The top 100 golf courses in the world

Ballybunion Golf Club's Old Course sits on Ireland’s rugged Atlantic coast in County Kerry and is one of the world’s most revered links layouts. Opened in 1893 and later extended to 18 holes, this renowned course features wild dunes, cliff-lined holes, and was shaped by architect Lionel Hewson with refinements by later designers.

The Old Course at St Andrews, regarded as the oldest golf course in the world, is a historic public links located in St Andrews, Fife. Its design evolved naturally over centuries, with influential figures like Old Tom Morris shaping its layout. Legendary for its strategic bunkering, undulating fairways, and storied setting, it hosts The Open Championship regularly.

Fishers Island Club, designed by Seth Raynor and finished by Charles Banks, is renowned for its world-class 18-hole links-style course on Long Island Sound. Regularly ranked among America’s top golf courses, it features classic strategic architecture, breathtaking ocean views from nearly every hole, and a tradition of exclusivity. The course challenges players with undulating greens and penal bunkering.

National Golf Links of America is an elite private links-style course in Southampton, New York, designed by Charles B. Macdonald with engineering by Seth Raynor. Established in 1908, it incorporates classic design elements inspired by historic British courses and offers world-class architecture, challenging play, and iconic holes along Peconic Bay.

Merion Golf Club’s famed East Course in Ardmore, Pennsylvania was designed by Hugh Wilson and opened in 1912. Consistently ranked among the world's best, Merion (East) features unique bunkering, contoured greens, and tight fairways across 126 acres. The club has hosted numerous major championships, including five U.S. Opens. Players encounter a challenging, cerebral experience that demands precise shot-making.

Oakmont Country Club, designed by Henry C. Fownes in 1903, is renowned worldwide for its fast, undulating greens and challenging layout. Host to more USGA championships than any U.S. club besides Augusta National, Oakmont’s reputation for difficulty is built on its strategic bunkering, rolling parkland terrain, absence of water hazards, and thick rough.

Muirfield Golf Club, home of The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, is a classic links course originally designed by Old Tom Morris in 1891, later reimagined by renowned architect Harry Colt in 1925. Consistently ranked among the world’s greatest, it has hosted 16 Open Championships and features subtle, demanding strategy amid coastal terrain.

Pacific Dunes at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is a world-renowned links course designed by Tom Doak, set atop rugged Oregon coastline with dramatic Pacific Ocean views. The course, routed through vast sandy dunes and native grasses, blends natural beauty and architectural mastery, delivering strategic challenges and breathtaking holes that capture the unique essence of seaside golf.

Royal Portrush’s Dunluce Links is a storied links course set amid towering dunes with breathtaking Atlantic views, overlooked by the dramatic ruins of Dunluce Castle. Designed by Harry Colt and modernized by Martin Ebert for the 2019 Open, it’s known for its natural beauty and challenging holes, including “Calamity Corner.” As the only Open Championship venue outside mainland Britain, Dunluce offers a world-class, wind-swept test where history, heritage, and pure links golf converge.

Prairie Dunes Country Club is a world-renowned private golf course just outside Hutchinson, Kansas. Designed originally by Perry Maxwell in 1937 and completed by his son Press Maxwell in 1957, the course is noted for its rolling sandhills, native prairie grasses, and fast, undulating greens. Frequent tournament host and consistently ranked among America’s best courses.