Ask BiM to compile it, he obviously has far too much time on his hands. 
New GM Top 100 - how many have you played?
- Thread starter MarkT
- Start date
Haven't been able to find the magazine on sale anywhere yet.... but just found this thread/link.
Have managed 7 of top 10. Missing are no's 7, 9 and 10 (Birkdale, and the two Sunningdale courses).
My weak spot is London/SE England - never played around there! If I could find an offer for the missing three for less than their huge 'standard rate' I'd be there like a shot too!
For me, many of the top 10 are interchangeable:
- RCD. Blows you away. Perfect mix of setting/course. Critics point out to a weak 17/18. If the nines were reversed and these were holes 8/9 RCD would be no1 forever.
- Muirfield and Carnoustie. Both perfect for the golf connoisseur. All about the golf, rather than views/scenery etc.
- St Andrews. Not 'wowed' by the course, but for standout holes, the experience, and simply 'bricking it' on 1/17/18, this takes some beating.
- Royal Portrush. Has a bit of everything, and the two new holes make a great course infinitely better! Kudos too for letting you everywhere in the clubhouse - not one that puts visitors in a separate little space.
- Dornoch. One of those places you want to never change. Beautiful, and a long sunny mid-summer experience bar none when we were there. (Including a stay at the Royal Golf hotel where you can crawl to the first tee - good when you're nursing a hangover!)
- Turnberry. The course with stretches as good as any, but the political association/'corporateness' doesn't give you the same feel as, say, Muirfield or Portrush.
Just my take on the top 10.
Have managed 7 of top 10. Missing are no's 7, 9 and 10 (Birkdale, and the two Sunningdale courses).
My weak spot is London/SE England - never played around there! If I could find an offer for the missing three for less than their huge 'standard rate' I'd be there like a shot too!
For me, many of the top 10 are interchangeable:
- RCD. Blows you away. Perfect mix of setting/course. Critics point out to a weak 17/18. If the nines were reversed and these were holes 8/9 RCD would be no1 forever.
- Muirfield and Carnoustie. Both perfect for the golf connoisseur. All about the golf, rather than views/scenery etc.
- St Andrews. Not 'wowed' by the course, but for standout holes, the experience, and simply 'bricking it' on 1/17/18, this takes some beating.
- Royal Portrush. Has a bit of everything, and the two new holes make a great course infinitely better! Kudos too for letting you everywhere in the clubhouse - not one that puts visitors in a separate little space.
- Dornoch. One of those places you want to never change. Beautiful, and a long sunny mid-summer experience bar none when we were there. (Including a stay at the Royal Golf hotel where you can crawl to the first tee - good when you're nursing a hangover!)
- Turnberry. The course with stretches as good as any, but the political association/'corporateness' doesn't give you the same feel as, say, Muirfield or Portrush.
Just my take on the top 10.
I like Goswick too. Play there once a year maybe. It's a fb course, and great fun. Managed a cheeky hole in one once too on the last punchbowl-type par 3.
Whether it should be in the top 100... that's what opinions are all about. In England, definitely. Competition is tough for UK&Ire top 100 though.
Whether it should be in the top 100... that's what opinions are all about. In England, definitely. Competition is tough for UK&Ire top 100 though.
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Played 51 of the new GM 100.
Think its a shame Mount Juliet keeps dropping, real quality course and setup and an amazing buffet breakfast. MJ and JCB are by far the best parklands I have played, course wise(LL up there as overall experience etc). MJ should be much higher up the list, far better than the likes of Prestwick and a couple of other links courses on the list I have played. These UK lists always seem to be anti parkland....
Hoping this year to play Gleneagles, which have been on my bucket list for years and The Machrie on the H4H voucher I have but who knows what covid has in store next.
Think its a shame Mount Juliet keeps dropping, real quality course and setup and an amazing buffet breakfast. MJ and JCB are by far the best parklands I have played, course wise(LL up there as overall experience etc). MJ should be much higher up the list, far better than the likes of Prestwick and a couple of other links courses on the list I have played. These UK lists always seem to be anti parkland....
Hoping this year to play Gleneagles, which have been on my bucket list for years and The Machrie on the H4H voucher I have but who knows what covid has in store next.
Anyone interested in being an assessor and play some of the courses for free:-
Top 100 Panel - Join The Team - Golf Monthly
Top 100 Panel - Join The Team - Golf Monthly
D
There is a lot more to it than just free golf.
