Golf Magazine Top 100 Newcomers

[Michael Goldstein]

Hopelessly conflicted but was very disappointed that Paraparaumu Beach is not on this list. Obviously it's a long way to get to NZ and we haven't had enough panelists visit of late.

It is good  to see North Berwick improving. To fuel this thread, as one who is increasingly less of a hit n run golfer and who has played Deal recently, I'd suggest it belongs on this list.

[Sean_A]

Turnberry

Any serious issues?


Ciao

I'd have Turnberry off that list personally. I'm sure others will disagree.

I would too,  but as Doak stated, compromise is the reason lists always look a little weird to any individual.  The problem is though, how many people in the world can say they intimately know the 250 contenders for best in the world?  I will its an egg on that front.  All panelists are flying by the seat of their pants on many of the calls they make - it has to be this way.  So to a large degree lists need panelists for coverage.  Sure, we can always find some guys we "trust" more than others, but does anyone completely trust anybody else more than themselves?  There is simply no substitute for personal experience.

Okay - Jud speaks up - Turnberry is axed. Down to 20.

Alwoodley
Ballybunion Old
Carnoustie
Ganton
Lahinch
Machrihanish
Muirfield
North Berwick  
Portmarnock
Prestwick
Royal Aberdeen
Royal Cinque Ports
Royal Co Down
Royal Dornoch
Royal Portrush
Royal St Georges
Royal Worlington
Rye
Sunny Old
TOC
Turnberry

Ciao

Despite Mark's surly attitude, I think this group has been more sensible than the Golf Magazine and Oliver.  One has 31 the other 32.  It seems to me that any best of the world list should be about about zeroing down to what are the real prime movers.  I think 20 from GB&I heads in that direction.  

Ciao

[Mark Chaplin]

Ulrich is right, the rough doesn't suggest it's been too damp there, unless the rain is very selective where it falls! Too be fair Rye are very traditional and will soon get their watering levels correct.

[David Davis]

Yes the more I think about these lists the more frustrating they become. Woodhall Spa, I had such high hopes and was perhaps the most disappointed I've ever been in a golf course. Of course that's personal but there is in my opinion no way it could be in the Top 100 of UK and Ireland let alone top 50 in the world. If it's that easy all you have to do is design nearly the same hole with the almost identical tee shot on more than half the holes and you've made the list. Sure the bunkering theme of the bigger the better and "we have cool ladders" is fun as long as your not in them. I was not. Sure it's long from the very back sticks and definitely demands nearly the same precision tee shot all day but personally that just doesn't do it for me. There are just so many better courses over there and I'll stop while I'm ahead before I get to courses outside the top 20 in the US. Again just opinions and like any other idiot I've got my own.

However, if I was putting the list together (and I'm clearly not) there would be very few non-sand based courses on it which would mean all the worlds best courses would either be on links, heathland or sandbelt with a few occasional exceptions.

[Jon Wiggett]

Ulrich is right, the rough doesn't suggest it's been too damp there, unless the rain is very selective where it falls! Too be fair Rye are very traditional and will soon get their watering levels correct.

Mark,

it is not unusual that the cut grass would green up a couple of days after rain and the rough not however looking at the uniformity of the greenness would suggest quite a careful watering regime.

Jon

[Niall C]

Mac,

The list is just the first part. The second part is more important: the explanation. When we go to Darius Oliver's website we see a list -- then we can read a nice writeup on each course. It's the writeups that are worthwhile, not the list.

Mark

Agreed

Golf World in the UK used to produce a book of the top 1,000 courses in GB&I. I know that sounds like an awful lot but they split them into regions and then graded them from two stars up to 5 stars. The best bit though was that the entry for each course not only gave you contact details of the sec/pro shop and an indication on cost but also a handful of brief quotes that you might get in a comments book describing the course/club/experience and clearly from different people. That was the most useful part of the guide.

Easily the best guide book of golf in the UK that I've seen and one I still go too when thinking of p;aying a course I don't know.

Niall