Irish Golf Courses Dominate New Top 100 Rankings

Ranking golf courses is a tricky but hugely popular business as golfing enthusiasts simply love to debate and argue the merits of venues that they have experienced.

Each publication has its own methodology for how these things are determined when they publish rankings, but on Golfshake, we defer to the everyday golfers who play and submit their reviews of layouts in our Course Section.

Throughout its existence, we've received more than 300,000 reviews that have been posted by over 50,000 golfers.

How Are The Top 100 Golf Courses Ranked?

Golfers are asked to rate venues on a variety of categories, including overall experience, course quality, value for money, and facilities, which we use as part of a calculation alongside a proprietary algorithm that was introduced in 2014 that gives more weight to recent reviews, considers who submitted them, how helpful they were rated, and other factors that ultimately relate to the expectations of the average golfer and how they were met.

This all means that we're excited to once again reveal our newly updated Top 100 Golf Courses determined by this process.

Our method ensures that the ranking is unique and you'll likely be surprised by some of the places that are near the top, but that is solely down to what they've provided to regular golfers.

Are Irish Golf Courses The Best in The World?

What's most striking to us is just how many courses from the island of Ireland have dominated the upper echelons of the ranking.

The TOP SIX are all venues found in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland, with a further three destinations in the Emerald Isle featuring as part of the leading 15.

Does this mean that Irish golf is the best on the planet? The Golfshake Community seems to believe so.

Meet The Golfshake Top Golf Courses For 2025

If you want to see the complete Top 100, then please click here, but below you can take a closer glance at the leading 25 that we've showcased in full.

Take a look and see how many you have played and perhaps you'll see recommendations that you hadn't considered before.

Our rankings have been determined by golfers to be enjoyed by other golfers - and there are some trule masterpieces to consume!

Ballybunion Golf Club

Location: County Kerry, Ireland

Golfshake Ranking: 1st

Golfshake Rating: 5.00

Review Comment: "Unbelievable course, the best I have ever played. Amazing scenery and views of the ocean on many holes."

Druids Glen Resort

Location: County Wicklow, Ireland

Golfshake Ranking: 2nd

Golfshake Rating: 5.00

Review Comment: "Fabulous welcome and facility. Some jaw-droppingly beautiful golf holes with some wonderfully sculpted and conditioned golf holes. Floral considerations are given great emphasis and this leads to a visual delight whilst playing a testing and accomplished layout. Visually stunning with some very testing holes."

Royal County Down Golf Club

Location: County Down, Northern Ireland

Golfshake Ranking: 3rd

Golfshake Rating: 5.00

Review Comment: "It is one of the best golf courses in the world, steeped in history and prestige. The design, condition, including impeccably manicured grounds, the layout, and challenge are first class and make it one of the greats in the world."

Tralee Golf Club

Location: County Kerry, Ireland

Golfshake Ranking: 4th

Golfshake Rating: 5.00

Review Comment: "This a wonderful links course which is surrounded by the beautiful Tralee Bay and its many little islands. It is a difficult course, particularly the back 9. Take a buggy if you can and if you’ve thought the first 9 are energy sapping, you’ve seen nothing yet. Greens are in great nick."

Old Head Golf Links

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Location: County Cork, Ireland

Golfshake Ranking: 5th

Golfshake Rating: 5.00

Review Comment: "An amazing experience. If I had one round left in my life and could play anywhere in the world this would be my choice, the views are one of a kind. Pebble Beach on steroids."

Trump International Golf Links Doonbeg

Location: County Clare, Ireland

Golfshake Ranking: 6th

Golfshake Rating: 5.00

Review Comment: "This is simply a wonderful golf facility created and tendered by golfers for golfers. It is superbly located and the design by Greg Norman is simply awesome. Expect to be distracted on the first tee as you wait your turn to play. The views are simply jaw dropping."

The Renaissance Club

Location: East Lothian, Scotland

Golfshake Ranking: 7th

Golfshake Rating: 5.00

Review Comment: "Amazing venue. Fantastic layout. Superb condition. Course very testing but fair. Service outstanding."

Queenwood Golf Club

Location: Surrey, England

Golfshake Ranking: 8th

Golfshake Rating: 5.00

Review Comment: "Stunning. A dream course to be invited to play although the greens are just impossible - but this does not deter from a very special place and lovely course."

Mount Juliet Golf Club

Location: County Kilkenny, Ireland

Golfshake Ranking: 9th

Golfshake Rating: 5.00

Review Comment: "Special venue. I loved the experience at Mount Juliet from the moment you enter the driveway to sampling the excellent food and then testing out this wonderful golf course. It is special in so many ways. It feels like a standout exceptional venue. and my experience of the day simply confirmed this despite some rough weather. The course conditioning was superb and then views and layout are exactly what you would expect from a venue used by many of the worlds greatest golfers."

