GB&I top 100 holes

[James Reader]

Continuing its apparent ambition to include a new top 100 list in every issue, this month’s Today’s Golfer includes a listing of the top 100 holes in GB & Ireland.  Setting aside the futility and subjectivity of such an exercise, I nevertheless did find it interesting, even if there are very few surprise inclusions.


For what it’s worth, there are:
- 69 courses represented
- 27 par 3s; 55 par 4s; 18 par 5s
- one course with 6 holes included (no prices for guessing that one!)
- one course with 4 holes
- 2 courses with 3 holes
- 19 courses with 2 holes
- one run of 4 holes in a row
- 8 runs of 2 holes in a row
- just 2 opening holes and 2 closing holes
- 4 holes on 9-hole courses


Anyone fancy venturing any guesses?

[Brian Finn]

So, starting with what I think are some obvious ones...
11, 14, 17 (Eden, Long, Road) at The Old Course...others, I'm sure
13-16 (Pit, Perfection, Redan, Gate) at North Berwick...perhaps the 2nd as well
...to be continued...
7 (Postage Stamp) at Troon
10 (Foxy) at Dornoch
6 at Muirfield

[Jim Hoak]

I think #12 at Sunningdale Old--dog-leg left uphill par 4 with beautiful bunkering--may be one the best golf holes in the world.

[Jeff Schley]

Sacred Nine (or Mildenhall as that is old school cool) hole 5, par 3 for sure.

[Bill Gayne]

I'll take a guess at the two opening holes being Doonbeg and Machrihanish.

[Bill Gayne]

Guessing 18 at Carnoustie one of the closing holes.

[Craig Disher]

Rye 4-7

[Mark Pearce]

Rye 4-7

Muirfield 6-9

[Tom_Doak]

The four holes on nine-hole courses intrigue me, especially if there’s only one from Royal Worlington & Newmarket.


My guesses:


The par 3 at Cruit Island?
The drop shot par-3 on the Moray coast?
Sean’s favorite hole at Castlerock?  Or the relief course at Burnham?

[James Reader]

So, starting with what I think are some obvious ones...
11, 14, 17 (Eden, Long, Road) at The Old Course...others, I'm sure
13-16 (Pit, Perfection, Redan, Gate) at North Berwick...perhaps the 2nd as well
...to be continued...
7 (Postage Stamp) at Troon
10 (Foxy) at Dornoch
6 at Muirfield

You’re right on 11, 14 and 17 at TOC - all were in the top 7.
Pit to Gate is the run of 4 consecutive, but that’s it for North Berwick.
Inadvertently right on two counts at Troon - both the 7th and the 8th are in.
Foxy (14th) at Dornoch is no.2 on the list.
6th at Muirfield doesn’t make it.

[James Reader]

I think #12 at Sunningdale Old--dog-leg left uphill par 4 with beautiful bunkering--may be one the best golf holes in the world.

Not on the list.  The most surprising omission for me is another 12th hole nearby; Swinley’s.

[James Reader]

I'll take a guess at the two opening holes being Doonbeg and Machrihanish.

Correct

[James Reader]

Guessing 18 at Carnoustie one of the closing holes.

Yes.  One more to get.  Also in Scotland.

[James Reader]

Rye 4-7

Only the 7th makes it from Rye.  And none of 6-9 Muirfield is on there.

[Sean_A]

The four holes on nine-hole courses intrigue me, especially if there’s only one from Royal Worlington & Newmarket.


My guesses:


The par 3 at Cruit Island?
The drop shot par-3 on the Moray coast?
Sean’s favorite hole at Castlerock?  Or the relief course at Burnham?

This is the one that interests me as well. Maybe

5 Anstruther
8 B&B Channel
6 Cruit Island
6 Alnmouth Village

Does Isle of Harris have a stunning hole?

4 holes in a row....13-16 North Berwick.

Ciao

[Sean_A]

I think #12 at Sunningdale Old--dog-leg left uphill par 4 with beautiful bunkering--may be one the best golf holes in the world.

Not on the list.  The most surprising omission for me is another 12th hole nearby; Swinley’s.

That's stupid.

Ciao

[James Reader]

The four holes on nine-hole courses intrigue me, especially if there’s only one from Royal Worlington & Newmarket.


My guesses:


The par 3 at Cruit Island?
The drop shot par-3 on the Moray coast?
Sean’s favorite hole at Castlerock?  Or the relief course at Burnham?

Jeff is right with the 5th at Worlington, and that is the only hole there to make it.


None of your other guesses are right for the nine holers but do you mean the 12th at Hopeman as the drop shot par 3?  If so, that is on the list.
 
The other three on 9 holers are all in Scotland.  I’ve only played one of them but felt the same as one of the panellists when I did - “Would be the best par 5 on any other links in the UK.”


And there is one hole on the list that only opened this summer by the way.

