Mike Brooks

Merion is a truly wonderful golf course and is in the conversation for my favourite course in the world. There’s not a bad hole on the course and there’s great variety with regular changes of elevation, direction and challenge. All 4 par 3s are fantastic and very different from each other. These include the delightful 117 yard 13th and the challenging 210 yard 17th. They say the first 6 holes are the drama, the second 6 are the comedy and the last 6 are the tragedy. I like this poetic way of summarising the challenge and I get how his broadly fits. The middle 6s are mainly shorter par 4s with particularly tricky green complexes whilst the last 5 are tough where it’s easy to blow a good score. A minor criticism would be that the pin position we had at the 12th, just above the false front, was almost unplayable. I pitched 4 ft short of the pin but my ball rolled back 40 yards. Those finishing above the pin had a near impossible putt downhill that’s hard to keep on the green. I gather that pin position is not used during tournaments given it’s difficulty. But this is a minor critique of a fabulous course.The iconic wicker baskets instead of flags and memories of Justin Rose’s US Open win add to the thrill. A great ethos to the club as well, eg members get a letter if they don’t get round in under 4 hours (and more serious censure for repeated slow rounds).

A friend and I played the Shore and Dunes combo after a morning round (and lunch!) at RSG. This worked well as it is a good complement, being relatively playable and in very good condition. The standout hole for me was the par 5 12th (3rd on Dunes) which has out of bounds down the right and cross bunkers at about 250. Going left of the bunkers leaves a poor angle into the green and increased risk of OB on the second. Going right is higher risk but provides a much better chance of going for the green. I suspect the sensible play is to lay up short of the bunkers and play it ass 3-shotter.Whilst I liked Princes there was nothing overly exciting about the course and I’m surprised it makes it into various GB&I top100 rankings. There are numerous courses that aren’t in the rankings that I would rate higher. Still, very worthwhile playing if in the area.

When I started my top 100 GB&I quest I wondered if I would uncover a “hidden gem” but thought it unlikely given the increased awareness of courses due to websites such as this. However Pennard proved to be a classic hidden gem for me. I didn’t know much about the course before I played and whilst it is in the lower reaches of the top 100 rankings my expectations going in were not that high. However I quickly fell in love with a course that provides breathtaking views, a great variety of holes, a good balance between quirkiness and challenge, a lot of fun and plenty of cows!The course is very playable with each hole presenting a different challenge. There are regular changes of direction and elevation and a good variety of different length holes (including 4 par 5s and 5 par 3s). Playing with a member helped as there were several blind holes. Whilst it is playable and fun it is also a good test and requires good approach play and short game to score well given some of the slopes around the greens.There were several standout holes including the par 3 11th requiring a long carry over a gully to a shallow green. The back to back par 5s of 16 and 17 are probably the pick of the bunch with 16 offering width, fantastic views and a potential birdie opportunity whilst 17 is narrow and somewhat terrifying!The greens were in fantastic condition but the fairways were struggling due to drought and rabbits. My host was really positive about the work that the greenkeeper has been doing. Having initially focused on the greens, attention has now been turned to the bunkers, both to good effect. Improvements in the fairways should come over the next year or two. In summary a course that is a lot of fun with fantastic views and features well in to my favourite 50 GB&I courses.

I played the Castle course a couple of times around 10 years ago and didn’t come away with a favourable impression. At the time I felt that the greens were too tricked up and I disliked several holes having thick rough in the middle of fairways. I was aware that both of these aspects had been modified to some degree and so on returning to play in a member/guest competition on a gorgeous July evening I was keen to give it a second chance. I’m glad I did as I really enjoyed the course this time around. The course has a fabulous setting on a clifftop overlooking St Andrews across the bay. This has been used well to create a number of visually striking holes including several with infinity greens (6, 9 and 18) as well as the signature 17th hole on the edge of the cliff with a chasm to hit over and on the right. There are also some significant changes of elevation, regular changes of direction and a burn that comes into play on several holes. This all contributes to a great variety of holes.Despite all of this, the main talking point on the Castle is its huge undulating green complexes. They clearly have divided opinion and give the course its marmite reputation. Every green has severe undulations meaning that every approach shot requires attention. It is not a course to just aim at the pin or the middle of the green. Instead one needs to think about where not to miss it and where the bounce might take the ball.5 weeks prior to playing the Castle course I played Rosapenna St Patrick’s which has shot into the top 20 in many GB&I rankings. In my review of St Pats I noted that it divided opinion in our group but those that rated the course highly raved about the big undulating green complexes and the strategy that this introduced (I.e. the ability to put the pins in different locations to significantly alter the questions asked on the hole and how this is a great test of approach play and short game). This is a feature of Doak courses and is clearly in vogue. The Castle has this feature in spades so it is fascinating to me that these two courses have typically received very different reviews. I think the reason for this is that the undulations were way overdone initially and that, alongside the rough in the middle of fairways, led to the initial bad reviews. These issues have been substantially addressed and it is rumoured that the green complexes might be softened further which I think on balance would be a good thing.As it stands the Castle is a really fun course to play. It provides some challenge off the tee without being overly penal but then demands thought over every approach shot. It also provides a great test of short game and requires the patience to accept the odd bad bounce. To me it doesn’t quite hit the heights of some other modern links such as Castle Stuart, Kingsbarns, Yas Links or Dumbarnie (all of which I rate very highly) but compares favourably to Renaissance and Rosapenna St Patrick’s. I am fortunate to be on the waiting list to join a couple of the St Andrews clubs and for a Links ticket. Whilst the biggest draw is obviously the Old Course I would place the Castle as my second favourite. Whilst I wouldn’t want to play too many medals round the Castle (and I believe there aren’t many, if any) it’s a great course for matchplay or a better ball competition. For those who played it before the modifications I would encourage giving it another chance and in a matchplay game rather than with a scorecard and pencil in hand. I think you’ll find it a lot of fun.Finally as others have noted the off-course facilities are great with a lovely modern clubhouse benefiting from the great views alongside some good practice facilities and helpful staff. (My 5-ball rating reflects where I would rank it alongside other courses globally not the strict “best course in the region” definition. I don’t think it’s right to mark down a course because it has one of the world’s best nearby, or alternatively mark a course up if there’s a paucity of good courses in the region.)

