Welcome to Golfweek’s Best 2025 ranking of the Top 50 Classic Courses in Great Britain and Ireland – built before 1960 – as determined by Golfweek’s Best raters. For those looking for the GB&I modern courses, click here.
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
Average rating: 8.94
Location: Newcastle, Northern Ireland
Designer(s): George L. Baillie, Old Tom Morris, George Combe, Harry S. Colt, Donald Steel
Year opened: 1889
Play Royal County Down in May 2025
Average rating: 8.74
Location: St. Andrews, Scotland
Designer(s): Unknown first designer, Old Tom Morris
Year opened: Unknown
Average rating: 8.68
Location: Dornoch, Scotland
Designer(s): Old Tom Morris, John Sutherland, George Duncan
Year opened: 1877
Book your trip to Royal Dornoch
Average rating: 8.64
Location: Gullane, Scotland
Designer(s): Old Tom Morris, Harry S. Colt, Tom Simpson, Martin Hawtree
Year opened: 1892
Book by Feb. 1 to play Muirfield in 2026
Average rating: 8.55
Location: Portrush, Northern Ireland
Designer(s): Harry S. Colt, Martin Ebert
Year opened: 1929
Play the home of the 2025 Open Championship
Average rating: 8.41
Location: Sunningdale, England
Designer(s): Willie Park Jr., Harry S. Colt
Year opened: 1901
Average rating: 8.35
Location: Turnberry, Scotland
Designer(s): Willie Fernie, Mackenzie Ross, Martin Ebert, Tom MacKenzie
Year opened: 1901
Average rating: 8.31
Location: Ballybunion, Ireland
Designer(s): James McKenna, Lionel Hewson, Tom Simpson
Year opened: 1893
Play Ballybunion and the best of the Irish Southwest
Average rating: 8.22
Location: Sandwich, England
Designer(s): Laidlaw Purves
Year opened: 1887
Play Royal St. George’s in 2025
Average rating: 8.11
Location: North Berwick, Scotland
Designer(s): David Strath, Ben Sayers
Year opened: 1832
Play North Berthwick in August 2025
Average rating: 7.99
Location: Southport, England
Designer(s): George Lowe, F.G. Hawtree, J.H. Taylor
Year opened: 1897
Book your trip to Royal Birkdale
Average rating: 7.98
Location: Ascot, England
Designer(s): Harry S. Colt
Year opened: 1909
Average rating: 7.96
Location: Lahinch, Ireland
Designer(s): Old Tom Morris, Charles Gibson, Alister MacKenzie, Martin Hawtree
Year opened: 1894
Average rating: 7.92
Location: Carnoustie, Scotland
Designer(s): Robert Chambers, Allan Robertson, Old Tom Morris, James Braid
Year opened: 1830s
Average rating: 7.79
Location: Porthcawl, Wales
Designer(s): Ramsey Hunter, J. Simpson
Year opened: 1895
Average rating: 7.78
Location: Weybridge, England
Designer(s): Harry S. Colt
Year opened: 1913
Average rating: 7.71
Location: Cruden Bay, Scotland
Designer(s): Old Tom Morris, Archie Simpson, Tom Simpson, Herbert Fowler
Year opened: 1899
Average rating: 7.71
Location: Lytham St. Annes, England
Designer(s): George Lowe, Harry S. Colt, Herbert Fowler, Tom Simpson, C.K. Cotton
Year opened: 1897
Average rating: 7.70
Location: Scarborough, England
Designer(s): Harry Vardon, Ted Ray, James Braid, J.H. Taylor, Harry S. Colt, Alister McKenzie, Tom Simpson, C.K. Cotton
Year opened: 1891
Average rating: 7.69
Location: Sunningdale, England
Designer(s): Harry S. Colt, John Morrison
Year opened: 1923
Average rating: 7.68
Location: Woodhall Spa, England
Designer(s): Harry Vardon, J.H.Taylor, Harry S. Colt, Stafford Vere Hotchkin, Tom Doak
Year opened: 1905
Average rating: 7.66
Location: Troon, Scotland
Designer(s): George Strath, Willie Fernie, James Braid
