Here is an interesting read about the best golf courses in the world for all the golfers.
Golf was early played in Scotland in the 15th century now has fans worldwide. Likewise, the game that began from green sheep-grazing fields of the British Isles now has grand venues worldwide.
Many of the best golf courses in the world have extended from Scotland’s green fields to the United States and Australia.
Talking about the best golf courses in the world, the sports fans all have their own opinion on which one is the best. Therefore, it is a chore to attempt to rank the top golf courses. However, some of the golf courses and their designs are just unique masterpieces.
Although the golf course ranking is inherently subjective, we have compiled a list of what we feel are some of the best. One cannot deny that these courses are indeed the best golf courses in the world.
10 Best Golf Courses in the World
The source of this list is from GolfDigest and yourgolftravel.
Before looking at the full intricate details about the best golf courses in the world, let’s observe the list below.
| Golf Course | Country |
| 1. St. Andrews (The Old Course) | Scotland |
| 2. Royal County Down Golf Club | Northern Ireland |
| 3. Augusta National Golf Club | United States |
| 4. Pine Valley Golf Club | United States |
| 5. Cypress Point Golf Club | United States |
| 6. Royal Melbourne Golf Club (East) | Australia |
| 7. Shinnecock Hills Golf Club | United States |
| 8. Royal Dornoch Golf Club | Scotland |
| 9. Oakmont Golf Club | United States |
| 10. Muirfield Golf Club | Scotland |
1. St. Andrews (The Old Course)
- Length: 7,305 yards
- Par: 72
- Designed by: Daw Anderson, Old Tom Morris
St. Andrews (The Old Course) is considered one of the oldest golf courses in the world, dating back to the 1400s. The Old Course has a golf history of 500 years. Moreover, it is considered to be the ethereal place where the game of golf was born.
Also widely known as the Old Lady or the Grand Old Lady, this course is the most famous must-see golf course in the world. The course has massive greens, blind bunkers, peculiar Road Holes, and the brilliant scenery adds to this golf course masterpiece.
There’s no other course globally that can match up to the Old Course’s history. In addition to the history, it has inspired architectural designs of different courses like Augusta National, which is also one of the best golf courses in the world.
The field has many varieties and strategies along with the dunes of the North Sea to entertain the golfers thoroughly. It has hosted the Open Championship 29 times, giving this place its iconic top position.
The Old Course gives you the true essence of the game, and no other field in the world can surpass its history. It is, therefore, a cornerstone for every other field on this list.
2. Royal County Down Golf Club
- Length: 7,186 yards
- Par: 71
- Designed by: George L. Ballie, Old Tom Morris, Harry Vardon, Harry Colt
The second golf course on our list is the Royal County Down Golf Club. It is located in Newcastle, Northern Ireland. Established in 1889, it has a history of more than 100 years old and is one of the luxury golf courses.
This golf course is amongst the most magnificent ones and is renowned for having one of the nine most striking frontals in the world. But still, it is also one of the most challenging courses as well.
The course has two 18-hole links courses, the Championship Course and the Annesley Links. The Championship Course was ranked #1 in the Great Britain. Royal County Down has a relentless layout with many blind shots, narrow fairways, and natural bearded bunkers surrounded by wild grass that forms double traps.
Click here to learn about the Top 25 Richest Golfers in the world.
With a history that exceeds more than years, Royal County Down has hosted many significant tournaments. It has hosted the Irish Open 4 times and other tournaments like the Curtis Cup, the British Amateur Cup, the Walker Cup, and the Palmer Cup.
Do not let the sheer beauty of landscape fool you because Royal County Down will test each shot you make. Unless you can execute excellent golf ball control flawlessly, you will have difficulty hole the golf ball.
3. Augusta National Golf Club
- Length: 7,435 yards
- Par: 72
- Designed by: Bobby Jones and Alister MacKenzie
Augusta National Golf Club is every golfer’s dream golf course in Augusta, Georgia, the United States, established in 1933. It had a rich history of 88 years. Over the years, the golf course has been improved and reworked from its initial designs by architects like Perry Maxwell.
The golf course has gorgeous scenery with America’s one of the most outstanding courses. The St. Andrews’ Old Course inspired its architectural design, and one can say that the Augusta National is golf’s ultimate classic course.
