Course guides
Famous golf courses, briefly
What each course is, in a few paragraphs, and what it asks of your swing. Nothing here is invented: every date and yardage comes from the source named at the foot of the page.
Scotland
The Old Course, St Andrews
St Andrews, Fife, Scotland · Links · 7,305 yd
Carnoustie Golf Links
Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland · Links · 6,941 yd
Muirfield
Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland · Links · 7,245 yd
Royal Troon
Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland · Links · 7,175 yd
Turnberry, Ailsa Course
Turnberry, South Ayrshire, Scotland · Links · 7,448 yd
Royal Dornoch
Dornoch, Sutherland, Scotland · Links · 6,748 yd
Prestwick Golf Club
Prestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland · Links · 6,908 yd
Kingsbarns Golf Links
Kingsbarns, Fife, Scotland · Links · 7,224 yd
Nairn Golf Club
Nairn, Highland, Scotland · Links · 6,832 yd
Machrihanish Golf Club
Machrihanish, Argyll and Bute, Scotland · Links · 6,226 yd
Royal Aberdeen, Balgownie
Balgownie, Aberdeen, Scotland · Links · 6,918 yd
Gleneagles
Auchterarder, Perthshire, Scotland · Moorland · 6,790 yd
Ireland
Royal County Down
Newcastle, County Down, Northern Ireland · Links · 7,186 yd
Ballybunion, Old Course
Ballybunion, County Kerry, Ireland · Links · 6,802 yd
Royal Portrush, Dunluce Links
Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland · Links · 7,337 yd
Lahinch, Old Course
Lahinch, County Clare, Ireland · Links · 7,066 yd
Portmarnock Golf Club
Portmarnock, County Dublin, Ireland · Links · 7,463 yd
Waterville Golf Links
Waterville, County Kerry, Ireland · Links · 7,347 yd
Old Head Golf Links
Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland · Clifftop · 7,150 yd
The Golf Course at Adare Manor
Adare, County Limerick, Ireland · Parkland · 7,509 yd
County Sligo Golf Club, Rosses Point
Rosses Point, County Sligo, Ireland · Links · 7,157 yd
The Royal Dublin Golf Club
Bull Island, Dollymount, Dublin, Ireland · Links · 7,269 yd
England
Royal Birkdale
Southport, England · Links · 7,156 yd
Royal Liverpool, Hoylake
Hoylake, Wirral, England · Links · 7,341 yd
Sunningdale Golf Club
Sunningdale, Berkshire, England · Heathland · 6,627 yd
Wentworth, West Course
Virginia Water, Surrey, England · Parkland · 7,284 yd
Royal Lytham & St Annes
Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, England · Links · 7,118 yd
Formby Golf Club
Formby, Merseyside, England · Links · 7,128 yd
Royal St George's
Sandwich, Kent, England · Links · 7,204 yd
Royal Cinque Ports, Deal
Deal, Kent, England · Links · 7,367 yd
Woodhall Spa, The Hotchkin
Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, England · Heathland · 7,024 yd
United States
Augusta National
Augusta, Georgia, United States · Parkland · 7,510 yd
Pebble Beach Golf Links
Pebble Beach, California, United States · Coastal · 7,075 yd
Shinnecock Hills
Southampton, New York, United States · Links-style · 7,440 yd
Bethpage Black
Farmingdale, New York, United States · Parkland · 7,426 yd
TPC Sawgrass, Stadium Course
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, United States · Stadium · 7,245 yd
Torrey Pines, South Course
La Jolla, San Diego, California, United States · Clifftop · 7,802 yd
Whistling Straits, Straits Course
Haven, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States · Links-style, lakeside · 7,790 yd
Bandon Dunes
Bandon, Oregon, United States · Links · 7,212 yd
Kiawah Island, The Ocean Course
Kiawah Island, South Carolina, United States · Seaside · 7,876 yd
Chambers Bay
University Place, Washington, United States · Links · 7,585 yd
Merion, East Course
Haverford Township, Pennsylvania, United States · Parkland
Oakmont Country Club
Plum and Oakmont, Pennsylvania, United States · Links-style, inland · 7,372 yd
National Golf Links of America
Southampton, New York, United States · Links · 6,873 yd
The Riviera Country Club
Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California, United States · Parkland · 7,322 yd
The Olympic Club, Lake Course
San Francisco, California, United States · Parkland · 7,060 yd
Pinehurst No. 2
Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina, United States · Sandhills, inland · 7,588 yd
Medinah Country Club, Course No. 3
Medinah, Illinois, United States · Parkland · 7,564 yd
Oak Hill Country Club, East Course
Pittsford, New York, United States · Parkland · 7,390 yd
Southern Hills Country Club
Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States · Parkland · 7,481 yd
Muirfield Village Golf Club
Dublin, Ohio, United States · Parkland · 7,569 yd
Harbour Town Golf Links
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, United States · Coastal parkland · 7,131 yd
Streamsong Resort
Bowling Green, Polk County, Florida · Inland sand · 7,320 yd
TPC Scottsdale, Stadium Course
Scottsdale, Arizona · Stadium course · 7,266 yd
Oakland Hills, South Course
Bloomfield Township, Michigan · Parkland · 7,509 yd
Congressional, Blue Course
Bethesda, Maryland · Parkland · 7,820 yd
Wales
Continental Europe
Real Club Valderrama
Sotogrande, San Roque, Cádiz, Spain · Parkland, cork oaks · 6,390 m
Le Golf National, Albatros
Guyancourt, near Paris, France · Stadium · 7,331 yd
Falsterbo Golfklubb
Falsterbo, Skåne, Sweden · Links · 6,649 yd
Koninklijke Haagsche (Royal Hague)
Wassenaar, South Holland, Netherlands · Dune links · 6,836 yd
Real Club de Golf El Prat
Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain · Parkland, hill country · 7,057 yd
Asia
Hong Kong Golf Club, Fanling
Fanling, New Territories, Hong Kong · Parkland · 6,246 yd
Taiwan Golf & Country Club, Tamsui
Tamsui, New Taipei City, Taiwan · Coastal hills
Hirono Golf Club
Miki, Hyōgo, Japan · Inland, pine and ravines · 7,015 yd
Kasumigaseki Country Club, East Course
Kawagoe, Saitama, Japan · Parkland; 36 holes · 7,466 yd
Naruo Golf Club
Kawanishi, Hyōgo, Japan · Inland, hill country · 6,564 yd
Tokyo Golf Club
Sayama, Saitama, Japan · Woodland · 7,215 yd
Australia and New Zealand
Royal Melbourne, West Course
Black Rock, Victoria, Australia · Sandbelt · 6,646 yd
New South Wales Golf Club
La Perouse, Sydney, Australia · Links-style, coastal · 6,830 yd
Royal Adelaide Golf Club
Seaton, Adelaide, South Australia · Links · 7,187 yd
Barnbougle Dunes
Bridport, Tasmania, Australia · Links · 6,691 yd
Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club
Paraparaumu Beach, Kāpiti Coast, New Zealand · Links · 6,640 yd
