Updated on November 7, 2026
👉 All Our Golf Rankings: the 25 greatest golfers of all time, the 20 most beautiful golf courses in the world, and our rankings by destination: public golf courses in the United States, Florida, California, Ireland, Marrakech and Provence.
What is the best golf course in the world? By comparing the three major global rankings, Pine Valley (New Jersey) and Cypress Point (California) are tied for first place (each ranked No. 1 by one source and No. 2 by the other), ahead of Royal County Down in Northern Ireland and the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland. Here is our 2026 list of the world’s top 100 golf courses: a ranking of rankings, calculated by averaging the rankings provided by three sources—Golf Digest, GOLF Magazine, and Top100GolfCourses. Since Golf Digest does not include U.S. courses in its global list, those courses are ranked based on the other two sources.
The Top 100 Golf Courses in the World for 2026
| Rank | Course | Country | Access | Golf Digest | GOLF | Top100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pine Valley | United States (New Jersey) | Private | — | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | Cypress Point | United States (California) | Private | — | 2 | 1 |
| 3 | Royal County Down (Championship) | Northern Ireland | Open to visitors | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| 4 | Old Course at St Andrews | Scotland | Open to visitors | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| 5 | Shinnecock Hills | United States (New York) | Private | — | 5 | 4 |
| 6 | National Golf Links of America | United States (New York) | Private | — | 6 | 5 |
| 7 | Royal Melbourne (West) | Australia | Private | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| 8 | Muirfield | Scotland | Open to visitors | 3 | 11 | 10 |
| 9 | Oakmont | United States (Pennsylvania) | Private | — | 9 | 8 |
| 10 | Royal Portrush (Dunluce) | Northern Ireland | Open to visitors | 5 | 14 | 9 |
| 11 | Royal Dornoch (Championship) | Scotland | Open to visitors | 4 | 12 | 15 |
| 12 | Sand Hills | United States (Nebraska) | Private | — | 10 | 11 |
| 13 | Augusta National | United States (Georgia) | Private | — | 8 | 16 |
| 14 | Turnberry (Ailsa) | Scotland | Open to visitors | 8 | 18 | 12 |
| 15 | Merion (East) | United States (Pennsylvania) | Private | — | 13 | 13 |
| 16 | Tara Iti | New Zealand | Private | 7 | 19 | 21 |
| 17 | Kingston Heath | Australia | Private | 9 | 24 | 17 |
| 18 | Fishers Island | United States (New York) | Private | — | 16 | 20 |
| 19 | Sunningdale (Old) | England | Open to visitors | 12 | 22 | 22 |
| 20 | Hirono | Japan | Private | 16 | 28 | 14 |
| 21 | Los Angeles Country Club (North) | United States (California) | Private | — | 21 | 18 |
| 22 | Chicago Golf Club | United States (Illinois) | Private | — | 17 | 24 |
| 23 | Pebble Beach | United States (California) | Open to visitors | — | 15 | 27 |
| 24 | Royal St. George’s | England | Open to visitors | 18 | 30 | 19 |
| 25 | Ballybunion (Old) | Ireland | Open to visitors | 10 | 29 | 29 |
| 26 | Friar’s Head | United States (New York) | Private | — | 23 | 23 |
| 27 | North Berwick | Scotland | Open to visitors | 11 | 25 | 42 |
| 28 | Prairie Dunes | United States (Kansas) | Private | — | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | Riviera | United States (California) | Private | — | 26 | 30 |
| 30 | Barnbougle Dunes | Australia | Open to visitors | 20 | 41 | 25 |
| 31 | Lahinch (Old) | Ireland | Open to visitors | 21 | 34 | 32 |
| 32 | Carnoustie (Championship) | Scotland | Open to visitors | 15 | 39 | 34 |
| 33 | Pacific Dunes | United States (Oregon) | Open to visitors | — | 35 | 26 |
| 34 | Crystal Downs | United States (Michigan) | Private | — | 31 | 31 |
| 35 | Winged Foot (West) | United States (New York) | Private | — | 33 | 33 |
| 36 | Morfontaine | France | Private | 19 | 38 | 45 |
| 37 | Pinehurst No. 2 | United States (North Carolina) | Open to visitors | — | 20 | 57 |
| 38 | San Francisco Golf Club | United States (California) | Private | — | 40 | 39 |
| 39 | California Golf Club of San Francisco | United States (California) | Private | — | 45 | 36 |
| 40 | Oakland Hills (South) | United States (Michigan) | Private | — | 36 | 46 |
| 41 | Seminole | United States (Florida) | Private | — | 32 | 55 |
| 42 | Swinley Forest | England | — | 29 | 50 | 52 |
| 43 | Sunningdale (New) | England | Open to visitors | 36 | 55 | 41 |
| 44 | New South Wales Golf Club | Australia | Private | 22 | 46 | 68 |
| 45 | Somerset Hills | United States (New Jersey) | Private | — | 51 | 40 |
| 46 | St. Patrick's Links | Ireland | Open to visitors | 58 | 44 | 37 |