The course consists of obstacles like fairways bunkers, water hazards, greenside bunkers, and multiple small target areas. In terms of difficulty, the Augusta course delights the most skilled practitioners and the talented club member likewise.
This golf club annually hosts the iconic major championship, the “Masters Tournament,” each April. Since 2019, the club has begun co-hosting the Augusta National Women’s Amateur with Champions Retreat Golf Club.
Augusta National remains a private place, although every year during the Masters Tournament, it provides the ultimate golf experience. From the spectacular aesthetics golf venue to an architectural masterpiece design, Augusta Nation has made it on the third rank of our list.
4. Pine Valley Golf Club
- Length: 7,181 yards
- Par: 70
- Designed by: George Crump, Harry Colt, A.W. Tillinghast, Walter Travis
Pine Valley Golf Club is an oasis surrounded by the palm trees. It is located in New Jersey, United States. The golf club was established in 1918, and since then, it has been a masterpiece for many architecture enthusiasts.
Click here to learn about the Top 12 Hottest Women Golfers in 2021.
The course has an arid, barren landscape, but the designers created a unique “island to island” layout. George Crump has managed to put together some of the 20th century’s best architectural minds to design this masterpiece of a golf course.
The Pine Valley has a seamless blend of Heroic, Penalty, and Strategic golf layouts, which are all three schools of golf design mentioned by the Golf Digest.
The golf course has been ranked top frequently by golf magazines since 1985, although it is known as one of the world’s hardest yet one of the best golf courses.
Despite all these high-profile and stunning course layouts, Pine Valley still hasn’t had a chance to host any big-time tournaments. Instead, it has only held amateur competitions like Walker Cup and the Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf.
Like Augusta National, Pine Valley is also a private club. However, the golf club is open for the public on the final Sunday in September to watch the annual Crump Cup final round. The event is held to honor the course’s founder, George Crump, who designed this magnificent strategic golf course.
This golf course provides the golfers with an architectural delight and ultimate golf experience. Hence, landing it on the fourth number on our list.
Click here to learn about Tiger Woods Bio – Net Worth, Girlfriend, Wife, Golf & Score.
5. Cypress Point Golf Club
- Length: 6,554 yards
- Par: 72
- Designed by: Alister MacKenzie, Robert Hunter
Established in 1928, Cypress Point Golf Club is located in Californian along Prebble Beach. This golf course has one of the most stunning surrounding oceanic views. It was once a part of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
The Cypress Point has a history of 93 years. It has series of dramatic holes along the Pacific Ocean. Although the course runs just 6554 yards in length, the players can enjoy a great game of golf with the cool ocean breeze.
Cypress Point has been described as “the best 17-hole course in the world” and has a single 18-hole course. However, the golf club was dropped by A.T.& T. Pebble Beach National Pro-Am once after rejecting a black member in the early ’90s.
The Cypress Point still holds challenging golf holes that provide absolute delight to the golfer. The designer Alister Mackenzie along with Robert Hunter, has woven a masterpiece along the Cypress shoreline.
The Cypress Point celebrates its original architecture remaining timeless. This place will give you a historical and fantastic golfing experience, thus making it one of the top and best golf courses in the world.
Click here to learn How to Clean Golf Balls?
6. Royal Melbourne Golf Club (East)
- Length: 6,579 yards
- Par: 71
- Designed by: Alex Russell
The Royal Melbourne is Australia’s most distinguished, oldest, and longest-existing club. The designer of the course is Alex Russell. It ranks number 7 among the golf courses in Australia.
The golf course comprises 18- holes that present a variety of challenges. However, the East course is less popular than its world-renowned West course. Nevertheless, despite being less popular, the East Course has been held in high regard.
This golf course layout poses challenges like deep bunkers and seven “home paddock” holes. The last final two holes are used on the world-renowned Composite Course. It is a challenge for the best of the players playing alongside a tremendous green environment.
The Royal Melbourne East has hosted tournaments like the Australian Amateur Championships and Australian Opens. The course is the combination of Russell’s superb design on Australia’s sandbelt.
The Royal Melbourne East is one of the great courses in the world. Hence, this golf course is in the 6th rank on our list of the world’s top 10 best golf courses.
7. Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
- Length: 7,445 yards
- Par: 70
- Designed by: William Flynn
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club is one of Southampton’s oldest incorporated golf clubs. C.B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor designed the course that was later re-designed by William Flynn.
