Top 100 Courses in the world - Have your say

First topic message reminder :

http://www.top100golfcourses.co.uk/htmlsite/topcourses.asp

SR Mentioned something about the top 100 courses in reference to the RC.

So above is the link to the current top ranked courses. Which have you played and is the order in your opinion correct

Not knocking your opinions at all OPW - I've never played Ludlow so couldn't compare.

I'm only commenting on what I know

(I like the sound of fast greens though)

The top courses that I have played, UK&I and then ROW

1) Royal County Down
2) Turnberry
3) Enniscrone
4) Carne
5) Ballybunnion Old
6) Sunningdale Old
7) Carnoustie
Royal St Georges
9) St Enodoc
10) Rosapenna Sandy Hills
11) Ganton
12) Woodhall Spa
13) Sunningdale New
14) Saunton East
15) Cruden Bay
16) Berkshire Red
17) St Georges Hill
18) Hankley Common
19) Saunton West
20) Notts Hollinwell
21) Royal West Norfolk (Brancaster)
22) Ballybunnion New
23) Montrose
24) Glasgow Gailes
25) Swinley Forest


ROW

1) The Georgian (Atlanta USA)
2) Valderamma (Spain)
3) Tidewater (USA)
4) Long Bay (USA)
5) Cobblestone (USA)
6) San Lorenzo (Portugal)
7) Stellenbosch (SA)
Ocean Club (Bahamas)
9) Royal Zoute (Belgium)
10) Royan (France)

Just to show how subjective these sort of lists are, some of the parkland courses that I have played that don't get into my top 25 include Woburn, all 3 Wentworths, Fulford, Moor Park, The Oxfordshire and St Mellion.

I've also not included my own course (Broadstone) as I'm obviously biased

Doon the Water wrote:Oldshanker.
Strange that you put No2's before No1's.

Yes, strange that isn't it, but I really do prefer number 2, probably because I've played it more often than 1 and tend to play it better. As you know, I was up there regularly in the early 70's. was that before you know who carried out the work on number 2?

Yep, Purdis Heath is a fantastic track. If it was in Surrey you be paying £120 to play a course of this quality. A real gem as BCM can attest too also.

Certainly can, playing there in early March, always a pleasure

I live in Cornwall now, but Ipswich is where I hark from. I get to play Purdis for free whenever i go to visit family. Its part of a host of about 30 clubs that form the " clubs formed in 1895" club that just happens to be what my club, Mullion, is here in Cornwall. Happy days.

Well, looks like Purdis Heath will be having the pleasure of my company this year as well. I play 2-3 a year with a friend who is from Clacton, whereas I live near Ely. we have tended to meet at Thetford Forest, which is another great track, but he has mentioned that Purdis Heath is worth a visit as well.

Oldshanker.
Yes it was from about 1980 that the changes were made to No 2&3
When they built the new green on what is now the 11th hole on No3 the architect designed the slope to severe and it was more or less impossible to stay on the green when you putted from the back. It was left to the green staff to sort out the mess. They did make a cracking wee hole when they combined the old 15th and 16th holes though. [Now 16th hole]

[Matelot 14 clubs...thats funny!!]

Here are my top UK courses. For some reason I have picked 25:

1 Loch Lomond
2 Sunningdale New
3 Sunningdale Old
4 North Berwick
5 Leven
6 Dundonald
7 Princes
8 Woburn Marquess
9 Littlestone
10 The London Club (Heritage)
11 Woburn Dukes
12 Dunbar
13 Lundin
14 The Grove
15 Crail Balcomie
16 St Andrews Kittocks
17 Celtic Manor 2010
18 The Vale - Wales National
19 St Andrews Jubilee
20 Dalmahoy
21 Slaley Hall Hunting
22 Old Fold Manor
23 Hadley Wood
24 Stoke Park
25 Gullane 2

A few that miss out include Forest of Arden, Porters Park, Manor House and The Shire.

Here is my ROW top 15. I've only played in Spain, Portugal and Holland so the 15 are all Spanish (Vilamoura certainly not making the cut):

1 Finca Cortesin
2 PGA Catalunya
3 Montecastillo
4 El Saler
5 Real Sevilla
6 El Bosque
7 El Valle
8 Arcos Gardens
9 Sanlucar
10 Sherry
11 La Manga South
12 La Manga North
13 Hacienda del Riquelme
14 San Roque New
15 Costa Ballena

The top100 site has some distinctly average courses in its Spanish ranking. Clearly they need to get around a bit more.

Top 9 holers:
1 Anstruther
2 Northwick Park

We are going to end up with a fine UK list, so will not contribute to it except for one course which I can highly recomend. My own club is a superb track and well worth a visit when in Cheshire or passing through. Gorsty Hill GC opened in 2005 and is maturing well, and is renowned for having the best greens in the area and probably right up there with the best in the country. The greens were actually laid 2-years before the course opened and are tricky USGA design.

