What Are The Top 10 Courses In The UK & Ireland?

Hello everyone, Alison Root here from Golf Monthly and welcome to Royal Porthcourt Golf Club

In this video, we're going to look at the top 10 courses in the UK and Ireland from Golf Monthly's

Top 100 rankings in association with Peter Miller. I'm joined here by Rob Smith and Jeremy Elwood

who run the Top 100 Courses panel and we're going to discuss why these 10 courses are so special

We're going to run through from 10 to 1, so stay tuned to find out which one comes out on top

So, let's get started. We're going to start with number 10 and 9 together, because this is Sunningdale Golf Club, the old and new courses

Interestingly, they've swapped around from the last time we did the rankings. So at number 10 is the old course

And I know, Rob, that's a particular favourite of yours. So tell me a bit about that

It is indeed a particular favourite of mine. But to be fair, so is the new. Over the years, it's probably the question I've been asked the most is

which is your favourite course in the top 100? And I've always given a wishy-washy answer of both at Sunningdale

because it's just the perfect golfing day out. but I think I'm now veering on the side of the old

because it has more old-fashioned charm. It's perhaps a little more forgiving than the new

which is definitely a more severe test I would say and it's the sort of course that's got so much variety

that it just keeps a smile on your face all the way around. It has swapped this time with the new

and I think that's because some of the panelists really appreciated the severity of the test of the new

compared to the old. But they are different aren't they even though they're side by side in places

and the new, which I know when we first put it above the old a few years ago

the secretary and some of the members were happy with that because traditionally the old had always been up there

and the new was, even though new is a bit of a misnomer because it's still a very old golf course

they were pleased that we'd put the new above it. And I think I probably prefer the new

I've played it a little more often than the old. It does start with a very difficult par four

and then a nice little par three. But then once you've played that par three

and you're on the third tee, you really are sort of heading into the

not wilderness, but the middle of nowhere and you do get this wonderful feeling of isolation

when you're out in that Heathland. And there isn't really a weak hole, I don't think

and the fifth and the sixth holes as a back-to-back par three, par five pair

are probably as good a two-hole combo as you'll play anywhere in land, certainly

Well, I think the fifth is just the perfect par three. I picked out a couple of comments from our panellists

because we want to pay heed very closely to what they say

Jamie Hudson, who's one of our panellists, who's recently moved up to Prestwick, he says, Sunnydale's old course is where golf transcends into art

which I think is lovely. Every round here is a celebration of the rich history

the precision of design and the joy of playing golf at its finest. It's not just a golf course, it's a dream realised

which I think is pretty poetic. and I think perhaps better than I could manage as a writer

I wouldn't say that, Rob. You'll be doing yourself out of a job. And similarly, Russ Greenbridge, and he said

Sunningdale New is maybe not as famous for the old, but in my opinion is the better of the two courses

as it sets the bar to which I will judge all other courses and golfing experiences

That bar is now raised so incredibly high and I'm not sure it will ever be beaten

So high praise indeed from our panelists. Indeed. Well, there you go, Sunningdale. It's a great experience all round

Absolutely. So moving on to number eight, we have the championship course at Carnoustie

Yes. It shows you that the criteria we use are all-encompassing because it's not classically beautiful, is it

The terrain and the surrounds are not classically beautiful. The beauty is within the holes themselves

Absolutely. And I think people say it's one of the best bunker links courses there is

and if you play it and manage to stay out of the bunkers you done a pretty good job And it also obviously has one of the toughest finishes of any course in the UK and Ireland We all know there have been disasters on that 18th hole over the years

and it's not difficult to see why when you play there. Especially if it's into the wind and you're trying to get home in two

it's a very difficult test for there is something to celebrate in the bar afterwards

I think you're quite right. It's all about the design as opposed to the terrain

The Barry Burners, of course, is a big feature and it comes into play a number of times

but particularly, obviously, on 17 and 18. So it's also brutally tough. I think that's fair to say

And that won't necessarily be for everybody, but it's absolutely deserving of its place in the top ten

So moving on to number seven, we have Royal Portrush. This is an absolutely beautiful course, but we have it at number seven

It's gone up at a place this year, and of course it's soon to be hosting the Open Championship this summer

It's a brilliant Harry Colt design over fabulous rugged dunes and lynx land

It's tough. The new holes that came into play last time the Open was there

have been very well received, and everyone who goes gives nothing but good feedback

