71-80 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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71-80 Courses

71. THE ISLAND GOLF CLUB

The Island GC

(Image credit: Steve Carr)
  • Location: Donabate, County Dublin, Ireland
  • Founded: 1890
  • Designed by: Fred W. Hawtree, Eddie Hackett and Martin Hawtree
  • Green fee: €250-€270
  • 23/24 ranking: Up 1

A fine links in an idyllic setting ten miles from Dublin surrounded on three sides by water. Perhaps less well-known than it deserves to be, this superb and recently improved course weaves through some of the most awe-inspiring dunes of any older links.

Its reputation continues to grow as those improvement works, which take fuller advantage of the magnificent front-nine terrain, fully bed in.

- The Island review and key info


72. HUNSTANTON GOLF CLUB

Hunstanton Golf Club pictured from above

(Image credit: Getty Images)
  • Location: Hunstanton, Norfolk, England
  • Founded: 1891 
  • Designed by: James Braid
  • Green fee: £90-£150
  • 23/24 ranking: Down 5

Hunstanton is a classic out and back links, with the holes largely played on either side of a sand dune ridge running down the middle of the layout.

The conditioning of the course is always excellent and sand dunes are a real feature on most holes, as are the traditional pot bunkers. It's a challenging and characterful links with a selection of fine par 3s.

- Hunstanton review and key info


73. WOBURN GOLF CLUB MARQUESS' COURSE

Woburn Marquess

(Image credit: Getty Images)
  • Location: Woburn, Buckinghamshire, England
  • Opened: 2000
  • Designed by: Ross McMurray, Clive Clark, Peter Alliss and Alex Hay
  • Green fee: £160-£345
  • 23/24 ranking: No change

The youngest and most varied of Woburn’s three Top 100 layouts, this is a grand-scale golf course, winding its way through 200 acres of glorious countryside with plenty of majestic woodland separating the holes.

Since opening in 2000, this excellent design has hosted the British Masters four times and the Women’s British Open twice. Large greens, exquisitely crafted holes and stirring approaches are the hallmark here.

- Woburn Marquess' review and key info


74. PRINCE'S GOLF CLUB SHORE/HIMALAYAS COURSE

Prince's

(Image credit: Getty Images)
  • Location: Sandwich, Kent, England
  • Founded: 1906
  • Designed by: Charles Hutchings, Guy Campbell, John Morrison and Martin Ebert
  • Green fee: £80-£155
  • 23/24 ranking: Up 2

All three nines at Prince’s have benefited from a transformational and hugely impressive upgrade under the expert guidance of Martin Ebert.

Sand scrapes abound, and while it is very difficult to say which two loops are the best, each of the Shore and Himalayas nines has a delightful new par 3 facing out to sea. Prince's is a brilliant, sandy and very playable reimagining that is enjoyable by all.

- Prince's Shore & Himalayas review and key info


St Andrews New Course

(Image credit: Kevin Murray)
  • Location: St Andrews, Fife, Scotland
  • Opened: 1895
  • Designed by: Old Tom Morris
  • Green fee: £60-£130
  • 23/24 ranking: Down 5

Described by the Links Trust as ‘The oldest ‘new’ course in the world’, this Old Tom Morris design dates back to 1895.

After a reasonably forgiving start, it really starts to bite from the super-tough par-4 6th. The standout hole is the excellent, long par-3 9th along the water’s edge to a partially sunken green. The New is naturally overshadowed by its older sibling but it's still the real deal.

- St Andrews New review and key info


76. CARNE GOLF CLUB WILD ATLANTIC DUNES

Looking back down a hole at Carne Golf Club

(Image credit: Carne Golf Club)
  • Location: Belmullet, Co. Mayo, Ireland
  • Founded: 1922
  • Designed by: Arthur Croome & Tom Simpson, Tom Mackenzie
  • Green fee: €65-€140
  • 23/24 ranking: New entry

Beautifully sited on the County Mayo coastline, Carne’s original course was in the Top 100 until being leapfrogged by others from the Next 100.

Now, the newer Kilmore has fully merged with the original back nine to create the Wild Atlantic Dunes meaning that the thrills, beauty and drama are present for a full 18. They really are a sensational addition to the original back nine.

- Carne Golf Club review and key info


77. WEST LANCASHIRE GOLF CLUB

West Lancashire Golf Club from above

(Image credit: Getty Images)
  • Location: Blundellsands, Liverpool, England
  • Founded: 1873
  • Designed by: C.K Cotton and Fred Hawtree
  • Green fee: £90-£230
  • 23/24 ranking: Up 4

West Lancs lies among a concentrated north-west cluster of very fine links golf. It can certainly prove a stern test when the wind is up. The links epitomises British seaside golf with humps, hollows, raised greens and the adjacent railway. 

Coming home, 12 and 13 stand out, an excellent par 3 where you must clear two deep pot bunkers, then a wonderful dogleg par 4 from an exposed tee.

- West Lancs review and key info


78. SAUNTON GOLF CLUB WEST COURSE

Saunton West

(Image credit: Simon Boyd)
  • Location: Braunton, Devon, England
  • Founded: 1897
  • Designed by: Herbert Fowler
  • Green fee: £60-£200
  • 23/24 ranking: Down 3

For many golfers, the West is the more forgiving, more varied, and most importantly more fun of the two courses at Saunton.

Lost during the war, it was redesigned by Frank Pennink and reopened in 1973. The back nine is particularly full of variety as it features three of each par.

- Saunton West review and key info


79. TREVOSE GOLF CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE

The 4th hole at Trevose from above

(Image credit: Trevose Golf Club)
  • Location: Constantine Bay, Cornwall, England
  • Founded: 1925
  • Designed by: Harry Colt
  • Green fee: £55-£135
  • 23/24 ranking: No change

A strong Colt test in a wonderful spot with a relaxed holiday feel thanks to the accommodation. The pre-round anticipation is as strong at Trevose as anywhere as the clubhouse and 1st tee enjoy a tantalisingly elevated setting gazing out over the fairways you’ll soon be treading, and on to Constantine Bay and Trevose Head.

Once out there you’ll particularly enjoy the 4th green’s backdrop of, hopefully, crashing waves.

- Trevose review and key info


80. ALDEBURGH GOLF CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE

The championship course at Aldeburgh from above

(Image credit: Aldeburgh Golf Club)
  • Location: Aldeburgh, Suffolk, England
  • Founded: 1884
  • Designed by: John Thompson and Willie Fernie, Willie Park Jr, JH Taylor, Hugh Alison and Harry Colt 
  • Green fee: £70-£165
  • 23/24 ranking: Down 3

Some years ago, Aldeburgh was synonymous with gorse! Thankfully, much has been done in recent years with more in the offing to make this very strong course more golfer-friendly.

For now, there is still a stiff par of 68 with no par 5s, and from the back there are no fewer than twelve holes in excess of 400 yards. It's a beautifully presented heathland design, packed with demanding two-shotters.

- Aldeburgh 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