'A Round On This Eclectic Top 100 Dream Course Would Blow You Away!'

(Image credit: Future)

published 29 March 2023

The idea was simple – to come up with the best 1st to 18th holes in this instalment of the UK & Ireland Top 100 Golf Courses.

Of course, any hypothetical selection such as this is highly subjective. But we’ve tried to create a fictional course delivering the right blend of ebb and flow, challenge and enjoyment.

It’s a little quirky too with a run of three, straight par 3s. Whether you agree with all the choices or not, around on this eclectic top 100 dream course would blow you away!

1st - Trump International Golf Links Ireland Par 5, 561 yards

The opener at Trump International Golf Links Ireland (Doonbeg) leads right into the dunes and gives a clear indication of the dramatic terrain to come.

2nd - Royal Porthcawl Golf Club, Par 4, 425 yards

Playing right out to the shoreline, beach and out-of-bounds lurk to the left side on the 2nd at Royal Porthcawl and become more of a factor as you near the green.

3rd - Royal County Down Golf Club Championship Links, Par 4, 475 yards

There are incredible views over Dundrum Bay on this formidable par 4 at Royal County Down where bunkers provide significant threat on both drive and approach.

4th - Old Head Golf Links, Par 4, 427 yards

There can be few more striking holes than this clifftop test at Old Head Golf Links. Playing out towards the lighthouse, anything veering left will disappear over the cliffs.

5th - Cruden Bay Golf Club Championship Course, Par 4, 463 yards

From an elevated tee, this cracking hole at Cruden Bay sweeps through the dunes, turning gently right to left towards a huge sloping green.

6th - Sunningdale Golf Club New Course, Par 5, 510 yards

You look across an expanse of beautiful heathland at Sunningdale Golf Club New Course before firing down to a fairway sweeping left to right, before climbing again to the green.

7th, Hankley Common Golf Club, Par 3, 183 yards

It’s the near perfect simplicity of this par-3 at Hankley Common that makes it so enticing. The ball must carry a swathe of heather and rough to a two-tier green.

8th – Royal Troon Golf Club Old Course, Par 3, 123 yards

One of the most famous short holes, the putting surface of the Postage Stamp at Royal Troon is incredibly narrow and vicious bunkers wait short, left and right.

9th - Trump Turnberry Ailsa Course, Par 3, 187 yards

Playing over the rocks and the waves to the iconic lighthouse at Trump Turnberry, the tee shot on this hole is one of the most exciting in golf.

10th - Sunningdale Golf Club Old Course, Par 4, 488 yards

Played from an elevated tee to a fairway lined with trees and heather, and shaped from left to right. A very tough par 4 at Sunningdale Old Course, but one to earn your stop at the famous halfway hut!

11th - Hillside Golf Club, Par 5, 509 yards

The fairway on the 11th at Hillside kinks right before turning left between dunes to a green framed by a circle of high pines.

12th - Kingsbarns Golf Links, Par 5, 566 yards

A fabulous long hole, hugging the shoreline. The 12th at Kingsbarns ends with a daunting shot to a 65-yard-long green with the sea waiting short and left.

13th - North Berwick Golf Club West Links, Par 4, 400 yards

The 13th at North Berwick is one of the most unique holes in golf where your approach must carry an old stone wall to reach the long, narrow putting surface.

14th - Royal Dornoch Golf Club Championship Course, Par 4, 445 yards

There are no bunkers on “Foxy,” it doesn’t need them. Find the fairway on the 14th at Royal Dornoch and then aim to hold the plateau green.

15th – Royal St Davids Golf Club, Par 4, 427 yards

This is how the golfing gods intended the game to be played; a supremely natural, bunkerless hole played through the dunes at Royal St David's.

16th - Royal Portrush Golf Club Dunluce Links, Par 3, 202 yards

“Calamity Corner” is one of Harry Colt’s best par 3s. The tee on the 16th at Royal Portrush shot must carry to a raised green over a rough-filled chasm.

17th - St Andrews Old Course, Par 4, 455 yards

Playing over the sheds on the 17th of the Old Course, then into the shallow green with bunker in front and road behind will raise the hairs on the back of your neck.

18th - Carnoustie Golf Links Championship Course, Par 4, 444 yards

The toughest closing hole in championship golf, bunkers, out-of-bounds and the snaking Barry Burn set the pulse racing at Carnoustie.

OUR ECLECTIC DREAM 18 TOP 100 COURSE:

Par 72, 7,290 yards

Hole 1: Trump International Ireland - Par 5, 561 yards
Hole 2: Royal Porthcawl - Par 4, 425 yards
Hole 3: Royal County Down - Par 4, 475 yards
Hole 4: Old Head - Par 4, 427 yards
Hole 5: Cruden Bay - Par 4, 463 yards
Hole 6: Sunningdale New - Par 5, 510 yards
Hole 7: Hankley Common - Par 3, 183 yards
Hole 8: Royal Troon - Par 3, 123 yards
Hole 9: Trump Turnberry Ailsa - Par 3, 187 yards
Hole 10: Sunningdale Old - Par 4, 488 yards
Hole 11: Hillside - Par 5, 509 yards
Hole 12: Kingsbarns - Par 5, 566 yards
Hole 13: North Berwick - Par 4, 400 yards
Hole 14: Royal Dornoch - Par 4, 445 yards
Hole 15: Royal St David's - Par 4, 427 yards
Hole 16: Royal Portrush Dunluce - Par 3, 202 yards
Hole 17: St Andrews Old - Par 4, 455 yards
Hole 18: Carnoustie Championship - Par 4, 444 yards

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?