[archie_struthers]

 


hard to get past Royal County Down and Portrush   

[Bill Gayne]

Favorite (not necessarily the best or highest ranked on an architecture basis) in Ireland. Listed alphabetically.

Ballybunion
Doonbeg
Lahinch
Old Head
Royal Portrush

A list of five courses I didn't include would be just as much fun.

Royal County Down
County Louth
Dooks
Waterville
Rosses Point

[Chris Shaida]

In case there's anybody else who uses these threads to glean 'collective gca wisdom' for upcoming trips (I'm going to be spending a fair amount of time in Scotland over the next several months) I pulled out the individual lists from this thread (roughly 20 posts from 2003 and 2009) and summarized them.  Once I did that I thought I might as well post them here, so...

Most mentions

16   Royal Dornoch
15   TOC
11   Muirfield
11   North Berwick


Some Mentions

9   Cruden Bay
8   Turnberry
7   Prestwick
6   Carnoustie
6   Machrihanish
4   Western Gailes
3   Brora
3   Kingsbarns
2   Troon

Mentioned once

1   Boat of Garten
1   Braid Hills
1   Castle Stuart
1   Crail (Craigshead)
1   Dunbar
1   Elie
1   Fraserburgh
1   Glasgow gailes
1   Gleneagles (Kings)
1   Murcar
1   Nairn
1   Panmure
1   Royal Aberdeen
1   Southerness
1   Strathpeffer Spa
1   Tain
1   TNC at St Andrews

[jeffwarne]

Portsalon
Narin and Portnoo
RCD
Portrush Valley
County Louth

North Berwick
Brora
Dunaverty
Dornoch
Machrihanish

[Mark Chaplin]

Doesn't this just prove England has the courses to beat Ireland and Scotland hands down? There is hardly a mention of an inland course anywhere - personally Gleneagles Kings is wonderful - yet we have a very strong set of links courses and add on Ganton, Woodhall Spa, Alwoodley, RAF, Addington, Moortown, Worlington and 20 brilliant heaths that Ireland and Scotland cannot touch.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Doesn't this just prove England has the courses to beat Ireland and Scotland hands down? There is hardly a mention of an inland course anywhere - personally Gleneagles Kings is wonderful - yet we have a very strong set of links courses and add on Ganton, Woodhall Spa, Alwoodley, RAF, Addington, Moortown, Worlington and 20 brilliant heaths that Ireland and Scotland cannot touch.

Chappers this is supposed to be about the Top 5 courses in each.  Althoug I am delighted that I play the vast majority of my gof in England, it cannot compete at the top.  If I had such a thing as a top 10, I can only think of one course from England in with a shout.


Top 5 and Ireland narrowly beats Scotland.  Top 10 it reverses.

The bottom end of England's top 50 would probably beat an Irealnd/Scotland combined top 50.

[Kris Shreiner]

Scotland- in no order: TOC, Royal Dornoch,Carnasty,Brora,North Berwick

[Mark Pearce]

Tony,

I couldn't disagree more.  Even at the top end England competes well.  Name 5 Scottish courses better than RSG.  Name any Scottish (or Irish) inland course better than Ganton or the best heathland courses.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Mark the day you couldn't disagree MORE...!!!!!

I didn't say there were 5 Scottish courses better than RSG.   I would say Dornoch for one though.


The problem for England is What's next.   Birkdale doesn't make my top 30.


 How many inland courses do you and Mark have in your top 10?  There doesn't have to be any in a top 5 of any country. The original question was spurred by reading about top courses in Ireland and Scotland and thes are links.  England has many fine links but can't compete with the very best of the Celtic ones , IMO.

Ganton would make my top 5 in England but not my top 10 in GB&I.   

[Matthew Schulte]

Scotland
St. Andrews
Royal Dornoch
Muirfield
Turnberry
North Berwick

Ireland
RCD
Portrush
Ballybunion
Lahinch
Portmarnock

England
Royal St. George's
Woodhall Spa
Royal Lytham & St. Annes
Sunningdale Old
Ganton

Only RSG would crack my top 10 in GBI.

[Mark Pearce]

Tony,

I'd like to see your list of 30 courses in GB&I that are better than Birkdale!  My top 5 in England and Scotland would probably just have the one English course but I think there'd be several in the next five.

[Sean_A]

Doesn't this just prove England has the courses to beat Ireland and Scotland hands down? There is hardly a mention of an inland course anywhere - personally Gleneagles Kings is wonderful - yet we have a very strong set of links courses and add on Ganton, Woodhall Spa, Alwoodley, RAF, Addington, Moortown, Worlington and 20 brilliant heaths that Ireland and Scotland cannot touch.

Chappers this is supposed to be about the Top 5 courses in each.  Althoug I am delighted that I play the vast majority of my gof in England, it cannot compete at the top.  If I had such a thing as a top 10, I can only think of one course from England in with a shout.


Top 5 and Ireland narrowly beats Scotland.  Top 10 it reverses.

The bottom end of England's top 50 would probably beat an Irealnd/Scotland combined top 50.