| 47 | Royal Birkdale | England | Open to visitors | 17 | 42 | 82 |
| 48 | Shoreacres | United States (Illinois) | Private | — | 47 | 51 |
| 49 | Cruden Bay | Scotland | Open to visitors | 26 | 61 | 70 |
| 50 | Cape Wickham | Australia | Open to visitors | 13 | 100 | 47 |
| 51 | Royal Lytham & St. Annes | England | Open to visitors | 31 | 68 | 61 |
| 52 | Camargo | United States (Ohio) | Private | — | 59 | 48 |
| 53 | Kingsbarns | Scotland | Open to visitors | 24 | 94 | 43 |
| 54 | The Lido (Sand Valley) | United States (Wisconsin) | Resort | — | 48 | 60 |
| 55 | Maidstone | United States (New York) | Private | — | 49 | 62 |
| 56 | Kawana (Fuji) | Japan | Resort | 40 | 62 | 69 |
| 57 | Bethpage (Black) | United States (New York) | Open to visitors | — | 56 | 58 |
| 58 | Portmarnock (Championship) | Ireland | Open to visitors | 45 | 54 | 74 |
| 59 | Cabot Cliffs | Canada | Open to visitors | 14 | 78 | 84 |
| 60 | Old Town | United States (North Carolina) | Private | — | 80 | 38 |
| 61 | Oak Hill (East) | United States (New York) | Private | — | 60 | 59 |
| 62 | Garden City | United States (New York) | Private | — | 52 | 75 |
| 63 | Cape Kidnappers | New Zealand | Open to visitors | 32 | 65 | 98 |
| 64 | St. George’s Hill | England | Open to visitors | 53 | 57 | 85 |
| 65 | Royal Troon (Old) | Scotland | Open to visitors | 27 | 53 | — |
| 66 | CapRock Ranch | United States (Nebraska) | Private | — | 84 | 53 |
| 67 | Ballyneal | United States (Colorado) | Private | — | 63 | 76 |
| 68 | Prestwick | Scotland | Open to visitors | 62 | 58 | 93 |
| 69 | Sleepy Hollow | United States (New York) | Private | — | 77 | 66 |
| 70 | Castle Stuart (Cabot Highlands) | Scotland | Open to visitors | 65 | 97 | 54 |
| 71 | Hardy Point (Cabot Saint Lucia) | Saint Lucia | Resort | 23 | 69 | — |
| 72 | Te Arai Links (South) | New Zealand | Open to visitors | 42 | 79 | 97 |
| 73 | Royal Hague (Koninklijke Haagsche) | Netherlands | — | 51 | 81 | 86 |
| 74 | Inverness | United States (Ohio) | Private | — | 67 | 81 |
| 75 | Utrecht De Pan | Netherlands | — | 79 | 89 | 56 |
| 76 | Shanqin Bay | China | Private | — | 64 | 35 |
| 77 | Royal Porthcawl | Wales | Open to visitors | 37 | — | 65 |
| 78 | Myopia Hunt Club | United States (Massachusetts) | Private | — | 86 | 67 |
| 79 | St. George’s (Toronto) | Canada | Private | 41 | — | 64 |
| 80 | Bandon Trails | United States (Oregon) | Open to visitors | — | 76 | 78 |
| 81 | Trump International Scotland (Old) | Scotland | Open to visitors | 30 | — | 77 |
| 82 | Jasper Park Lodge | Canada | Open to visitors | 35 | — | 73 |
| 83 | Te Arai Links (North) | New Zealand | Open to visitors | 46 | 98 | 92 |
| 84 | Royal Melbourne (East) | Australia | Private | 33 | 82 | — |
| 85 | Ardfin | Scotland | Resort | — | 72 | 44 |
| 86 | The Country Club (Brookline) | United States (Massachusetts) | Private | — | 37 | — |
| 87 | St. Enodoc (Church) | England | Open to visitors | 70 | — | 49 |
| 88 | Cabot Links | Canada | Open to visitors | 25 | 96 | — |
| 89 | Victoria Golf Club | Australia | Private | 28 | 93 | — |
| 90 | Bandon Dunes | United States (Oregon) | Open to visitors | — | 85 | 79 |
| 91 | Southern Hills | United States (Oklahoma) | Private | — | 43 | — |
| 92 | Peachtree | United States (Georgia) | Private | — | 75 | 94 |
| 93 | Woodhall Spa (Hotchkin) | England | Open to visitors | 56 | 74 | — |
| 94 | Rock Creek Cattle Company | United States (Montana) | Private | — | 88 | 83 |
| 95 | Teeth of the Dog (Casa de Campo) | Dominican Republic | Open to visitors | 50 | 83 | — |
| 96 | Valderrama | Spain | Open to visitors | 34 | — | 100 |
| 97 | South Cape Owners Club | South Korea | Private | 74 | — | 63 |
| 98 | Machrihanish | Scotland | Open to visitors | 47 | 92 | — |
| 99 | Ganton | England | Open to visitors | 67 | — | 72 |
| 100 | Lofoten Links | Norway | Open to visitors | — | 66 | 80 |
Our Method: A Ranking of Rankings
Every magazine has its own judging panels and criteria. Rather than choosing just one, we compared the three most widely followed global rankings: Golf Digest (World’s 100 Greatest 2026–2027), GOLF Magazine (Top 100 Courses in the World 2025–26) and Top100GolfCourses (World Top 100). For each course, we calculate the average of its rankings. A course not included in a ranking is assigned a rank of 125, so that a course featured in all rankings ranks higher than one mentioned only once. Golf Digest does not include U.S. courses in its global list; therefore, for them, the average is calculated based on GOLF and Top100GolfCourses. We do not reproduce the magazines’ lists; we invite you to consult them on their websites.