St George’s Hill Golf Club

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Location: Surrey, England

Golfshake Ranking: 10th

Golfshake Rating: 4.97

Review Comment: "Being in the top 10 courses in England, it lived up to its rating. The whole course was in fantastic condition, tees, bunkers, fairways and greens. You must play the Red and Blue if you can."

Royal Portrush Golf Club

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Location: County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Golfshake Ranking: 11th

Golfshake Rating: 4.97

Review Comment: "It was in excellent condition in late October. The greens were fabulous. The Open Championship feel to the place. The starter was such an entertaining guy. Sense of history in the clubhouse. The view as you walk onto the 5th green!"

Ballyliffin Golf Club

Location: County Donegal, Ireland

Golfshake Ranking: 12th

Golfshake Rating: 4.97

Review Comment: "Stunning. Great course, playing on what I thought was a breezy day - oh no, said the locals, this is flat calm! Greens superb, friendly people. I'll be back!"

Turnberry Resort

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Golfshake Ranking: 13th

Golfshake Rating: 4.97

Review Comment: "A real treat. Lived up to all the hype. Amazing place. Course just immaculate and testing but fair. People make this also. The staff are just brill!"

Ganton Golf Club

Location: Yorkshire, England

Golfshake Ranking: 14th

Golfshake Rating: 4.97

Review Comment: "Superb course with extremely challenging holes. The course layout is outstanding and provides a real test of golf."

Formby Golf Club

Location: Merseyside, England

Golfshake Ranking: 15th

Golfshake Rating: 4.96

Review Comment: "Absolute gem of a course with rolling fairways and true greens. Friendly service in the clubhouse with huge breakfast rolls."

Kingsbarns Golf Links

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Location: Fife, Scotland

Golfshake Ranking: 16th

Golfshake Rating: 4.96

Review Comment: "From the initial greeting as we arrived everything was outstanding. The staff greeting you and checking you in were friendly and efficient, we had some lunch before our round, the food was great and staff inside were chatty, friendly and seemed genuinely happy to be doing their jobs. The course was in great condition, it had only opened a few days before the round so that was to be expected. The pace of play was excellent, to the point that for most of the round we felt like there was no one else on the course with us even though it was busy. All in all not only one of the best courses I've played but also one of the best golf experiences I've had. I'll definitely be going back again!"

Woking Golf Club

Location: Surrey, England

Golfshake Ranking: 17th

Golfshake Rating: 4.96

Review Comment: "This is a 'once in a lifetime' course. It is truly out of this world and worth every penny of the expensive green fee. So good that for me it will be a 'twice in a lifetime' course after next month. The greens are beautifully kept; fast and true. The setting is stunning, even if slightly compromised by the railway line running down the side of the course for a couple of the holes."

Loch Lomond Golf Club

Location: Argyll & Bute, Scotland

Golfshake Ranking: 18th

Golfshake Rating: 4.96

Review Comment: "This course must be on your list to play at some point. Beautiful surroundings right on the edge of the Loch. Dress warm if there is a breeze as some of the holes are very exposed."

Swinley Forest Golf Club

Location: Berkshire, England

Golfshake Ranking: 19th

Golfshake Rating: 4.96

Review Comment: "Awesome course. A beautiful setting with excellent greens and friendly staff and members. I will definitely be back."

Parkstone Golf Club

Location: Dorset, England

Golfshake Ranking: 20th

Golfshake Rating: 4.96

Review Comment: "Just stunning start to finish. A joy to play. Got round in mid-winter yet was still immaculate. Bucket list course."

Royal St George's Golf Club

Location: Kent, England

Golfshake Ranking: 21st

Golfshake Rating: 4.96

Review Comment: "What a great course, so hard but really fair and greens perfect and bunkers are so deep, and lots of blind drives."

Brora Golf Club

Location: Highlands, Scotland

Golfshake Ranking: 22nd

Golfshake Rating: 4.96

Review Comment: "If you're looking for a course where every hole has a view of the sea and mountains then this is the place. A very friendly club and a great James Braid design, links golf at its finest. The clubhouse offering views is a lovely place to enjoy good food and drink after your round as you watch players take on the challenging 18th hole."

Royal Liverpool Golf Club

Location: Merseyside, England

Golfshake Ranking: 23rd

Golfshake Rating: 4.96

Review Comment: "Legendary track! Amazing day yet again at this historic course. I would recommend that anyone with a medium to low handicap play here it is an absolute privilege!"

Sunningdale Golf Club

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Location: Berkshire, England

Golfshake Ranking: 24th

Golfshake Rating: 4.95

Review Comment: "Amazing golf course! True challenge and a delight to play. We had near perfect conditions with the sun shining the whole way round."

Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club

Location: Lancashire, England

Golfshake Ranking: 25th

Golfshake Rating: 4.95

Review Comment: "The layout was excellent and the condition of the course was perfect. The quality of the design and the history of the course was evident and the overall Open vibe was great."

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