[Scott Warren]

Taken from the World Top 100 results in Ian Linford's thread. I wanted to keep the discussion separate from the world list.

Does anyone think this is an accurate list? (number in brackets is where it rated in the world)

1 Royal Co. Down (3)
2 The Old Course (9)
3 Royal Dornoch (10)
4 Royal Portrush (14)
5 Ballybunion (16)
6 Muirfield (18)
7 Royal St George's (27)
8 Lahinch (32)
9 Turnberry (Ailsa) (32)
10 Sunningdale (Old) (32)
11 North Berwick (West) (37)
12 Rye (38)
13 Woodhall Spa (41)
14 St George's Hill (41)
15 Swinley Forest (45)
16 Carnoustie (45)
17 St Enodoc (45)
18 Royal Birkdale (45)
19 Prestwick (58)
20 Portmarnock (58)
21 Walton Heath (Old) (58)
22 Sunningdale (New) (64)
23 Royal Lytham & St Anne's (64)
24 Cruden Bay (64)
25 Ganton (76)
26 Royal West Norfolk (76)
27 Western Gailes (76)
28 Kingsbarns (76)
29 Royal Liverpool (82)
30 Machrihanish (82)

[Brian Phillips]

Scott,

Apart from a couple of courses that seem a little low and a couple a little high, I would say it is a pretty good assessment of the golf courses that qualified for the ranking list.  There are not many on the list that I would juggle about.

Those that I might put higher are:

Carnoustie
Kingsbarns

Those that I might put lower are:

Sunningdale Old
Royal Birkdale
Woodhall Spa

but not by much.

[Sean_A]

Taken from the World Top 100 results in Ian Linford's thread. I wanted to keep the discussion separate from the world list.

Does anyone think this is an accurate list? (number in brackets is where it rated in the world)

1 Royal Co. Down (3)
2 The Old Course (9)
3 Royal Dornoch (10)
4 Royal Portrush (14)
5 Ballybunion (16)
6 Muirfield (18)
7 Royal St George's (27)
8 Lahinch (32)
9 Turnberry (Ailsa) (32)
10 Sunningdale (Old) (32)
11 North Berwick (West) (37)
12 Rye (38)
13 Woodhall Spa (41)
14 St George's Hill (41)
15 Swinley Forest (45)
16 Carnoustie (45)
17 St Enodoc (45)
18 Royal Birkdale (45)
19 Prestwick (58)
20 Portmarnock (58)
21 Walton Heath (Old) (58)
22 Sunningdale (New) (64)
23 Royal Lytham & St Anne's (64)
24 Cruden Bay (64)
25 Ganton (76)
26 Royal West Norfolk (76)
27 Western Gailes (76)
28 Kingsbarns (76)
29 Royal Liverpool (82)
30 Machrihanish (82)

Scott

Many of the usual suspects are there.

Its nice to see Troon get a smack and I think Lytham should as well.  

I don't know where Brora finished, but there is no way I could ever think that Machrihanish or Brora are better than Deal, Portstewart, Aberdeen, Sligo, The Island and especially FORMBY, and ENNISCRONE.  I really love Brora, but I know it isn't a great course. Its just the way things are.  Jeepers, if one is gonna put Machrihanish in that sort of company there is no reason Brora nd Tenby couldn't be there either.  They effectively are all much of a muchness.  

Ciao

[Rory Connaughton]

Agree with Sean on Enniscrone and Sligo.  Also surprised that the European is not on that list. It seems as though most GCA'ers who visit come away quite impressed.
what is the basis for this ranking?

[Bill_McBride]

I'm not sure why Royal Cinque Ports was overlooked but feel it belongs in that group.

[Mark Pearce]

The position of Ganton is a mystery.  It is, for instance, a far better course than Swinley Forest.

I'm not surprised to see 3 Irish courses in the top 5 but question whether this is correct.

[Ally Mcintosh]

The position of Ganton is a mystery.  It is, for instance, a far better course than Swinley Forest.

I'm not surprised to see 3 Irish courses in the top 5 but question whether this is correct.

The Ganton position must surely be to do with location...

Those who visit Britain and Ireland only a handful of times will have at least one trip to each of Scotland, Ireland and Surrey sandbelt / Kent links courses before they consider the remote North East of England... Perhaps because there is a perception of less top quality choice in that area...