Thirteen of us played St Pats in late June as part of a tour around NW Ireland. Expectations were high given the rave reviews and high rankings that the course has already attained. However it received a very mixed reception from our group. Some thought it was great and well worth the praise. Others thought it was a nice course but struggled to see how it was so highly rated. Across the group as a whole Sandy Hills, Carne and Ballyliffin Glashedy were generally viewed more favourably whilst some also favoured Narin & Portnoo and Strandhill.Our group included a number of us that have played over 70 of the top GB&I courses, and some who are on various ranking panels. Given we all played the same course in the same conditions and had very different reactions this clearly says a lot about what each of us values in a course. This review is therefore longer than my typical review as I try to fully explain my view as well as giving a flavour of the alternative view within our group.I liked St Pats and thought it was a very good course that would probably be just outside the top 100 in my personal GB&I favourites. With any other course that I rate that highly I would normally talk about all of the positives of the course. After all, that puts it in the top 5% of courses in these islands. However, given where it has entered the rankings, expectations were sky high coming in and from my perspective it disappointed relative to these expectations. I am therefore in the odd position of feeling that it would be most beneficial to readers if I explain why I favour c100 courses above St Pats.In simple terms I just didn't feel the same wow factor as I felt playing other highly ranked courses. As I will come back to later this is perhaps because I implicitly place more emphasis on visual aspects over strategy. It can be difficult to contrast a modern links course with a heathland, parkland or traditional links course. However there are 4 modern links courses (Castle Stuart, Kingsbarns, Dumbarnie and Yas Links) that I have played on several occasions and offer a clearer comparison. I rate all four of those courses very highly and St Pats is a distant fifth in my view. Below I provide a few pointers as to why I feel that.St Pats, like the others, is in a stunning setting. However it feels to me as though all of the other courses end up with more visually stunning holes.This includes holes over or skirting the sea, infinity greens, holes on cliff tops or framed through dunes. The holes at St Pats generally feel more wide open and less defined.This is perhaps best illustrated by the par3s. There are numerous standout par 3s at these other courses with fantastic visuals (eg hitting over or alongside the sea, framed with the sea as a backdrop, framed by dunes, using elevated tees, etc.) The par 3s at St Pats are fine but simply do not give the same visual wow factor.I also value variety in the playing length of the par 3s, (e.g. in an ideal world I'd be hitting something like a wedge, 7 iron, 4 iron and 3-wood) and especially a short par 3. These other courses have this to a large degree whereas at St Pats I think I hit 6-8 iron in all four. On another day this might be a bit different (with wind and pin positions) and there are a number of great courses that don't have this (e.g. Dornoch) so it's a minor point. Another minor point is that the par 3s are bunched at the start and end (3, 5, 15 and 17) meaning there's a run of 9 holes without a short hole.One distinct aspect of St Pats is very wide fairways and most holes feeling very open. I generally value this playability aspect of being able to hit driver off such tee without excessive fear of losing a ball. However I feel that this has gone a bit too far at St Pats. The other 4 courses typically have wide fairways but provide more of a risk/reward challenge off the tee and in some cases can cleverly be visually more intimidating than they are in practice. This visual framing can also create more of a sense of seclusion when playing holes (e.g. through dunes). At St Pats it felt like you could just belt driver off any tee without having to think about it too much. In practice I suspect there are subtle aspects to there being an ideal line off the tee that makes the approach easier (e.g. as there is at The Old Course) but I didn't pick up on many of these on my first outing.I feel one needs to be careful when considering conditioning as a factor especially if the conditioning just happens to be bad on the one day you played the course (e.g. because they sanded the greens). However what the typical conditioning of the course is like at that time should definitely be a factor. St Pats still needs time to mature. In particular there are several greens that are a long way off where they need to be, most notably the 15th. This is not a criticism but merely a statement of fact and recognising the age of the course. Arguably this is reflected in the green fee being relatively cheaper than it might be. However it surprises me that ranking panels can place St Pats so highly so soon given this conditioning (aside from all of my other comments).Hopefully the above makes it clear why I rate those 4 courses much higher than St Pats. Of other modern links courses I feel that Renaissance, unsurprisingly, has most similarities to St Pats but provides more strategic challenge off the tee, has better visuals and is in much better condition so I would rank it higher.One of my playing partners absolutely loved St Pats and this has led to a healthy debate about what we value in courses. He talked about it having tons of strategy and loved the fantastic green complexes with big undulations and run-offs which provide a great test of both approach play and short game. It also allows differing pin positions to provide a potentially very different challenge from one day to the next. To him the visuals are secondary to the strategic challenge. My preference for the visual aspects might also indicate I'm not a good enough player (off 7) to value the strategic aspects!One minor comment is that the course doesn't have standard tee colours and instead has slate, granite and sandstone. Given these are subtly different shades of grey this confused us and there were several occasions we played off the wrong tees (even with a forecaddie with us!) Another minor point is that some of the waste areas have soft sand but no rakes. This meant one of my playing partners finding his ball in a footprint, and then having to leave even more footprints for the group behind.In summary, a very good course and I'd like to emphasise again that I liked it and if some of the above sounds critical it is purely in the context of its ranking relative to a number of the other fantastic courses we have in the British Isles. I definitely want to go back to Rosapenna given the quality of Sandy Hills, the charm of OTM and to give St Pats another go once it has matured. It's a great overall resort with something for everyone so well worth a visit.

I firstly have to confess that not only did I play well round Sandy Hills but I also made my first ever hole-in-one, at the 11th! I try to not let how I played influence my review and I don’t think I have here but this was clearly a very special round for me that will stay long in the memory.This is a cracking links course with huge variety and a great combination of playability and challenge. I understand it had been viewed as overly difficult in the past but it appears that recent changes have softened it and given the course more balance. Fairways are generally generous allowing you to hit driver off the tee at most holes but penalising excessively wayward shots. I was fortunate to find the handful of drives that went into the rough but almost all required a hack out to the fairway and others in our group weren’t so fortunate.The green complexes are strong with some significant slopes and run-offs testing approach play and short game.I won’t run through the course hole by hole but I would say that there is great variety with regular changes of direction, elevation and hole length. Obviously my favourite hole is the 11th following a surprisingly sweetly struck 4-iron to a pin 195 yards away which soared towards its target landed ten feet short, took a couple of bounces and jumped into the hole! The most euphoric feeling I’ve ever had on the golf course!Sandy Hills is in my view the most enjoyable of the courses at Rosapenna. More generally Rosapenna is a fantastic place to visit given the quality of the three courses on offer. It also offers a great base to strike out to other courses in the area such as Ballyliffin, Portsalon and Narin&Portnoo and potentially to move on to Co Sligo, Strandhill, Enniscrone and Carne.

Cruit (pronounced Critch) Island is a delightful 9-holer set well off the beaten track. It’s a lot of fun with various blind shots and a wonderful backdrop. We arrived before the clubhouse was opened so paid when we came back in. This also meant I couldn’t get a trolley so given the excessive weight of my bag I just picked out 5 clubs and carried those with me. Trying to be creative with shots seemed to fit with the spirit of this quirky wee course!Definitely worth a visit if you’re at Narin&Portnoo as hidden gems are becoming harder to find.

I had little expectations of N&P except knowing that Gil Hanse had recently redesigned it. After 3 holes I was starting to wonder whether the detour had been worth it given these holes are relatively flat and unappealing. However from the 4th onwards the course heads into the dunes and is a rollercoaster of fun and excitement. It is also a stunning setting that we were fortunate to play in near perfect weather.We initially chose to play off the blacks seeing that it was 6,500 yards. However after the 3rd we realised that this was to a par of 70, and hence equivalent to 7,000 yards for a par 72, so switched to the golds. This was the right decision for our 4ball of mid to high single digit handicappers. As a first-time visiting 4ball there’s a sense of adventure in not knowing where you are going and guessing the line and club you need to hit. The tee shot at the 5th was a great example as we chose to cut off different chunks of the dogleg with the most aggressive not seeing his ball again. Other highlights include:The 7th - a delightful driveable par 4 downhill over a rumpled fairway to a tiny green that’s slightly tucked away to the right. The 15th - a short uphill par 3 with the green tucked away amongst the dunesThe 16th - a long par 4 with the beach on the rightThe 18th - a monster par 5 (played into the wind for us) requiring 3 strong shots to get home. In summary this is a fun and challenging course that I’d thoroughly recommend going off the beaten track to play

County Sligo lacks the spectacular dunes and drama of a number of other courses on our trip but offers a high quality test of links golf played in a beautiful setting. One of my playing partners mentioned it reminded him of Gullane and I could immediately see the resemblance, albeit without the hill and with a stream that comes into play on a number of holes.The course has regular changes of direction and changes in length of hole meaning that it is constantly asking different questions. The rough is not excessively penal to result in lots of lost balls but it does penalise wayward shots by typically not allowing full shots into the green. Combined with well-positioned bunkering this meant there was more strategy and accuracy off the tee than on a number of the other courses on our trip. Whilst County Sligo didn’t leave as strong an impression on me as some of the more dramatic courses, on reflection it is the one that I would probably most want to be a member of if I lived in the area. A strong test of golf with a variety of holes and played in a beautiful setting.

