SCOTLAND is widely recognised the world over as the home of golf.
So it’s perhaps little surprise that FIVE of the UK and Ireland’s top 10 courses are here.
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The Open will be back at St Andrews in 2027Credit: AFP
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The Old Course has been ranked as the No2 course in the UK and IrelandCredit: Getty
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Royal County Down is top of the listCredit: Getty Images – Getty
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Trump Turnberry’s Ailsa Course is highly ranked tooCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
However, the course that carries that same lofty moniker of the ‘home of golf’ has missed out on being named the best course in the country.
Popular golf publication Golf Monthly have announced their top 100 courses in the United Kingdom and Ireland for 2025/26.
Published every couple of years, the extensive list reveals the very best places to tee up.
A vast array of Scottish courses are included in the top 100, but what is even more eye-catching is that HALF of the top 10 can all be found in Scotland.
However, it is NOT a Scottish course that sits at the top of the list.
For the second consecutive time, it’s the championship course at Royal County Down that takes the coveted number one spot.
That means that once again, the Old Course at St Andrews – the renowned home of golf – has to settle for No2.
While it’s been pipped to top spot, Golf Monthly do admit that the Old Course “really should be top” as far as bucket list courses go.
In fact, four of the top five courses on the list are all in Scotland.
Following St Andrews in third spot is the Ailsa Course at Trump Turnberry.
I was one of last people to play Turnberry’s iconic Ailsa course before it shut for £1.5m revamp
The host venue of the 2009 Open Championship has undergone significant renovation since the Trump Organization took ownership in 2014.
The holes closely located to the iconic lighthouse in particular have been given a new look with a new par three at the ninth hole providing what is described as “a daunting prospect.”
Despite its recognition as one of the country’s top courses, Turnberry was removed from the Open Championship rota of host courses in 2015 following Donald Trump’s candidacy for the US Presidency.
Coming in at number four is another course that was previously removed from the Open rota.
Muirfield, which last hosted the Major in 2013, was reinstated to the rota of host courses back in 2017 after the club voted to allow female members for the first time in its history.
It had had been taken off the rota the previous year after a previous poll at the club saw a vote taken to continue excluding women from joining.
But now it’s back and could once again host the championship in the future.
Like St Andrews, both Turnberry and Muirfield retain their same ranking from the previous one.
Royal Dornoch – which had been ranked as the second-best course in the WORLD by another golf outlet last year – rounds off the top five of Golf Monthly’s list.
The spectacular course in the Highlands moves up into fifth, taking the place of Royal Birkdale where the Open will be held in 2026.
Birkdale has been placed sixth in the list, one place ahead of Royal Portrush where this year’s Open will be held.
In eighth position is the fifth and final Scottish course to be ranked inside the top 10.
That’s yet another Open venue in the form of Carnoustie, down one place from the previous ranking.
While seven courses are ranked above it, the list says “there’s a strong case for saying that Carnoustie’s championship course may be the most challenging in our entire top 100 list.”
The top 10 is rounded off by two courses at Sunningdale in Berkshire, with its new course jumping up a spot to snare ninth position from its old course.
A whole host of other Scottish courses are included in the full top 100.
Kingsbarns, Trump International Golf Links, Royal Aberdeen’s Balgownie course and Royal Troon are all ranked inside the top 20.
Castle Stuart, North Berwick, Gleneagles’ King’s course, Dumbarnie Links, Nairn’s championship course, Prestwick and Western Gailes are in the top 50.
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Cruden Bay’s championship course enjoyed a rise of eight places up to 58th while the Castle Course at St Andrews was a re-entry onto the list.
The Machrie on Islay, Gleneagles’ Queen’s course, Gullane, Machrihanish, St Andrews’ New Course, Blairgowrie, Murcar Links and Dundonald Links all placed on the list.
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