Objective & Process
The objective of Top 100 Golf Courses is to curate the most respected rankings for local, regional, national and global areas. Our editorial team and panellists are well-educated, considered, and exceptionally well-travelled.
We don’t believe golf courses can be distilled into a statistical score, so whilst we issue Ranking Guidance, it is not a prescriptive set of criteria for one to score.
Once the rankings are submitted and relative positions collated, a core group will check for anomalies, biases or anything else that looks out of place.
We believe we have one of the strongest and well-informed panels, and we trust you to draw your own conclusions.
Ranking Guidance for Panellists
Top 100 Golf Courses champions strategic golf. Strategic golf is varied, interesting, engaging golf that asks questions answered by different golfers in different ways.
We do not believe it’s possible to take all emotion, personal preference, and subjectivity out of a ranking, nor should we excessively try to do so.
That is why we issue guidance rather than criteria. We strive to ensure our rankings are well-considered, devoid of bias and reward the courses you’d like to visit time and time again.
Our 5 main points of guidance are:
- Golf Course Architecture
- Strategic Challenge
- Variety
- Consistency of Calibre
- Golf Course & Land Management
1 – Golf Course Architecture
Sound golf course architecture is not easily distilled into a few words – especially when applied to golf courses around the entire planet. Golf courses are built to suit different objectives, budgets, landscapes, and climates.
It is the remit of our panellists to distil the great courses and truly consider their architectural merit. The first three fundamental principles of golf course architecture are:
- Routing
- Green Complexes
- Use of Landscape
Routing – a major aspect of routing that should be considered is walkability. For example, the distance between greens and tees. Are you walking forward and traversing the full extent of the site? Long walks and steep climbs can be indicators of an unimaginative routing that should be avoided, if possible, to do so. If a golf course is well-routed in exceptionally difficult terrain, this should be considered a positive.
Superb examples of exceptional routings are The Old Course in St Andrews and Muirfield. The Old Course is a classic out-and-back layout. This routing, in a typical long and narrow links land environment, works as well now as it ever did. Muirfield contrasts nicely with concentric loops taking advantage of the elevated land making every hole different with a perennial wind.
Green Complexes – The green complex includes the immediate approach, greenside hazards (including bunkers, run-offs, swales, etc.) as well as the putting surface itself.
Green complexes should be drivers of strategic play. For example, does the green complex reward approaching it from a certain distance or angle? Or is it easily approached from any angle? Are the putting surfaces surrounded by long grasses? Or is there an opportunity for creative recovery by all classes of players?
Green speed is not the be-all and end-all. Chasing green speed should never come at the expense of contours. However, greens should be full of character, interest, and challenge without being contrived.
Use of Landscape – Landscapes used for golf come in many forms. There are many examples of ideal, natural links but there are also incredible parkland layouts. Compelling golf can be found using minimalist routings on natural land but also can be feats of engineering on otherwise ill-suited landscapes.
Identifying great features and incorporating them into the golf course should be rewarded. However, often subtlety and restraint can win out. Many fine golf courses use subdued natural contours on the playing surfaces and larger landforms are used effectively in the routing. Rye and Seminole are two links golf courses that use a dune system to great effect in both similar and opposing ways. Does the golf course get everything from its’ great features? Or are they squandered on just a shot or perhaps a hole or two?
2 – Strategic Challenge
We do not reward courses that are simply difficult. Any course can be made nearly unplayable by lengthening the holes, narrowing the fairways and juicing up the rough. Penal golf, where restrictive and attritional, is not favoured. This makes it slightly more difficult for the very best players but nearly impossible for the weaker or even average player. It limits choices, options, and decision making which are the fundamental principle of strategic golf.
Golf courses that are playable but enjoyable for the weaker player, whilst providing a thorough test for the elite player, are elevated. They should provide options and encourage the player to make choices. A course that dictates the required shot and only tests execution should not fare as well as one where there are multiple routes to the hole, and it is up to the player who must plot their route. Width is almost always a factor in having multiple routes and therefore options.
3 – Variety in Play & Presentation
The golf course precipitates play, exercising the broadest range of skills in a player. Rather than facing the monotony of the same hole or shot type, the fascination comes from the widest variety of shots. A varied test should require almost every club in the bag and shot in the golfer’s arsenal.
Whilst related to Routing, holes should vary concerning length, direction, style, and challenges. Are all the bunkers uniform? Or are they similar in size, style, depth, and shape? How many different shot types are required to extricate oneself from trouble? Is driver required on every hole with the sole exception being the one-shot holes?
4 – Consistency
Consistency here refers to the quality and consistency of both the individual holes and the golf course as a whole. Is a gentle opener just an introduction to dull holes before the clubhouse and the best golf? Conversely, do you hit the highest notes before running out of steam prematurely?
Balance though is required; a consistent course doesn’t need to be 18 holes of ‘crescendo’. There can be ebb and flow, sometimes referred to as compression and release. The very best courses have inspiring and interesting holes offset by quieter holes in the round. The quieter holes, however, must still have architectural merit. The Old Course at St Andrew's has some of the best one, two and three-shot holes on a single set or nine holes anywhere – being the 11th, 14th and 17th respectively. However, holes 2 through 6 stand as some of the best examples of ‘quieter holes’ of outstanding architectural merit.
Green complexes should be of consistent style in as much it should be difficult to notice where new greens have been built or altered over time. Whilst not confused with monotony, there should be an overall unity to the holes making up the course.
5 – Golf Course and Land Management
Conditioning does not refer to day-to-day presentation or even the lushness of the turf. Rather, we are interested primarily in the presentation and management of the land and golf course over time.
For example, are the mowing lines contributing factors towards the Strategic Challenge? Is the rough well maintained or has it been left unchecked? Long rough is not always negative, so long as it allows one to find and advance the ball without too much bother. Nearly always would thin and wispy rough be preferred to lush, dense grass.
Are the gorse and trees managed to avoid them encroaching upon play? Do the playing corridors allow specimens to stand out, perhaps even using them as part of the strategy? The 18th at Pebble Beach may be used as an example.
True greens that run pure are more highly regarded than simply rapid surfaces. Firm and fast conditions that encourage running golf are preferred to soft ground that rewards aerial or target golf.
Aspects Excluded
At Top 100 Golf Courses, it is the golf course we rank rather than the experience. A golf club’s perceived exclusivity, clubhouse amenities, or level of service should not be considered as part of the golf course’s position in the ranking.
Some inflate the position of a mediocre golf course in a beautiful setting, but we resist the temptation. Conversely, we must also not be biased against great golf in a less-than-inspired location. Carnoustie may be a good example of this.