Strandhill was the biggest surprise of the trip for me and for our group as a whole. We had no expectations ahead of time but found it to be as enjoyable as almost any other course on the trip, and more enjoyable than some that are much more highly rated.The club, and Ally McIntosh specifically, have been upgrading the course in the last few years and based on our experience this is yielding significant benefits. I know a lot of work has gone into the shaping and positioning of bunkers which are first class and the conditioning more generally is strong.The first 3 holes are gentle openers before a series of strong holes. The 4th to a raised green requires a precise approach and then the 5th tee shot requires a leap of faith as you hit from an elevated tee to a hidden rumpled fairway doglegging to the left below. The 6th is a fine dog-leg inviting you to cut the corner with the tee shot before an approach to an infinity green. The 7th provides another elevated tee shot set back against the dunes.Of the remaining holes the 13th is unlike any I have played before. Another elevated tee hitting to a hidden fairway and tricky to work out how much of the right rough you can carry. The approach is then extremely narrow protected by two mounds covered in thick rough and with more thick rough surrounding a small green. I slightly pushed my approach, ended up on the side of the mound with the ball at chest height and hacked my way to a triple bogey from there. I’d love to play the hole a few more times to work out what the best strategy is, which I’m sure changes with the wind, but I suspect the percentage play is to lay-up with the second, pitch on and hope for a single putt par.The 15th is also a strong hole requiring a precise tee shot to set up an approach to a green that is perched way above you. My approach landed a yard short and rolled back 50 yards down the hill. Don’t be short!I know that the club are trying to get permission to extend the course into the dunes beyond the 4th but that this is proving challenging. If they were to do this then this could elevate this fine course even further.

Carne was the first of 12 courses I played on this trip and it’s fair to say that we started with the most spectacular. Our expectations were high given the glowing recommendations from Tom Coyne and the No Laying Up team but these were met and perhaps surpassed.Our first 18 was around the Wild Atlantic Dunes (WAD) routing and I had the privilege of playing with Ally McIntosh, designer of the Kilmore 9. Sometimes I wonder to myself what the architect is asking us to do on a hole but on this occasion I could just ask him!The whole of the WAD course is played through spectacular dunes with no let-up. This creates stunning amphitheatre dune backdrops to greens, frequent changes in elevation and heightened strategy as you plot your way through the winding dunes. I don’t think there is a bad or even ordinary hole on the course.On a windy day the course can definitely beat you up especially if you don’t have your “A game”. I played poorly (and lost quite a few balls!) but despite that I absolutely loved the experience.It is clear that the course was built and is maintained on a budget. The astroturf paths are cast-offs from football pitches and some of the greens could do with more attention. In many ways this adds to its charm but the club knows that more money needs to be invested to bring various elements up to the level that the course merits. I gather from Ally that with some sight of increased visitor revenues this is happening. We are all rooting for a virtuous circle to follow that rewards all of those involved in this wonderful place.Related to the above it would be helpful if this website had Carne Wild Atlantic Dunes on as a course in its own right. My rating here is for that routing. Whilst the club at the moment are alternating between the Hackett and WAD routings it seems pretty clear to me that WAD is the stronger, and more natural, routing and will come to be recognised as such in the future. WAD would almost certainly be placed higher up the GB&I rankings, which would potentially prioritise it for visitors and help the virtuous circle noted above.The other 9 holes (back 9 on Hackett, which was previously the front 9 just to confuse matters!) are good but they don’t match the full-on dune experience of WAD in my view.In summary Carne is a wonderful place and the WAD course is a huge rollercoaster of fun unlike any that I have experienced before. I doubt I would want to play all of my golf here, and I understand why members like having the less extreme back 9 of the Hackett as respite, but boy is it a great place to visit.One side note that might help visitors to the area - the Talbot Inn is a fantastic place to stay with beautiful rooms, great bathrooms and a wonderful breakfast. Having a dozen of us watch Matt Fitzpatrick win the US Open in the hotel bar also endeared us to the place!

The championship course at Dornoch is sublime. It combines charm, challenge, beauty and tradition in a way that is hard to match elsewhere in the British Isles or indeed, I suspect, the World. I am fortunate to be a member at RDGC albeit not yet a full member and living 4 hours drive away means I don’t play it as regularly as I’d like to. Nevertheless I’ve played it over 30 times in the last 7 or 8 years and with each visit I appreciate more of what the course has to offer.Dornoch is a demanding golf course. However it is not a course that beats you up off the tee. It is very possible to play driver on every par 4 and 5 and not lose a ball, even if you don’t keep it on the fairway. This makes it different to most of the other demanding courses in the British Isles. The challenge of Dornoch is predominately in the approach shots and short game.The greens are often raised and always well protected, demanding accurate and well struck shots in order to score well. Missing a green in the wrong place (or on some holes in almost any place) places a high demand on a player’s short game. This makes Dornoch much less a test of braun than of strategy and finesse, especially when the wind is up and the ground is firm, as it requires more creative shots.The par 3s at Dornoch are some of the best and most challenging I have ever played despite none being long (ranging from around 140 to 180 yards). The 2nd and 6th in particular are potential card wreckers. If you miss the green left, right or long on either of these holes then you invariably have an incredibly difficult second shot and are potentially looking at a double, triple or worse. I have seen, and unfortunately experienced myself, numerous high numbers on these holes. I have finally learnt that if the goal is to achieve a good score (i.e. if playing in a competition) then the best strategy for me (a 7 handicapper) on both 2 and 6 is to lay up short of the green. Laying up on a 160/170 yard hole seems crazy but given the long narrow shape of the green this should ensure a 4 at worst and a decent chance of a 3. In a competition it’s vital to avoid big numbers, especially early on in the round. However, for the one time visitor or if you are purely focused on having fun (which we should all be most of the time on the golf course!) then I’d advise forgetting the scorecard and throwing caution to the wind. The joy in hitting either of these greens or pulling off a miraculous second shot is a key part of the Dornoch experience!The remainder of the course is full of variety with each hole having its own distinctive features and challenges. They are all extremely good golf holes that make you think and provide a strong test of your approach play, short game and strategy. At the same time almost all allow you to let rip with the driver off the tee without too much fear of lost balls. My one other tip from experience is that on 16 it’s best to take the club that won’t reach the drop-off on the left that is about 250 from the whites (which will depend on wind, how firm the ground is, etc.). It’s a high tariff shot to stay on the plateau on the right. A drive down the centre of the fairway that misses the plateau can often bound off to the left and never be seen again.The charm of the course is matched by that of the town. It’s a delight to walk around the town and spend time in the few restaurants and pubs comparing war stories with other golfers. I would urge every golfer to visit Dornoch at least once in their lifetime, despite the challenge getting to it, and, when you do, to play the course at least twice. It’s a wonderful experience.