This ranking is revised annually, as new editions are released. Magazines generally publish their global lists every two years; Top100GolfCourses updates its list on an ongoing basis.
What the rankings reveal
The United States has 43 courses in the top 100, ahead of Scotland (14), England (10), and Australia (7). The great links courses of the British Isles and Ireland remain the gold standard: Royal County Down, St. Andrews, Muirfield, Royal Portrush, and Royal Dornoch are all in the top 11. Good news for travelers: 50 of the 100 courses welcome visitors, including the Old Course at St. Andrews, Pebble Beach, Pinehurst No. 2, and Bethpage Black. As for France, Morfontaine is the only representative, ranked 36th.
The Top 10 in Detail
Designers, year founded, par and length (back tees): the clubs' Wikipedia pages, checked on November 8, 2026. Photos under free licenses via Wikimedia Commons; no free photo of Royal Melbourne exists.
1. Pine Valley 🇺🇸
- Designed by George Crump, Harry Colt
- Founded 1913
- Par and length Par 70 · 7,201 yards (6,585 m)
Rankings: Golf Digest — · GOLF 1 · Top100GolfCourses 2
Ranked No. 1 by GOLF Magazine and No. 2 by Top100GolfCourses. Designed by George Crump amid the pine forests and sand dunes of southern New Jersey, with its first holes opening in 1918, Pine Valley is renowned as the most difficult and demanding course in the world: every shot must navigate through areas of sand and thickets to reach genuine islands of fairway. As a private club, it welcomes only guests of its members.
2. Cypress Point 🇺🇸
- Designed by Alister MacKenzie, Robert Hunter
- Founded 1928
- Par and length Par 72 · 6,554 yards (5,993 m)
Rankings: Golf Digest — · GOLF 2 · Top100GolfCourses 1
Ranked No. 1 by Top100GolfCourses and No. 2 by GOLF Magazine. Designed by Alister MacKenzie in 1928 on the Monterey Peninsula in California, the course winds through the dunes and into the cypress forest before running along the Pacific Ocean. Its 16th hole, a par-3 played over the ocean, is one of the most photographed in the world. It is a private club with very strict membership restrictions.
3. Royal County Down (Championship) 🇬🇧
- Designed by Old Tom Morris, Harry Vardon, Harry Colt
- Founded 1889
- Par and length Par 71 · 7,186 yards (6,571 m)
Rankings: Golf Digest 1 · GOLF 4 · Top100GolfCourses 3
Ranked No. 1 in the world by Golf Digest for the sixth consecutive time. Located at the foot of the Mourne Mountains in Newcastle, Northern Ireland, this links course—originally designed by Old Tom Morris in 1889—features a series of blind tee shots over dunes and bunkers fringed with wild grasses. The club welcomes visitors on certain days of the week.
4. St. Andrews Old Course 🏴
- Designed by Nature, then Old Tom Morris
- Founded 1552 (first written record)
- Par and length Par 72 · 7,305 yards (6,680 m)
Rankings: Golf Digest 2 · GOLF 3 · Top100GolfCourses 7
The birthplace of golf. Ranked No. 2 by Golf Digest and No. 3 by GOLF Magazine. Golf has been played here for more than six centuries, and the Open Championship has been held here 30 times. Its double greens, the Swilcan Bridge, and the famous Road Hole (No. 17) make it a must-visit destination. Good news: it’s a public course, open to everyone by reservation or lottery.
