[Ally Mcintosh]

Good website this one. They change their rankings every two years.

Sean may be happy(ish) this time as Pennard is in there and Burnham is up 30 places:

http://www.top100golfcourses.co.uk/htmlsite/story.asp?id=316

[Simon Holt]

This list is surprisingly more in line with my thoughts than the 2 major mags in the UK at first glance.  I find some things on the site questionable and they have been flogged out in other threads but fair play as this list isn't too bad.  A few gems that are getting some recognition.

Liphook seems to be talked about a bit more frequently these days.  I have never played there but have noticed the name popping up more and more.  Like a lot of the older courses they seem to go in and out of fashion.  

About 10 years ago Gullane always used to be around the 40s and actually higher than North Berwick.  They seem to have gone in opposite directions and I am not sure if there is that much between them.  Still not sure about the new bunkers on the 1st at Gullane No.1 or the new green on the 8th.

No. 2 has had some changes to the back 9 which are outstanding if any of you are thinking of another course to play while in East Lothian.  I played for the first time in years a month ago and was very impressed.  Arguably better than the back 9 on No. 1.

[Tim Nugent]

Another effort to sell some books to those who require someone to tell them what is good, better, best - in their humble opinion, no criteria needed. 

This should be a way GCA can self-fund itself.  Just have everyone here toss their 2 cents in, shaken - not stirred, and presto, the diffenative top 100 list And with the wide array of backgrounds, who could argue?

[Melvyn Morrow]

Ally

This link  http://www.globalchange.com/clone.htm  may have more to do with GCA than this ranking rubbish. In fact it was far more interesting or at the very least on par with this constant ranking debate.  I hope it gives you as much pleasure as the rankings gave me.

Have a nice day

Melvyn     

[Sean_A]

There are several courses which moved double digits.  This seems very odd without the advent of many new courses being built recently.  Its not as if some of these courses haven't been around for a very long time - so why the confusion as to their quality?  My only answer could be that these courses are so close in their numbers that assigining a rank is meaningless.  I wish rankings were based on broad groups rather than ordinal ranking.  It would be more revealing.  I also wish all courses considered (but not shown) were grouped as well.  Even with these criticisms, this site's ranking is comfortably the best on the market.  Though it should be with it nicking other publication's rankings and adding its readers views into the mix (a critical lack of input the other publications ignore).  Just looking at where some courses lie in the rankings (Pennard at 72) I have to believe the reader input accounts for a serious percentage of the results because so far as I can recall Pennard has only been ranked in one publication (other than top100) and only one time.  All that said, I like nearly all the double digit trending.

Ciao     

[Ran Morrissett]

RANdom thoughts:
 
* Good to see Sunningdale get credit for their work on the New, especially their tree programme.
* I doubt Castle Stuart is pleased to join in at #41.
*I vote Woking, West Sussex, Rye, Deal, Westward Ho! & Swinley Forest higher in the world than they have them in the UK  
* How can Wentworth West only drop 2 spots after the horrible work to its Home hole?
*Wonder what drove Rosses Point sharp rise (other than it was entirely justified)?
* The charm of Old Head has always eluded me - and so now it seems with the panelists as well.
* Has Moortown finally decided to chop some trees in an effort to play catch up with the sterling example set at nearby Alwoodley?
* Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links is a fine design and should have always been included.
* I assume The Addington and Royal Ashdown Forest are in there and I just can't find them?   What about New Zealand?
*What the heck is Bearwood Lakes (but just the name alone warrants a steep drop)?

[Scott Warren]

GW has Deal at 41 and from memory the T100GC readers had it in the top 15, so how does this "composite" list then place it so low?

It's all complete lunacy, really, isn't it!

[Simon Holt]

'As mad as the Aussie cricket selectors' might be a new phrase to coin Scott?!  Sorry, gloating while I can...  Hope all is well down there mate.

I actually have been ok with the list on the whole but you are right- no consistency.  I suppose in a way in means lots more courses are getting exposure which cant be a bad thing.  I have certainly seen some courses in there that I had not heard off.

[Mark Chaplin]

Scott the last list was a readers list that also placed Bearwood Lakes in the top 5. This is the more evened out list using all of top 100s criteria.