Any discussion of Anfi Tauro as a golf course needs to consider the terrain that it was built on. Gran Canaria is far from a natural place for a golf course given its rocky landscape and lack of grass. To build and maintain a first class golf course is a major achievement. It also points to why green fees are relatively high both here and more generally on the island. I have a strong bias to walking a course and avoid taking a buggy whenever possible. However if there’s ever a course that needs a buggy then this is it. There are several times that the next tee is not only a significant distance from the previous green but a meaningful climb as well. This allows for plenty of breathtaking shots from elevated tees against the backdrop of the rocky hills and sea.The signature hole is the par 3 13th played from an elevated tee to a green perched into the cliff face with a log fence marking the sharp drop off to the left of the green. Left and long are dead. A push right risks hitting the path and the ball bounding out of bounds over the cliff at the back. The pin seems to often be at the back of the green but to go for it brings in all of the danger. The sensible shot is to play for the front half of the green, taking most of the trouble out of play and accept a long putt. I wish I’d realised that at the start of the week as in my 4 rounds there this was the only hole I never parred or birdied with several doubles or worse!The par 5s at 9, 14 and 18 are also memorable holes. All play downhill, are just about reachable in 2 for me with two perfect hits (from the yellows) but with lakes along the side of the greens to make them classic risk/reward holes. Invariably I didn’t put my drive in the right position to give myself a chance, or pushed my approach (safely) twice on the 9th when I did but finally on my last shot I hit the green in 2 at 18. It’s perhaps not sensible taking these shots on but it’s a lot of fun!The greens are generally large and offer a range of pin positions which can subtly alter the challenge of the hole. They are also well contoured to provide a good test of putting but without being unfair. Several of the reviews from the last couple of years comment on the course being in poor condition. I wonder if that reflected lower maintenance during covid restrictions because I’m happy to report that the course was in excellent condition. The greens were rolling well and generally a very good pace with the fairways well maintained. Wild drives can easily end up on the grey stony ground which is easily playable off albeit I decided at the start of my trip to move my ball back on to the grass to avoid damaging my new irons. This was fun holiday golf after all rather than a medal! Thankfully my driving was relatively straight meaning I typically only used my own local rule about once per round.I played off the yellow tees in all 4 of the games and whilst overall this was a touch on the short side I’m pretty sure it would have been too long, and less fun, off the whites for me (a 7 handicapper who carries his drives 220-230), especially given there is typically little roll. One criticism I have is that there is not a lot of variety in the length of the five par 3s with four in the 160-180 yard range and one slightly shorter. The first was also playing as a 175 yard par 3, from halfway down the fairway, for some reason. In an ideal world I like to see par 3s staggered in length from say 120 up to 200 yards which gives variety (no course does this better than Royal Ashdown Forest). Playing all of the par 3s off the whites would have been particularly challenging, and less enjoyable.If I were to come back with some friends of a similar standard then I would be inclined to play a mix of white and yellow tees, with possibly even a red or two thrown in for a short par 3 or driveable par 4. The pace of play was not great with each round coming in at about 4.5 hours. Several of the people I played with were very poor golfers (partly because they were elderly) which I think was relatively typical and contributed to the slow play. However, playing under a blue sky in a perfect temperature in February meant that I was not particularly fussed about the pace of play (versus being livid if taking 4.5 hours in East Lothian in February!)Disappointingly the range is not close to the main course and they won’t let you take the buggy down there. It’s about a 15 minute walk which I declined and just practiced on the putting green and into the net. I went to the range on a different occasion and it wasn’t great with hard mats and cheap balls. The chipping and putting areas are a bit better.In summary I would say that Anfi Tauro stacks up pretty favourably against other courses I’ve played in mainland Spain and Portugal. It doesn’t have the challenge of a Finca Cortesin, Monte Rei or West Cliffs but you will lose less balls and it’s a lot of fun! Great holiday golf and thoroughly recommended.

I have played Yas Links 7 or 8 times, with the last time 2 years ago to the day. Watching the top pros playing it has brought back some great memories and prompted me to write this review. Put simply it is one of the most enjoyable courses I have ever played and if you offered me the chance to tee it up on Monday on any course I’ve played before then it would be Yas Links. This doubtless in part reflects the fact that I have always played in beautiful weather in January. It also reflects my bias for courses that are enjoyable and fun, rather than excessively challenging.What Kyle Phillips has created at Yas is a masterpiece. Whilst it is too green and soft to be considered a “true links” by purists (no brown, hard, fast fairways here) the inclusion of dunes and fescue grass, it’s proximity to the Arabian Sea and the scope to be exposed to strong winds all give it some links characteristics. There are many similarities to Phillips’ creation at Kingsbarns albeit he managed to get 7 holes along the sea here versus just a couple at Kingsbarns. This makes for a number of memorable holes.The fairways are relatively generous albeit there are often strategically placed fairway bunkers to try and avoid. I really like this style of design as it means less time looking for, and potentially losing, balls but there still being a penalty if you don’t avoid the hazard. It also means you have the joy of hitting driver on most holes. The greens tend to be large and undulating as befits a “second shot course”. Conditioning has always been good when I’ve played it.There is an unusual soundtrack to the course. This typically includes gleeful shrieks from the rollercoasters at Ferrari World (which includes the fastest rollercoaster in the world - an experience I’d recommend but not for the faint-hearted!) and the sound of cars from the neighbouring Formula 1 track. This might not be to everyone’s taste but it is never imposing and I quite like the sound of others having fun. The sight of the rollercoasters, the Ferrari sign and the water park also adds to the feeling of fun although may not be to the purists’ tastes.The first 7 holes are good but without being spectacular. It is after that, with 7 of the final 11 holes along the edge of the sea, that the course is particularly special. 8 and 13 are lovely par 3s with the sea down the right and looming large in the mind. The final 3 holes are a fantastic finish. 16 is a demanding par 4 with risk on both sides of what is often a long approach. 17 is a tremendous par 3 over water, playing around 200 yards. Finally the 18th doesn’t disappoint as a climax. Horseshoeing around the sea it places demands on every shot. It’s great to see a par 5 that actually plays like a par 5 for the pros, which means it’s more like a par 6 for us mere mortals! It is similar to the much-heralded 12th at Kingsbarns but longer, tighter and more dramatic.There are several modern links style courses that I really love including Kingsbarns, Castle Stuart and Dumbarnie. Yas Links is similar in style and quality to these courses and in my view just edges the others overall given the number of memorable holes and the strength of the finish. If you’re in Abu Dhabi then play it. If you’re not in Abu Dhabi then book your plane ticket soon!

Crete only has one golf course so is not going to be a golfing destination. However if you are on the island and fancy a game then this is a very nice course to play. I played in October and the course was in good condition with well-watered fairways and, for the most part, good greens. Some of the greens seemed to be puck-marked, possibly by birds or animals. Overall the course is a little on the tight side, but perfectly playable, and I felt played a little shorter than its 6,300 yards off the whites. There is a good mix of holes with the standouts being the par 3 6th and par 4 13th. The 6th plays 190 yards over a gorge to a green well-protected by bunkers. The 13th is 380 yards with a blind second shot (except for longer hitters) to a green set below you with an escarpment behind. There are some stunning views across the hills and it’s nice to hear the regular clanking of goat bells. There are quite a few walks, often uphill, between greens and tees which can make for a tiring round. In the summer it is definitely a buggy course. I walked it because I wanted the workout to help combat some of the excesses of my all-inclusive family holiday and I certainly felt that it lifted my heart rate on numerous occasions!At €95 for the round it is relatively expensive. However it has clearly taken a substantial amount of investment to build and maintain a golf course in what is not natural golfing terrain. Hence this high price is probably fair in this context.Overall this is a nice course to play and a welcome option if you are on the island for a holiday, itching to get your golf fix in and don’t mind paying a bit over the odds.

