Top 100 Golf Courses in the UK and Ireland?

Welcome to Golf Monthly's Top 100 Courses in the UK and Ireland

No subject is guaranteed to get golfers chatting quite so animatedly as that of favourite courses. After being given a moment to delve into the memory bank and ponder their relative merits, every golfer I know can reel of their top three tracks with many able to stretch to a top 10. And, as each course name is offered up, those who have posed the question usually respond with anything from a nod of approval to a detailed argument as to why a different course was in fact more worthy of praise than the one that had just been named.

It is this debate of the relative merits of golf courses that goes on between golfers that Golf Monthly sought to capture when in 2002 we set out to compile our first list of the top courses in the UK and Ireland.

Traditionally courses had been heavily influenced by the opinions of “industry experts” such as golf course architects and elite players and while we of course respect the views of those whose job it is to either create these works or art or to get round them in as few shots as possible we wanted to offer more of a genuine golfer’s guide that typical club players could relate to.

We wanted our verdict on the course to go much deeper than just its design and agronomy and include things like the aesthetics of the course and its surrounding area and the welcome extended to visitors, In short the whole experience of visiting and playing the course. It is my hope that the list inspires you to get out and sample some of the wonderful courses we are so lucky to have on our doorstep. I know after reading through all the reviews I have added a few more tracks to my personal wish list and I hope browsing the list makes you feel the same way.

I have no doubt the list will prompt much debate among readers and we are keen to hear your thoughts. Why not your share your views with as wide an audience as possible and post your thoughts and personal reviews of the courses on the on the new Top 100 Courses section.

Where next?

Golf Monthly Top 100 Course Rankings 1-100 Golf Monthly Top 100 Course Rankings 2007/8 How Golf Monthly assesses the Top 100 Courses Golf Monthly Top 100 Course Rankings Panel Golf Monthly course directory