GB&I top 100 holes

[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

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

Keeping with 9 holers, the Isle of Harris has to have one, pretty picturesque.  Maybe Isle of Skye as well?
Ilse of Arran and Corrie Golf Club hole 3 I would guess.  Also Tobermory maybe is on the list?

[James Reader]

Emil and Niall have two of them - 2nd at Isle of Harris and 9th at Durness.


Just Robin’s par 5 missing, and no one has mentioned the course yet.  Just looking back at my Twitter feed, I said about it in a response to another member of the panel a few weeks ago that “the *th hole wouldn’t be out of place on one of the great links courses.”  Not quite as strong as your quote Robin but the sentiment is the same.

[Marty Bonnar]

Guessing 18 at Carnoustie one of the closing holes.

Yes.  One more to get.  Also in Scotland.

Leven?

[James Reader]

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.

It seems others agree with you, Donal, Birkdale 12th isn’t on the list. 


6 out of 9 on the others.  Neither are Silloth 13 (incredibly), Ballybunion 7 or Carnoustie 16.

[James Reader]

Guessing 18 at Carnoustie one of the closing holes.

Yes.  One more to get.  Also in Scotland.

Leven?

Further north Marty.

[Niall C]

moray old 18th for the other finishing hole ?

[James Reader]

moray old 18th for the other finishing hole ?

I thought you’d get that one Niall.

[Niall C]

Possible options for 9 hole courses with other top hole, none of which I've played;


Carradale
Rosehearty
Murcar Links


Niall

[Thomas Dai]

Askernish?
Atb

[Robin_Hiseman]

Emil and Niall have two of them - 2nd at Isle of Harris and 9th at Durness.


Just Robin’s par 5 missing, and no one has mentioned the course yet.  Just looking back at my Twitter feed, I said about it in a response to another member of the panel a few weeks ago that “the *th hole wouldn’t be out of place on one of the great links courses.”  Not quite as strong as your quote Robin but the sentiment is the same.

Got to add a touch of hyberbole to make these lists interesting and to spark debate. I mean it in this case. It's an incredible golf hole on an unheralded course.

[Thomas Dai]

Just Robin’s par 5 missing, and no one has mentioned the course yet.  Just looking back at my Twitter feed, I said about it in a response to another member of the panel a few weeks ago that “the *th hole wouldn’t be out of place on one of the great links courses.”  Not quite as strong as your quote Robin but the sentiment is the same.

Got to add a touch of hyberbole to make these lists interesting and to spark debate. I mean it in this case. It's an incredible golf hole on an unheralded course.

Until the Club built another 9-holes a couple of decades agomy first choice would have been the what was once 9th at Newburgh-on-Ythan. Believed for many years to be the longest par-5 in Scotland.
Remote Scottish links 9-hole courses? Portmahomac, Traigh, Gairloch, St Medan, Rosehearty?
Atb

[JohnVDB]

Just Robin’s par 5 missing, and no one has mentioned the course yet.  Just looking back at my Twitter feed, I said about it in a response to another member of the panel a few weeks ago that “the *th hole wouldn’t be out of place on one of the great links courses.”  Not quite as strong as your quote Robin but the sentiment is the same.

Got to add a touch of hyberbole to make these lists interesting and to spark debate. I mean it in this case. It's an incredible golf hole on an unheralded course.

Until the Club built another 9-holes a couple of decades agomy first choice would have been the what was once 9th at Newburgh-on-Ythan. Believed for many years to be the longest par-5 in Scotland.
Remote Scottish links 9-hole courses? Portmahomac, Traigh, Gairloch, St Medan, Rosehearty?
Atb

If it’s a par 5 it isn’t Portmanomac.  There aren’t any there.

[James Reader]

Just Robin’s par 5 missing, and no one has mentioned the course yet.  Just looking back at my Twitter feed, I said about it in a response to another member of the panel a few weeks ago that “the *th hole wouldn’t be out of place on one of the great links courses.”  Not quite as strong as your quote Robin but the sentiment is the same.

Got to add a touch of hyberbole to make these lists interesting and to spark debate. I mean it in this case. It's an incredible golf hole on an unheralded course.

Until the Club built another 9-holes a couple of decades agomy first choice would have been the what was once 9th at Newburgh-on-Ythan. Believed for many years to be the longest par-5 in Scotland.
Remote Scottish links 9-hole courses? Portmahomac, Traigh, Gairloch, St Medan, Rosehearty?
Atb

If it’s a par 5 it isn’t Portmanomac.  There aren’t any there.

It’s one of the others mentioned.

[Mark Pearce]

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.

It's stupidly tough, that's for sure.  But it isn't a great hole, is it?

[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.

It seems others agree with you, Donal, Birkdale 12th isn’t on the list. 