QDM has possibly the most unusual routing of any course I’ve ever played. The 7th tee is adjacent to that of the par 3 6th meaning you play the 6th and then just walk back to exactly the same teeing ground. There are also several occasions where you have to walk across fairways to get to the next tee. This confusing routing is the key reason why a number of our group ended up hating the course.The routing aside, the course was quite tight with plenty of opportunity to get snookered by umbrella pines. Being straight off the tee is a must to score well here. The 18th is arguably the pick of the holes - a par 5 with water in play off the right of the tee-shot and to the left of the second and third. There were also several interesting par 3s with the 13th being the pick of the bunch. The 4th, played over a gorge, divided opinion (with more hating it than liking it) partly because you can’t see the flag from the tee and partly because of the long route to get to the green.The conditioning was decent but that is possibly the only positive that my group would agree on. I’ve given it a 3-ball rating but most of my group would rate it lower and do not want to head back.

Unfortunately we played the course on a misty day so did not get the benefit of the views which I understand are one of the major plus points of the course. However, we all enjoyed the course and preferred it to the higher ranked West Cliffs next door. It was simply far more playable, the course was in better condition and the walks between greens and tees were not as long.I really need to play the course on a better day to give it a proper review. As it stands few of the holes stick in my mind two weeks after playing it so my rating might be lower than the course deserves.

Oitavos Dunes is a very playable course, in decent nick and good for holiday golf. However there is nothing particularly special about it and, like many others, I find its inclusion in a previous World top100 list laughable and tarnishes the credibility of the list. Its current ranking on this website of 4th in Portugal and 21st in Europe is also puzzling to me.There are a few nice par 3s (the 14th most notably) and the 18th is a good finishing hole. Beyond that the course is pretty forgettable. A number of the holes are played with double, or even triple, fairways meaning the holes lack definition. Oitavos Dunes’ location close to the picturesque town of Cascais and not far from Lisbon is a major plus point when planning a golf break. It’s also not far from Penha Longa which is well worth playing. However, I would suggest lowering expectations for Oitavos Dunes - aim off the rankings and go into it with a view of nice holiday golf in a good area and you will not be disappointed.

Penha Longa was my personal favourite of the five courses we played on our recent trip to the Lisbon coast. I really liked the variety of holes and changes of elevation. The par 3s were all standouts. Two are from elevated tees hitting down to a green below. The other two are across, or beside water, with the 15th particularly demanding for us into the wind.The 16th was probably the most memorable hole on the course. It’s great seeing a well-hit drive framed against the trees as it drops to the valley fairway below. Even with a good drive the green perched above is barely within reach for the second shot. I also liked the 11th, a dogleg right with out of bounds right and requiring an exacting mid/short iron to a raised green.The greens had some sort of disease running through them but it’s pleasing to note from Jim McCann’s recent review that the club are addressing this as a matter of urgency.Other courses in the area may appear higher in the rankings but I’d choose Penha Longa over the likes of West Cliffs and Oitavos Dunes every time. Well worth a visit.

We were very much looking forward to playing West Cliffs given its high ranking and other positive reviews. Unfortunately for our group it didn’t live up to the billing. Our main criticism is that the course just wasn’t that much fun. As others have mentioned it is very challenging. Most fairways are not narrow but if you miss them it’s a lost ball every time.It is worth noting that our group of 6 included a decent spectrum of golfers with respectable handicaps (0,3,4,7,10,17). It also wasn’t the case that we played particularly badly. I suspect that the course would be especially challenging for higher handicap golfers.The other thing we didn’t like were the long walks between greens and tees. This contributed to a long and tiring round. For those who like playing in buggies and don’t mind 4.5 hour plus rounds this wouldn’t be an issue but not for those looking to walk and get round in less than 4 hours.The conditioning of the course was patchy and the greens were somewhat inconsistent and not nearly as good as Praia d’el Rei’s. We played the course on an overcast and occasionally misty day so did not get the best out of any views. From previous reviews (and the name of the course) we thought that some of the holes might be along the cliffs with spectacular views but that was not the case. It was welcome to see heather sprinkled through the rough adding colour to the course.On the plus side there were some really interesting (albeit challenging) holes. 17 and 18 in particular presented a great finish where you needed to hit very good shots to score well. Overall a disappointing experience. The trend in recent years has been for newer courses to be playable and fun with the challenge on the second shot, e.g. Castle Stuart, Kingsbarns, Dumbarnie. It would make a marked difference if West Cliffs could soften the course and do similar.

When I played Turnberry a couple of times 10-15 years ago I felt it was a very good course but did not reach the heights of the best Open courses, such as Muirfield and Carnoustie. There were not that many memorable holes and it lacked a wow factor. However the changes made in 2015 have addressed this in some style.The two par 3s around the turn (9 and 11) are up there with the best par 3s in GB&I. More generally improvements in bunkering, green elevation and routing mean that the whole course is much stronger. If I had to be critical then the first 3 holes are a little weak but then the course kicks into life with the great par 3 4th by the beach and remains strong through the rest of the round. The course was also in excellent condition.Clearly Turnberrry is now a fantastic course but we are blessed in this country to have a number of fantastic courses. Any view of where a course ranks relative to another is clearly very subjective but for my money I think that the likes of Portrush, Carnoustie, Muirfield, Dornoch and Trump International are as good as it gets when thinking about strategic challenge and the number of great golf holes. Additionally the likes of Castle Stuart, North Berwick, Kingsbarns and Dumbarnie are hard to beat when it comes to enjoyment and stunning views. And this is only referencing the Scottish and Northern Irish links courses! Hence Turnberry would not be in my personal GB&I top 10 but is a must-play and hugely enjoyable.

RA is a classic links course, almost in the 9 out, 9 in style. As others have noted the front 9 is very strong whilst the back 9 is weaker. I particularly liked the par 3 8th with the green surrounded by 10 bunkers.The back 9 is far less memorable. Indeed I am writing this a month after playing the course and I struggle to remember most of the back 9. This was despite having arguably my best round of the year (76 off a handicap of 8 in windy conditions) which usually commits a round to the memory banks!Overall I enjoyed the course and it is definitely in my GB&I top 100, albeit likely in the lower half of this list. It surprised me (and my playing partners) that it is ranked in the top 20 on this site as there are quite a number of lower-ranked courses that I personally would favour. Well worth playing to make your own mind up if you get the chance.

Carnoustie ranks alongside Portrush and Muirfield as one of the best tests of golf in the British Isles in my view. Every hole presents its own challenge and it’s possible to run up a big number on almost any of them, especially when the wind is up. It is not the most picturesque course and for many it would be too difficult to consider enjoyable. Having said that, the last couple of times I have played it the rough has been relatively forgiving meaning less risk of lost balls than when I have played it in the past. It’s the other hazards, in particular the bunkers and the burn that make it particularly tricky. The fairway bunkers seem to be positioned in exactly the right spot to make you think and to catch only slightly wayward or miss-hit shots.Given its difficulty it is not a course I would want to play every day but would relish playing a couple of times a year to really challenge myself. Definitely in the top 10 in my GB&I rankings. Play it and enjoy the experience, whatever you may score!

