Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK & Ire Courses

couerdelion

21 Irish Courses in the list this year. Muirfield got the No. 1 spot. The Irish courses were...

2: Royal County Down (Championship)
8: Waterville
9: BallyBunion (Old)
14: The European Club
15: Royal Portrush (Dunluce)
16: Lahinch (Old)
22: Doonbeg
26: Portmarnock (Red & Blue)
31: Old Head
39: Rosapenna (Sandy Hills)
46: Tralee
52: K Club (Palmer)
53: County Louth
54: Lough Erne
68: Druids Geln
70: Killarney (Killeen)
74: Ballyliffin (Glashedy)
82: Mount Juliet
83: Adare Manor
87: Carne
92: The Island

Screaminmidget

they just put "killarney" as a course?????
would they not name the specific course down there?

ozymandias10

Screaminmidget wrote: »

they just put "killarney" as a course?????
would they not name the specific course down there?

killeens

couerdelion

ozymandias10 wrote: »

killeens

Yep, Blame me

Edited now.

fullstop

couerdelion wrote: »

21 Irish Courses in the list this year. Muirfield got the No. 1 spot. The Irish courses were...

2: Royal County Down (Championship)
8: Waterville
9: BallyBunion (Old)
14: The European Club
15: Royal Portrush (Dunluce)
16: Lahinch (Old)
22: Doonbeg
26: Portmarnock (Red & Blue)
31: Old Head
39: Rosapenna (Sandy Hills)
46: Tralee
52: K Club (Palmer)
53: County Louth
54: Lough Erne
68: Druids Geln
70: Killarney (Killeen)
74: Ballyliffin (Glashedy)
82: Mount Juliet
83: Adare Manor
87: Carne
92: The Island

How the hell is Adare down at number 83?! And Glashedy is miles better than Sandy Hills IMO.

The_Architect

The biennial Golf World list has more standing than the Golf Monthly one. It was out last month and reads as follows:

1 Turnbury (Ailsa) -
2 R. Birkdale +1
3 R. County Down -1
4 Muirfield +1
5 St Andrews (Old) -1
6 Carnoustie -
7 R. Portrush -
8 Sunningdale (Old) +2
9 Woodhall Spa -1
10 Loch Lomond -1
11 R. Dornoch -
12 Waterville +1
13 R. Lytham & St Anne's +4
14 Ballybunion (Old) -
15 Kingsbarns -3
16 Portmarnock (Old) +2
17 The European +2
18 R. Liverpool -3
19 R. St George's -3
20 Walton Heath (Old) +1
21 Saunton (East) +1
22 R. Troon +1
23 Wentworth (West) -3
24 Nairn +1
25 County Louth +1
26 Sunningdale (New) -2
27 Lahinch +1
28 Ganton -1
29 Gleneagle's (Kings) +1
30 West Sussex -1
31 North Berwick +1
32 The Berkshire (Red) +1
33 Alwoodley +2
34 Formby -3
35 R. Aberdeen +1
36 Doonbeg +1
37 Prestwick -3
38 St Enodoc -
39 Hillside (White) +4
40 R. Porthcawl -
41 R. Cinque Ports -2
42 Western Gailes -1
43 R. St David's -1
44 Notts (Hollinwell) -
45 Castle Stuart NEW
46 R. West Norfolk -
47 Carne -
48 Cruden Bay +2
49 Machrihanish -4
50 St George's Hill -1
51 Silloth-on-Solway -3
52 Rye -1
53 Swinley Forest -1
54 Woburn (Marquess) -1
55 Wentworth (East) -1
56 The Castle Course +11
57 Gullane #1 -1
58 Blairgowrie (R'mnt) -
59 County Sligo -2
60 The Island +1
61 Woburn (Dukes) +2
62 Little Aston -7
63 Donegal -4
64 Ballyliffin (Glass.) -4
65 The Machrie -3
66 The Berkshire (Blue) -2
67 Hunstanton +1
68 Aldeburgh -3
69 Walton heath (New) -3
70 Burnham & Berrow -1
71 Ferndown (Old) +1
72 Aadare Manor +1
73 The Renaissance NEW
74 Hankley Common -
75 Mount Juliet -5
76 Old Head of Kinsale -5
77 Lindrick -2
78 Celtic Manor NEW
79 Tralee -3
80 Woking -3
81 Rosapenna (Sandy H) -
82 Worplesdon -4
83 Southerness -4
84 Aberdovey -1
85 Lough Erne NEW
86 Chart Hills -4
87 Broadstone -3
88 The Addington -3
89 R. Ashdown Forest +1
90 New Zealand +1
91 West Hill -5
92 Remedy Oak -3
93 Enniscrone NEW
94 Dundonald -1
95 Skibo Castle NEW
96 The Belfry (Br'zon) -
97 St Mellion (N'laus) +3
98 Southport & Ainsdale -1
99 Machrihanish Dunes NEW
100 Dukes St Andrews -2

Mister Sifter

The_Architect wrote: »

The biennial Golf World list has more standing than the Golf Monthly one. It was out last month and reads as follows:

10 Loch Lomond -1

It's not even the 10th best course in Scotland.

ipitydafool

Baltray has done very well for itself in both those rankings. Admittedly a cracking course but certainly not better than Lahinch or nearly 30 spots better in the Golf World rankings one than Co.Sligo.