Deal is a solid 25-50 course in GB&I so no complaints.

[Martin Toal]

*What the heck is Bearwood Lakes (but just the name alone warrants a steep drop)?

Bearwood Lakes is a club named after (a) Bearwood, an area which was once part of the Royal Hunting estate on which Henry VIII hunted deer, and the name is probably a corruption of Bere Wood, and (b) a couple of large, well, lakes, on the estate.

The name is therefore a more accurate description of the location of the course than most.

Bearwood Lakes is a great member's club, an aspect of golf much valued on GCA, and a damn fine golf course too. Whether it is the 3rd best in the UK or not is debatable, but people who play almost always want to come back.

[Mark Pearce]

Deal is a solid 25-50 course in GB&I so no complaints.

But Silloth doesn't make the top 50, so like all these lists I can ignore this one, too.

[Rory Connaughton]

Ran

Completely agree on Pormarnock Links and Hotel. Fun golf course that would get a lot more credit if it wasn't on the same stretch of ground as Portmarnock GC

[jeffwarne]

Ran

Completely agree on Pormarnock Links and Hotel. Fun golf course that would get a lot more credit if it wasn't on the same stretch of ground as Portmarnock GC

Actually, it's not the fact that it's on the same stretch of ground.....
it's the similar name that gives people prejudice in my opinion

[Rory Connaughton]

Jeff

  Agree.  Curious as to why something original was not selected.

[Niall C]

Deal is a solid 25-50 course in GB&I so no complaints.

But Silloth doesn't make the top 50, so like all these lists I can ignore this one, too.

Mark

Possibly the most cogent and well reasoned comment of the year ! Silloth is invariably around about the 50 mark in these lists which makes me wonder whether they copy off each other and jiggle them around a bit so as not to get caught.

Niall

[Noel Freeman]

This list is a joke with Woking at #85.. I'd be hard pressed to find 85 better courses in the world

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

It is hard not to scream when one sees courses like Loch Lomand, Woodhall Spa, European Club, Tralee ahead of Rye, Woking or even County Sligo. These lists are so subjective one hesitates to get worked up, but this is Golf Digest bad.

[Paul Nash]

It is hard not to scream when one sees courses like Loch Lomand, Woodhall Spa, European Club, Tralee ahead of Rye, Woking or even County Sligo. These lists are so subjective one hesitates to get worked up, but this is Golf Digest bad.

Woking is very nice - and I am looking forward to playing it again in a few weeks - but I would prefer Woodhall Spa and Loch Lomond

[Sean_A]

RANdom thoughts:
 
* Good to see Sunningdale get credit for their work on the New, especially their tree programme.
* I doubt Castle Stuart is pleased to join in at #41.
*I vote Woking, West Sussex, Rye, Deal, Westward Ho! & Swinley Forest higher in the world than they have them in the UK  
* How can Wentworth West only drop 2 spots after the horrible work to its Home hole?
*Wonder what drove Rosses Point sharp rise (other than it was entirely justified)?
* The charm of Old Head has always eluded me - and so now it seems with the panelists as well.
* Has Moortown finally decided to chop some trees in an effort to play catch up with the sterling example set at nearby Alwoodley?
* Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links is a fine design and should have always been included.
* I assume The Addington and Royal Ashdown Forest are in there and I just can't find them?   What about New Zealand?
*What the heck is Bearwood Lakes (but just the name alone warrants a steep drop)?

RANdom

How on God's green earth can you have Westward Ho! in the top 91 courses in the world?  Clean your glasses.  

I can't find Addington either - this is a serious omission.  

If there are places for courses like Bearwood Lakes and Sherwood Forest (though both are very likeable courses), then surely there is room for Beau Desert, Princes and Northamptonshire.

For what its worth I usually group certain courses together as more or less equals and from that I get a gauge of GB&I list.  If the courses listed below (purposely chosen for their diversity and varying locations) are bouncing all over the place (I reckon all should be solid top 25-60) than the list has less meaning.  

Woodhall Spa, Deal, Ennsicrone, Woking, Sligo, The Island, Aberdeen, St Georges Hill, Portstewart, Formby, Hoylake, Swinley, Burnham & Berrow and Sunny New.  

Ciao

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