Welcome to Golfweek’s Best 2024 rankings of the Top 50 Modern Courses in Great Britain and Ireland – built in or after 1960 – as determined by Golfweek’s Best Raters.
The members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them based on our 10 criteria. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings on each course are averaged to produce a final rating for each course. Then each course is ranked against other courses in Great Britain and Ireland to produce the final rankings.
Listed with each course below is its average ranking, location, designers and year opened.
*New to or returning to list
Nos. 1-10
Cabot Highlands, formerly known as Castle Stuart, in Scotland (Jason Lusk/Golfweek)
1. Kingsbarns 7.90
Kingsbarns, Scotland; Kyle Phillips (2000)
2. Trump International Scotland 7.87
Balmedie, Scotland; Martin Hawtree (2012)
3. Ardfin* 7.72
Isle of Jura, Scotland; Bob Harrison (2017)
4. Loch Lomond 7.67
Dunbartonshire, Scotland; Jay Morrish, Tom Weiskopf (1993)
5. Cabot Highlands (Castle Stuart) 7.66
Inverness, Scotland; Gil Hanse, Mark Parsinen (2009)
6. Rosapenna (St. Patrick’s Links) 7.62
Letterkenny, Ireland; Tom Doak (2021)
T7. Waterville 7.49
Waterville, Ireland; Eddie Hackett (1973)
T7. Old Head of Kinsale 7.49
Kinsale, Ireland; Eddie Hackett, Joe Carr, Ron Kirby, Paddy Merrigan, Liam Higgins (1997)
9. Queenwood 7.35
Ottershaw, England; David McLay Kidd (2001)
10. The European Club 7.26
Brittas Bay, Ireland; Pat Ruddy (1992)
Nos. 11-20
Enniscrone in Ireland (Courtesy of Enniscrone Golf Club)
11. Renaissance Club at Archerfield 7.25
Dirleton, Scotland; Tom Doak (2008)
12. Hogs Head 7.19
Waterville, Ireland; Robert Trent Jones Jr. (2018)
13. Tralee 7.16
Tralee, Ireland; Arnold Palmer (1984)
14. Hillside 6.97
Southport, England; Fred Hawtree (1967)
T15. Enniscrone (Dunes) 6.95
Enniscrone, Ireland; Eddie Hackett, Donald Steel (1970)
T15. Dumbarnie Links 6.95
Elie, Scotland; Clive Clark (2020)
17. Carne 6.90
Belmullet, Ireland; Eddie Hackett (1992)
18. Trump International Golf Links Doonbeg 6.86
Doonbeg, Ireland; Greg Norman, Martin Hawtree (2002)
19. Ballyliffin (Glashedy) 6.75
Ballyliffin, Ireland; Pat Ruddy, Tom Craddock (1995)
20. Killeen Castle 6.74
Dunsany, Ireland; Jack Nicklaus (2009)
Nos. 21-30
Cruit Island Golf Club in Ireland (Tim Schmitt/Golfweek)
21. Rosapenna (Sandy Hills) 6.67
Letterkenny, Ireland; Pat Ruddy (2003)
22. Lough Erne (Faldo) 6.62
Enniskillen, Northern Ireland; Nick Faldo (2009)
23. Carnegie Links at Skibo 6.57
Dornoch, Scotland; Donald Steel (1991)
24. Adare Manor Golf Resort 6.54
Adare, Ireland; Tom Fazio (1995)
25. Trump Turnberry Resort (King Robert the Bruce) 6.49
Turnberry, Scotland; Donald Steel, Martin Ebert (2001)
26. The Grove 6.48
Chandler’s Cross, England; Kyle Phillips (2003)
27. Cruit Island 6.45
Kincasslagh, Ireland; Michael Doherty (1986)
28. Woburn (Marquess) 6.43
Milton Keynes, England; Ross McMurray, Clive Clark, Peter Alliss, Alex Hay (2000)
29. St. Andrews (Castle) 6.38
St. Andrews, Scotland; David McLay Kidd (2008)
30. Carton House (Montgomerie) 6.33
Maynooth, Ireland; Colin Montgomerie, European Golf Design (2003)
Nos. 31-40
Machrihanish Dunes in Scotland (Courtesy of Machrihanish Dunes)
31. Machrihanish Dunes 6.30
Machrihanish, Scotland; David McLay Kidd (2009)
32. Woburn (Dukes) 6.29
Milton Keynes, England; Charles Lawrie (1976)
33. Dundonald Links 6.28
Gailes, Scotland; Kyle Phillips (2003)
T34. Fairmont St. Andrews (Kittocks) 6.22
St. Andrews, Scotland; Bruce Devlin, Gary Stephenson (2001)
T34. Celtic Manor (Twenty Ten) 6.22
Newport, Wales; Ross McMurray (2007)
36. Donegal 6.21
Murvagh, Ireland; Eddie Hackett, Pat Ruddy (1973)
37. Crail (Craighead) 6.19
Crail, Scotland; Gil Hanse (1998)
38. Fairmont St. Andrews (Torrance) 6.18
St. Andrews, Scotland; Sam Torrance (2001)
39. Bearwood Lakes 6.13
Wokingham, England; Martin Hawtree (1996)
T40. Gleneagles (PGA Centenary) 6.09
Auchterarder, Scotland; Jack Nicklaus (1993)
T40. Druid’s Glen 6.09
Newtownmountkennedy, Ireland; Pat Ruddy, Tom Craddock (1995)
Nos. 41-50
Portmarnock’s Jameson Golf Links in Ireland (Courtesy of Portmarnock)
42. Remedy Oak 6.06
Ringwood, England; John Jacobs (2005)
43. Craigielaw 6.03
Aberlady, Scotland; Donald Steel (2001)
44. K Club (Palmer North) 5.99
Straffan, Ireland; Arnold Palmer, Ed Seay (1991)
45. Portmarnock Resort (Jameson Golf Links) 5.97
Portmarnock, Ireland; Stan Eby, Bernhard Langer, Jeff Lynch (1995)
46. The Carrick 5.95
Loch Lomond, Scotland; Doug Carrick (2007)
47. St. Andrews (The Dukes) 5.93
St. Andrews, Scotland; Tim Liddy, Peter Thomson (1995)
48. Fota Island 5.82
Cork, Ireland; Christy O’Connor Jr., Peter McEvoy, Jeff Howes (1993)
49. Carton House (O’Meara) 5.80
Maynooth, Ireland; Mark O’Meara, European Golf Design (2002)
50. K Club (Palmer South) 5.78
Straffan, Ireland; Arnold Palmer (2003)