[Mark Pearce]

Remote North East?  It's a two hour drive south of here!  I suspect you're right to some extent.  But the poll is based on rankings given by people who have played it.  I'd be interested to know how the average ranking given by each poster varied from nationality to nationality.  This might explain how Irish courses did so well.

[Jud_T]

Only quibble I have of those I've played is that Turnberry seems a tad high for my taste...

[Bill_McBride]

North Berwick gets a lot of love from GCA.com, we should get a special rate when playing there.

It's one of my favorite places to play in the world and obviously many of our brethren share that love.

But is it #11 in the GB&I?

Prestwick is most likely in the list for the same emotions, so I guess it's down to how one feels about a golf course rather than the criteria employed by magazine raters at large!

[Jon Wiggett]

It also suprises me that Alwoodley is missing although it is a course that is very much underexposed.

[Tony_Muldoon]

It also suprises me that Alwoodley is missing although it is a course that is very much underexposed.

Agreed and Ganton is less than an hours drive away. What a superb trip with a day for each.  As an adopted Londoner I still don't think we can really top that pairing. Also both courses struck me as being a less busy than the ones round London and the trip would be cheaper too.  Hard to beat as an inland duo.


PS can someone post the criteria by which we voted? My memory is shot.  Best/favourite etc.

[Bill_McBride]

It also suprises me that Alwoodley is missing although it is a course that is very much underexposed.

Agreed and Ganton is less than an hours drive away. What a superb trip with a day for each.  As an adopted Londoner I still don't think we can really top that pairing. Also both courses struck me as being a less busy than the ones round London and the trip would be cheaper too.  Hard to beat as an inland duo.


PS can someone post the criteria by which we voted? My memory is shot.  Best/favourite etc.

Tony, see Ian Linford's Top 100 in the world thread - as voted by GCA members.  This list is the GB&I courses off that 100 best in the world.  Ian's methodology is outlined in the first post of his thread.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Bill in all honesty while cinq ports is good, it is not top 30 more like 45 to 50.

I would move Carnoustee way up in top ten, Portmarnock up to top 15, Ballybunion down and few, Woodhall Spa down a good bit and Lanhinch way down. I am not sure Sligo does not belong in list. Enniscrone no way to me, Machrihanish is actually better than its spot not withstanding a comment to the contrary. Brora and others are small course comparitively speaking.

[Cristian]

Taken from the World Top 100 results in Ian Linford's thread. I wanted to keep the discussion separate from the world list.

Does anyone think this is an accurate list? (number in brackets is where it rated in the world)



1 Royal Co. Down (3)
2 The Old Course (9)
3 Royal Dornoch (10) a bit too high
4 Royal Portrush (14) too low
5 Ballybunion (16)
6 Muirfield (18)
7 Royal St George's (27)
8 Lahinch (32)
9 Turnberry (Ailsa) (32)
10 Sunningdale (Old) (32)
11 North Berwick (West) (37)
12 Rye (38)
13 Woodhall Spa (41)
14 St George's Hill (41)
15 Swinley Forest (45)
16 Carnoustie (45)
17 St Enodoc (45)
18 Royal Birkdale (45)
19 Prestwick (58)
20 Portmarnock (58)
21 Walton Heath (Old) (58) too low
22 Sunningdale (New) (64)
23 Royal Lytham & St Anne's (64) too low
24 Cruden Bay (64)
25 Ganton (76)
26 Royal West Norfolk (76)
27 Western Gailes (76)
28 Kingsbarns (76)
29 Royal Liverpool (82)
30 Machrihanish (82)

Alwoodley I would place around number 15. Also The Berkshire, TNC at St Andrews and RCP would not look out of place in this list.

[Andrew Mitchell]

Without having played all 30 (I've played 17 of them) my thoughts are:
- some of the Irish courses are high in comparison with other UK top courses lists
- not enough English courses on the list, in particular Notts, Deal and Alwoodley should be in there, possibly also Silloth.
- Ganton is ridiculously low
- as much as I love North Berwick I think its too high, as is Rye

[Sean_A]

I really don't know about exact numbers, but of the 30 courses I think there are three distinct classes (albeit this is 3 classes among some of the best courses).  