[James Reader]

The four holes on nine-hole courses intrigue me, especially if there’s only one from Royal Worlington & Newmarket.


My guesses:


The par 3 at Cruit Island?
The drop shot par-3 on the Moray coast?
Sean’s favorite hole at Castlerock?  Or the relief course at Burnham?

This is the one that interests me as well. Maybe

5 Anstruther
8 B&B Channel
6 Cruit Island
6 Alnmouth Village

Does Isle of Harris have a stunning hole?

4 holes in a row....13-16 North Berwick.

Ciao

I thought Anstruther’s 5th would be on there but it isn’t.

[Sean_A]

The four holes on nine-hole courses intrigue me, especially if there’s only one from Royal Worlington & Newmarket.


My guesses:


The par 3 at Cruit Island?
The drop shot par-3 on the Moray coast?
Sean’s favorite hole at Castlerock?  Or the relief course at Burnham?

This is the one that interests me as well. Maybe

5 Anstruther
8 B&B Channel
6 Cruit Island
6 Alnmouth Village

Does Isle of Harris have a stunning hole?

4 holes in a row....13-16 North Berwick.

Ciao

I thought Anstruther’s 5th would be on there but it isn’t.

In fairness, it isn't a great hole, but sometimes that doesn't matter.

Ciao

[Thomas Dai]

The four holes on nine-hole courses intrigue me, especially if there’s only one from Royal Worlington & Newmarket.
My guesses:
The par 3 at Cruit Island?
The drop shot par-3 on the Moray coast?
Sean’s favorite hole at Castlerock?  Or the relief course at Burnham?

This is the one that interests me as well. Maybe
5 Anstruther
8 B&B Channel
6 Cruit Island
6 Alnmouth Village
Does Isle of Harris have a stunning hole?
4 holes in a row....13-16 North Berwick.
Ciao

The 4 holes on 9-hole courses are of particular interest to me as well.
As to other possibles excluding the already mentioned 5th at RW&N I suggest -
6th and or 8th on the St Olaf 9 at Cruden Bay.
I believe there’s a par-5 at Durness that been reported as being a bit special.
Theres a tiny, wicked looking green hole at Isle of Harris.
3rd at Knighton, not that I’m biased!
Atb

[Jeff Schley]

The four holes on nine-hole courses intrigue me, especially if there’s only one from Royal Worlington & Newmarket.


My guesses:


The par 3 at Cruit Island?
The drop shot par-3 on the Moray coast?
Sean’s favorite hole at Castlerock?  Or the relief course at Burnham?

This is the one that interests me as well. Maybe

5 Anstruther
8 B&B Channel
6 Cruit Island
6 Alnmouth Village

Does Isle of Harris have a stunning hole?

4 holes in a row....13-16 North Berwick.

Ciao

I thought Anstruther’s 5th would be on there but it isn’t.

I am really shocked that isn't on there. Many view it as the toughest par 3 regardless of 9/18 hole course.

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

Some of my guesses would be:
2nd Portsalon (Par 4)
15th Portmarnock (Par 3)
13th Silloth (Par 5)
Postage Stamp (Par 3)
The Dell (Par 3)
12th Birkdale (Par 3)
7th Ballybunion (Old) (Par 4)
16-18 Carnoustie

Of the above, I think the 12th at Birkdale is overrated; looks nice, but I don't understand why it's great.

[Niall C]

It seems to me that "iconic" and "top" are being conflated on this list but always worth doing as a way of stimulating discussion.


Re the 12th at Hopeman, I can think of a number of better par 3's (not sure if best equates to top ?) in the immediate area.


Re the other 3 holes on 9 holers, I suspect Durness will be represented. Probably the par 3 last although I think there are several better holes on the course. With regards to James's comments on one of them being a links par 5, the only one I can think of off hand would be the hole at the St Olafs but again there are better holes on that course in particular the last par 3.


Niall

[Robin_Hiseman]

The four holes on nine-hole courses intrigue me, especially if there’s only one from Royal Worlington & Newmarket.


My guesses:


The par 3 at Cruit Island?
The drop shot par-3 on the Moray coast?
Sean’s favorite hole at Castlerock?  Or the relief course at Burnham?

Jeff is right with the 5th at Worlington, and that is the only hole there to make it.


None of your other guesses are right for the nine holers but do you mean the 12th at Hopeman as the drop shot par 3?  If so, that is on the list.
 
The other three on 9 holers are all in Scotland.  I’ve only played one of them but felt the same as one of the panellists when I did - “Would be the best par 5 on any other links in the UK.”


And there is one hole on the list that only opened this summer by the way.

I provided Chris Bertram with that quote, but won't spoil the fun by revealing which hole it related to!

[Emil Weber]

Does Isle of Harris have a stunning hole?

The par 4 2nd at Isle of Harris would qualify. Short, playing diagonally over the cliffs, heaps of room to bail out and a punchbowl-ish green on the edge of the ocean...