It's not one that anyone ever seems to be disappointed with. people may get beaten up by a Royal Portrush

but they'll still come off smiling at how enjoyable and varied the 18 holes are

Yeah, I think we asked our panellists, didn't we, for their favourite course from the top 100

to go in the supplement that accompanies this project, and Royal Portrush was the most popular choice

They've done loose links there as their favourite course. So it has a lot of support out there

Friendly for everybody. Friendly for everybody. Yeah, to a degree, but you probably won't be thinking that

when you stand on the tee of a calamity corner. Absolutely. It'd be wonderful

And it's interesting how difficult it is again to define the top 10

based on the feedback from our panellists. Because if we take a quote from one of them who played Portrush last year

Gronje Killen is one of our panellists who's based over in Ireland

and she said, for me, my number one course, and definitely in the top five in the golf monthly top 100

Well, of course, it isn't quite, but maybe it should be. Everyone has their own view on this and there's no absolutes on it

So that's very interesting that some people have it so high. Yeah. Well, moving on to number six, which is a course that I have played

is Royal Birkdale. Right, I was lucky enough to play Birkdale a couple of summers ago

I hadn't been for some time. And what I completely love about it is that although you don't really get

to see too much of the sea from it, you do go through some lovely dunes

and every hole is remarkably different. It's also one of the friendliest clubs in the top 100

let alone the top 10. You get an incredibly warm welcome from such an old traditional club

which is a lovely thing to have. I found that as well. Yes, absolutely. And they are also moving with the times

So we've got a new par 3 that's just very recently come into play, what is now their 15th

There are other changes happening at the 5th and the 7th. So there's a lot going on there

Royal Birkdale is rightly at the very top of the list. And it's been, I believe, our leading English course

throughout the rankings. Yeah. And I guess for average golfers, you do get this double par five finish

So even if you've thrown a few shots away, there is this final chance

especially if they're downwind, to perhaps nick a couple back at the end, which is quite rare

And we've touched on the warm welcome you get there. And I think that in evidence of that

a comment from one of our panellists, Richard Healy, he says that the course, the welcome

the facilities and the experience were all top drawer. What a privilege and a joy

And the interesting thing there about how warmly he was welcomed is that he was there as a secret shopper

which a lot of our panellists now do. So he paid his own way and yet he still felt

it's not cheap, he still felt an incredibly warm welcome when he went there

Now, we're now moving on to the top five of our top 100 rankings in association with Peter Miller

So at number five we have Royal Doorknock. We do, the championship course there

which I did play last year so I have played that fairly recently I got a chance to see the work that had been done on the seventh and eighth holes which you play six holes and then you climb up through the gorse

I don't know how much that gorse is still there. Quite a lot, I think. And the seventh hole used to be a dogleg around to the left

but it now plays straight on to an infinity green. I think Mackenzie, Tom Mackenzie, did the work up there

And that was a joy to play that. and then I think you now play the 8th

from a slightly different teeing position as well. So I have seen it recently and the Doornock, of course

is just, I'd say of course, it is investing a huge amount

in a new clubhouse. I think it was something like £14 million

Wow. So I think a lot of people think Doornock and maybe one or two others in Scotland

going to play there is almost like a pilgrimage, a sort of rite of passage

I think the green fee was £10 the first time I played there. It isn't now. It's not now

but it's still a glorious place to go and one that attracts

golfing pilgrims from all over the world and if we look at one of our comments

from one of our panellists Jason Eaton who's one of our new panellists he says if you love links

love sea views and love tough golf courses then this is the course for you

I think that sums it up entirely So moving on to number four

Rob I believe this is a course that you've played fairly recently and that is Muirfield

Yeah, I was lucky enough to go up two or three years ago and play all of the courses in East Leotien

in a ridiculously tight, short space of time. And Muirfield, of course, is just a sublime design

It's classic old-fashioned golf. The bunkering is just pristine. Everything is exactly where an expert would put it

and I'm by no means an expert. But you just look at every hole and think this is

how would you ever change it or why would you ever change it to make it any better. It's a really great test of golf from start to finish

Again, the difficulty will sometimes be tested by the wind and that these Lothian coasts can be quite windy at times

Always in tip-top condition. The clubhouse has tons of charm as well

and one of the best lunches in golf. I loved it. Having not been there for many years

I loved going back and enjoyed every minute of being there. Yeah, I think they say or have said in the past

