Golfweek's Best 2024: Top 100 International Golf Courses

Welcome to Golfweek’s Best newest course ranking, the Top 100 International Courses.

Golfweek’s Best has ranked classic and modern international courses in the past, but 2024 marks the first year in which all ages of courses have been combined to build one comprehensive ranking of layouts outside the U.S. 

The hundreds of 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 an overall rating. Each course is then ranked against other courses in the region.

This list focuses on the golf courses themselves, not resorts as a whole or other club amenities. Each golf course included is listed with its average rating from 1 to 10, its location, architect(s) and the year it opened.

Courses must meet a minimum threshold of votes to qualify, and it can take several years for a layout to garner enough votes to show up. Several new layouts either did not open in time to make the 2024 list or have not been played by enough raters to qualify yet – South Cape in South Korea, Ellerston in Australia and Cabot Saint Lucia’s Point Hardy are good examples.  

With all that said, we hope you enjoy our inaugural list of Top 100 International Courses. 

Nos. 1-10

1. Royal County Down (Championship) 8.93Newcastle, Northern Ireland; George L. Baillie, Old Tom Morris, George Combe, Harry S. Colt, Donald Steel (1889)

2. St. Andrews Old Course 8.75St. Andrews, Scotland; Unknown first designer, Old Tom Morris (Unknown)

3. Royal Dornoch (Championship) 8.71Dornoch, Scotland; Old Tom Morris, John Sutherland, George Duncan (1877)

4. Royal Melbourne (West) 8.70Black Rock, Victoria, Australia; Alister MacKenzie (1926)

5. Muirfield 8.65Gullane, Scotland; Old Tom Morris (1892)

6. Shanquin Bay 8.56Hainan, China; Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw (2012)

7. Hirono 8.54Hyogo, Japan; Charles H. Alison (1932)

8. Royal Portrush (Dunluce) 8.52Portrush, Northern Ireland; Harry S. Colt, Martin Ebert (1929)

T9. Tara Iti 8.41Mangawhai, New Zealand; Tom Doak (2015)

T9. Sunningdale (Old) 8.41Sunningdale, England; Willie Park Jr., Harry S. Colt (1901)

Nos. 11-20

11. Cabot Cliffs 8.39Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada; Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw (2015)

12. Trump Turnberry Resort (Ailsa) 8.35Turnberry, Scotland; Willie Fernie, Mackenzie Ross, Martin Ebert, Tom MacKenzie (1901)

13. Ballybunion (Old) 8.32Ballybunion, Ireland; Lionel Hewson, Tom Simpson (1893)

T14. Barnbougle (Dunes) 8.25Bridport, Tasmania, Australia; Tom Doak, Michael Clayton (2004)

T14. Golf de Morfontaine (Le Grand Parcours) 8.25Mortefontaine, France; Tom Simpson, Kyle Phillips (1927)

16. Cape Kidnappers 8.23Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand; Tom Doak (2004)

17. Royal St. George’s 8.21Sandwich, England; Laidlaw Purves (1887)

T18. Kingston Heath 8.08Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Dan Souter, Alister MacKenzie (1925)

T18.Vidauban Golf Club (Formerly Prince de Provence) 8.08Vidauban, France; Robert Trent Jones Sr., Robert Trent Jones Jr. (1999)

T18. North Berwick Golf Club (West Links) 8.08North Berwick, Scotland; David Strath, Ben Sayers (1832)

Nos. 21-30

21. Playa Grande Golf & Ocean Club 8.01Rio San Juan, Dominican Republic; Robert Trent Jones Sr., Rees Jones (1997)

22. Royal Birkdale 8.00Southport, England; George Lowe, F.G. Hawtree, J.H. Taylor (1897)

T23. Cape Wickham 7.98King Island, Tasmania, Australia; Mike Devries (2015)

T23. Te Arai (South) 7.98Tomarata, New Zealand; Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw (2022)

25. Swinley Forest 7.95Ascot, England; Harry S. Colt (1909)

26. Lahinch (Old) 7.94Lahinch, Ireland; Old Tom Morris, Charles Gibson, Alister MacKenzie, Martin Hawtree (1894)

27. Carnoustie (Championship) 7.91Carnoustie, Scotland; Robert Chambers, Allan Robertson, Old Tom Morris, James Braid (1830s)