Top Class: Prestwick, Sandwich & Ballybunion

Lower Class: Machrihanish, Cruden Bay, Muirfield, Turnberry, Carnoustie and Lytham.  None of these are great courses.

Middle Class:  All the others mentioned.  These are all still great courses.

I would replace the six lower class courses with any of the following: Woking, Enniscrone, Sligo, Royal Aberdeen, Formby, Addington, The Island and Portstewart.

Ciao
  

[Mark Pearce]

Without having played all 30 (I've played 17 of them) my thoughts are:
- some of the Irish courses are high in comparison with other UK top courses lists
- not enough English courses on the list, in particular Notts, Deal and Alwoodley should be in there, possibly also Silloth.
- Ganton is ridiculously low
- as much as I love North Berwick I think its too high, as is Rye

Agree with all that.  I can't recall if Silloth was on the voting paper?

[Mark Pearce]

I really don't know about exact numbers, but of the 30 courses I think there are three distinct classes (albeit this is 3 classes among some of the best courses). 

Top Class: Prestwick, Sandwich & Ballybunion

Lower Class: Machrihanish, Cruden Bay, Muirfield, Turnberry, Carnoustie and Lytham.  None of these are great courses.

Middle Class:  All the others mentioned.  These are all still great courses.

I would replace the six lower class courses with an of the following: Woking, Enniscrone, Sligo, Royal Aberdeen, Formby, Addington, The Island and Portstewart.

Ciao
 

Blimey, Sean!  I regard you as one of the voices to listen to regarding UK courses but I find myself in strong disagreement with this post.

Muirfield and Carnoustie Lower Class?  Worse than the middle class which, by definition, includes Birkdale and Western Gailes?  I like Woking but you think it's better than Muirfield?  You have only three upper class courses and one of them is Prestwick?  I think Prestwick is a great course but it doesn't get in my top 5, maybe not evebn my top 10.

Just shows how tastes differ, I guess.

[Sean_A]

I really don't know about exact numbers, but of the 30 courses I think there are three distinct classes (albeit this is 3 classes among some of the best courses). 

Top Class: Prestwick, Sandwich & Ballybunion

Lower Class: Machrihanish, Cruden Bay, Muirfield, Turnberry, Carnoustie and Lytham.  None of these are great courses.

Middle Class:  All the others mentioned.  These are all still great courses.

I would replace the six lower class courses with an of the following: Woking, Enniscrone, Sligo, Royal Aberdeen, Formby, Addington, The Island and Portstewart.

Ciao
 

Blimey, Sean!  I regard you as one of the voices to listen to regarding UK courses but I find myself in strong disagreement with this post.

Muirfield and Carnoustie Lower Class?  Worse than the middle class which, by definition, includes Birkdale and Western Gailes?  I like Woking but you think it's better than Muirfield?  You have only three upper class courses and one of them is Prestwick?  I think Prestwick is a great course but it doesn't get in my top 5, maybe not evebn my top 10.

Just shows how tastes differ, I guess.

Mark

I have never been keen on Carnoustie.  I find the course too penal - its not clever enough.  Muirfield is a bit of a different story.  There is some clever thiongs going on, but the course often feels much of a muchness to me.  The rough, which I think has ALWAYS been a main feature, is probably the main reason I think this way.  Little stands out except obviously for the outstanding bunkers, but I have always said that if the bunkers are the highlight of a course, it can't be all that.  Even so, Muirfield is just outside the top 30 for me.  No matter what one thinks of the course, it is a must see - Carnoustie is far from that imo. 

Ciao

[Kevin Pallier]

Scott

Three courses not within those 30 that I'd include would be West Sussex / Royal Porthcawl / Gleneagles. I'd consider moving Royal Lytham / Walton Heath and Royal West Norfolk out to accomodate them.

NB: I have not seen St Enodoc or Machrihanish to comment there

[Andrew Summerell]

My personal preferences would see Machrihanish & Western Gailes higher & I would have RCP in there instead of Royal Liverpool. Royal Birkdale is a little high for my liking as well.

[Paul_Turner]

Scott

I think it's a pretty good list.   From reading and posting here for 10 years I think the list is quite a close reflection of the general consensus here. 

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