6 out of 9 on the others.  Neither are Silloth 13 (incredibly), Ballybunion 7 or Carnoustie 16.

On second thoughts, I think 11th at Ballybunion should be a cert to be on the list and many rave about the green at the 6th also, but I doubt it made the list.

[Mark Pearce]

So this bunch of experts were able to list 100 holes and managed to miss the 13th at Silloth?


Robin, please tell me you were a a voice pushing for its inclusion but were out-shouted by heathens.......

[Adrian_Stiff]

The top 100 GB & I holes should comprise many holes from lesser known courses, most courses have 'one' really good candidate and no doubt the produced top 100 will be the pick from the magazine's ego with no real regard to the truth. They will almost certainly focus on holes that have history rather than great golf holes. Can't wait to see the shit list.
We could produce a much better list of candidates I am sure:
Best Par 3 holes.
Best Par 4 holes.
Best Par 5 holes.
Best opening hole.
Best closing hole.
Hardest holes to make a par.

[James Reader]

On second thoughts, I think 11th at Ballybunion should be a cert to be on the list and many rave about the green at the 6th also, but I doubt it made the list.



The 11th is right, and the only hole at Ballybunion.

[James Reader]

So this bunch of experts were able to list 100 holes and managed to miss the 13th at Silloth?


Robin, please tell me you were a a voice pushing for its inclusion but were out-shouted by heathens.......

Looking again, Robin isn’t on the list of panellists so should have a pass on that one.  There are at least a couple of other GCA names on the list though…

[Ally Mcintosh]

Care to let us know who, James?


Chris asked me for my favourite holes so I provided him with a first 18, a second 18 and a third 18.


Wasn’t aware that there was a panel.


Incidentally, Kevin Markham & I did the same thing for holes in Ireland about 5 years ago… Here they are (reprinted):


https://irishgolfer.ie/top-100/2020/04/23/best-100-golf-holes-in-ireland/

[James Reader]

Care to let us know who, James?


Chris asked me for my favourite holes so I provided him with a first 18, a second 18 and a third 18.


Wasn’t aware that there was a panel.


Incidentally, Kevin Markham & I did the same thing for holes in Ireland about 5 years ago… Here they are (reprinted):


https://irishgolfer.ie/top-100/2020/04/23/best-100-golf-holes-in-ireland/

You are on the list Ally.  As is Kevin, and Clyde Johnson of this parish.

[Michael Felton]

Couple of possibilities from courses I know and have played significant amounts at:


Brancepeth Castle 9th hole - long par 3 across a diagonal valley. Tough hole, but tremendous fun to play
Effingham GC 13th hole - short par 3 with a kidney bean shape
Walton Heath Old - 12 and 16


I doubt if Brancepeth or Effingham made the list, but I'd put them in. The two holes at Walton I'd be kind of surprised if they weren't.

[Mark Pearce]

Couple of possibilities from courses I know and have played significant amounts at:


Brancepeth Castle 9th hole - long par 3 across a diagonal valley. Tough hole, but tremendous fun to play
Effingham GC 13th hole - short par 3 with a kidney bean shape
Walton Heath Old - 12 and 16


I doubt if Brancepeth or Effingham made the list, but I'd put them in. The two holes at Walton I'd be kind of surprised if they weren't.

Good though the 9th at Brancepeth is (and it really is), I think the 8th is a better hole.

[James Reader]

For anyone interested, here’s the ‘answers’:

- one course with 6 holes included - TOC 4,11,13,14,16,17
- one course with 4 holes - North Berwick 13,14,15,16
- 2 courses with 3 holes - Carnoustie 6,17,18; RCD 3,4,9
- 19 courses with 2 holes - Cruden Bay, Ganton, Kingsbarns, Lahinch, Machrihanish, Muirfield, Prestwick, Deal, Hoylake, Portrush, St George’s, Troon, St Enodoc, Sunny New, Sunny Old, Swinley, Addington, Ailsa
- one run of 4 holes in a row - North Berwick 13-16
- 8 runs of 2 holes in a row - Carnoustie 17,18; RCD 3,4; Hoylake 11,12; Troon 7,8; TOC 13,14; TOC 16,17; Sunny New 5,6; Addington 12,13; Ailsa 9,10 (actually 9!)
- just 2 opening holes and 2 closing holes - Doonbeg/Machrihanish; Carnoustie/Moray
- 4 holes on 9-hole courses - Durness 9; Isle of Harris 2; Worlington 5; and the one no one got, Robin’s ‘best UK links par 5’, Gairloch 8.

[Thomas Dai]

Nice exercise. Well done for undertaking it herein. Gairloch, although not the hole, was briefly mentioned in post 35.
Atb