I have now played Castle Stuart five times and every time I play it my appreciation grows. “Visual experience” is the first section in the yardage book introduction and rightly so. The views are stunning, so much so that the phrase “uplifting for the soul” was used on more than one occasion within our group. It is also an incredibly enjoyable course to play. Wide fairways give you the comfort to reach for the driver without too much fear of losing a ball. Yet the course is not easy. It is a classic second shot course where narrow greens, severe run-off areas and bunkering places a premium on accuracy especially when the wind is up.The course starts at sea level with what appears to be an intimidating tee shot with gorse down the left and the sea down the right. However in practice the landing area is more generous than it appears, a feature that applies on a number of the holes.The overall layout of the course is strong with the first 3 or 4 holes on each nine at sea level before rising up to holes perched above. The uphill walks from the 4th to the 5th and 12th to 13th help to get the heart-rate up and remind that healthy exercise is one of the great aspects of this sport! On every hole there are stunning views, with numerous infinity greens adding to the visual spectacle. There is great variety with regular changes of length and shape of hole as well as changes in direction. There is barely a weak hole on the course but rather than run through them all I’ll just pick out a few of my favourites.The 3rd is a classic risk-reward hole - potentially drivable in favourable conditions but with bunkers, a rocky beach or a tough chip from below the green (with the rocky beach beyond) if you miss. The more conservative approach is to play short of one or both bunkers and have a wedge straight down the length of the narrow green.The 11th is the pick of the par 3s (run close by the 17th) played from an elevated tee to a well-protected green with the Moray firth beyond and to the left. The 18th is an enticing downhill par 5 requiring a good drive to give the chance of getting home in two. You then have the opportunity for glory, hitting over the scrub and bunkers to set up the chance of an eagle.Any opinion on how highly a course rates depends critically on how much you weight various factors, but particularly enjoyment versus challenge. Clearly there is overlap between these factors as a course is unlikely to be enjoyable if it doesn’t present some kind of challenge. However, in the past at least, some official rankings were heavily focused on how tough a course is, which is the wrong metric in my view.Great courses such as Portrush, Dornoch, Carnoustie and Muirfield provide a stiffer strategic challenge and have more great golf holes. However Castle Stuart (alongside its brethren of Kingsbarns and Dumbarnie) typically have more stunning views and are more enjoyable to play. I love Muirfield to bits but if you have a bad day with your driver there then you can spend half your time hacking about in thick rough, which is not fun.There were 11 of us on our trip (ranging from 6 to 15 handicap) and all were of the view that Castle Stuart is one of, if not the, most enjoyable courses they had played. One of my friends noted that if he had to play just one course for the rest of his life then this would be it. I am inclined to agree. Praise does not get any higher than that.

I was very much looking forward to playing JCB given how hard it is to get on to, the positive comments from some of the initial reviews and its stated intention of trying to host a big tournament. I was lucky enough to play it on a beautiful April day in near perfect conditions (which my host informed me was a rarity!). We played in buggies, which is never my preferred option (except in very hot conditions), and was particularly challenging on the day we played as they were looking to protect the fairways so carts had to stay on the paths (the GPS tracker stopped the slightest transgression!) Hence a lot of walking across fairways with a few clubs in hand.The course is very much what I would describe as a modern American-styled course. It was generally very open with big undulating greens and water coming in to play on about half of the holes. I am conscious that the course was not in peak condition in April, which is to be expected. The greens were very slow but my host informed me that they typically ran pretty fast in the summer, which given some of the slopes could undoubtedly lead to some terrifying putts. The rough was also not up which meant I got away with a few wayward drives that doubtless I wouldn’t have in the summer!There are some outstanding holes. The 17th in particular is fantastic. We took a shot from the very back tees, which at 250 yards downhill into a breeze was a full driver for me. It’s an exhilarating shot to play, and great to see a well-hit shot heading towards the green. (For full disclosure we then went to the yellow tees for our proper shots and I managed to dump a 4-iron into the water!)The 18th is a tremendous finishing hole - a long uphill dogleg left over water with the tee shot and to a well-protected green. Unfortunately for us they were in the final stages of improving drainage in the fairway so the tee was out of action and we had to play it as a 110 yard par 3. Other holes that stood out were the par 3 9th, a delightful shorter par 3 downhill with water short of the green and the par 4 11th which has some similarities to the famous 10th at the Belfry, albeit a bit longer so not driveable. The 1st was also a strong opener with a tee shot over water and a mid-iron uphill to a well-protected green.The rest of the course is good and hard to fault. However my overall impression was of being underwhelmed, although it is hard for me to pin down why. I think it was the open nature, and lack of definition, of a number of the holes that I found unappealing. The topography of the course was similar to Hollinwell but the routing and tree-lined fairways at Hollinwell make it a superior experience in my view. I also probably have an inherent bias against “cart courses”, especially when there is no need to escape the oppressive Midlands summer heat!It can be difficult for modern courses to match the character of older courses but there are a number that get close - for example Kingsbarns, Castle Stuart and Dumbarnie plus Renaissance and Archerfield to a lesser degree. I don’t think I have a bias against modern courses as I rate all of these very highly.JCB may well host a big tournament, garnering the brand recognition for the company that the course was built for. The length off the back tees and how they can set the course up in the summer will almost certainly make it a good test for the pros. (I say this with some sadness as I’d prefer to see them using a ball that goes 20% shorter and taking on one of the classic British courses instead.) For a very low handicapper looking for a tournament test of golf then this may well rank very highly.One final word on the rating - I look to rate courses relative to others in the country rather than the region as suggested. For example, Renaissance has at least 2 better courses within 5 miles whereas JCB might be the best within 50 miles. However, it would be inconsistent to rate JCB higher in my view

Liphook is a charming and beautifully presented course, incorporating a great variety of holes. The combination of pine trees, heather, white sand and the occasional lake give it a wonderful feel to match almost any other course (and given I played Queenwood directly before, this is compared to some stiff competition!) The course has a really nice routing with regular changes of direction and elevation. I never played it before the recent overhaul and a good sign that they did a great job is that I could hardly tell which were the new holes. I didn’t have my “A game” but could appreciate the quality of the course nonetheless. My standout shot was from the bunker in front of the 18th which I caught way too clean. It bounced on the path beyond the green, up on to the clubhouse roof, then rolled back down again and bounced back to the edge of the green. I almost holed the putt for an unconventional par! I gather from my host that I am not the first, and will doubtless not be the last, to do this.Liphook is a very playable course with little to fault about it. Overall it arguably doesn’t quite have as many standout holes as some of the top Surrey heathland courses that it inevitably is compared to. However a great indicator of the quality of any course is how much you want to play it again and I certainly will be looking to come back as soon as I can.

Bearwood Lakes is not on many people’s bucket list of courses to play. It doesn’t (yet) feature in any of the top 100 GB&I listings and it doesn’t have the reputation of the classic heathland courses that are not far away. However it is a delightful course that merits playing if you get the chance - it might just make it into your own GB&I top 100.Lakes feature on around half of the holes with 9, 13 and 14 the standouts. The 13th is arguably the best hole on the course requiring careful positioning (or luck!) to avoid the burn off the tee and with water guarding the green front and right. A number of other holes are played through an avenue of trees.A lake has been added to the 18th and 1st fairways which typically shouldn’t come into play for medium/long hitters but can punish a miss-hit shot and definitely adds to the aesthetics (and nerves!)Overall the course isn’t overly difficult and is very playable, not that I managed to play it well! Its slope rating of 142 is way too high in my opinion, confirming my view that a slope rating bears little resemblance to how hard a course actually is. (I challenge anyone to play Archerfield’s Dirleton course with its gorse-lined fairways and slope of 125 and conclude that it is easier than BL.)Overall I really liked the course and I am left wondering whether it would make it into my GB&I top 100. I rate it more highly than a few courses that are in the rankings but then again there are other courses not in the rankings that I would rate more highly. It will probably end up being borderline once I have played all of the contenders. That to me still represents a fantastic course. Play it if you get the chance.

