Where are the world’s best golf courses? A country-by-country breakdown

By: Kevin Cunningham November 1, 2023

Royal County Down is one of two courses in Northern Ireland to make GOLF's latest Top 100 list.

Evan Schiller

Our latest GOLF Top 100 Courses in the World ranking is here! The dozens of courses included on the 2023-24 list span across 16 different countries and 19 separate states (including some new ones this year).

If you’re seeking a more location-based guide to the best courses in the world, we have you covered. Below you will find all Top 100 Courses in the World organized by country. For the United States, which is home to by far the most top courses on the list at 49, we organized those courses by state.

So scroll down to check out which countries and states have the most Top 100 Courses in the World.

GOLF’s Top 100 Courses in the World, by country

Scotland (13)

St. Andrews (Old Course)
St. Andrews, Scotland
Nature, 1400s/Old Tom Morris, 1865

the old course at st andrews. — The Swilcan Bridge looms at the Old Course at St. Andrews. Getty Images

Royal Dornoch (Championship)
Dornoch, Scotland
Old Tom Morris, 1886

Muirfield
East Lothian, Scotland
Old Tom Morris, 1891/H.S. Colt, 1925

Trump Turnberry (Ailsa)
Turnberry, Scotland
Willie Fernie, 1909/Mackenzie Ross, 1946/Martin Ebert, 2016

North Berwick (West)
North Berwick, Scotland
David Strath, 1895

Carnoustie (Championship)
Carnoustie, Scotland
A. Robertson, 1842/Old Tom Morris, 1872/James Braid, 1926

Cruden Bay
Cruden Bay, Scotland
Tom Simpson, 1926

Prestwick
Prestwick, Scotland
Old Tom Morris, 1851

prestwick golf — Prestwick is one of the true gems of Scottish linksland. David Cannon/Getty

Ardfin
Isle of Jura, Scotland
Bob Harrison, 2017

Royal Troon (Old)
Troon, Scotland
Willie Fernie, 1887

Kingsbarns
St. Andrews, Scotland
Kyle Phillips, 1999

Castle Stuart
Inverness, Scotland
Gil Hanse/Mark Parsinen, 2009

Machrihanish (Championship)
Campbeltown, Scotland
Old Tom Morris, 1879; J.H. Taylor, 1914; Guy Campbell, 1940s

England (11)

Sunningdale (Old)
Sunningdale, England
Willie Park Jr., 1901/H.S. Colt, 1922

Royal St. George’s
Sandwich, Kent, England
W. Laidlaw Purves, 1887/H.S. Colt, 1922

Royal Birkdale
Southport, England
George Low Jr., 1889/Fred Hawtree, 1932

royal birkdale scenic — Royal Birkdale’s beauty isn’t quite fathomable … until you see it up close. Kevin Murray

Swinley Forest
South Ascot, England
H.S. Colt, 1910

Sunningdale (New)
Sunningdale, England
H.S. Colt, 1922

Woodhall Spa (Hotchkin)
Woodhall Spa, England
Harry Vardon, 1905/H.S. Colt, 1912/S.V. Hotchkin, 1926

St. George’s Hill (A & B)
Weybridge, England
H.S. Colt, 1913

Rye (Old)
Camber, England
H.S. Colt, 1895/Tom Simpson/Herbert Tippet/Guy Campbell, 1907

Royal Lytham & St. Annes
Lytham St. Annes, England
George Low Jr., 1897

Royal Liverpool
Hoylake, England
George Morris, 1869/H.S. Colt, 1924/Fred Hawtree, 1960s/Donald Steel, 2000

Royal Cinque Ports
Deal, England
Henry Hunter/James Braid, 1919; Guy Campbell/Henry Cotton, 1946

Australia (6)

Royal Melbourne (West)
Black Rock, Australia
Alister Mackenzie, 1931

royal melbourne green — Host of the 2019 Presidents Cup, Royal Melbourne has long dazzled the best players in the world. Gary Lisbon

