New Golf World Top 100 Britain & Ireland out

[mike_malone]

 I expect the changes at Portsalon and Narin/Portnoo to move them up in these rankings. They both exceed Druid's Glen by a mile, imo.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Top

200    Stockley Park, Cardigan, Seacroft, Thorndon Park

100     Brora

25        Penard.  It's Joyous, a refresher. 

George Pepper and others have argued that while Ireland can match the top tier (a half dozen?) in Scotland for quality there's a steep fall off thereafter. Well a quick count has them tied at 22 each in the top 100, with Scotland beating Ireland by 6 in the next 100.  There are a number of impressive new courses in  Ireland and more to follow.

[Sean_A]

Adrian

Yes, I agree that listing all the contenders for the top 100 is more helpful for the avid golfer, but I am not buying that all of the top 100 are great courses or that there is anything close to 300 great courses in GB&I. 

I knew Tenby wasn't selected for top 100 (wrongly imo), but to be left out of the top 200 is incomprehensible.

Having said all that

Pennard
Tenby
Huntercombe
Wallsey
Beau Desert
Kington

is an overseas trip I would be delighted to take!

Ciao

I normally agree pretty much with you but I think Tenby, Huntercombe and Kington should miss the 200. Tenby is quite short now isn't it and significantly changed? Huntercombe I think would be solid in the next 100 but I dont see it better than many in that next 100 and Kington is a new one to me (introduced by pics by you) but probably just too quirky and short and I think length does play a big part in the selection process of how the panelists considered.
When I looked at the second 100 the only ones I looked at and questioned were courses that I just had virtually no knowledge of, Courses like Tandridge, Burnham Beeches, Calcot Park, St Andrews (Jubilee), Mere suprise me that they are not there, I am sure many of the newer ones like Bovey Castle (ex Manor House) will be dissapointed not to have made the top 200, very few have played all the courses but some of the newer ones simply miss out because of their history.

Adrian

Yes, I can understand Kington not being selected.  Its an unusual course that normally takes some experience to appreciate, but it has bags of character and strategy.  Hell, its taken me over 10 years of steadily playing the course before I thought it was great.  Seriously, I don't think people know the course at all and because of its position in the Marches it isn't likely to become well known.  I can't understand how Huntercombe and Tenby can be passed over - especially Huntercombe.  It is one of the best inland courses in England.  It just goes to show how clubs and history hugely influence these lists.  For instance, and I always go back to this one, Little Aston.  Can folks tell me that Little Aston is superior to Huntercombe?  Not a chance - I think they are in the same ball park of quality, but for me Huntercombe pips it.  How bout Harlech?  I am a big fan of the place, but there is no way it is superior to Huntercombe.  Nefyn is another one.  Talk about all beauty and little brains.  Hillside is another that garners huge accolades and I don't understand why.  It may be the most wasted site in the country.  That site should have produced a great rather than middling good course. 

Tenby is no pushover!  Go to the back markers and at ~6300 par 69 it can cause concern for many a good player.

Another course which is certainly deserving of top 200 and close to top 100 is Whittington Heath.  This place is in the same class as Delamere and New Zealand.

Ciao

[Philip Gawith]

I have not checked the list but any list that includes the Player's Club (the course somewhere down towards Bristol off the M4?) cannot be taken seriously! I don't consider myself excessively judgemental re golf courses, but that course is as bad as paul nash suggests, and then quite a lot worse.

Thank you Sean for defending Huntercombe from the ignorant and the infidel! I can't improve on your efforts.

Re Queenwood - I very much doubt enough people play the course to rate it. It is the best modern course in the UK I have played, alongside Loch Lomond.

[Robert Thompson]

I saw Turnberry for the first time last year and I was impressed, Troon I was dissapointed (in half the course) and Prestwick was kinda WOW!!! although it sorta needs a redo to take out the 'sillys'. Dundonald was quite nice, Barrasie very nice (never even made the 200!)

No one responded to this, but do I read this as intended: "Prestwick ... needs a redo to take out the sillys."

I assume that was meant as tongue firmly planted in the cheek, as only someone with no sense of the game would think Prestwick, with its history and importance to the development of golf design, needs, "a redo." The sillys are what make the place...

[Kevin Pallier]

It continues to amaze me why Turnberry gets rated so highly 

Food for thought - what is the one course the professionals can join as members in that area - when most private clubs won't have them. Turnberry. I think you would find that to be a factor. It also sets up very well from the tee and is fairly straightforward to play.

I would take Prestwick over it any day of the week - but that's cause I love luck and chance more than most.

Ian

I'm glad there's someone else out there who isn't over enamoured by Turnberry. I cant think of anything "outstanding" at the venue - other than it's setting....

[Sean_A]

It continues to amaze me why Turnberry gets rated so highly 

Food for thought - what is the one course the professionals can join as members in that area - when most private clubs won't have them. Turnberry. I think you would find that to be a factor. It also sets up very well from the tee and is fairly straightforward to play.

I would take Prestwick over it any day of the week - but that's cause I love luck and chance more than most.

Ian

I'm glad there's someone else out there who isn't over enamoured by Turnberry. I cant think of anything "outstanding" at the venue - other than it's setting....

While I wouldn't call Turnberry an all world course, it certainly ain't no dumb blonde either.  The stretch from 4-8 is very fine - especially #s 4 & 8.  Plus, the 10th and 11th are very good.  Top 50 in GB&I seems a reasonable ranking.