28. Kingsbarns 7.90Kingsbarns, Scotland; Kyle Phillips (2000)

29. Trump International Scotland 7.87Balmedie, Scotland; Martin Hawtree (2012)

30. Barnbougle (Lost Farm) 7.83Bridport, Tasmania, Australia; Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw (2010)

Nos. 31-40

T31. Fairmont Banff Springs 7.80Banff, Alberta, Canada; Stanley Thompson (1927)

T31. St. George’s G&CC 7.80Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada; Stanley Thompson (1930)

33. Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge 7.78Jasper, Alberta, Canada; Stanley Thompson (1925)

34. Royal Porthcawl 7.77Porthcawl, Wales; Ramsey Hunter, J. Simpson (1895)

35. Kauri Cliffs 7.76Matauri Bay, New Zealand; David Harman, Rees Jones (2000)

36. New South Wales Golf Club 7.74La Perouse, New South Wales, Australia; Alister MacKenzie (1928)

37. Sunningdale (New) 7.73Sunningdale, England; Harry S. Colt, John Morrison (1923)

T38. Woodhall Spa (Hotchkin) 7.72Woodhall Spa, England; Harry Vardon, J.H.Taylor, Harry S. Colt, Stafford Vere Hotchkin, Tom Doak (1905)

T38. Cap Cana (Punta Espada) 7.72Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Jack Nicklaus (2006)

T38. St. George’s Hill 7.72Weybridge, England; Harry S. Colt (1913)

T38. Ardfin 7.72Isle of Jura, Scotland; Bob Harrison (2017)

Nos. 41-50

42. Royal Lytham & St. Annes 7.71Lytham St. Annes, England; George Lowe, Harry S. Colt, Herbert Fowler, Tom Simpson, C.K. Cotton (1897)

T43. Cabot Links 7.70Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada; Rod Whitman (2012)

T43. Koninkiljke Haagsche 7.70Wassenaar, Netherlands; Charles H. Alison, Harry S. Colt (1938)

T45. Ganton 7.69Scarborough, England; Tom Chisholm, Harry Vardon, Ted Ray, James Braid, J.H. Taylor, Harry S. Colt (1891)

T45. Cruden Bay 7.69Cruden Bay, Scotland; Tom Morris, Archie Simpson, Tom Simpson, Herbert Fowler (1899)

47. Loch Lomond 7.67Dunbartonshire, Scotland; Jay Morrish, Tom Weiskopf (1993)

48. Cabot Highlands (Castle Stuart) 7.66Inverness, Scotland; Gil Hanse, Mark Parsinen (2009)

49. Naruo 7.65Hyogo, Japan; H.C. Crane, Charles H. Alison (1920)

T50. Rosapenna (St. Patrick Links) 7.62Letterkenny, Ireland; Tom Doak (2021)

T50. Les Bordes (New) 7.62Saint-Laurent-Nouan, France; Gil Hanse, Jim Wagner (2021)

Nos. 51-60

52. Capilano 7.61West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Stanley Thompson (1937)

T53. Rye Golf Club 7.60Rye, England; Harry S. Colt, Tom Simpson, Sir Guy Campbell (1894)

T53. Kawana Hotel (Fuji) 7.60Shizuoka, Japan; Charles H. Alison (1936)

55. Royal Troon (Old) 7.59Troon, Scotland; George Strath, Willie Fernie, James Braid (1878)

T56. Casa de Campo (Teeth of the Dog) 7.56La Romana, Dominican Republic; Pete Dye (1971)

T56. Diamante Cabo San Lucas (Dunes) 7.56Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Davis Love III (2009)

58. National Golf Club (Gunnamatta) 7.55Cape Schanck, Victoria, Australia; Peter Thomson, Ross Perrett, Michael Woolveridge, Tom Doak (2000)

59. Sagebrush 7.54Quilchena, British Columbia, Canada; Rod Whitman, Richard Zokol, Armen Suny (2009)

60. St. Enodoc (Church) 7.50Wadebridge, England; James Braid (1907)

Nos. 61-70

T61. Waterville 7.49Waterville, Ireland; Eddie Hackett (1973)

T61. Old Head Golf Links 7.49Kinsale, Ireland; Eddie Hackett, Joe Carr, Ron Kirby, Paddy Merrigan, Liam Higgins (1997)

63. Royal Aberdeen (Balgownie) 7.47Bridge of Don, Scotland; Archie Simpson, Robert Simpson, James Braid (1888)

T64. Hamilton (West & South nines) 7.46Ancaster, Ontario, Canada; Harry S. Colt (1915)