Kingston Heath
Cheltenham, Australia
Dan Soutar, 1925/Alister Mackenzie, 1928

Barnbougle Dunes
Bridport, Australia
Tom Doak/Mike Clayton, 2004

New South Wales
La Perouse, Australia
Alister Mackenzie, 1926/Eric Apperly, 1947

Royal Melbourne (East)
Black Rock, Australia
Alex Russell, 1932

Victoria
Cheltenham, Australia
Alister Mackenzie, 1927; Ogilvy Clayton Cocking & Mead, 2019

Ireland (4)

Ballybunion (Old)
Ballybunion, Ireland
P. Murphy, 1893/Tom Sipson, 1936

no. 16 at Ballybunion — Ballybunion lives in Irish golf lore, and in turn, in the hearts and minds of many of golf’s most influential design figures. Instagram | @nregan

Lahinch (Old)
Lahinch, Ireland
Old Tom Morris, 1893/Alister Mackenzie, 1927/Martin Hawtree, 2003

St Patrick’s Links
Rosapenna, Ireland
Tom Doak, 2021

Portmarnock (Old)
Portmarnock, Ireland
W.C. Pickerman/George Ross/Mungo Park, 1894/George Coburn, 1896

New Zealand (3)

Tara Iti
Te Arai, New Zealand
Tom Doak, 2015

Cape Kidnappers
Te Awanga, New Zealand
Tom Doak, 2004

Te Arai (South)
Tomarata, New Zealand

Canada (2)

Cabot Cliffs
Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada
Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw 2016

Cabot Links
Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada
Rod Whitman, 2012

Northern Ireland (2)

Royal County Down
Newcastle, N. Ireland
Old Tom Morris, 1889

Royal Portrush (Dunluce)
Portrush, N. Ireland
H.S. Colt, 1929

France (2)

Morfontaine
Mortefontaine, France
Tom Simpson, 1927

Les Bordes (New)
Saint-Laurent-Nouan, France
Gil Hanse/Jim Wagner, 2021

Japan (2)

Hirono
Miki-Chi, Japan
C.H. Alison, 1932

Kawana (Fuji)
Ito-Shi, Japan
C.H. Alison/Kinya Fujita, 1936

The Netherlands (1)

Haagsche (Royal Hague)
Wassenaar, The Netherlands
J.S.F. Morrison/C.H. Alison, 1938

Dominican Republic (1)

Casa de Campo (Teeth of the Dog)
La Romana, Dominican Republic
Pete Dye, 1971

The par-3 fifth hole at Teeth of the Dog — Teeth of the Dog is as challenging as it is stunning. Patrick Koenig

South Korea (1)

Nine Bridges
Jeju Island, South Korea
Rom Fream/David Dale, 2001

China (1)

Shanqin Bay
Hainan, China
Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw, 2012

Norway (1)

Lofoten
Gimsoysand, Norway
Jeremy Turner, 2015

St. Lucia (1)

Point Hardy Golf Club
Cap Estate, St. Lucia
Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw, 2023

United States (49)

**Sorted by state

New York (11)

Shinnecock Hills
Southampton, N.Y.
Toomey & Flynn, 1931

National Golf Links Of America
Southampton, N.Y.
C.B. Macdonald, 1911

Fishers Island
Fishers Island, N.Y.
Seth Raynor, 1926

Friar’s Head
Baiting Hollow, N.Y.
Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw, 2003

Winged Foot (West)
Mamaroneck, N.Y.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1923

Garden City
Garden City, N.Y.
Devereux Emmet, 1899/Walter Travis, 1906

Garden City Golf Club — Devereux Emmet’s signature design, Garden City, stands out among its (many) famous neighbors. Patrick Koenig

Maidstone
East Hampton, N.Y.
John Park/Willie Park Jr., 1922

Bethpage (Black)
Farmingdale, N.Y.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1935

Oak Hill (East)
Pittsford, N.Y.
Donald Ross, 1921/Andrew Green, 2020

Sleepy Hollow
Scarborough, N.Y.
C.B. Macdonald/Seth Raynor, 1913/A.W. Tillinghast, 1929/Gil Hanse, 2017

Winged Foot (East)
Mamaroneck, N.Y.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1923

California (6)

