• We'd like to take this opportunity to wish you a Happy Holidays and a very Merry Christmas from all at Golf Monthly. Thank you for sharing your 2025 with us!

The new Top 100 Course in UK & Ireland

Dodger said:
I'll just start by asking who the hell decided to put The Renaissance in at number 86??

Laughable.It is as dull a golf course as I come across,shed loads of cash throw at it and still it's dull.:confused:

http://www.golf-monthly.co.uk/cours...top-100-uk-and-ireland-golf-courses-2012.html
Click to expand...

I like it, especially now the new holes are being bedded in.The main flaw was the opening three holes, now they've been removed and the new ones added, I think it's pretty good.Think the 7th is a great hole.
Not played enough courses to say whether it justifies being in the top 100, and no course is worth what it costs to be a member, but just the course is decent imo.
 
Ah GM. Why don't you listen?

1 and 2 are the wrong way around.

Sunningdale Old is much better than New.

Ranking Walton Heath at 27 and Hankley Common at 44 is absolutely laughable.

Most ridiculous of all though is that apparently, the Brabazon is better than Bearwood Lakes, West Hill, Woburn and Woking!

I know these lists are just a bit of fun and entirely subjective but to say that the Belfry is better than West Hill makes the list look highly questionable to me. So much so that I would not trust your judgement on courses I have not played.
 
St Andrews Castle course and no Machrihanish Dunes?????


Quite clear the GM lads were on drugs or got a weeks free accommodation as a bung!


Laughable, absolute nonsense!
 
Snelly said:
Ah GM. Why don't you listen?

1 and 2 are the wrong way around.

Sunningdale Old is much better than New.

Ranking Walton Heath at 27 and Hankley Common at 44 is absolutely laughable.

Most ridiculous of all though is that apparently, the Brabazon is better than Bearwood Lakes, West Hill, Woburn and Woking!

I know these lists are just a bit of fun and entirely subjective but to say that the Belfry is better than West Hill makes the list look highly questionable to me. So much so that I would not trust your judgement on courses I have not played.
Click to expand...

We do listen to lots of people, and unlike other rankings we also have a large panel of people out there playing the courses during each assessing period rather than relying on past glories or hearsay.

We also have several criteria by which we judge courses, one of which is presentation and conditioning, and if you can find a better-conditioned parkland course than The Belfry has been this year, I suggest you get yourself along there and enjoy a game soon.

You're right - these lists will always have a degree of subjectivity about them and that's a good thing. The fact that you disagree with us is no great surprise, but I can assure you that our assessing process is the most robust out there of any such list...
 
Last edited:
thecraw said:
St Andrews Castle course and no Machrihanish Dunes?????


Quite clear the GM lads were on drugs or got a weeks free accommodation as a bung!


Laughable, absolute nonsense!
Click to expand...

You were there at Machrihanish Dunes at the same time as I was Crawford, and given the condition it was in - regardless of how good the setting and layout are, and irrespective of what had caused its deterioration - I think it would have been infinitely more laughable if we had allowed it to stay in our Top 100 given that 'condition and presentation' is one of our main criteria.

Others who visited after me said that it still had some way to go to get things fully back, so we had little option but to drop it out until such time as everything has been sorted out. Based on what I saw on our visit, I have little doubt that it will be back in our Top 100 once things have been sorted out
 
JezzE said:
I can assure you that our assessing process is the most robust out there of any such list...
Click to expand...

I certainly wouldn't argue about that. Another golf forum site publishes a series of Top 100s. The one for East Midlands has Notts (Holinwell) at 10, Lindrick at 12, and Woodhall Spa at 14.

At number 8 is RAF Waddington Golf Club - description includes: RAF Waddington Golf Club was formed on a self help basis in the early 1950's by a willing band of national servicemen and short service commissioned officers. The current course plays of 18 tee boxes and 10 Greens. The 5th and 14th hole has the unusual feature of a large tree in the middle of the green.

At number 10 is Pottergate Golf Club - I have played Pottergate and it's a nice well-maintained 9-hole course but no Notts, Woodhall or Lindrick.

I think GM's list is a bit more reliable.
 
Dodger said:
I'll just start by asking who the hell decided to put The Renaissance in at number 86??

Laughable.It is as dull a golf course as I come across,shed loads of cash throw at it and still it's dull.:confused:

http://www.golf-monthly.co.uk/cours...top-100-uk-and-ireland-golf-courses-2012.html
Click to expand...