Muirfield, you see it all in front of you, don't you? it's largely true

I think there's one hole where you play up and over a crest which kind of confounds that just a touch

but generally you can see what the task is ahead of you and it's just a question

of whether your game is up to meeting the challenge for me I feel

one of our panellists Andrew Oliver who's a member at St Anne's Old Links

went there for the first time last year and he was absolutely blown away by it

he said really will you find a course which is so unrelenting

in its strategic options It's unobvious difficulty, but all-round fairness. Never have I left a course wishing so much

that I could turn the clock back and start again. So that's Muirfield for you

Absolutely wonderful. At number three, we have the Trump Turnberry Resort, the Ailsa course

Yes. Well, this is one I played quite a long time ago

for the first time, before the changes that Martin Ebert did in 2017

And I thought it was fantastic then, loved it then. And when the changes came in, I was fortunate to play it

You are right up close to the shore on a number of holes. And with work that's been going on of late

not in time for these rankings, but for the next ones, there's a couple more holes that are going to be taken closer to the edge

to really optimise the visual drama. So, you know, Turnberry famously is far from cheap

Yep. But it is a fantastic place to play. It is stunning

I'd love to go back. I haven't played it since they've made the changes. The seventh green will be right by the clifftop now

and the eighth tee will be moved accordingly. There's some new mounding going in

and some other tweaks on the back nine. So again, it's lovely to see, of course

that no matter it being as wonderful as it is, it's still wanting to get better

I mean, that shows the commitment. And so with Turnberry, one of our panellists, James Holland

who a member at Albra and a very good golfer he said because it had been his first visit up there for a little while he said it is so much better than what I played before the changes and it was good then It used to be brilliant and it now even better

So, now, number two, we have the old course at St Andrews

The old course at St Andrews is probably the most iconic course in the world

Most famous in the world, probably. It is. So people will travel from all over the world to play the old course

And it's a strange one too, because if you just look at the design of the course itself

which very much is a product of nature rather than a brilliant modern architect, if you like

old Tom Morris is just a natural plot of land that is seeping with history

Of course it's a test of goals, but it's more than that because it puts chills on your back

Absolutely. It's a spine tingler. it's just a must play probably the most bucket list course we have in the UK and Ireland

the ultimate experience even if when you break it down the golf course it's probably not the very

finest golf course but when you factor everything else in it's just got everything you'd want

it absolutely also is the only golf course in our top 100 that only has two par threes and two par

fives indeed so you know the majority of the holes are par fours of varying lengths and there are some

that are chances to score like 12 is it and the nine and ten around the turn and then there are

some that are definitely not chances to score like 17. Yeah one of our panelists made his first trip

there last year and ever another very good low single figure handicapper called Caffel Devlin

and he said it is a must play for golfers worldwide. It has all the history, but also still has all the quality

So that combination of the two, as we've said, it's really the most atmospheric course we have in the top 100

So number one, we have Royal County Down. We do the championship course there

which as a setting, it's hard to beat. There isn't really anywhere in our top 100

where you have the sea and mountains as the backdrop at various points

in Newcastle and County Down. And you head out along the coast for three holes, is it

and then turn back on the extremely frequently photographed Par 3, 4th, and you're looking back towards the town

and some of those iconic buildings on the skyline. And it's just, it's a magical place to play golf, isn't it

It is. I think it's the place that has the best combination of terrain itself

and then, of course, the setting. The mountains of Mourn going around are spectacular

The views out over the bay are wonderful. Again, going back to the idea of a non-golfer would go there

and think, wow, this is just a fantastic place to go for a walk

If you take your clubs with you, so much better. Yeah, and it's beautifully bunkered as well, isn't it

Those natural bunkers which really enhance the visuals at all points of the course

Yeah. And, you know, there are some cracking holes there. The ninth, where you kind of drive over this fairway

drops down sort of 60 feet, doesn't it? Yeah. So you've got that element of blindness in places

which, you know, not everyone is a fan of. But I think you've got to factor in that this course was designed

100 and whatever it is years ago. And that was how things were done back in those days

And some courses have retained some of that. some courses have got rid of most of that but i think if you you take blindness out of golf you're

you're losing something from the overall package of what golf offers and so according to one of our

panelists gavin cairns this is a harry colt design set within a truly distinguished championship

setting a course of truly worldwide renown with storied pedigree set at the foot of the

mountain range a truly exceptional golfing experience awaits on this length and it does

It's number one for a reason, and I think we'd all recommend for anybody to go there if they ever get the chance

Indeed