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A general view of the 18th hole during the third round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am 2025 at Pebble Beach Golf Links on February 01.
The latest version of GOLF’s “Top 100 Courses in the World” list once again highlights the game’s greatest layouts–both established legends and rising stars. Key to this edition is the fact that while the very top of the list remains steady, the landscape around it shows meaningful changes. As the editors put it: “part constant, part churn.”
Behind the scenes, the process is rooted in an international panel of 126 expert raters. These panelists bring a variety of criteria–from design integrity and shot-making demands to visual appeal and environmental setting. The result: the list reflects not just memorability, but also a balance of playability, aesthetics, and golf architecture. For fans of the game, it is both a checklist and a global travel map, full of aspirational plays.
Out With the Old, In With the New
One of the most reassuring constants: the very top of the list remains anchored by the familiar. Pine Valley Golf Club continues to hold the No. 1 spot in the world rankings. Yet, the field beneath is shifting. For example, in the U.S., the number of eligible courses dropped slightly: 48 U.S. courses made the list this time, down from 49 in the prior edition.
Childress Hall (Upper), a remote, sand-dune-laden design in the Texas Panhandle, is one of the newcomers (No. 73). Built in 2025 on naturally rolling, sandy land, the course showcases a stripped-down architectural style that embraces the terrain rather than fighting it. Its entrance into the Top 100 marks a significant moment for Texas golf. Historically dominated by parkland and target-style layouts, the state now boasts a true minimalist, links-inspired venue that rivals some of the best terrain-driven designs in the world.
A notable omission from this year’s Top 100 is Gamble Sands, which was clinging to the final spot at No. 100 in the previous edition. This year, it fell completely out of the rankings. While the course remains a favorite among players for its wide fairways, fun-factor design, and dramatic views over the Columbia River, the panel’s voting reflects how competitive the modern landscape has become.
Biggest Risers and Fallers in the New Top 100
The newest Top 100 list delivered some of the most dramatic ranking swings in years, with several courses making major climbs while others took surprising drops.
Top Risers
These courses have had the largest upward moves on the 2025-26 list:
Biggest Drops
A number of notable venues slid significantly in the new rankings:
Cabot Cape Breton (Cabot Cliffs) (-26)
Ohoopee Match Club (-18)
Rye (Old) (-18)
Cabot Cape Breton (Cabot Links) (-17)
Woodhall Spa (Hotchkin) (-16)
Rock Creek Cattle Company (-15)
Ballyneal (-12)
Winged Foot (East) (-11)
Cape Kidnappers (-10)
The Top 50
Here’s a look at the Top 50 on the list for 2025-26:
1
Pine Valley
Pine Valley, NJ
1918
2
Cypress Point
Pebble Beach, CA
1928
3
St. Andrews (Old Course)
St. Andrews, Scotland
1400
4
Royal County Down
Newcastle, Northern Ireland
1889
5
Shinnecock Hills
Southampton, NY
1931
6
National Golf Links of America
Southampton, NY
1911
7
Royal Melbourne (West)
Black Rock, Victoria, Australia
1931
8
Augusta National
Augusta, GA
1933
9
Oakmont
Oakmont, PA
1903
10
Sand Hills
Mullen, NE
1995
11
Muirfield
Gullane, Scotland
1891
12
Royal Dornoch
Dornoch, Scotland
1886
13
Merion (East)
Ardmore, PA
1912
14
Royal Portrush (Dunluce)
Portrush, Northern Ireland
1929
15
Pebble Beach
Pebble Beach, CA
1919
16
Fishers Island
Fishers Island, NY
1926
17
Chicago
Wheaton, IL
1895
18
Trump Turnberry (Ailsa)
Turnberry, Scotland
1946
19
Tara Iti
Te Arai, New Zealand
2015
20
Pinehurst No. 2
Pinehurst, NC
1907
21
Los Angeles (North)
Los Angeles, CA
1927
22
Sunningdale (Old)
Sunningdale, England
1922
23
Friar’s Head
Riverhead, NY
2003
24
Kingston Heath
Cheltenham, Australia
1928
25
North Berwick (West)
North Berwick, Scotland
1895
26
Riviera
Pacific Palisades, CA
1927
27
Prairie Dunes
Hutchinson, KS
1937
28
Hirono
Miki-Chi, Japan
1932
29
Ballybunion (Old)
Ballybunion, Ireland
1936
30
Royal St. George’s
Sandwich, England
1922
31
Crystal Downs
Frankfort, MI
1932
32
Seminole
Juno Beach, FL
1929
33
Winged Foot (West)
Mamaroneck, NY
1923
34
Lahinch (Old)
Lahinch, Ireland
1927
35
Pacific Dunes
Bandon, OR
2001
36
Oakland Hills (South)
Bloomfield Hills, MI
1917
37
The Country Club (Clyde/Squirrel)
Brookline, MA
1899
38
Morfontaine
Morfontaine, France
1927
39
Carnoustie (Championship)
Carnoustie, Scotland
1842
40
San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
1918
41
Barnbougle Dunes
Bridport, Australia
2004
42
Royal Birkdale
Southport, England
1932
43
Southern Hills
Tulsa, OK
1936
44
St. Patrick’s Links
Rosapenna, Ireland
2021
45
California Golf Club of San Francisco
South San Francisco, CA
1926
46
New South Wales
La Perouse, Australia
1928
47
Shoreacres
Lake Bluff, IL
1921
48
Sand Valley (The Lido)
Rome, WI
2023
49
Maidstone
East Hampton, NY
1922
50
Swinley Forest
South Ascot, England
1910
Where the Best Courses Live
If you love travel and golf, the geographic distribution of the list is as interesting as the rankings themselves. According to GOLF’s breakdown, the 2025-26 list covers 16 different countries and 20 U.S. states.
In the U.K. & Ireland, for example, links golf remains strong, and courses there have distinctive character that resonates with the panelists. Across the globe, from Australia to New Zealand, new landscapes are making their mark. For the golf-obsessed traveler, the list doubles as a “bucket list” of venues: courses you can play tomorrow, and others you may need to plan years ahead.
That playability factor is key: of the 100 listed layouts, more than half are open to outside play. That means these aren’t just remote, un-achievable clubs. They’re real tee times, real experiences awaiting golfers willing to travel.
Alyssa Polczynski Alyssa Polczynski is a multimedia journalist covering Major League Baseball for Heavy.com. She has experience as an editorial producer for MLB.com and contributed to the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). More about Alyssa Polczynski
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