T64. Alwoodley 7.46Leeds, England; Alister MacKenzie (1907)

T64. Walton Heath (Old) 7.46Tadworth, England; Herbert Fowler (1903)

67. Portmarnock (Old) 7.44Portmarnock, Ireland; George Ross, W.C. Pickeman, Mungo Park (1894)

T68. Victoria Golf Club 7.43Cheltenham, Victoria, Australia; William Meader, Oscar Damman, Alister MacKenzie (1927)

T68. Royal Melbourne (East) 7.43Black Rock, Victoria, Australia; Alex Russell, Mick Morcam (1931)

T68. Tokyo Golf Club 7.43Sayama City, Japan; Komei Otani, Gil Hanse (1940)

T68. Royal Cinque Ports 7.43Deal, England; Henry Hunter, James Braid, Guy Campbell (1892)

Nos. 71-80

T72. Utrecht GC De Pan 7.42Bosch en Duin, Netherlands; Harry S. Colt (1929)

T72. Lofoten Links 7.42Gimoysand, Norway; Jeremy Turner (2015)

T72. Apes Hill 7.42St. James, Barbados; Ron Kirby (2022)

75. Machrihanish 7.40Machrihanish, Scotland; Old Tom Morris, J.H. Taylor, Guy Campbell (1876)

76. Pulpit Club (Paintbrush, formally Devil’s Paintbrush) 7.39Caledon East, Ontario, Canada; Dana Fry, Michael Hurdzan (1992)

77. Fancourt (Links) 7.37George, South Africa; Gary Player (2000)

78. Queenwood 7.35Ottershaw, England; David McLay Kidd (2001)

79. Goodwood Golf Club 7.34Goodwood, Ontario, Canada; Martin Ebert, Tom Mackenzie (2007)

T80. Golf de Morfontaine (Valliere) 7.32Morfontaine, France; Tom Simpson (1913)

T80. Greywolf 7.32Panorama, British Columbia, Canada; Doug Carrick (1999)

T80. Coppinwood 7.32Goodwood, Ontario, Canada; Tom Fazio (2006)

Nos. 81-90

T83. Toronto GC (Colt) 7.31Mississauga, Ontario, Canada; Harry S. Colt, Martin Hawtree (1912)

T83. Blackhawk 7.31Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada; Rod Whitman (2003)

85. Royal Adelaide 7.29Seaton, South Australia, Australia; H.L. Rymill, Alister MacKenzie (1906)

86. Memphremagog 7.28Magog, Quebec, Canada; Thomas McBroom (2008)

87. Mid Ocean Club 7.27St. George’s, Bermuda; Charles Blair Macdonald, Seth Raynor (1921)

T88. Mad River 7.26Creemore, Ontario, Canada; Bob Cupp (1991)

T88. The European Club 7.26Brittas Bay, Ireland; Pat Ruddy (1992)

T90. The Renaissance Club 7.25North Berwick, Scotland; Tom Doak (2008)

T90. Prestwick 7.25Prestwick, Scotland; Old Tom Morris (1851)

Nos. 91-100

92. Moonah Links (Open) 7.24Fingal, Victoria, Australia; Peter Thomson (2002)

93. Westmount 7.22Kitchener, Ontario, Canada; Stanley Thompson (1931)

T94. Hogs Head 7.19Waterville, Ireland; Robert Trent Jones Jr. (2018)

T94. Bigwin Island 7.19Baysville, Ontario, Canada; Doug Carrick (2002)

T94. Sandy Lane (Green Monkey) 7.19St. James, Barbados; Tom Fazio (2004)

T97. Golf de Fontainebleau 7.18Fontainebleau, France; Julien Chantepie, Tom Simpson, Fred Hawtree (1909)

T97. Notts (Hollinwell) 7.18Kirkby in Ashfield, England; Willie Park Jr., J.H. Taylor, Tom Williamson (1901)

T99. Royal Liverpool (Hoylake) 7.17Hoylake, England; Robert Chambers, George Morris, Harry S. Colt, Donald Steel (1869)

T99. Valderrama 7.17Sotogrande, Spain; Robert Trent Jones Sr. (1974)

T99. Royal West Norfolk 7.17Brancaster, England; Holcombe Ingleby (1892)