress Point Club leads the combined rankings. Alister MacKenzie's Pacific coast course will host the 50th Walker Cup in September 2025. The US won 15-9 when it previously hosted in 1981.
Pine Valley Golf Club ranks second. George Crump's design is considered the ultimate penal golf course. It will host the 2044 Walker Cup and previously staged matches in 1936 (US won 9-0) and 1985 (US won 13-11).
Royal County Down Golf Club is the highest-ranked international venue at third. Located beneath the Mountains of Mourne in Northern Ireland, it's consistently rated among the world's most scenic courses.
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club was one of the USGA's five founding members. The New York course features original American design from 1891, when Scottish professional Willie Davis worked with the Shinnecock Reservation.
National Golf Links of America is the Walker Cup birthplace. Charles Blair Macdonald's 1922 course established the competition and introduced the term "golf architect."
Oakmont Country Club represents championship golf's toughest test. Originally set to host in 2033, then moved to 2032, this Pennsylvania course has hosted multiple major championships.
St Andrews Old Course has hosted nine Walker Cup matches—more than any other venue. The Home of Golf has also staged 29 Open Championships.
Muirfield is home to The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers (founded 1744). This East Lothian course pioneered the two-ring, nine-hole layout design.
Turnberry Ailsa Course offers Scotland's most scenic championship golf. The course overlooks the Firth of Clyde with views of the Mull of Kintyre and Isle of Arran.
Golden Age architects dominate the rankings. Merion Golf Club (East Course) represents Hugh Wilson's success as an amateur architect.
Winged Foot Golf Club (West Course) is A.W. Tillinghast's finest work. The demanding layout has tested both amateur and professional golfers for decades.
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort represents modern design. The Oregon resort has a USGA partnership through 2045 and will host the Walker Cup in 2028.
Lahinch Golf Club sits beside Liscannor Bay in Ireland. Old Tom Morris created the original layout before Dr. Alister MacKenzie redesigned it in 1926-27.
Royal St George's Golf Club is a natural links course in Sandwich, England. It maintains traditional character while hosting major championships.
Sunningdale Golf Club represents England's best inland course. The Old Course is considered Britain's most beautiful championship venue away from the coast.
Prince's Golf Club will host the 53rd Walker Cup after recent investments in facilities and course improvements.
Walker Cup matches move to even years from 2026 to avoid conflicts with World Amateur Team Championships.
Both American and international courses contribute to the Walker Cup's legacy. These rankings celebrate golf architecture's finest examples, from MacKenzie's coastal designs to Macdonald's pioneering American courses.
View the complete rankings:
