GolfWeek – Top 50 Classic UK & Ireland

2021

Royal County Down (photo courtesy of club)
Top 100
Great Britain and Ireland
GolfWeek – Top 50 Classic UK & Ireland - 2021

GolfWeek Magazine in America defines classic courses as those built before 1960. Their ranking panel has narrowed the best 50 old courses in the UK and Ireland to the list below.

One has to question the wisdom of producing this list every year, given how little changes between rankings. Between 2020 and 2021, for example, there was just one adjustment in the Top 25 and that was extremely minor – Royal Dornoch (3) and Muirfield (4) swapped places.

Royal County Down
St Andrews – Old Course
Royal Dornoch
Muirfield
Royal Portrush – Dunluce
Sunningdale – Old
Ballybunion – Old
Trump Turnberry – Ailsa
Royal St George's
North Berwick – West Links
Royal Birkdale
Lahinch
Swinley Forest
Carnoustie Golf Links
Woodhall Spa – Hotchkin
Royal Porthcawl
Sunningdale – New
Ganton
Royal Lytham & St Annes
Rye
St George's Hill
Cruden Bay
Royal Troon – Old
Walton Heath – Old
Royal Aberdeen
St Enodoc – Church
Alwoodley
Royal Cinque Ports
Portmarnock
Machrihanish
Royal Liverpool
Wallasey Golf Club
Prestwick
Wentworth – West
Royal West Norfolk
Western Gailes
Royal Worlington & Newmarket
Gleneagles – Kings
West Sussex
Notts – Hollinwell
Silloth on Solway
The Island Golf Club
Gullane – No 1
Portstewart – Strand
Walton Heath – New
Formby Golf Club
Wentworth – East
Woking
Burnham & Berrow
County Louth – Baltray