5. Shinnecock Hills 🇺🇸
- Designed by William Flynn; restored by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw
- Founded 1891
- Par and length Par 70
Rankings: Golf Digest — · GOLF 5 · Top100GolfCourses 4
Located in Southampton, on Long Island, this windswept American links course has hosted the U.S. Open six times, most recently in 2026. Its current layout, designed by William Flynn in the early 1930s, is considered one of the most comprehensive tests in championship golf. Private club.
6. National Golf Links of America 🇺🇸
- Designed by Charles Blair Macdonald
- Founded 1911
- Par and length Par 72 · 6,873 yards (6,285 m)
Rankings: Golf Digest — · GOLF 6 · Top100GolfCourses 5
Located next to Shinnecock Hills, this masterpiece by Charles Blair Macdonald—which opened in 1911—draws inspiration from the greatest holes on British links courses. It is one of the courses that laid the foundation for American golf course architecture. Private club.
7. Royal Melbourne (West) 🇦🇺
- Designed by Alister MacKenzie, Alex Russell
- Founded 1891
- Par and length Par 72
Rankings: Golf Digest 6 · GOLF 7 · Top100GolfCourses 6
The jewel of Melbourne’s “Sandbelt,” designed by Alister MacKenzie and Alex Russell in the 1920s. Its spectacular bunkers and fast, firm greens make it the best course in the Southern Hemisphere according to all three rankings (6th or 7th in each). Private club.
8. Muirfield 🏴
- Designed by Old Tom Morris; redesigned by Harry Colt
- Founded 1744 (club), 1891 (course)
- Par and length Par 71 · 7,245 yards (6,625 m)
Rankings: Golf Digest 3 · GOLF 11 · Top100GolfCourses 10
Home to the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, one of the oldest clubs in the world, Muirfield has hosted the Open Championship 16 times. Its original layout consists of two nine-hole loops—one clockwise and the other counterclockwise—to face the wind from every angle. Ranked No. 3 by Golf Digest. The club welcomes visitors on certain days.
9. Oakmont 🇺🇸
- Designed by Henry Fownes; restored by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner
- Founded 1903
- Par and length Par 71 · 7,431 yards (6,795 m)
Rankings: Golf Digest — · GOLF 9 · Top100GolfCourses 8
Located near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Oakmont holds the record for the most U.S. Opens hosted, the most recent in 2025. Its greens—among the fastest in the world—and its “Church Pews” bunkers, which feature rows of grass strips running through the sand, make it a formidable course. Private club.
10. Royal Portrush (Dunluce) 🇬🇧
- Designed by Harry Colt
- Founded 1888
- Par and length Par 71 · 7,337 yards (6,709 m)
Rankings: Golf Digest 5 · GOLF 14 · Top100GolfCourses 9
On the Antrim Coast in Northern Ireland, the links course designed by Harry Colt hosted the Open Championship in 1951, 2019, and 2025. Ranked No. 5 by Golf Digest. Its 16th hole, “Calamity Corner”—a par-3 played over a ravine—is one of the most intimidating in golf. The club welcomes visitors.
The World's Most Beautiful Golf Courses: Another Ranking
This Top 100 list ranks courses based on the quality of play and their architecture. If you're looking for the most spectacular scenery, check out our selection of 20 most beautiful golf courses in the world. Planning a trip? See also the 10 most beautiful golf courses in France and the 10 most beautiful golf courses in Morocco. And for the champions who have won on these courses, our ranking of the 25 greatest golfers of all time.
Fred’s Take
If I had to choose just one, it would be the Old Course at St. Andrews: it’s the only course in the top 5 that’s open to everyone, and nothing beats playing where it all began. For a more well-rounded trip, Northern Ireland is unbeatable, with Royal County Down and Royal Portrush about a two-hour drive apart.
Frequently Asked Questions About the World's Best Golf Courses
What is the best golf course in the world?
According to our summary of the three major world rankings, Pine Valley (New Jersey) and Cypress Point (California) are tied for first place. Outside the United States, Royal County Down in Northern Ireland is No. 1 on Golf Digest’s world ranking.
What is the best golf course in the world that is open to the public?
The Old Course at St. Andrews, ranked 4th on our list, is a public course open to everyone. Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, Pebble Beach, and Pinehurst No. 2 also welcome visitors.
Which country has the most golf courses in the world's top 100?
The United States, with 43 courses, leads Scotland (14) and England (10).
Is there a French golf course in the world's top 100?
Yes: Morfontaine, in the Oise department, ranked 36th in our consensus ranking.
How often do these rankings change?
Golf Digest and GOLF Magazine publish their world rankings about every two years, and Top100GolfCourses updates its list continuously. We revise our top 100 list every year.