Surgeon General Warning, the following post is solely for the purpose of bar discussion after all other topics are exhausted.
Course rankings will forever be wonderful fodder for endless conversations about the relative merits of any given golf experience. I find it particularly insightful when comparing the rankings based on the panelists’ countries of origin and in turn, perspectives on their preferred courses.
Golf Monthly, a seasoned golf magazine in the UK, has announced their current British Isles rankings which can be viewed here. The panelists are presumably heavily represented by British and Irish golfers. GOLF Magazine in the US, which has a global panel but is more weighted towards US based golfers, recently published it’s World Top 100.
Three iconic courses in the British Isles which caught my eye
Ballybunion
– ranked #17 in the world by GOLF and #15 in the British Isles by Golf Monthly
Royal Portrush
– ranked #14 in the world by GOLF and #13 in the British Isles by Golf Monthly
Ailsa Course
– ranked #16 in the world by GOLF and #1 in the British Isles by Golf Monthly
The common bond of golf shared by American and British golfers does not always extend to their opinions of what makes a great golf course.