Cypress Point
Pebble Beach, Calif.
Alister Mackenzie, 1928

Pebble Beach
Pebble Beach, Calif.
Jack Neville/Douglas Grant, 1919

Los Angeles (North)
Los Angeles
George C. Thomas Jr., 1927

Riviera
Pacific Palisades, Calif.
George C. Thomas Jr./Billy Bell Sr., 1927

San Francisco
San Francisco, Calif.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1918

California Club Of San Francisco
So. San Francisco, Calif.
A.V. Macan, 1926/Alister Mackenzie, 1928/Kyle Phillips, 2007

Ohio (3)

Camargo
Cincinnati
Seth Raynor, 1926

Inverness
Toledo, Ohio
Donald Ross, 1919/Andrew Green, 2017

Muirfield Village
Dublin, Ohio
Jack Nicklaus/Desmond Muirhead, 1974

New Jersey (3)

Pine Valley
Pine Valley, N.J.
George Crump/H.S. Colt, 1918

Somerset Hills
Bernardsville, N.J.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1918

Baltusrol (Lower)
Springfield, N.J.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1922

Georgia (3)

Augusta National
Augusta, Ga.
Alister Mackenzie/Bobby Jones, 1933

Ohoopee Match Club
Cobbtown, Ga.
Gil Hanse/Jim Wagner, 2018

Peachtree
Atlanta
Robert Trent Jones Sr./Bobby Jones, 1947

Oregon (3)

Pacific Dunes
Bandon, Ore.
Tom Doak, 2001

Bandon Trails
Bandon, Ore.
Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw, 2005

Bandon Dunes
Bandon, Ore.
David McLay Kidd, 1999

Massachusetts (2)

The Country Club (Clyde/Squirrel)
Brookline, Mass.
TCC Members/Willie Campbell, 1899

Myopia Hunt Club
So. Hamilton, Mass.
H.C. Leeds, 1898

North Carolina (2)

Pinehurst (No. 2)
Village of Pinehurst, N.C.
Donald Ross, 1907

Old Town
Winston-Salem, N.C.
Perry Maxwell, 1939

South Carolina (2)

Kiawah Island (Ocean)
Kiawah Island, S.C.
Pete Dye, 1991

Yeamans Hall
Hanahan, S.C.
Seth Raynor, 1925

Michigan (2)

Oakland Hills (South)
Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Donald Ross, 1917

Crystal Downs
Frankfort, Mich.
Alister Mackenzie/Perry Maxwell, 1932

Crystal Downs in Michigan. — Crystal Downs isn’t underrated, but it’s surely slept-on among the golf community for its brilliance. Gary Kellner/Dimpled Rock

Pennsylvania (2)

Oakmont
Oakmont, Penn.
Henry Fownes, 1903

Merion (East)
Ardmore, Penn.
Hugh Wilson, 1912

Illinois (2)

Chicago
Wheaton, Ill.
C.B. Macdonald, 1895/Seth Raynor, 1923

Shoreacres
Lake Bluff, Ill.
Seth Raynor, 1921

Wisconsin (2)

The Lido
Rome, Wisc.
Tom Doak/Brian Schneider (C.B. Macdonald reincarnation), 2023

Whistling Straits (Straits)
Haven, Wis.
Pete Dye, 1998

Nebraska (1)

Sand Hills
Mullen, Neb.
Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw, 1994

Colorado (1)

Ballyneal
Holyoke, Colo.
Tom Doak, 2006

Florida (1)

Seminole
Juno Beach, Fla.
Donald Ross, 1929

Kansas (1)

Prairie Dunes
Hutchinson, Kan.
Perry Maxwell, 1937/Press Maxwell, 1957

Montana (1)

Rock Creek Cattle Company
Deer Lodge, Mont.
Tom Doak, 2008

Oklahoma (1)

Southern Hills
Tulsa, Okla.
Perry Maxwell, 1936

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Kevin Cunningham

Golf.com Editor

As managing producer for GOLF.com, Cunningham edits, writes and publishes stories on GOLF.com, and manages the brand’s e-newsletters, which reach more than 1.4 million subscribers each month. A former two-time intern, he also helps keep GOLF.com humming outside the news-breaking stories and service content provided by our reporters and writers, and works with the tech team in the development of new products and innovative ways to deliver an engaging site to our audience.