- Old Course at St. Andrews (Scotland) – The Old Course at St. Andrews is believed to be the oldest golf course in the entire world and is still ranked by many as the best. It cannot be pinned down for certain exactly when people began playing golf at what is now the Old Course (then the New Course, one would imagine), but written documents prove the course’s existence dates back to at least the early 1500’s. Famously quirky double greens define the course, shared by 14 holes at 7 different locations. The Old Course at St. Andrews offers more than just a gorgeous game of golf; it carries with it a history lesson in one of the world’s favorite pastimes.
- Royal Country Down Golf Club (Northern Ireland) – Providing 2 separate but equally esteemed courses allows challengers of differing skill levels to pick their poison. The par 71 Championship Links are longer, covering 7204 yards , while the much shorter par 66 Annesley Links is equally difficult despite the reduced distance. The Royal County Down Golf Club is one of the few golf locales in the world with Augusta-esque maintenance and attention to detail, each and every green and fairway meticulously manicured.
- Muirfield (Scotland) – Built on ancient elevated land reclaimed from the sea, Muirfield features wind strewn grass and sea-shelled bunkers along the Scottish oceanfront offer an experience like none other. The location is home to the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, the oldest organized golf club in the world (though some courses and the game itself obviously predate it).
- New South Wales Golf Club (Australia) – The list is of top courses in the world, not just the UK, so it would not be complete without a mention of at least one of the renowned courses down under. Located in Sydney, the breathtaking links are framed against the Pacific Ocean, serving as a “Pebble Beach South” with a particularly Aussie flair.
- Carnoustie Golf Links (Scotland) – Captured in time by Jean Van de Velde’s epic collapse on the final hole in the 1999 Open Championship, Carnoustie will prove to be a nearly impossible yet spectacular challenge for any golfer no matter how practiced.
Posted on July 14th 2010 in Course Reviews
