[Adrian_Stiff]

We all have different opinions, I have randomly picked 10 GB & Ire courses and I think it might be interesting to see the varied opinions of how we see the order of subjective greatness, we all have our own ways that elevate what we like and someone elses minusses may not figure so much in our reckonings, so put these courses in order.

Dont include a course from outside of this 10.

Turnberry
Carnoustie
Wentworth (West)
Nairn
Royal Troon
Royal Porthcawl
Muirfield
Sunningdale (Old)
Cruden Bay
Royal Birkdale

[Jon Wiggett]

Adrian,

as a test of golf

Muirfield
Royal Birkdale
Turnberry
Carnoustie
Royal Troon
Nairn
Cruden Bay
Wentworth (West)

for playing enjoyment

Muirfield
Royal Birkdale
Nairn
Turnberry
Cruden Bay
Carnoustie
Royal Troon
Wentworth (West)



Have not played these two so I do not know

Royal Porthcawl
Sunningdale (Old)

Jon

[Tony_Muldoon]

As close as I can manage to your rules.  The only thing that matters to me, how I like them.

Turnberry   (2 rounds)
Muirfield  (2)
Sunningdale (Old)
Cruden Bay  (3)
Royal Porthcawl (2)
Royal Birkdale
Wentworth (West) Walked back 9 with Harrington and Jiminez


Seen from the parking lot.
Nairn
Royal Troon


On TV only
Carnoustie

[Sean_A]

I couldn't say which are best, but the order in which I am interested in going back to play them if I am paying the green fee:

Cruden Bay/Royal Porthcawl
Sunny Old
Nairn
Birkdale

Turnberry/Muirfield
Carnoustie

Royal Troon/Wentworth (West)

Ciao

[Sev K-H Keil]

Tough not to sneak in Deal (which would be way up there!)..., but here's my very personal take:

Royal Porthcawl
Muirfield
Cruden Bay
Sunningdale (Old)
Royal Birkdale
Turnberry
Carnoustie
Royal Troon
Nairn
Wentworth (West)

[Dan King]

You actually picked ten courses I have played at least once. So guess I should rank 'em:

1. Carnoustie
1. Wentworth (West)
1. Nairn
1. Royal Troon
1. Royal Porthcawl
1. Muirfield
1. Sunningdale (Old)
1. Cruden Bay
1. Royal Birkdale
10. Turnberry


Cheers,
Dan King

The mystique of Muirfield lingers on. So does the memory of Carnoustie's foreboding. So does the scenic wonder of Turnberry, and the haunting incredibility of Prestwick, and the pleasant deception of Troon. But put them all together and St. Andrews can play their low ball for atmosphere.
  --Dan Jenkins

[Ash Towe]

From those I have played,

Muirfield
Royal Birkdale
Carnoustie
Turnberry
Royal Troon

The order I would like to play the remainder,

Sunningdale
Wentworth ( West )
Cruden Bay
Nairn
Royal Porthcawl

[Gary Slatter]

Using your list:
1. Carnoustie
2. Muirfield
3. Sunningdale Old
4. Cruden Bay
5. Royal Birkdale
6. Turnberry
7.  Royal Porthcawl
8. Nairn
9. Royal Troon
10. Wentworth

from personal experience at all of them, only 1 round at Muirfield and Troon and playing the previous version of Wentworth (1968)

[Mark Chaplin]

Only played;

Muirfield
Royal Birkdale
Royal Porthcawl
Sunningdale Old
Wentworth West

In order of desire and I wasn't paying;

Carnoustie
Turnberry
Nairn
Cruden Bay
Royal Troon

Off piste; I'd join Sev at RCP!!

[Andrew Mitchell]

From those I've played:
Muirfield
Royal Birkdale
Turnberry
Cruden Bay
Carnoustie (only palyed it once - a long time ago)
Nairn
Wentworth

Of the ones I haven't played the order in which I'd like to play them:
Sunningdale Old
Royal Troon
Royal Porthcawl

[Mark_F]

From Those I Have Played:

Porthcawl
Sunningdale Old
Carnoustie
Nairn
Cruden Bay
Birkdale

Would play:
Muirfield
Turnberry

No Interest in seeing Wentworth West or Troon, unless someone else is paying.