The Shinnecock Hills is one of the earliest link-style golf clubs. It has a highly challenging course without any weak holes that please professional and amateur players alike.
Shinnecock Hills has hosted the big tournament U.S. Open five times and is scheduled to host it for the sixth time in 2026. It is also a founding member of the United States Golf Association. In addition, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.
William Flynn’s re-design of the course is sublime, and the track hasn’t been altered since then. The golf course is exquisite with deep history giving the golfers the very best golf experience. The repeated hosting of the U.S. Open itself speaks its volume on the course character.
This Southampton masterpiece is one of the most excellent golf courses in the world. Although the course has its extreme challenges, this is one of the best courses in the United States with a profound history.
8. Royal Dornoch Golf Club
- Length: 6,722 yards
- Par: 70
- Designed by: Old Tom Morris
Royal Dornoch Golf Club is a classic and quirky natural link located at Dornoch, Scotland. The first golf game was played here as early as 1616. It is the third oldest course in history. Old Tom Morris designed this course.
The Royal Dornoch is Old Tom Morris’ second finest Scottish golf venue with a classic round-trip layout and stunning coastline views. Its layout has two courses, Championship Course and Struie Course with 18-hole courses.
The courses provide the player with a unique challenge. In addition to that, the timeless setting and the natural links make Royal Dornoch one of the must-play courses.
Click here to learn Where Can I Get My Golf Bag Embroidered?
Sadly, this place does not get enough recognition that it ought to get. Royal Dornach has been looked over due to its inaccessibility.
Despite being one of the oldest golf courses, it has never hosted any big professional tournaments. The only tournaments held here are the British Amateur Championship and the Scottish Amateur three times.
Dornach is a unique treat for the golfers as they can dive into the timeless history, enjoy the pretty straightforward course with a gorgeous view. This spellbinding golf club mesmerizes the players and makes it one of the top golf courses in the world.
9. Oakmont Country Club
- Length: 7,254 yards
- Par: 71
- Designed by: Henry Fownes
Oakmont Country Club is the oldest top-rank golf course, established in 1903. It is located in Pennsylvania, United States. The course has a history of 118 years. It is also designated National Historic Landmark.
The designer Henry Fownes did not have much experience designing the golf courses. He was an industrialist. However, his work is a masterpiece. His amateur work outdid the best works of many professional architects.
The golf course is a notorious and difficult one: the narrow fairways, internal fairway slopes. The undulating greens, strategic bunkers, and drainage ditches test the skills of even the most skilled professional golfers.
Oakmont Country has held many more big tournaments than any other course. It has held U.S. Open nine times, PGA Championships three times, U.S. Amateurs five times, NCAA Division/Men’s Golf Championships, and U.S. Women’s Opens two times.
The Oakmont Country Club is an experience like no other. Arguably one of the highly challenging courses, this golf will provide the player with the ultimate challenging golf experience. The club is already set to host U.S. Open once more in 2025.
10. Muirfield
- Length: 7,254 yards
- Par: 71
- Designed by: Old Tom Morris
Murfield is located in Gullane, Scotland. It is home to the Honourable Society of Edinburgh Golfers and is one of the oldest clubs in golf. This golf club is one of the renowned and prestigious clubs in the world.
The golf course has an unusual links course layout. It was re-designed in 1925 by H.S. Colt. Muirfield’s unique signature “clockwise front-nine, counter-clockwise back-nine” routine scheme was introduced during the re-designing.
Muirfield has hosted many big tournaments. The most being The Open Championship for 16 times. The club is one of the top golf clubs with a history as a host of The Open Championship.
It is one of the golf courses that The Open Championship uses in rotation. It has also hosted The Amateur Championship, the Ryder Cup, Walker Cup, Curtis Cup, and many more.
Muirfield has one of the finest courses in the Open rota. Its distinguished reputation speaks for itself and gives the players an experience of its unique character course.
The golf course can provide the players with a challenge and an experience of a classic link course. Muirfield will surely provide the players with a high-quality golf course experience. Therefore, it is on our list of the top best golf courses in the world.
Conclusion
So this concludes our top 10 best golf courses in the world. Like mentioned before, the ranking of the course is purely subjective.
Golf has become one of the most sought-after leisure sports today. The golf course list we provided is guaranteed to provide you with the challenge and magnificent view along with an unforgettable golfing experience.