I must be bored, as I've just tried going through the list and totting up the green fees. I think I've got it right, and using an exchange rate of 1.2 for the courses quoted in Euros, and granted where a range of prices is used I have taken the higher one; the total for the top 99 (Swinley Forest do not quote a green fee) was approximately £20,012 (there was a bit of rounding up on the Euros). The Top 10 I tallied at £3,200, the Top 20 at £5.738.
Frankly I've just lost any interest in chasing those courses unless it is as a member's guest, at a vastly reduced rate for Opens or as part of a party where the organiser has negotiated a more reasonable rate. Outside of those three circumstances I'm not interested in dropping that sort of money on a round of golf unless I win the jackpot on the National Lottery.
Makes me all the more grateful for the likes of @drive4show (I'm sure there are others as well) who invite us oiks onto their courses at member's guest rates. I owe you a curry mate.
Frankly I've just lost any interest in chasing those courses unless it is as a member's guest, at a vastly reduced rate for Opens or as part of a party where the organiser has negotiated a more reasonable rate. Outside of those three circumstances I'm not interested in dropping that sort of money on a round of golf unless I win the jackpot on the National Lottery.
Makes me all the more grateful for the likes of @drive4show (I'm sure there are others as well) who invite us oiks onto their courses at member's guest rates
. I owe you a curry mate.
When the change was made a couple of years ago only 6 courses were removed from the rankings so thing of it as the GB&I Top 94 courses
Seaton Carew will be in it next time round.
I like Goswick too. Play there once a year maybe. It's a fb course, and great fun. Managed a cheeky hole in one once too on the last punchbowl-type par 3.
Whether it should be in the top 100... that's what opinions are all about. In England, definitely. Competition is tough for UK&Ire top 100 though.
Whether it should be in the top 100... that's what opinions are all about. In England, definitely. Competition is tough for UK&Ire top 100 though.
Disappointed to see Ladybank hasn't managed to creep back in. Still one of my favourites to play.
Just thinking, a few years ago Mike, Jezz and Rob Smith held a Q&A FB live session following release of the new rankings, any plans to do one this time?
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12 - but mostly just through opportunity presenting itself - and only one of them in the last 20yrs - and I think I have only needed to pay for 2 or 3 of them as have never been able or indeed interested in paying what they ask - certainly not these days - and not into having golf made elitist through cost. Yes market forces etc I know...but nah. I find that a pity.
An embarrassing 6 on that list though some of them many times.
that list, would it be good guys list and bellends list 😁
That said, a pal was going to the Southport area this month for his birthday outing. It was planned last year but cancelled. Anyway it was 3 courses and two nights B and B. £750. Chuck in a tenner for beer and travel and I could not justify it. I think 2 of the courses are on the top 100.
That said, a pal was going to the Southport area this month for his birthday outing. It was planned last year but cancelled. Anyway it was 3 courses and two nights B and B. £750. Chuck in a tenner for beer and travel and I could not justify it. I think 2 of the courses are on the top 100.
I like Goswick too. Play there once a year maybe. It's a fb course, and great fun. Managed a cheeky hole in one once too on the last punchbowl-type par 3.
Whether it should be in the top 100... that's what opinions are all about. In England, definitely. Competition is tough for UK&Ire top 100 though.
Whether it should be in the top 100... that's what opinions are all about. In England, definitely. Competition is tough for UK&Ire top 100 though.
Hopefully my post never implied it was just free golf, the link I loaded up says otherwise. However considering the potential saving in (some) green fees, its worth considering if it lights your fire.
I posted the link as there are a number of people on the forum, who have posted they will not pay the fees.
Therefore one option is to become an assessor for GM, if GM says yes , hence why I posted the link, just in case they had not seen the link or knew it was an option.
Personally, I nowadays tend to look at other websites(& peoples advice) where you see peoples views/feedback, so you can see bad and good comments, rather than just a binary list decided on my a few people who tend to love sand based courses. In addition many of those public reviews would have paid to play the course which sometimes shines a different reflection on the experience, if you are paying £300 for a round.
I posted the link as there are a number of people on the forum, who have posted they will not pay the fees.
Therefore one option is to become an assessor for GM, if GM says yes , hence why I posted the link, just in case they had not seen the link or knew it was an option.
Personally, I nowadays tend to look at other websites(& peoples advice) where you see peoples views/feedback, so you can see bad and good comments, rather than just a binary list decided on my a few people who tend to love sand based courses. In addition many of those public reviews would have paid to play the course which sometimes shines a different reflection on the experience, if you are paying £300 for a round.