[James Boon]

Adrian,

Here is my list:

Sunningdale (Old)
Cruden Bay
Royal Porthcawl
Muirfield
Carnoustie
Royal Birkdale
Turnberry
Nairn
Royal Troon
Wentworth (West)


I've not played all of these, but have been a spectator either in person or on TV on the others except one, so this is based upon my desire to return or see for the first time.

Most of the "Championship" links courses dont really excite me as much as those with a bit more character, so Turnberry and Troon just dont appeal, and I've played Nairn and though it was a very good course, it didn't really peak my excitement apart from a few holes. I felt the same about Porthcawl but had such a great time at Buda, that it certainly lifts its appeal to return. Maybe I should return to both? I played and spectated at the old Wentworth West, and though I'd be interested to see what they've done, not with my own money! I see Carnoustie, Birkdale and Muirfield as a solid set of Open courses that have more appeal to me than those mentioned in Ayrshire. Sunningdale tops the list for many reasons, but mainly as it was trhe first course I went to see a tour event on and promised myself I would return one day! The one course I know very little of is Cruden Bay, but the talk of its character and quirkiness just keeps calling me...

Cheers,

James

[Anthony Gray]

  Gary Slater is the most qualified on this subject for sure,but what does he know?Of the ten...

   Cruden Bay
   Cruden Bay
   Cruden Bay
   Cruden Bay
   Cruden Bay
   Cruden Bay
   Carnoustie
   Turnberry
   Troon

    Of the ones I've played.

    Anthony

[Kevin Pallier]

In groupings:

Muirfield

Sunningdale (Old)

Carnoustie
Royal Birkdale

Turnberry
Royal Troon
Royal Porthcawl
Cruden Bay

Wentworth (West)
Nairn

[John Sabino]

Adrian - great exercise.

Carnoustie - best course in the British Isles, most variety and best routing
Sunningdale (Old) - to quote Bobby Jones, "I wish I could take this course home with me"
Cruden Bay - the most fun of those on the list, by far
Turnberry - As good as Pebble Beach
Muirfield - The overall decorum and foursomes format make up for the courses weaknesses
Troon - Holes 7 through 12 are good, the others not
Wentworth - Great course if you like long courses
Nairn - That hole up and the big hill (13th?) is a killer, too windy
Birkdale - Best course in England. NOT.

haven't played Porthcawl

[Jim Eder]

Here it goes.

Muirfield (solid great golf, the bunker on 18, the lunch and members are wonderful)
Carnoustie (a great finish and as a Hogan fan a special place combined with great personal memories)
Royal Birkdale (the hills, that clubhouse, the famous Ryder Cup)
Turnberry (the holes along the sea, 1977, the great setting and hotel)
Sunningdale (Old) (a great solid straight forward course, again a wonderful setting, terrific members, a special place)
Royal Porthcawl (solid great golf course but maybe has less of the history or membership attributes as the others)
Royal Troon (and I really like this course, always have been treated well, Palmer, the bunkers, postage stamp, wonderful golf but maybe lacks the dramatic holes - I struggle as I think I am too low on this one)
Cruden Bay (great setting, great course, dramatic, unique)
Nairn (a wonderful course, feels like a bit like Troon but with a bit less dramtic history, personal memories of playing here with members is absolutley wonderful and makes me want to rate this higher but tough competition)
Wentworth (West) (and I really love this course, so solid, #2 is wonderful, and #8, and so many more, great history, trying to think why I have it at the bottom, doesn't seem right - maybe the change to 18)

It is so hard to rank them as I really love them all and would be happy to play only one of them the rest of my life and consider myself incredibly fortunate. I am probably placing more weight on the overall experiences I have had rather than just purely the golf course (for better or worse).

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

Royal Birkdale
Muirfield
Carnoustie
Sunningdale Old
Royal Porthcrawl
Troon
Turnberry
Nairn
Cruden Bay
Wentworth

The pre destroyed Wentworth would have been significantly higher, but the new bastardised version would not even be in my true top thirty.

[Jason Topp]

I have played four, so I do not have a big sample size but this is my list after about two minutes of thought:


Royal Porthcawl - it may be because I played this one most recently but I thought the opening stretch was terrific, the par threes a strength and the land more interesting than others on this list.

