Welcome to Golfweek’s Best 2024 ranking of the Top 50 Classic Courses in Great Britain and Ireland – built before 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 layout is ranked against others 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
The Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland (Courtesy of St. Andrews Links)
1. Royal County Down (Championship) 8.93
Newcastle, Northern Ireland; George L. Baillie, Old Tom Morris, George Combe, Harry S. Colt, Donald Steel (1889)
2. St. Andrews Old Course 8.75
St. Andrews, Scotland; Unknown first designer, Old Tom Morris (Year unknown)
3. Royal Dornoch (Championship) 8.71
Dornoch, Scotland; Old Tom Morris, John Sutherland, George Duncan (1877)
4. Muirfield 8.65
Gullane, Scotland; Old Tom Morris (1892)
5. Royal Portrush (Dunluce) 8.52
Portrush, Northern Ireland; Harry S. Colt, Martin Ebert (1929)
6. Sunningdale (Old) 8.41
Sunningdale, England; Willie Park Jr., Harry S. Colt (1901)
7. Trump Turnberry Resort (Ailsa) 8.35
Turnberry, Scotland; Willie Fernie, Mackenzie Ross, Martin Ebert, Tom MacKenzie (1901)
8. Ballybunion (Old) 8.32
Ballybunion, Ireland; Lionel Hewson, Tom Simpson (1893)
9. Royal St. George’s 8.21
Sandwich, England; Laidlaw Purves (1887)
10. North Berwick Golf Club (West Links) 8.08
North Berwick, Scotland; David Strath, Ben Sayers (1832)
Nos. 11-20
Cruden Bay in Scotland (Jason Lusk/Golfweek)
11. Royal Birkdale 8.00
Southport, England; George Lowe, F.G. Hawtree, J.H. Taylor (1897)
12. Swinley Forest 7.95
Ascot, England; Harry S. Colt (1909)
13. Lahinch (Old) 7.94
Lahinch, Ireland; Old Tom Morris, Charles Gibson, Alister MacKenzie, Martin Hawtree (1894)
14. Carnoustie (Championship) 7.91
Carnoustie, Scotland; Robert Chambers, Allan Robertson, Old Tom Morris, James Braid (1830s)
15. Royal Porthcawl 7.77
Porthcawl, Wales; Ramsey Hunter, J. Simpson (1895)
16. Sunningdale (New) 7.73
Sunningdale, England; Harry S. Colt, John Morrison (1923)
T17. St. George’s Hill (UK) 7.72
Weybridge, England; Harry S. Colt (1913)
T17. Woodhall Spa (Hotchkin) 7.72
Woodhall Spa, England; Harry Vardon, J.H.Taylor, Harry S. Colt, Stafford Vere Hotchkin, Tom Doak (1905)
19. Royal Lytham & St. Annes 7.71
Lytham St. Annes, England; George Lowe, Harry S. Colt, Herbert Fowler, Tom Simpson, C.K. Cotton (1897)
T20. Cruden Bay 7.69
Cruden Bay, Scotland; Old Tom Morris, Archie Simpson, Tom Simpson, Herbert Fowler (1899)
T20. Ganton 7.69
Scarborough, England; Harry Vardon, Ted Ray, James Braid, J.H. Taylor, Harry S. Colt (1891)
Nos. 21-30
The Old Course at Walton Heath Golf Club in England (David Cannon/R&A via Getty Images)
22. Rye 7.60
Rye, England; Harry S. Colt, Tom Simpson, Guy Campbell (1894)
23. Royal Troon (Old) 7.59
Troon, Scotland; George Strath, Willie Fernie, James Braid (1878)
24. St. Enodoc (Church) 7.50
Wadebridge, England; James Braid (1907)
25. Royal Aberdeen (Balgownie) 7.47
Bridge of Don, Scotland; Archie Simpson, Robert Simpson, James Braid (1888)
T26. Walton Heath (Old) 7.46
Tadworth, England; Herbert Fowler (1903)
T26. Alwoodley 7.46
Leeds, England; Alister MacKenzie (1907)
28. Portmarnock (Old) 7.44
Portmarnock, Ireland; Mungo Park, W.C. Pickeman (1894)
29. Royal Cinque Ports 7.43
Deal, England; Henry Hunter, James Braid, Guy Campbell (1892)
30. Machrihanish 7.40
Machrihanish, Scotland; Old Tom Morris, J.H. Taylor, Guy Campbell (1876)
Nos. 31-40
Royal Liverpool in England (David Cannon/R&A via Getty Images)
31. Prestwick 7.25
Prestwick, Scotland; Old Tom Morris (1851)
32. Notts (Hollinwell) 7.18
Kirkby in Ashfield, England; Willie Park Jr., J.H. Taylor, Tom Williamson (1901)
T33. Royal Liverpool (Hoylake) 7.17
Hoylake, England; Robert Chambers, George Morris, Harry S. Colt, Donald Steel (1869)
T33. Royal West Norfolk 7.17
Brancaster, England; Holcombe Ingleby (1892)
35. Western Gailes 7.16
Irvine, Scotland; Fred Morris, F.W. Hawtree (1898)
T36. Gleneagles (King’s) 7.15
Auchterarder, Scotland; James Braid (1919)
T36. Wentworth (West) 7.15
Virginia Water, England; Harry S. Colt (1924)
T38. West Sussex 7.06
Pulborough, England; Guy Campbell, Cecil K. Hutchison (1931)
T38. Royal Worlington & Newmarket 7.06
Bury St. Edmunds, England; Tom Dunn, Harry S. Colt (1893)
40. Wallasey 7.04
Wallasey, England; Old Tom Morris, James Braid, F.G. Hawtree, J.H. Taylor, Donald Steel (1891)
Nos. 41-50
County Sligo in Ireland (Courtesy of County Sligo Golf Club)
T41. Gullane (No. 1) 6.95
Gullane, Scotland; Unknown (1884)
T41. The Island Golf Club 6.95
Donabate, Ireland; Fred Hawtree, Eddie Hackett (1890)
T41. Woking 6.95
Woking, England; Tom Dunn, John Low, Stuart Paton (1893)
44. Formby 6.94
Formby, England; Willie Park Jr., James Braid, Harry S. Colt, Donald Steel (1884)
T45. Portstewart (Strand) 6.92
Portstewart, Northern Ireland; A.G. Gow, Willie Park Jr., Des Griffin (1907)
T45. Burnham & Berrow 6.92
Burnham on Sea, England; Charles Gibson, Herbert Fowler, Harry S. Colt, Martin Ebert (1891)
47. County Sligo Colt Championship Links (Rosses Point)* 6.88
Sligo, Ireland; Harry S. Colt (1927)
T48. County Louth (Baltray) 6.87
Baltray, Ireland; Tom Simpson (1892)
T48. Walton Heath (New) 6.87
Tadworth, England; Herbert Fowler (1907)
50. Nairn (Championship)* 6.85
Nairn, Scotland; Andrew Simpson, Old Tom Morris, James Braid, Ben Sayers, Tom Mackenzie (1887)