Ciao

[Mark Chaplin]

I've not played Turnberry but it does appear to have a few eye candy holes.

100-200 appear to fill in a few regional gaps, in my direction Crowborough Beacon which has 2 or 3 good holes always appears in the second string where as Knole Park and Wilderness two of my favourites always fail to appear.

Littlestone is surely higher than the monotonous up and down of Princes....sorry Sean it's a bore.

Generally new courses tend to jump into the 70s or 80s then fade away after a couple of editions. For me this is still the rating to watch in GB&I. Three years ago Golf Monthly had Deal at 115 or something stupid.

[Andrew Mitchell]

I've not played Turnberry but it does appear to have a few eye candy holes.

100-200 appear to fill in a few regional gaps, in my direction Crowborough Beacon which has 2 or 3 good holes always appears in the second string where as Knole Park and Wilderness two of my favourites always fail to appear.

Littlestone is surely higher than the monotonous up and down of Princes....sorry Sean it's a bore.

Generally new courses tend to jump into the 70s or 80s then fade away after a couple of editions. For me this is still the rating to watch in GB&I. Three years ago Golf Monthly had Deal at 115 or something stupid.

Mark
Whilst Golf World has some discrepancies the rankings to me seem generally reliable.

Golf Monthly however is another matter.  In 2006 they had Royal Dornoch at 51 and Cruden Bay at  106

[Brian_Ewen]

Just going through some pics from my two days of pouring rain at Turnberry .

It has its moments you know :

[Sam Maryland]

I thought Castlerock was terrific, surprised it is not in the top 100.

SM

[Melvyn Morrow]

Adrian you said

‘Prestwick was kinda WOW!!! although it sorta needs a redo to take out the 'sillys'.

I have seen some interesting comments on this site but to say that about Prestwick is in my humble opinion just unbelievable. Forget the history, the birth place of The Open, one of the sites where the modern game of golf was born, Old Tom & Charlie Hunter. Adrian wants it scrapped as the course is in need of a redo.

Sorry Adrian, just what game do you play because we on this site play golf.

Prestwick is a great course, its’ what golf is all about, it’s not artificial pretentious or manicured. It is fun and challenging. Tell me is it just to difficult for you, were you unable to enjoy yourself, because to call it ‘silly’ is just plain ridicules IMHO. 

I believe you have missed the point of the game of Golf and because of that I feel very sorry for you. There is only one cure and that is to play all the courses in Scotland until you find that which is clearly missing from your golfing life.

I hope I never have to call one of your favourite courses ‘silly’ because I feel that I would be insulting you. But rest assured I am not insulted, just very surprised, yes very, very surprised.   

[Adrian_Stiff]

Adrian you said

‘Prestwick was kinda WOW!!! although it sorta needs a redo to take out the 'sillys'.

I have seen some interesting comments on this site but to say that about Prestwick is in my humble opinion just unbelievable. Forget the history, the birth place of The Open, one of the sites where the modern game of golf was born, Old Tom & Charlie Hunter. Adrian wants it scrapped as the course is in need of a redo.

Sorry Adrian, just what game do you play because we on this site play golf.

Prestwick is a great course, its’ what golf is all about, it’s not artificial pretentious or manicured. It is fun and challenging. Tell me is it just to difficult for you, were you unable to enjoy yourself, because to call it ‘silly’ is just plain ridicules IMHO. 

I believe you have missed the point of the game of Golf and because of that I feel very sorry for you. There is only one cure and that is to play all the courses in Scotland until you find that which is clearly missing from your golfing life.

I hope I never have to call one of your favourite courses ‘silly’ because I feel that I would be insulting you. But rest assured I am not insulted, just very surprised, yes very, very surprised.   

Melyvyn- You have read a post twisted it around and moulded it back through your one dimensioned mind. At no stage did I say I wanted Prestwick scrapped, so the rest of your words after are total twaddle.
To clarify; I visited a number of West coast courses last year, Prestwick was WOW... that means fantastic. I am very passionate about the game and the history. "It sorta" is the key issue here I am not suggesting Prestwick is totally carved up, although the great man himself did this when he moved it from a 12 holer to the 18 and even since then there have been hole changes and plenty of new tees. I like Prestwick as it is, but the 'sillys' do stop it from being held in higher regard by more, 'possibly' I would think about losing 14 and 15, which are cramped and 15 is lets say the 'silly' as its fairway is very narrow and the green is crazy, could there be two long holes after the 10th played north up toward Troon? With 14 and 15 removed, the course frees up a lot of space, which is the key problem at Prestwick, especially at the end of the round, maybe such a change could see a return back on the big stage. Its just two new holes.
ALL open courses have evolved and changed, just because holes are new it does not need to be bad, that aside I am not sure where I would place my tick if there was a vote for such a change and I do respect its history and there is something kinda cute about 15.

[Melvyn Morrow]

Adrian

Now that you have expressed your views in an open and honest way I can clearly understand. 

As for the course, well I think we will both continue to enjoy it in our own way. I certainly would not want any major changes. But then each to his own.

Have you read that report from a guy who recently played Askernish and enjoyed it more than Cruden Bay? The Askernish new greens have yet to settle but I think he may well be right. But it depends upon your approach to the game – as I said above, each to his own.

As for ‘Total Twaddle’ – a comment although not actually unpleasant alas conveys contempt for the opinion of others. Pity, thought more highly of you than that, but don’t worry as I will not hold it against you.