Year opened: 1878
Average rating: 7.51
Location: Wadebridge, England
Designer(s): James Braid
Year opened: 1907
Average rating: 7.49
Location: Portmarnock, Ireland
Designer(s): W.C. Pickeman, Mungo Park, Martin Hawtree
Year opened: 1894
Average rating: 7.48
Location: Bridge of Don, Scotland
Designer(s): Archie Simpson, Robert Simpson, James Braid
Year opened: 1888
Average rating: 7.46
Location: Deal, England
Designer(s): Harry Hunter, James Braid, Sir Guy Campbell
Year opened: 1892
Average rating: 7.45
Location: Rye, England
Designer(s): Harry S. Colt, Tom Simpson, Sir Guy Campbell
Year opened: 1894
Average rating: 7.45
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire
Designer(s): Alister MacKenzie
Year opened: 1907
Average rating: 7.43
Location: Machrihanish, Scotland
Designer(s): Old Tom Morris, J.H. Taylor, Guy Campbell
Year opened: 1876
Average rating: 7.42
Location: Tadworth, England
Designer(s): Herbert Fowler
Year opened: 1903
Average rating: 7.29
Location: Kirkby in Ashfield, England
Designer(s): Willie Park Jr., J.H. Taylor, Tom Williamson
Year opened: 1901
Average rating: 7.28
Location: Prestwick, Scotland
Designer(s): Old Tom Morris
Year opened: 1851
Average rating: 7.27
Location: Irvine, Scotland
Designer(s): Fred Morris, F.W. Hawtree
Year opened: 1898
Average rating: 7.18
Location: Hoylake, England
Designer(s): Robert Chambers, George Morris, Harry S. Colt, Donald Steel
Year opened: 1869
Average rating: 7.18
Location: Wallasey, England
Designer(s): Old Tom Morris, James Braid, F.G. Hawtree, J.H. Taylor, Donald Steel
Year opened: 1891
Average rating: 7.18
Location: Brancaster, England
Designer(s): Holcombe Ingleby
Year opened: 1892
Average rating: 7.16
Location: Virginia Water, England
Designer(s): Harry S. Colt
Year opened: 1924
Average rating: 7.13
Location: Auchterarder, Scotland
Designer(s): James Braid
Year opened: 1919
Average rating: 7.09
Location: Bury St. Edmunds, England
Designer(s): Tom Dunn, Harry S. Colt
Year opened: 1893
Average rating: 7.06
Location: Pulborough, England
Designer(s): Guy Campbell, Cecil K. Hutchison
Year opened: 1931
Average rating: 7.00
Location: Donabate, Ireland
Designer(s): Fred Hawtree, Eddie Hackett
Year opened: 1890
Average rating: 6.97
Location: Gullane, Scotland
Designer(s): Unknown
Year opened: 1884
Average rating: 6.97
Location: Portstewart, Northern Ireland
Designer(s): A.G. Gow, Willie Park Jr., Des Griffin
Year opened: 1907
Average rating: 6.96
Location: Sligo, Ireland
Designer(s): Harry S. Colt
Year opened: 1927
Average rating: 6.96
Location: Formby, England
Designer(s): Willie Park Jr., James Braid, Harry S. Colt, Donald Steel
Year opened: 1884
Average rating: 6.96
Location: Woking, England
Designer(s): Tom Dunn, John Low, Stuart Paton
Year opened: 1893
Average rating: 6.96
Location: Silloth, England
Designer(s): Davy Grant, Alister MacKenzie, Willie Park Jr.
Year opened: 1892
Average rating: 6.92
Location: Tadworth, England
Designer(s): Herbert Fowler
Year opened: 1907
Average rating: 6.92
Location: Burnham on Sea, England
Designer(s): Charles Gibson, Walter Foord, Herbert Fowler, Harry S. Colt, C.H. Alison, Alister Mackenzie, Martin Ebert
Year opened: 1891
Average rating: 6.90
Location: Nairn, Scotland
Designer(s): Andrew Simpson, Old Tom Morris, James Braid, Ben Sayers, Tom Mackenzie
Year opened: 1887)
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