What is the best golf course in the world?

The world's greatest golf courses are as much works of art as they are athletic venues — rugged clifftop links carved by the sea, immaculately manicured parkland masterpieces, and exclusive gems known only to devoted pilgrims. Which course sits at the very top?

1

Augusta National Golf Club

Home of The Masters, Augusta National is the most iconic and meticulously maintained course in golf, famous for Amen Corner and its blooming azaleas.

2

St Andrews Links (Old Course)

The birthplace of golf, St Andrews has been played for over 600 years and its iconic stone clubhouse and Swilcan Bridge are the sport's most sacred symbols.

3

Pebble Beach Golf Links

Carved into the rugged California coastline, Pebble Beach offers some of the most breathtaking oceanside holes in the world and a storied Major championship history.

4

Cypress Point Club

The ultra-exclusive Cypress Point on the Monterey Peninsula is widely considered the most beautiful golf course on earth, with dramatic cliffs and crashing Pacific surf.

5

Pine Valley Golf Club

Consistently ranked the world's number one course, Pine Valley's brutally demanding layout in the New Jersey pinelands is a golfer's ultimate pilgrimage.

6

Royal Melbourne Golf Club

Australia's finest course and the best in the Southern Hemisphere, Royal Melbourne's composite course is a masterpiece of strategic sand belt design.

7

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club

One of America's oldest golf clubs, Shinnecock Hills on Long Island is a classic windswept links-style course that has hosted multiple US Opens.

8

Merion Golf Club

A compact but brilliantly designed gem on Philadelphia's Main Line, Merion is famous for its iconic wicker basket flagsticks and legendary US Open moments.

9

Oakmont Country Club

The most difficult course in American golf, Oakmont near Pittsburgh is notorious for its brutally fast greens and has hosted more US Opens than any other course.

10

Whistling Straits

A dramatic links-style masterpiece on the shores of Lake Michigan in Wisconsin, built to resemble the rugged Irish coast and host of the 2021 Ryder Cup.

11

Muirfield

Home of The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, Muirfield is a quintessential Scottish links that has hosted 16 Open Championships.

12

Royal Portrush Golf Club

Set on the stunning Causeway Coast of Northern Ireland, Royal Portrush reclaimed its place among the world's elite when it hosted the 2019 Open Championship.

13

TPC Sawgrass

Home of The Players Championship, TPC Sawgrass is famous worldwide for its terrifying island-green 17th hole, the most-photographed par-3 in golf.

14

Ballybunion Golf Club

A rugged links masterpiece on Ireland's wild Atlantic coast, Ballybunion's Old Course is a rollercoaster of dunes and cliff-top holes beloved by purists.

15

Turnberry (Ailsa Course)

Scotland's most dramatic links, Turnberry overlooks the Firth of Clyde with the iconic lighthouse backdrop and was the scene of Watson and Nicklaus's legendary Duel in the Sun.

16

Royal Birkdale Golf Club

A classic English links on the Lancashire coast, renowned for its fair but demanding layout and some of the Open Championship's most dramatic finishes.

17

Seminole Golf Club

Ben Hogan's favorite practice ground, this exclusive Florida gem designed by Donald Ross is considered the finest course in the American South.

18

Harbour Town Golf Links

A beloved Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus design on Hilton Head Island, Harbour Town's iconic red-and-white lighthouse is a staple of the PGA Tour season.

19

Bethpage Black

New York's ferocious public-access monster so difficult it posts a warning sign for average golfers — and has twice hosted the US Open.

20

Erin Hills Golf Course

A vast and visually stunning Wisconsin links carved through glacial terrain, Erin Hills announced itself to the world as host of the 2017 US Open.

21

Los Angeles Country Club (North Course)

One of America's most exclusive clubs hidden in plain sight on Wilshire Boulevard, LACC made a spectacular debut hosting the 2023 US Open.

22

Royal County Down Golf Club

Set beneath the Mountains of Mourne on Ireland's stunning eastern coast, Royal County Down is regularly ranked among the top three courses in the world.