Seriously, Allan? You are fortunate indeed to have been spared some of the terrible goat tracks most of us have played if The Renaissance is as dull a course as you've ever come across!
 
JezzE said:
Seriously, Allan? You are fortunate indeed to have been spared some of the terrible goat tracks most of us have played if The Renaissance is as dull a course as you've ever come across!
Click to expand...

Seriously Jezz,was there last Monday and I have to say that the 1st 3 holes were among some of the more interesting.Trying to recall my round I had a huge gap between holes 4 to 7 and again certain holes on the back 9 I could not recall.

Front 9 is okay but dear me the back 9 is dull.It's just another typical big bunkered,big tees,big slopey greened golf course for me.

Great customer care and service but I do not play golf courses for that.

I thought after it that a member is paying £65k to get in then £6k a year or whatever it is and is playing an inferior course to some who are paying under £500 per annum...........just ludicrous.

Put it this way if I was in East Lothian there are at least a handful I would rather play than there.I may be being cynical but I always think backhanders go to Magazines from certain 'big buck' courses to include rave reviews.:smirk:
 
Ladybank is a nice heathland course course, but better than two of the three W's, West Hill and Woking, not for me. Royal North Devon surprises me as well, Some good holes on the front nine, but a disappointing back nine. Ranked higher than Bearwood Lakes.:confused: Am playing it again next month, so perhaps I will like it more the second time. Here's hoping that some of the members are more friendly than last time ! Does the age of a course count in how it is ranked.:mmm:

Agree with Snelly about Hankley Common and Walton Heath.
 
JezzE said:
You were there at Machrihanish Dunes at the same time as I was Crawford, and given the condition it was in - regardless of how good the setting and layout are, and irrespective of what had caused its deterioration - I think it would have been infinitely more laughable if we had allowed it to stay in our Top 100 given that 'condition and presentation' is one of our main criteria.

Others who visited after me said that it still had some way to go to get things fully back, so we had little option but to drop it out until such time as everything has been sorted out. Based on what I saw on our visit, I have little doubt that it will be back in our Top 100 once things have been sorted out
Click to expand...


Justify keeping Machrihanish at 50 then when it was in a very similar state?

You can't ever justify having St Andrew's castle in the top 100 when you have classics like Southerness not making it. The Castle course is Mickey Mouse stuff. The greens at the castle course are only missing clown faces and wind mills. It's a resort course and a poor one. Spey Valley is a much better track but then again it doesn't have St Andrew's in the title. St Nicholas and Irvine Bogside are better than the Castle. Sorry but can't say I'm convinced by your argument considering I've played the Dunes a further three times since March and also played Machrihanish more.
 
thecraw said:
Justify keeping Machrihanish at 50 then when it was in a very similar state?

You can't ever justify having St Andrew's castle in the top 100 when you have classics like Southerness not making it. The Castle course is Mickey Mouse stuff. The greens at the castle course are only missing clown faces and wind mills. It's a resort course and a poor one. Spey Valley is a much better track but then again it doesn't have St Andrew's in the title. St Nicholas and Irvine Bogside are better than the Castle. Sorry but can't say I'm convinced by your argument considering I've played the Dunes a further three times since March and also played Machrihanish more.
Click to expand...

100% correct re Castle Course and Spey Valley.Windmills and Clowns Faces the only things missing at Castle Course.
 
i'll stick my head above the sand here and say i loved playing The Castle course really enjoyed it, but no way at 84 is Ladybank better than Scotscraig.
 
stevek1969 said:
i'll stick my head above the sand here and say i loved playing The Castle course really enjoyed it, but no way at 84 is Ladybank better than Scotscraig.
Click to expand...
Have booked to play the Castle Course next year, so will be interesting to see what the fuss about the greens is about. It did look stunning though when we had a look round last year.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

MarkT
The UK & Ireland’s Next 100 - how many have you played?
2 3
Replies
53
Views
8K
Papas1982
Papas1982
MarkT
Top 100 Courses In The World - How many have you played?
2 3
Replies
56
Views
7K
MarkT
MarkT
davidy233
The best fun courses in Britain and Ireland?
2 3 4
Replies
68
Views
17K
Trapdraw
T
MikeH
Exclusive Forum Giveaway - Win a pair of the NEW FootJoy FURY golf shoes
5 6 7
Replies
128
Views
13K
Grant85
Grant85
makaveli
Golf Digest top 100 golf courses 2018 (outside US)
2
Replies
25
Views
7K
GMC1981
G
Top