Top 10 Golf Courses That Every Golfer Must Play

What is your favourite golf course, and what is the one layout that you most dream of playing? There is a good chance that the answer to both questions will be here as Golfshake's Equipment Expert Ryan Rastall has shared with us the ten golf experiences that he holds above the rest.

Everyone has their list of best courses, and it's always a subject that generates debate, with Ryan's own selection sure to divide opinion. 

Going through each of his picks and explaining the reasons behind them, some of which are deeply personal, Ryan reveals his top ten golf courses in a new video that you can watch now below or directly on YouTube by clicking here.

Let's first take a closer look at each of the venues he has chosen...

Top 10 Must Play Golf Courses

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Ryan has played a lot of courses and been to some wonderful places, so there are several notables that narrowly missed out on the top ten, including Dundonald Links in Ayrshire, which is a real Golfshake favourite, the magnificent former home of the Scottish Open, Loch Lomond, and the eye-catching Omni PGA Frisco in Texas that will stage the PGA Championship in 2027 and 2034.

10. Royal Liverpool

Hoylake is one of England's most historic golfing jewels, and Ryan had the opportunity to play here in the aftermath of the 2014 Open Championship - won by Rory McIlroy - with all of the stands and infrastructure of the game's oldest major still intact.

Royal Liverpool has staged the Open on 13 occasions, and past winners here include Tiger Woods, Peter Thomson, Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen.

9. Royal Troon, Old Course

Ryan loves the Ayrshire coastline - and rightly so - with the Old Course at Royal Troon, stage of the 2024 Open won by Xander Schauffele, being hard to beat.

This is a challenging layout, its par three 8th, the Postage Stamp, is one of the most famous holes in golf and serves as one highlight of many that you come across when playing at Troon.

8. Castle Stuart Golf Links

Located near Inverness in the Highlands, Castle Stuart is widely considered to be a modern masterpiece and has hosted several Scottish Opens in its time.

Soon to be joined by the new Old Petty course at Cabot Highlands, this is a special place to play golf.

7. Royal Birkdale

Some keen minds consider Birkdale to be the best Open Championship course in England and Ryan agrees with them. 

The Champion Golfer will be crowned once more in Southport when the event returns in 2026, which shall be the latest chapter in a memorable history that has seen the likes of Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Padraig Harrington and Jordan Spieth lift the Claret Jug here.

6. Carnoustie, Championship Course

Formidable and testing, the Championship Course at Carnoustie is undeniably one of the greats, boasting one of the finest closing stretches of holes in the world of golf, but it's also a venue that has a personal touch for Ryan.

His father qualified to play in the 1975 Open here and that naturally enhances an already special location in the heart of Ryan and the whole Rastall family.

5. Nairn Golf Club

Back to the Highlands, Nairn is a prestigious course and enjoys a scenic location on the Moray Firth, but is arguably overshadowed by the nearby landscapes of Castle Stuart and Royal Dornoch.

However, Ryan believes that Nairn, which hosted the Walker Cup back in 1999, might very well be the best of the lot.

4. Woodhall Spa, Hotchkin Course

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Lincolnshire's Woodhall Spa is one of the truly great venues of English golf and its challenging Hotchkin Course is inarguably one of the very best inland layouts in the country.

Ryan loves it as its high placing in this top ten proves.

3. Turnberry, Ailsa Course

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Returning to the majestic coastline of Ayrshire, Turnberry has rich championship history, but its Ailsa Course has evolved and been changed over recent years, which are enhancements that have made an already remarkable layout even better.

It's certainly an expensive course to play, but Ryan believes that its qualities justify a real bucket list round.

2. St Andrews, The Old Course

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

The most historic venue in the game, there is nowhere else quite like the town of St Andrews and its fabled Old Course, which offers a soulful experience that Ryan fully embraces. 

If you haven't been here and walked in the footsteps of legends, it's a must for every golfer.

1. Pebble Beach Golf Links

Finally, how does one top St Andrews? Well, Pebble Beach is a strong candidate! Ryan had the chance to play this iconic and visually spectacular layout in California some years ago and the memories of that day reside prominently in his mind.

Completing a pretty special top ten, those are Ryan's favourite golf courses that he's played.

If you wish to learn more about his reasoning for each pick, you should watch the video below.

Are These Courses Every Golfer Should Play?

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