The_Architect

I think Baltray is excellent - I'd only put 5 courses in Ireland ahead of it and think the 30's is about right for GB&I.

I tend to agree about Loch Lomond but it is a good sight better than most all of the modern Irish parkland courses.

mike12

http://www.top100golfcourses.co.uk/htmlsite/country4.asp?id=4
Like this list myself.

Dr_Colossus

mike12 wrote: »

http://www.top100golfcourses.co.uk/htmlsite/country4.asp?id=4
Like this list myself.

Looked good until I saw Connemara Isles as No 64, just crazy. Nice scenery but it's incredibly short and rough and as for undulating greens that made me laugh, they're mostly real flat and very slow.

couerdelion

Interesting how much disagreement there is. Wait till the golf digest Ireland ones appear!

ThunderCat

The_Architect wrote: »

The biennial Golf World list has more standing than the Golf Monthly one.

Yea i'd agree there. Golf Monthly doesnt have Enniscrone ranked yet the K Club is close to 50th place. I think if the likes of the K Club and Druids Glen get ranked then Headfort New should be in there because in my opinion it's better than both.
Also it may be going against the grain compared to most peoples opinions on boards but I think the European Club is a tad overrated. Would put Baltray, Ballyliffin(Glasheady) and Carne ahead of it for a start. But thats the good thing about the rankings I suppose, everyone will have an opinion on them. I notice both rankings rate Castle Stuart over in Scotland very highly for a brand new course too.

The_Architect

The reason I say the Golf World rankings have more standing is two-fold:

1. It is the oldest ranking with the most experienced and wide ranging panel

2. It doesn't have any courses that are obviously at the wrong overall level. Forgetting actual numbers, ranking courses is really all about different tiers. Golf Monthly and Top100golfcourses have a couple of clangers.

downthemiddle

Just to add to the confusion

http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/golf/2010/1104/1224282650515.html

Dr_Colossus

downthemiddle wrote: »

Just to add to the confusion

http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/golf/2010/1104/1224282650515.html

Jees, Royal Dublin No.18? Very plain course, nice greens maybe but the layout is pretty boring and uninspiring for a top 20 course

wannapress

Golf Digest list is a complete joke!!! always has been

Mister Sifter

wannapress wrote: »

Golf Digest list is a complete joke!!! always has been

A joke indeed. If evidence is needed see number 71... St Annes - a new entry. Is 'greens like corrugated iron' a new category in it this year?

Must be easy enough for them to put together though... "stick in the usual suspects near the top, moving a few of them up/down to make it look like we've thought about this... then dig out the list of courses who've spent big on advertising this year... top end them. Then get last year's advertising list out and anyone whose cut back, well down they go."

Crock. Of. ****.

CaptainPendulum

No Fota Island in the top 100?

jimjo

Mister Sifter wrote: »

Must be easy enough for them to put together though... "stick in the usual suspects near the top, moving a few of them up/down to make it look like we've thought about this... then dig out the list of courses who've spent big on advertising this year... top end them. Then get last year's advertising list out and anyone whose cut back, well down they go."

Crock. Of. ****.

Exactly.

I would love to know what has No. 79 Knightsbrook (down 35), No. 100 Roganstown (down 27) and No. 76 Mount Wosley (down 34) done drastically wrong to go down so much from last year's list?? How could they have got that much worse in the space of 12 months that would cause such a drop is beyond me...

I see Farnham Estate is No. 48, the course is a fine layout (including nice long walks!!) but doesn't really deserve to be that high up the list, ok in a few years when it matures it will be by right be up there but not now.

Glad to see Lough Erne so high up there, one of the best parklands in the country and will hold big events in the near future.

Personally I never like seeing these lists being totally dominated by Links courses but thats only my opinion.

Snakey

No Fota Island in the top 100?

+1

Or Macreddin. 100 better courses in Ireland? joke.

Sir Shankalot

Snakey wrote: »

+1

Or Macreddin. 100 better courses in Ireland? joke.

is Fota Island in administration by any chance? I didn't think it was but perhaps the resort is. The Golf Digest list excluded clubs that were in admin or rec'ship like the Heritage for example

CaptainPendulum

Sir Shankalot wrote: »

is Fota Island in administration by any chance? I didn't think it was but perhaps the resort is. The Golf Digest list excluded clubs that were in admin or rec'ship like the Heritage for example

That might explain it - hope we come out of admin soon!

MasterKZG

Sir Shankalot wrote: »

is Fota Island in administration by any chance? I didn't think it was but perhaps the resort is. The Golf Digest list excluded clubs that were in admin or rec'ship like the Heritage for example

I think that hardly any fair for those in receivership to be excluded from top 100. A bit of publicity would be great for those in difficult.:mad:

Loved Fota Island and the Heritage. And Macreddin

Mister Sifter

MasterKZG wrote: »

I think that hardly any fair for those in receivership to be excluded from top 100. A bit of publicity would be great for those in difficult.:mad:

Loved Fota Island and the Heritage. And Macreddin

If it's a list of the best courses then all courses should be considered, regardless of financial health. If it's a 'best run golf courses' list then fair enough.

To say that a golf course is no longer good or worth a visit just because it's hit the financial skids defeats the purpose of such a list.

Then again, none of that really matters given the agendas that the publications who put together these lists have.