Top 100 Golf Courses in the UK and Ireland?

No subject is guaranteed to get golfers chatting quite so animatedly as that of favourite courses. Golf Monthly give you the Top 100 Courses in the UK and Ireland

Muirfield

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   

 

Mike Harris
Content Director

Mike has been a journalist all his working life, starting out as a football writer with Goal magazine in the 1990s before moving into men’s and women’s lifestyle magazines including Men's Health, In 2003 he joined Golf Monthly and in 2006 he became only the eighth editor in Golf Monthly’s 100-plus year history leading the brand until July 2023. He is now Content Director overseeing Golf Monthly and two other iconic sports brands, FourFourTwo and Rugby World.

His three main passions in golf are courses (he's played over 500 courses worldwide), equipment (he's always in search of something shinny to give him an edge) and shoes (he owns more pairs than he cares to mention!).  

Mike’s handicap index hovers at around 10 and he is a member of four golf clubs: Hartley Wintney, Royal Liverpool, Royal North Devon and the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.


Mike's current What's In The Bag? 

Driver: TaylorMade Stealth Plus+ 9° - Fujikura Ventus Blue 5S

Fairway woods: TaylorMade Sim Max 3/15° - Fujikura Ventus Blue 6S & TaylorMade Stealth 7/20° - Fujikura Ventus Red 6S

Utility Iron: TaylorMade Stealth UDI 3/21° - Aldila Ascent 90HY

Irons: TaylorMade P790 (5-PW)  - Nippon Tour NSPro 950S

Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 50°, 54° and 58° - KBS Tour Hi-Rev s2.0 hafts

Putter: Evnroll ER2B (Gravity Grip) 

Ball: TaylorMade Tour Response (Yellow)