European courses which deserve a visit.

Portugal:
The only Oceanico courses of note are Victoria and Old Course.
San Lorenzo is usually in the top 10 on most lists
Val Do Lobo Royal is my favourite and a stunning track, and far better than its sister course 'Ocean' which besides its signature hole is average.

Spain:
All 3 La Calla courses are brilliant (Europa, Asia & America's) and very different and this resort is now the largest in Spain.
Miraflores is renowned, but the greens were poisened last year, but expected to be back to form this year. best & cheapest food around.
Marbella Golf & Country Club is the best track I've played on and well worth a visit. Superb condition, manicured and stunning holes.

I've just totted up the number of courses I've played in Scotland alone. I stopped counting at 125. How the hell am I supposed to pick a list from that lot not to mention there are a few gems I have yet still to play?

You are supposed to be stating your top courses Gael...not your average score!

BlueCoverman wrote:You are supposed to be stating your top courses Gael...not your average score!

post of the day

raycastleunited wrote:

BlueCoverman wrote:You are supposed to be stating your top courses Gael...not your average score over par!

And I thought that I was being harsh Ray!

BlueCoverman wrote:You are supposed to be stating your top courses Gael...not your average score!

Makes mental note: must be close relative of Harry Redknapp.

Now what is the point of spoiling a good line by reading a post correctly Gael?

UK top 25

HCEG Muirfield
Sunningdale Old
Turnberry Ailsa
Walton Heath
Gullane No1
Parkstone
St Georges Hill
The Belfry
Turnberry Kintyre
Dundonald
Gleneagles Kings
Worplesdon
Sunningdale New
West Sussex
Ferndown
Burhill
Broadstone
Longniddry
St Kissocks
Gullane No2
Bowood
RAC
Stoneham
Burnham & Berrow
Dalmahoy East.

BlueCoverman wrote:Now what is the point of spoiling a good line by reading a post correctly Gael?

Had it been original in its content then there wouldn't have been but it wasn't so, there is!

Having had a glass or 2 here goes.

From the ones I've played in the UK

1. Royal Dornoch
2. Carnoustie Championship
3. Turnberry Ailsa
4. Royal Birkdale
5. Sunningdale Old
6. Prestwick
7. Western Gailes
8. St Enodoc
9. TOC
10.Hillside
11.Sunningdale New
12.Saunton East
13.Castle Stuart
14.Royal Porthcawl
15.Nairn
16.Formby
17.Burnham & Berrow
18.Dundonald
19.Silloth on Solway
20.Swinley Forest
21.Pennard
22.Broadstone
23.Gullane 2
24.The Oxfordshire
25.Trevose

Internationally

1. Pebble Beach
2. Spyglass Hill
3. The Prince (Princeville)
4. Ko'olau
5. Kapalua Plantation
6. Pasatiempo
7. Cabo Del Sol Ocean
8. Vilamoura Old
9. Vista Vallarta (Nicklaus)
10.Experience at Koele
11.Challenge at Manele Bay
12.Vista Vallarta (Weiskopf)
13.El Tigre
14.Palmilla
15.Turtle Bay (Palmer)
16.Kauai Lagoons
17. Elea
18.Poipu Bay
19.San Roque Old
20.San Roque New

Jas
Interesting to note that you are the first one to mention TOC.

If our list was repesentative of the common golfer courses such as Sunnigdale New and Gullane No2 would feature highly.

hmm... a top 20 uk listing. Not an easy one to produce by any means. But, and in no real order, I would include:

Thorndon Park
Woburn Duchess
Woburn Marquess
Orsett
Princes
Royal St Georges
ST Mellion Nicklaus
St Andrews New
Muirfield
Carnoustie
Kingsbarns
St Georges Hill
Broadstone
a few others are coming to mind but I can't remember their bloody names at the moment so will enrich this list later.

Good to see you keeping the Essex flag flying there LJ!

It's often considered not the best county for golf Blue... but there are so many great tracks here. Abridge for example... not the best layout but the condition of it is out of this world. It's like playing in Spain with the way the place is manicured.

And Thorndon Park. That has to be a must for any golfer out there. It is without a doubt one of the very best parkland/forest layouts in the country. Although I doubt Gael and some others would appreciate their equal rights policies.

Know them both LJ, played Abridge a few times and played at Thorndon Park in a Thornton Cup final.

Agree about Gael, we spoke before about the classic 'Ladies are banned from the patio' story. Not sure how they still get away with it!

Abridge is one of the really local courses to me... only reason I've not joined there is the lack of a bacon sandwich on the bar menu.

And Thordon Park has so many more stories associated with it. The black balling ones I've heard are hilarious!

No trouble getting on the course at Abridge on a Friday though!...

yeah... the twilight rates for friday night are excellent value and there's no-one on the course!