Yahoo Sports Golfweek's Best 2025: The top 50 classic courses in Great Britain and Ireland
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
1. Royal County Down (Championship)
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
2. St. Andrews Old Course
Average rating: 8.74
Location: St. Andrews, Scotland
Designer(s): Unknown first designer, Old Tom Morris
Year opened: Unknown
3. Royal Dornoch (Championship)
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
4. Muirfield
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
5. Royal Portrush (Dunluce)
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
6. Sunningdale (Old)
Average rating: 8.41
Location: Sunningdale, England
Designer(s): Willie Park Jr., Harry S. Colt
Year opened: 1901
7. Trump Turnberry Resort (Ailsa)
Average rating: 8.35
Location: Turnberry, Scotland
Designer(s): Willie Fernie, Mackenzie Ross, Martin Ebert, Tom MacKenzie
Year opened: 1901
8. Ballybunion (Old)
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
9. Royal St. George’s
Average rating: 8.22
Location: Sandwich, England
Designer(s): Laidlaw Purves
Year opened: 1887
Play Royal St. George's in 2025
10. North Berwick Golf Club (West Links)
Average rating: 8.11
Location: North Berwick, Scotland
Designer(s): David Strath, Ben Sayers
Year opened: 1832
Play North Berthwick in August 2025
11. Royal Birkdale
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
12. Swinley Forest
Average rating: 7.98
Location: Ascot, England
Designer(s): Harry S. Colt
Year opened: 1909
13. Lahinch (Old)
Average rating: 7.96
Location: Lahinch, Ireland
Designer(s): Old Tom Morris, Charles Gibson, Alister MacKenzie, Martin Hawtree
Year opened: 1894
14. Carnoustie (Championship)
Average rating: 7.92
Location: Carnoustie, Scotland
Designer(s): Robert Chambers, Allan Robertson, Old Tom Morris, James Braid
Year opened: 1830s
15. Royal Porthcawl
Average rating: 7.79
Location: Porthcawl, Wales
Designer(s): Ramsey Hunter, J. Simpson
Year opened: 1895
16. St. George’s Hill
Average rating: 7.78
Location: Weybridge, England
Designer(s): Harry S. Colt
Year opened: 1913
T17. Cruden Bay
Average rating: 7.71
Location: Cruden Bay, Scotland
Designer(s): Old Tom Morris, Archie Simpson, Tom Simpson, Herbert Fowler
Year opened: 1899
T17. Royal Lytham & St. Annes
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
19. Ganton
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
20. Sunningdale (New)
Average rating: 7.69
Location: Sunningdale, England
Designer(s): Harry S. Colt, John Morrison
Year opened: 1923
21. Woodhall Spa (Hotchkin)
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
22. Royal Troon (Old)
Average rating: 7.66
Location: Troon, Scotland
Designer(s): George Strath, Willie Fernie, James Braid
Year opened: 1878
23. St. Enodoc (Church)
Average rating: 7.51
Location: Wadebridge, England
Designer(s): James Braid
Year opened: 1907
24. Portmarnock GC (Old/Red & Blue nines)
Average rating: 7.49
Location: Portmarnock, Ireland
Designer(s): W.C. Pickeman, Mungo Park, Martin Hawtree
Year opened: 1894
25. Royal Aberdeen (Balgownie)
Average rating: 7.48
Location: Bridge of Don, Scotland
Designer(s): Archie Simpson, Robert Simpson, James Braid
Year opened: 1888
26. Royal Cinque Ports
Average rating: 7.46
Location: Deal, England
Designer(s): Harry Hunter, James Braid, Sir Guy Campbell
Year opened: 1892
T27. Rye
Average rating: 7.45
Location: Rye, England
Designer(s): Harry S. Colt, Tom Simpson, Sir Guy Campbell
Year opened: 1894
T27. Alwoodley
Average rating: 7.45
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire
Designer(s): Alister MacKenzie
Year opened: 1907
29. Machrihanish
Average rating: 7.43
Location: Machrihanish, Scotland
Designer(s): Old Tom Morris, J.H. Taylor, Guy Campbell
Year opened: 1876
30. Walton Heath (Old)
Average rating: 7.42
Location: Tadworth, England
Designer(s): Herbert Fowler
Year opened: 1903
31. Notts (Hollinwell)
Average rating: 7.29
Location: Kirkby in Ashfield, England
Designer(s): Willie Park Jr., J.H. Taylor, Tom Williamson
Year opened: 1901
32. Prestwick
Average rating: 7.28
Location: Prestwick, Scotland
Designer(s): Old Tom Morris
Year opened: 1851
33. Western Gailes
Average rating: 7.27
Location: Irvine, Scotland
Designer(s): Fred Morris, F.W. Hawtree
Year opened: 1898
T34. Royal Liverpool (Hoylake)
Average rating: 7.18
Location: Hoylake, England
Designer(s): Robert Chambers, George Morris, Harry S. Colt, Donald Steel
Year opened: 1869
T34. Wallasey
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
T34. Royal West Norfolk
Average rating: 7.18
Location: Brancaster, England
Designer(s): Holcombe Ingleby
Year opened: 1892
37. Wentworth (West)
Average rating: 7.16
Location: Virginia Water, England
Designer(s): Harry S. Colt
Year opened: 1924
38. Gleneagles (King’s)
Average rating: 7.13
Location: Auchterarder, Scotland
Designer(s): James Braid
Year opened: 1919
39. Royal Worlington & Newmarket
Average rating: 7.09
Location: Bury St. Edmunds, England
Designer(s): Tom Dunn, Harry S. Colt
Year opened: 1893
40. West Sussex
Average rating: 7.06
Location: Pulborough, England
Designer(s): Guy Campbell, Cecil K. Hutchison
Year opened: 1931
41. The Island Golf Club
Average rating: 7.00
Location: Donabate, Ireland
Designer(s): Fred Hawtree, Eddie Hackett
Year opened: 1890
T42. Gullane (No. 1)
Average rating: 6.97
Location: Gullane, Scotland
Designer(s): Unknown
Year opened: 1884
T42. Portstewart (Strand)
Average rating: 6.97
Location: Portstewart, Northern Ireland
Designer(s): A.G. Gow, Willie Park Jr., Des Griffin
Year opened: 1907
T44. County Sligo Colt Championship Links (Rosses Point)
Average rating: 6.96
Location: Sligo, Ireland
Designer(s): Harry S. Colt
Year opened: 1927
T44. Formby
Average rating: 6.96
Location: Formby, England
Designer(s): Willie Park Jr., James Braid, Harry S. Colt, Donald Steel
Year opened: 1884
T44. Woking
Average rating: 6.96
Location: Woking, England
Designer(s): Tom Dunn, John Low, Stuart Paton
Year opened: 1893
T44. Silloth on Solway*
Average rating: 6.96
Location: Silloth, England
Designer(s): Davy Grant, Alister MacKenzie, Willie Park Jr.
Year opened: 1892
T48. Walton Heath (New)
Average rating: 6.92
Location: Tadworth, England
Designer(s): Herbert Fowler
Year opened: 1907
T48. Burnham & Berrow (Championship)
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
50. Nairn (Championship)
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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This article originally appeared on Golfweek: The 50 best classic golf courses in Great Britain and Ireland, ranked