Queenwood is the most beautiful and immaculately presented course that I have had the good fortune to play. Everything about it oozes class. The pristine condition reminds me of Augusta with hardly a blade of grass out of place. My caddie mentioned to me that he had previously seen one of the greenkeepers using scissors to trim the grass around the sprinkler heads!The course itself is beautifully laid out with a good routing through the estate. The majority of holes are secluded giving you the feeling that you are the only ones on the course (possibly because we were!). Lakes come into play on a handful of holes and all are presented beautifully. It is not designed to be the hardest golf course in the world with relatively generous landing areas and big greens. The greens are fabulous, albeit when I played in April they were not at their summer speed. Given some of the slopes these are the most challenging aspect to scoring well. It is very hard to fault the course. The overall experience rates incredibly highly and much of that is down to the exquisite presentation of the course. The strategic challenge is arguably a bit lower than a number of other courses which stops it rising to the very top rung of my rankings. Exactly where it places really comes down to what you value most in a course.I am wary of overemphasising the condition of a course. If you have happened to play the course at the wrong time of year or when the greens have just been sanded then you need to look through that. However if a course is permanently or predominantly in excellent or poor condition then this should effect its rating. The bottom line is that I’m extremely thankful to have had the opportunity to play Queenwood and would jump at the chance to play there again. I’ve often heard, and used, the phrase “millionaire’s golf” to refer to having a course to yourself but Queenwood is true millionaire’s golf! If you get the chance, grab it with both hands.

Before you hit a ball at SGH it is clear you are in a special place. The drive through the estate to the clubhouse, past the opulent houses, is like no other. The clubhouse is stunning and the views over the golf course enticing. The course lives up to this initiation. It is a classic Surrey heathland course and one of the best I have experienced. It is a very playable course and whilst trees and heather line most holes it is not particularly tight. The par 3s are particularly strong varying in length from the 119 yard 11th to the 211 yard 14th. The former offers the potential for both birdie and disaster as a miss to the right brings in serious trouble.The greens were running at a nice pace for April and there were some treacherous slopes, most notably the 9th from back to front making it a very tricky hole. More generally the course was in great condition.Whilst not directly relevant to the course, I loved the relaxed and convivial atmosphere around the clubhouse. On a sunny day the terrace strikes me as a great place to while away time after a round with friends having a few drinks whilst watching people tee-off (and then getting an Uber home!) If I lived in the area it would likely be top of my list of places where I would like to be a member. Given the nearby competition that is high praise indeed.

I think it’s fair to say I didn’t fully appreciate RAF on my first visit. This was probably because it was the hottest day of the year, I played terribly and it’s a course that needs a second visit. I am therefore thankful that I got the chance to play it again and this time with a member who could provide more colour on some of the holes and the club.The first few holes provide a relatively gentle opening, albeit with scope to rack up some higher scores. The course really gets going on the 5th, a downhill 500 yard par 5. Normally this length of hole would represent a great birdie opportunity but a ford/stream in front of the green makes it a classic risk/reward challenge. The 125 yard par 3 6th is a great example of how a par 3 doesn’t need to be long to be difficult. A long narrow green is protected by a stream in front and to the left and a gully to the right and back. My host told me of a Spanish pro playing in Open qualifying who was 3 under on the tee and 7 over as he walked off the green!The 7th is a very strong par 4, especially off the whites. On my first outing a good drive and rescue to the green meant I didn’t fully appreciate the challenge. This time both my host and I pushed our shots into the thick heather on the right and were then left trying to work out how best to get back to the fairway. The remaining par 5s are all good 3-shotters requiring accuracy to avoid the heather and all with small, sloping greens. The par 3s are also all strong. On some courses all of the par 3s are between 150 and 200 yards, whereas here they are 125, 143, 249 and 202, providing four very different tests. The 16th and 17th are very strong par 4s, balanced by shorter par 4s in 15 and 18. The aesthetics of the course are good, with the holes weaving their way through the forest and with a number of changes in elevation. The highlight is the “4 counties” view from the 11th tee. The heather is the main challenge on this course and, in my somewhat limited experience, seems longer and more tangly than on most of the notable Surrey/Berkshire heathland courses. Once in it the priority needs to be on getting out as safely as possible, which is easier said than done. Those who struggle with bunkers may delight in the absence of them. However the abundance of heather makes it a far more challenging test.The strength of the course left me scratching my head as to why it is not higher up the rankings. It could be because it is viewed as too difficult. Related to this is that a good shot can sometimes take a bad bounce and end up in the penal heather which some might view as unfair (but that’s golf!) At least the greenkeepers have removed a large amount of bracken over the winter which removes one hazard, albeit I think that only punished particularly wayward shots.In summary I think this is a fantastic course with a good variety of holes presenting a terrific challenge. Play it if you get the chance but remember to bring your “A game” and good luck avoiding the heather!(Ed, is there anyway I can delete the previous review?)

I am loath to make too firm a judgement of a course having only played it once, especially when I arrived tired after a long drive, but I found Ganton underwhelming. It is a decent course with some fine finishing holes. However it didn’t strike me as special. Others clearly rate it highly and so I definitely need to give it another chance at some point.

Dumbarnie opened to rave reviews just after lockdown and I was fortunate enough to play it 3 times in June and July. As new courses go I hadn’t thought Kingsbarns or Castle Stuart could be bettered but I think Dumbarnie has done it. Fabulous views, drivable par 4s, holes that give you choices and make you think, regular changes of direction and evaluation – Dumbarnie has it all.The course has clearly been designed to be playable and enjoyable. From the normal visitor tees it is not the toughest test in Scotland. Fairways are reasonably generous, allowing you to take driver off most tees and the rough is (currently) not that penal. The greens are well contoured without having any elephants buried under them (unlike the Castle course) and they rolled very well, especially given the course had only just opened. No two consecutive holes play in the same direction which is very welcome on a course where the wind will typically be a significant factor.Having three drivable par 4s (3rd, 11th and 17th) is very unusual but a welcome initiative. It adds to the excitement to try and drive a green and have a putt for an eagle, which is a rarity for most of us. There are also a couple of holes (5th and 15th) that offer the choice of two fairways to aim at, meaning the holes can be played in different ways. The par 3s are excellent and varied with the pick of the bunch the short 8th, a great example that a hole doesn’t need to be long to be interesting.It occurred to me on my first visit that this would be a very easy course for the pros but on my second visit I paid more attention to where the back tees are and realised that it can be a completely different test. For example, the 17th is a drivable dogleg at 316 yards from the blues but completely different at 462 yards from the championship tees.Purists may be critical of the amount of earth moved and the artificial nature of some of the dunes. These were pretty obvious when I played there but will undoubtedly bed in over time. The current lack of a clubhouse is also a negative that will be solved shortly. Once global travel returns then I suspect American golfers will include this on their itinerary. Hopefully this will still leave room for Scottish golfers – the current £110 rate is within reach of most, mainly as a treat, and I’m hoping we don’t get priced out, as has been the case at Kingsbarns.It would be hard to argue that this is the best course in the UK but it already has a decent shout at being the most enjoyable. That counts for a lot in my book. My second and third visits were when I was on a family holiday nearby and I played the course on my own, first tee time of the day on beautiful July days. Absolute bliss! Well done to all involved.

West Hill is a beautifully presented and scenic course with a number of holes framed by pines and heather. When we played it (September 2020) it was in tremendous condition despite the lack of rain and challenges faced by some other courses in the area. The course wasn’t excessively tight, allowing you to enjoy hitting driver off most tees, without being easy. Standout holes for us were the 3rd, 12th and 18th. Our minor quibble would be that in some places the course is packed in a little tightly. Examples include the 14th where it seems the design of the hole is heavily influenced by the desire to avoid balls going into a house on the right and the putting green which seemed to be quite close to the right of the 18th green, especially given the approach is long and left is dead.Overall though this is a wonderful course, well worth its place in the top 100.

As per my review of the New, Sunningdale is a magical place that exudes quality. Whilst I had a preference for the New over the Old that probably means that the Old is the second best inland course in the UK! The Old benefits from some drivable par 4s as well as numerous picturesque holes with great elevation changes.

