A SCOTTISH golf club has been listed among the top ten courses that Americans dream of playing the most.
But it’s NOT the famed Old Course at St Andrews or Turnberry’s renowned Ailsa course.
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The Old Course might be the most famous golf course anywhere in the worldCredit: Getty Images – Getty
But neither it or Turnberry (above) made the top 10 of a new surveyCredit: Alamy
Neither is it the birthplace of The Open, Prestwick Golf Club, or even Scotland‘s most exclusive golf club, Loch Lomond.
Royal Dornoch in the Highlands is also a popular pilgrimage for American players – but it doesn’t feature here.
Instead, it’s Muirfield Golf Club in Gullane.
A study carried out by BreakfastBalls.Golf has found that the Old Tom Morris-designed track is the course Americans dream about playing the most in Scotland.
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Their research analyzed Google search volume and Instagram hashtag data to create an index score that ranks the world’s most sought-after golf destinations. Each destination was given an overall score out of 100 and ranked accordingly.
The venue, which makes up part of East Lothian’s famous Golf Coast (including top courses such as the Renaissance Club, Gullane Golf Club, Archerfield Links and North Berwick Golf Club) is listed eighth in the world, one spot behind the 2025 Ryder Cup venue, New York‘s Bethpage Black.
This ranking also makes Muirfield most sought-after non-US links destination for American golfers.
Muirfield has hosted The Open Championship on 16 occasions, most recently in 2013.
It was struck off the Open rota due to its policy of not allowing women members but this was overturned in 2017. Muirfield hosted the Women’s Open for the first time in 2022.
Muirfield’s layout was particularly unique at the time it was designed, going against the grain of links courses having a set of nine holes running along the coast and another nine more inland coming back towards the clubhouse.
Instead, Muirfield is arranged in two loops of nine holes, one running clockwise and one anti-clockwise.
The picturesque Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic came on top in the findings, with the venerated Pinehurst in second.
The top 10 most dreamed-about golf courses*
*according to BreakfastBalls.Golf
1. Casa de Campo
Average monthly searches: 239,578
Instagram posts: 1,555,119
Index score (out of 100): 100
2. Pinehurst
Average monthly searches: 202,902
Instagram posts: 239,958
Index score (out of 100): 91.21
3. Augusta National Golf Club
Average monthly searches: 88,639
Instagram posts: 120,262
Index score (out of 100): 84.02
4. Bandon Dunes Golf Resort
Average monthly searches: 81,909
Instagram posts: 37,570
Index score (out of 100): 78.67
5. Whistling Straits
Average monthly searches: 41,200
Instagram posts: 22,312
Index score (out of 100): 72.93
6. Pebble Beach Golf Links
Average monthly searches: 29,189
Instagram posts: 26,182
Index score (out of 100): 71.84
7. Bethpage
Average monthly searches: 24,699
Instagram posts: 22,203
Index score (out of 100): 70.28
8. MUIRFIELD
Average monthly searches: 32,729
Instagram posts: 14,243
Index score (out of 100): 69.84
9. Shoreacres
Average monthly searches: 18,095
Instagram posts: 25,754
Index score (out of 100): 69.32
10. Fishers Island
Average monthly searches: 20,852
Instagram posts: 21,058
Index score (out of 100): 69.19
Third is Augusta National, home of The Masters.
Three American links-style courses were next in the list prior to Muirfield in Bandon Dunes, Whistling Straits and Pebble Beach.
Shoreacres and Fishers Islands, both in the US, rounded out the top ten.
Seth Krenek, President and CEO of BreakfastBalls.Golf, said: “What stands out from this data is how golf’s dream destinations span both famous tournament venues and hidden gems. Casa de Campo’s dominance shows that today’s golfers value remarkable experiences regardless of tournament history.
“American courses remain highly desirable, but we’re seeing international destinations like Casa de Campo and Muirfield capture golfers’ imaginations.
“The presence of lesser-known courses like Shoreacres in the top ten suggests that golfers are looking beyond the obvious choices for exceptional playing experiences.”
The North Sea, visible from Muirfield Golf Club in Gullane, East LothianCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
The clubhouse at Muirfield Golf ClubCredit: Getty Images – Getty
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