61-70 Top 100 Golf Courses UK & Ireland 2023/24

Golf Monthly's full list of the UK and Ireland's Top 100 courses

Ballybunion Golf Club Old Course with the top 100 UK and Ireland logo
(Image credit: Evan Schiller / Ballybunion Golf Club)

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61-70 Courses

Rosapenna St Patrick's Links

(Image credit: St Patrick's Links, Rosapenna Golf Resort. Image courtesy of Clyde Johnson.)
  • Location: Rosapenna, Donegal, Ireland
  • Founded: 2021 
  • Designed by: Tom Doak
  • Green fee: €200
  • 23/24 ranking: New entry

Laid out on terrain occupied by two former courses, St Patrick’s is entirely reimagined. The design by one of the modern greats – Tom Doak and his team – shows just how big imagination can be. Exceptional design and vision in a captivating setting.

This is a vast rollercoaster adventure charging through deep dune valleys and soaring over more open, tumbling terrain.

- Rosapenna St Patricks review and key info


62. COUNTY LOUTH GOLF CLUB

County Louth

(Image credit: Getty Images)
  • Location: Baltray, County Louth, Ireland
  • Founded: 1892
  • Designed by: Tom Simpson
  • Green fee: €100-€240
  • 23/24 ranking: Down 3

The wind is almost always a factor at County Louth, or Baltray, and you need to be able to shape the ball both ways to score well.

County Louth is one of the jewels within Irish links golf, a true championship venue with a confident yet understated air about it. It’s been venue for many significant events including the Irish Open.

- County Louth review and key info


63. ROYAL WEST NORFOLK GOLF CLUB

Royal West Norfolk 9th green

(Image credit: Getty Images)
  • Location: Brancaster, Norfolk, England
  • Opened: 1892
  • Designed by: Holcombe Ingleby
  • Green fee: £125-£195
  • 23/24 ranking: Down 3

Courses like this fabulous old links give the North Norfolk coast huge appeal. 

Brancaster, which dates back to 1892, enjoys an unusual, unique setting on a spit of land between dunes and marsh, meaning that the height of the tide can have a bearing on how certain holes play. Splendidly different.

- Royal West Norfolk review and key info


64. GULLANE GOLF CLUB NO.1 COURSE

Gullane Golf Club No.1 course and the coastline from above

(Image credit: Getty Images)
  • Location: Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland
  • Founded: 1882
  • Designed by: Unknown
  • Green fee: £105-£265
  • 23/24 ranking: Down 3

The course begins on the very edge of the town of Gullane before forging uphill towards the high point at the 6th and 7th holes where the views down to Aberlady Bay and beyond are spellbinding.

The wind plays its part in any round here, particularly up on the plateau, it’s a great test of golf.

- Gullane No.1 review and key info


65. RYE GOLF CLUB OLD COURSE

Rye Golf Club

(Image credit: Getty Images)
  • Location: Rye, East Sussex, England
  • Opened: 1895
  • Designed by: Harry Colt
  • Green fee: Contact club
  • 23/24 ranking: No change

A classic and historic links with fast-running, rumpled fairways. Founded in 1894 the original layout at Rye was designed by a 25-year-old Harry Colt. Even at that young age his talent for visualising and creating attractive and exciting holes was evident.

This is a characterful and timeless layout. A day at Rye presents the opportunity to enjoy golf as it was always intended to be played.

- Rye Old review and key info


66. CRUDEN BAY GOLF CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE

Cruden Bay

(Image credit: Getty Images)
  • Location: Cruden Bay, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
  • Opened: 1899
  • Designed by: Old Tom Morris and Archie Simpson
  • Green fee: £110-£220
  • 23/24 ranking: Up 3

This excellent design is way more than simply a traditional links with a strong heritage. It has a quite different feel with elevation changes and dunes that throw up the most wonderful, panoramic views.

Out in the sandhills, the real world seems happily far away. This is golfing escapism at its best.

- Cruden Bay review and key info


67. MACHRIHANISH GOLF CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE

Machrihanish Golf Club 4th hole

(Image credit: Getty Images)
  • Location: Machrihanish, Kintyre, Scotland
  • Founded: 1876
  • Designed by: Old Tom Morris
  • Green fee: £75-£200
  • 23/24 ranking: Down 3

Make the breath-taking trek to this remote corner of Argyll and you won’t be disappointed by this Old Tom Morris classic, which really is a perfect example of fitting a golf course into the natural terrain..

The front-nine links terrain ranks among the purest you’ll encounter, with the exhilarating run from the 3rd to the turn accompanied by captivating views out to the Inner Hebrides.

- Machrihanish review and key info


68. MOORTOWN GOLF CLUB

Moortown Golf Club pictured

(Image credit: Kevin Murray)
  • Location: Moortown, Leeds, Yorkshire, England
  • Opened: 1909
  • Designed by: Alister MacKenzie
  • Green fee: £65-£150
  • 23/24 ranking: Down 2

A classic urban heathland course with a rich history. Moortown Golf Club was the venue for the first Ryder Cup match to be held on British soil back in 1929.

Designed by the great Dr Alister MacKenzie in 1908, large undulating greens and deep bunkers are evidence of his contribution. With heather, birch, burns and bushes to contend with, a round here requires precision and strategy.

- Moortown review and key info


69. WEST HILL GOLF CLUB

West Hill Golf Club

(Image credit: Kevin Murray)
  • Location: Brookwood, Surrey, England
  • Opened: 1907
  • Designed by: Cuthbert Butchart
  • Green fee: £90-£220
  • 23/24 ranking: Up 2

A brilliant journey through the pines in Surrey’s prime heathland territory. Along with its two illustrious neighbours, West Hill is home to tip-top heathland golf.

Dating back to 1907, it is largely unchanged in terms of design though greatly and consistently improved in presentation and conditioning. There are five short holes and just two par 5s, and despite the Hill in its name, the walking is easy.

- West Hill review and key info


70. BALLYLIFFIN GOLF CLUB GLASHEDY COURSE

Ballyliffin Glashedy

(Image credit: Getty Images)
  • Location: Ballyliffin, Donegal, Ireland
  • Founded: 1995
  • Designed by: Pat Ruddy and Tom Craddock
  • Green fee: €220
  • 23/24 ranking: Down 2

One of two brilliant courses at Ballyliffin, this was designed by the great Pat Ruddy in the mid-1990s and hosted the 2018 Irish Open.

Cleverly, it manages to combine the best of traditional links with a look and feel that is somehow modern. It’s a thrill from start to finish and features punishing bunkers and fast-running fairways.

- Ballyliffin Glashedy review and key info

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Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV

With contributions from