I had high expectations coming to Sunningdale and I wasn’t disappointed. We seemingly had the course to ourselves when we teed off on a beautiful September morning and it was a magical experience. It is hard to pin down what exactly made the place so special but I think it is a mix of very strong golf holes, great scenery, space, elevation changes and first class conditioning. Everything at Sunningdale exudes quality.I had a slight preference for the New over the Old although that could be influenced by playing the New first and the splendid isolation we experienced. The majority of holes allow for a driver off the tee but punish wayward shots with tangled heather. The par 5s are generally gettable and the par 3s enticing with the pick of the bunch the 5th. A very strong contender for best inland course in the British Isles.

This is far off the beaten track but well worth the time taken to get there. It is a beautifully presented course with colourful heather and excellent bunkering, undoubtedly enhanced by the recent upgrading. It is very playable but the heather, trees and bunkers can easily lead to high scores if you are not on your game. If I was being picky it lacks the elevation changes of Sunningdale, Hollinwell or Hankley but despite that all of the holes are interesting and challenging. I’m very keen to play the course again and will be trying to find a way to fit it into another golf itinerary.

This is a classic links course that doesn’t have the reputation of some of its near neighbours but is just as good a test. There is a good variety of holes despite the relatively high number of par 4s (13). The course set-up generally allows you to hit driver off most tees without being overly restrictive but being particularly wayward can still be punished. Standout holes were the par 5 6th, which requires careful navigation to a tricky green, and the par 3 13th, heavily bunkered with a burn across the front. It’s a course that I immediately felt I wanted to play again given the challenges laid out by a number of the holes. Well worth it’s place in the GB&I top 50.

RCD clearly has many great features. There are some classic links holes and the backdrop of the mountains of Mourne is spectacular. However, I left after my first visit feeling somewhat underwhelmed. This could be because of a number of factors: the high expectations going in, the numerous blind shots that possibly make the course hard to appreciate on a first outing, the strong wind we played in or the weaker finishing holes. It is clearly a very good course but I need to play it at least once more to assess whether it really is in my top 10 in the British Isles.

It was with high anticipation that we teed it up at Portrush having avidly watched the Open on TV the previous year. Despite it raining all day we were not disappointed. This is an absolutely wonderful golf course which in my view is not bettered by any other in the British Isles. It is challenging but playable with no weak hole on the course. It is an impressive stretch of land with holes weaving their way through the dunes. There is a wonderful variation of holes and, after the first 4 playing straight away from the clubhouse, regular changes of direction The first was not as tight as I had expected it to be, given the various OBs at The Open, and the second shot played much more uphill. The 4th is a fantastic par 4 with significant risks off both the tee shot and second shot. It was only after playing it twice (with wind hurting) that I realised the sensible play for me would have been to play it as a 3-shotter and look to take out the trouble. The two new holes (7&8) fit seamlessly in and I gather are a vast improvement over the two that were removed. I could try and pick out other standout holes but they were all good. If you haven’t played this course then I thoroughly recommend doing so. I will certainly be back.

Having played the vast majority of the famed links courses in Scotland and England I have had a fair experience of dunes. However, none has rivalled the towering dunes on the front 9 at Portstewart. The tee shot at the second in particular stands out as visually spectacular albeit the hole only requires a long iron or rescue from the tee. The back 9 is less impressive but is still an enjoyable and good test of golf.

Gullane 1 is a classic course with a great variety of holes. Regular changes of direction, elevation and length of hole make it an enjoyable test. I’ve had the pleasure of playing the course numerous times and its challenge varies greatly with the strength of the wind and severity of the rough. The 2nd is one of the most challenging par 4s around with significant scope for lost balls. Great views and always a joy to play.

I first played North Berwick in the early 90s and fell in love with the course. Living in Edinburgh I decided I must join and have now been a member for 23 years. It is still to me one of the most enjoyable courses anywhere in the World to play and one that I can never see myself tiring of. It’s also a great feeling to be able to take friends on and see their enjoyment in playing the course. In my view it is a very good test of golf but not as demanding as some of the tougher Scottish links courses (eg Muirfield, Carnoustie). The mix of holes is as varied as can be found anywhere including the need to navigate burns, walls, the beach and a swale in the middle of the 16th green.

Worplesdon is a beautifully presented course with a nice variety of holes. The par 3s stand out, in particular the 10th and 13th. Whilst it’s near neighbour West Hill has more striking scenery the overall routing felt less congested at Worplesdon giving more of a felling of space. Well worth it’s place in the top 100.

The Addington is a decent course that is in need of some TLC. The greens are good, and were the fastest I played all year, but elsewhere the conditioning is poor. The good news is that a new irrigation system is being installed over the winter which should go a long way to improving matters.The course has some fabulous views over London. There are some nice par 3s and several interesting holes with approach shots over quarries. However the par 5 13th is in desperate need of a rethink - it has the potential to be a good risk and return hole but at the moment it is pure pot luck. Given the plans in place for improvement I look forward to seeing how it plays in a couple of years’ time, with scope for an increased rating.

I played here on an unbearably hot day in August and having not lost a ball in my previous 6 rounds I managed to lose 7 here (having no bunkers removes one type of hazard but this is more than made up for by plenty of heather and bracken!) Given the conditions and how badly I played my memories of the course are not as favourable as they could be and I really need to play it again. It is a wonderful setting with some great views. There are some interesting par 3s including the 120-yard 6th, a classic example that a hole doesn’t need to be long to be challenging. Apart from that I unfortunately just remember the heather and bracken!

I was really looking forward to playing the two Walton Heath courses given how highly they are rated. Unfortunately both courses failed to deliver. The courses were decent but there was nothing special about them. No holes stood out and the setting of a broad common was not inspiring (especially given I had played Hollinwell and Hankley in the previous two days). Add to that a course that was in relatively poor condition and the sound of the M25 on numerous holes and it puzzles me why these courses are rated so highly. I had a preference for the New over the Old as the back 9 in particular felt stronger. My sense is that the courses are living on past glories and perhaps because I have no recollections of the Ryder Cup that was played here I don’t have the emotional attachment that others have.

The striking thing about Hankley is the expanse of land that the course covers. The first 4 holes are played in a loop back to the clubhouse but then the course opens up wonderfully. The 7th and 11th are two fantastic, if somewhat what similar, par 3s measuring towards 200 yards over a valley of heather. Hitting a well-struck shot to the green (as I surprisingly did on both) is a marvellous feeling. There are numerous other strong holes including a long closing par 4 with a dip in front of the green. My one criticism would be the 4th green which seems overly tricked up with a narrow entrance and run offs that have the potential to turn a good approach into a double bogey without doing too much wrong. It’s position right in front of the veranda does allow for some (possibly sadistic) entertainment for those enjoying post-round drinks watching players grappling with challenging bunker and chip shots. The price for this entertainment is that the occasional ball can scuttle into the veranda causing the drinkers to scatter!My host informed me that the closing Scottish Highlands sequence for Skyfall was filmed across the hill from the far point of the course. This to me sums up the terrain and feeling of space at Hankley. A wonderful course that I hope to play many more times in the future.

Hollinwell is a wonderful course set in a huge expanse of land. Whilst playing the course you have this tremendous feeling of space. Unlike many courses, holes do not run side-by-side and there is a delightful extravagance in holes heading off in seemingly random directions. Several holes are set against the backdrop of forested hills adding drama to the course. The stretch from 11 to 18 contains some fantastic golf holes including a number of potential card-wreckers. The course was also in great condition. I didn’t play my best on my first visit which makes me even more determined to come back and play this great track again.