Spangles

Like Mr Pearce, I disagree with you.  I have two English courses in my top 5 pure quality, St Enodoc and Rye.  Ony one Scottish course - Prestwick   Two Irish - Lahinch and Ballybunion (and Sandiwch I would put dead even with Lahinch, but I prefer Lahinch so it loses the tie break).  
For me its the second five where England suffers.  Sandwich, TOC, Co Down, North Berwick and Enniscrone.  Aberdeen, The Island, Deal, Woking and St Georges Hill lose the tie breaker to Enniscrone.  So it becomes obvious that England does very well in the third five as well.  

Top 5 Scotland - Brora and Machrihanish have been replaced by TOC and Aberdeen

Prestwick
North Berwick
Aberdeen
Dornoch
TOC

Ciao

[Tim Johnson]

Not in any order.....

Ireland

Carne
Enniscrone
Lahinch
Sandy Hills
Glashedy

Scotland

The Machrie
Cruden bay
Royal Dornoch
Old Moray
Prestwick

[Mark Chaplin]

Soon off to Australia for my sixth visit but never been to Ireland so I can only vote on Scotland;

TOC
Prestwick
Gleneagles Kings
Royal Dornoch
North Berwick

[Sandy Smith]

I think I have only played 5 courses in Ireland , but for Scotland here goes.

TOC
Turnberry
Royal Dornoch
North Berwick
Prestwick tied with Western Gailes
 

[Sev K-H Keil]

Scotland:
- Royal Dornoch
- North Berwick
- Cruden Bay
- Muirfield
- Panmure

Ireland:
- Royal County Down
- Ballybunion
- Royal Portrush
- Waterville
- Lahinch

[Patrick Glynn]

Ireland:

RCD
Lahinch
Portrush
Ballybunion
Portmarnock

Of the courses I have played in Scotland:

Muirfield
TOC
Carnoustie

[Niall C]

Doesn't this just prove England has the courses to beat Ireland and Scotland hands down? There is hardly a mention of an inland course anywhere - personally Gleneagles Kings is wonderful - yet we have a very strong set of links courses and add on Ganton, Woodhall Spa, Alwoodley, RAF, Addington, Moortown, Worlington and 20 brilliant heaths that Ireland and Scotland cannot touch.

Mark

What I think this proves is that these type of lists to an extent are self-perpetuating. Any time you read a thread on this site about planning a golf trip to Scotland any number of overseas golfers jump on talk about all the usual suspects and before you know it the person planning the trip is talking about landing in Edinburgh to play North Berwick berfore jumping into a car to drive to St Andrews to play the Old Course followed by another longish journey upto Cruden Bay on the way to Dornoch with even longer journey down to fit in a game at Prestwick before they fly home. All top courses no doubt (with the exception of Cruden Bay which has some great golf but a fair portion of mediocre to rubbish golf as well) but Scotland offers a lot more than the usual suspects.

Niall

[Melvyn Morrow]

Spot on, Niall

But do not name all our little treasures as we want to keep some back for ourselves, otherwise we may start seeing little devices that look close to some of the modern Police Radar Guns, then watch as the players not just miss the Hole but the Green as well.

Melvyn

[Mark Chaplin]

Niall,

The one thing I always say to people is go slow and spend time at clubs, 36 and a good lunch (there goes Chappers again!!) at a good club is IMO far better than a morning 18 at a great course, quick sarnie and a dash to play another great course in the afternoon. Two ticks but little in the way of experience.

I've yet to play 18 at Merion as due to a flight delay we had just enough time to dash 18 before dark (at $220 + caddie). Instead we played 4 holes to get the flavour of the course, had a few beers and dinner on the terrace and followed up with a good tour around the clubhouse with our host. Wonderful experience and there is always time to go back!

Chappers

[Greg Ohlendorf]

In no order...

Scotland

TOC
Dornoch
North Berwick
Cruden Bay
Muirfield


Ireland

Ballybunnion Old
Lahinch
RCD
Royal Portrush
Portstewart (play the front twice!)

Greg

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

Ireland in no particular order:

Lahinch (Old)
Ballybunion (Old)
Ballyliffin (Old)
Rosapenna (Old)
Portstewart (Strand)

Honourable mention:

Royal Dublin
Malone
Carlow
Donegal (Murvagh)
Belvoir Park

I haven't played in Scotland.

[jeffwarne]

Ireland in no particular order:

Lahinch (Old)
Ballybunion (Old)
Ballyliffin (Old)
Rosapenna (Old)
Portstewart (Strand)

Honourable mention:

Royal Dublin
Malone
Carlow
Donegal (Murvagh)
Belvoir Park

I haven't played in Scotland.

Donal,
No love for Portsalon?
Certainly can't argue your top 5 though.
I did enjoy Carlow -I played there 20 years ago on a saturday.
I sent the pro a letter and he called me back about a week later and said he couldn't possibly do it as a competition was on.....
Unless,.....I could come out" extremely early".
I told him to name the time and we'd be there (expecting a cold early start).
before 9 o'clock? he said with a bit of embarrassment (as if to suggest no one would come that early)

[Shane Wright]

IMO, in order:

SCOTLAND
1. Muirfield
2. Royal Dornoch
3. TOC
4. North Berwick
5. Carnoustie

IRELAND
1. Royal County Down
2. Ballybunion
3. Royal Portrush
4. Lahinch
5. Waterville

[Steve Salmen]

Friendly reminder for Dornoch members, the annual dues have arrived in the mail.
 
The new secretary has written that late payments could result in loss of membership.

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