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

1. Kingsbarns

Average rating: 7.89

Location: Kingsbarns, Scotland

Designer(s): Kyle Phillips

Year opened: 2000

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2. Trump International Golf Links Scotland

Average rating: 7.87

Location: Balmedie, Scotland

Designer(s): Martin Hawtree

Year opened: 2012

3. Ardfin

Average rating: 7.72

Location: Isle of Jura, Scotland

Designer(s): Bob Harrison

Year opened: 2017

4. Loch Lomond

Average rating: 7.67

Location: Dunbartonshire, Scotland

Designer(s): Jay Morrish, Tom Weiskopf

Year opened: 1993

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5. Rosapenna (St. Patrick’s Links)

Average rating: 7.66

Location: Letterkenny, Ireland

Designer(s): Tom Doak

Year opened: 2021

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6. Cabot Highlands (Castle Stuart)

Average rating: 7.63

Location: Inverness, Scotland

Designer(s): Gil Hanse, Mark Parsinen

Year opened: 2009

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7. Old Head of Kinsale

Average rating: 7.58

Location: Kinsale, Ireland

Designer(s): Eddie Hackett, Joe Carr, Ron Kirby, Paddy Merrigan, Liam Higgins

Year opened: 1997

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8. Waterville

Average rating: 7.50

Location: Waterville, Ireland

Designer(s): Eddie Hackett, Tom Fazio

Year opened: 1973

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9. Queenwood

Average rating: 7.38

Location: Ottershaw, England

Designer(s): David McLay Kidd

Year opened: 2001

10. Carne (Wild Atlantic Dunes)*

Average rating: 7.30

Location: Belmullet, Ireland

Designer(s): Eddie Hackett, Ally McIntosh, Jim Engh

Year opened: 2017

Editor’s note: Carne appears on this list twice, with the Wild Atlantic Way routing and the Hackett Links routing both among the top 20. The Wild Atlantic Way routing incorporates nine newer holes and combines with nine holes from the original 18 (Hackett Links) at Carne, and we chose to break them out as separate courses this year to better reflect that there are two routings. 

11. The European Club

Average rating: 7.28

Location: Brittas Bay, Ireland

Designer(s): Pat Ruddy

Year opened: 1992

12. The Renaissance Club

Average rating: 7.24

Location: North Berwick, Scotland

Designer(s): Tom Doak

Year opened: 2008

13. Tralee

Average rating: 7.21

Location: Tralee, Ireland

Designer(s): Arnold Palmer, Ed Seay

Year opened: 1984

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14. Hogs Head

Average rating: 7.19

Location: Waterville, Ireland

Designer(s): Robert Trent Jones Jr.

Year opened: 2018

15. Enniscrone (Dunes)

Average rating: 7.01

Location: Enniscrone, Ireland

Designer(s): Eddie Hackett, Donald Steel

Year opened: 1970

16. Hillside Golf Club

Average rating: 7.00

Location: Southport, England

Designer(s): Fred Hawtree

Year opened: 1967

17. Dumbarnie Links

Average rating: 6.98

Location: Elie, Scotland

Designer(s): Clive Clark

Year opened: 2020

18. Carne (Hackett Links)

Average rating: 6.97

Location: Belmullet, Ireland

Designer(s): Eddie Hackett

Year opened: 1992

19. Trump International Golf Links Doonbeg

Average rating: 6.88

Location: Doonbeg, Ireland

Designer(s): Greg Norman, Martin Hawtree

Year opened: 2002

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T20. Ballyliffin (Glashedy)

Average rating: 6.74

Location: Ballyliffin, Ireland

Designer(s): Pat Ruddy, Tom Craddock

Year opened: 1995

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T20. Killeen Castle

Average rating: 6.74

Location: Dunsany, Ireland

Designer(s): Jack Nicklaus

Year opened: 2009

22. Trump Turnberry Resort (King Robert the Bruce)

Average rating: 6.70

Location: Turnberry, Scotland

Designer(s): Donald Steel, Martin Ebert

Year opened: 2001

23. Rosapenna (Sandy Hills)

Average rating: 6.69

Location: Letterkenny, Ireland

Designer(s): Pat Ruddy

Year opened: 2003

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24. Lough Erne (Faldo)

Average rating: 6.62

Location: Enniskillen, Northern Ireland

Designer(s): Nick Faldo

Year opened: 2009

25. Portmarnock Resort (Jameson Golf Links)

Average rating: 6.59

Location: Portmarnock, Ireland

Designer(s): Bernhard Langer, Jeff Lynch

Year opened: 1995

T26. Adare Manor Golf Resort

Average rating: 6.58

Location: Adare, Ireland

Designer(s): Tom Fazio

Year opened: 1995

T26. Carnegie Links at Skibo

Average rating: 6.58

Location: Dornoch, Scotland

Designer(s): Donald Steel

Year opened: 1991

28. The Grove

Average rating: 6.46

Location: Chandler’s Cross, England

Designer(s): Kyle Phillips

Year opened: 2003

29. Cruit Island

Average rating: 6.44

Location: Kincasslagh, Ireland

Designer(s): Michael Doherty

Year opened: 1986

30. Woburn (Marquess)

Average rating: 6.43

Location: Milton Keynes, England

Designer(s): Ross McMurray, Clive Clark, Peter Alliss, Alex Hay

Year opened: 2000

31. Saunton (West)*

Average rating: 6.40

Location: Braunton, England

Designer(s): Frank Pennink

Year opened: 2022

32. St. Andrews (Castle)

Average rating: 6.38

Location: St. Andrews, Scotland

Designer(s): David McLay Kidd

Year opened: 2008

T33. Dundonald Links

Average rating: 6.35

Location: Gailes, Scotland

Designer(s): Kyle Phillips

Year opened: 2003

T33. Machrihanish Dunes

Average rating: 6.35

Location: Machrihanish, Scotland

Designer(s): David McLay Kidd

Year opened: 2009

35. Carton House (Montgomerie)

Average rating: 6.34

Location: Maynooth, Ireland

Designer(s): Colin Montgomerie, Design European Golf

Year opened: 2003

36. Donegal

Average rating: 6.29

Location: Murvagh, Ireland

Designer(s): Eddie Hackett, Pat Ruddy

Year opened: 1973