Turnberry - I have not played the course since the most recent changes for the Open, but the stretch from 3-11 is terrific, the old 16th was one of my favorites and I liked the 17th coming when it did. 

Carnoustie - probably a better collection of golf holes than Turnberry but less charm.

Royal Troon - 7-12 are very good, the remainder pretty dull by comparison.

[Carl Johnson]

Of those I have played, my personal top 6, in the order of my personal enjoyment, are:

1. Turnberry
2. Cruden Bay
3. Royal Troon
4. Nairn
5. Carnoustie
6. Muirfield

Have not played:

Wentworth (West)
Royal Porthcawl
Sunningdale (Old)
Royal Birkdale

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Adrian, a very interesting list, particularly for the courses that aren't there such as Royal County Down, The Old Course, Royal Portrush, Swinley Forest, Royal Dornoch. The question of who is footing the bill clouds the judgement. Of these courses the only ones I have played recently have been Birkdale, Troon and Nairn.

I haven't played Turnberry or Cruden Bay, so I'll put them top.

Turnberry
Cruden Bay

My son is just about to start a job at Edinburgh so I'll hope he soon finds well-placed friends who can engineer visits to

Muirfield
Carnoustie

I have no contacts at Sunningdale and Wentworth so the chances of returning are slim.

Sunningdale
Wentworth

I have friends who are members of the rest, so in no particular order:

Porthcawl
Troon
Nairn
Birkdale.

[Ken Kearney]

1. Muirfield
2. Sunningdale
3. Birkdale
4. Turnberry
5. Troon
6. Porthcawl
7. Nairn
8. Carnoustie
9. Wentworth

Havent played Cruden Bay..yet..

KK

[Niall C]

Adrian,

Interesting choice of courses, I might have expected a GCA to put in a few modern courses to get a comparison between old and new. Of the courses listed, sadly I've only played the Scottish courses and of those Muirfield and Cruden Bay only once but I have walked both of them as well.The others I've played between 3 and 10 times and spectated at several Opens at each with the exception obviously of Nairn. The only way for me to rank them would be by gut reaction as to which I would want to play first, ignoring cost of greenfees/ease of travel etc.

1 - Carnoustie - played it half a dozen times and it never fails to beat me up. It is utterly unrelenting as a challenge. Couldn't play it every week, actually I could, I would learn to adapt so maybe more accurate to say I couldn't play it every month. Off a 9 handicap I'm not one of those scratch golfers who are only interested in long dull "championship" courses but I just love Carnoustie.

2 - Muirfield - this comes in at no. 2 because the only time I played it it was a howling gale and even the penguins were wearing coats. No conditions to judge a course for the first time but saw enough to know I want to see more.

3 - Royal Troon - perhaps not higher up because I've played this a lot more than the others. Yes the middle holes get all the attention because of their landscape but the charms of the other holes grow on you the more you play it. Can't help thinking that if they threw in a few dunes just off fairway in some of those holes to liven up the scenery, it would be a lot higher up the rankings.

4 - Turnberry - lovely setting but not quite the variety of golf that the 3 above have.

5 - Cruden Bay - undoubtedly unfair on Nairn to post it below CB but after reading all the love this course gets I'm intrigued to go back and try and find the answer why.

6 - Nairn - no shame to be last in this list (with the possible exception of CB !) and in my experience lives upto the reputation of having the best greens in Scotland.

Niall

[Jud_T]

1. Carnoustie
2. Turnberry
3. Wentworth

[RSLivingston_III]

I wish I could play but never made it down to England

[Mark Pearce]

Of the five I have played:

Muirfield (still the best course I have played in the UK)
Carnoustie (great)

Nairn
Royal Porthcawl (difficult to choose between these two excellent courses)

Cruden Bay (fun, some great holes, but a distance behind the other four)

Of the five I haven’t played, my desire to play them is in this order:

Sunningdale (Old) (a distance ahead of the others)

Royal Birkdale
Turnberry (interested to see both of these but there are others higher on my must see list)

Royal Troon (I’d like to play it but won’t lose sleep if I don’t)

Wentworth (West) (really no interest at all, particularly post re-do)

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()