{"id":8182,"date":"2021-01-19T10:24:23","date_gmt":"2021-01-19T15:24:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/?p=8182"},"modified":"2021-01-19T10:24:42","modified_gmt":"2021-01-19T15:24:42","slug":"explore-the-best-public-golf-courses-in-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/explore-the-best-public-golf-courses-in-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Explore the Best Public Golf Courses in the World"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Since the first Roman swung a stick at a stuffed ball way back in 44BC, the sport of golf’s grown in leaps and bounds. Today, the golfing industry’s worth a staggering $3.66 billion<\/a> and is one of the fastest-growing recreational activities on Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent times, the sport’s received even more of a boost due to its relatively isolated nature, allowing people to enjoy fresh air and exercise while remaining socially removed from one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re toying with the idea of hanging up your gym kit and grabbing a golf club instead, here’s a snapshot of the world’s best public golf courses to inspire and motivate you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Scotland’s Best Golf Courses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Scotland’s recognized as the birthplace of golf as we know it today, with early accounts of the sport dating back to the early 1600s<\/a>. So, it’s no surprise that this ancient country boasts several outstanding courses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are some of the best-known Scottish golf courses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump Turnberry, Ailsa<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Despite its already prestigious standing, Martin Ebert refurbished this beautiful Par 71 course during 2017 making it even better than before.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new ninth hole is now a super long par 3 with a new green reached by playing over the cliffs toward the lighthouse. This historic building doubles as a unique halfway house to fuel you for the tests ahead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, you’ll face a par 5 that teeters on the edge of the coastline and a thrilling short challenge across rocks and waves to the 11th green.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new design reinvents the long par 3 sixth hole so that the 18th now offers a dramatic end to your round traveling up the dunes toward the magnificent onsite hotel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

St Andrews Old Course<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

St Andrews is synonymous with golf in Scotland thanks to its long-established history dating back to 1754. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This bucket-list course has two short holes, seven double greens, and just two par fives at Swilcan Bridge and The Road. Despite its prestige, St Andrews is infinitely playable for all levels of golfer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s not the most challenging course on earth, but there’s something about St Andrews that has avid players camping overnight to secure a tee-time.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ireland’s Finest Public Golf Courses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It took years for the Scottish fascination for golf to spread to its neighbors in Ireland. The first official matches on the Emerald Isle took place during the 1800s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, there are over 350 golf clubs in Ireland, and these are some of the top courses to swing a club in the country:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Royal County Down<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Royal County Down holds pride of place with views over Dundrum Bay and the Mountains of Morne. Tom Morris designed the original course but at least six other architects have had an impact on this course in its 120-year history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The greens here are surprisingly flat, sandwiched between rugged terrain, testing bunkers, and plenty of blind shots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sea views, purple heather, and yellow gorse contrasted against these rolling greens contribute to this par 71 courses fame as one of the prettiest in the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ballybunion \u2013 The Old Course<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

According to The Consummate Pro<\/a>, Tom Watson once declared that every course designer should play Ballybunion before starting work on a project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tom Simpson designed this Par 71 course, in Ireland\u2019s County Kerry and it\u2019s consistently rated as one of the top courses in this country. It usually ranks among the top twenty worldwide too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The signature 11th hole butts right up against the ocean, making for a par-four challenge to test even the most accomplished player.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to its remote location, Ballybunion\u2019s been seriously short-changed when it comes to hosting important tournaments, apart from the 2000 Irish Open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is one of Bill Clinton\u2019s favorite courses and the nearby town has a statue of the former president wielding his golf club to celebrate this distinction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

England’s Leading Golf Courses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It didn’t take the English long to embrace the idea of golf either. The first matches took place around 1766 and today, the country’s awash with fine golfing challenges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take a look at these top English courses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Royal St George’s <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Located among the sand dunes adjacent to the English Channel. this quirky course features huge bunkers at the par-5 4th. These massive piles of sand are so enormous that they’re currently kept in place with heavy-duty railroad ties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the only open rota golf course in the south of England and a regular host of the British Open. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The club’s Challenge Cup has been on the go since 1888 and usually takes place over 36 holes. Interestingly, Jack Nicklaus won this event at the tender age of 19 before going on to greater things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swinley Forest<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

H.S. Colt designed this course, located just west of Sunningdale. It\u2019s best-known for its five par 3s, which each bring a unique challenge to the course. Apart from technical difficulty, these holes are particularly picturesque.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initially, the going’s on at this club were shrouded in mystery with restrictive membership confined to the upper echelons of society. Nowadays it’s open to all and offers a rewarding round to all who venture here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s a short, easy-to-play an enjoyable course with a warm sense of welcoming hospitality that makes up for its snobbish past. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Best Golf Courses in the USA<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Golf took off in America during 1650 when Dutch settlers near Fort Orange enjoyed the first recorded game. Since then, it’s spread to almost every state, and some of over 15,000 US offerings consistently rank among the best golf courses in the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are the best of the best in the US:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pebble Beach<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Pebble Beach is consistently ranked at No.1 in the USA. With nine holes perched over the cliffs and tempestuous Pacific waves, Pebble Beach offers a serious challenge to even the most experienced golfers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s why it’s a top choice for the USA Open, Pebble Beach hosted its sixth instance of this event in 2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, Arnold Palmer’s Design Company redesigned the once formidable 14th green and Par-3 17th green into infinitely more playable tests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best part about playing at the original Pebble Beach course is that you can now choose between several nearby courses to continue the fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The area’s now home to no less than three other excellent courses, namely Spyglass Hill, The Links at Spanish Bay, and Del Monte.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shadow Creek<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The country’s most expensive course comes with a few extra bells and whistles that you won’t find anywhere. In true Vegas style, the green fees include limo transport from your hotel as well as the chance to play what’s touted as Tom Fazio’s finest course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shadow Creek combines glamor, excitement, and world-class golf in one outing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyone can play at this prestigious course, as long as you’re staying at one of its affiliated MGM Mirage resorts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although this is a huge extra expense you do have the benefit of thousands of rooms to choose from, five-star dining, and plush spa experiences thrown in for good measure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Australia’s Top Golf Courses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Australians have embraced golf since 1839 and the country boasts several outstanding courses. With plenty of wide-open space to spare and varying landscapes, Australia offers the perfect blank canvas for accomplished course designers to strut their stuff. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the best golf courses in Australia include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Royal Melbourne<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Designed in 1926 by Alister MacKenzie, this par 72 course nestles into the natural rolling sandbelt contours of Black Rock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The greens imitate the surrounding lie of the land with crisp bunkers boasting foot-high edges slicing into the fairways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the holes are doglegs, so golfers with a keen sense of aim and supreme confidence can make little of the distances involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During championship play, holes 8, 9, and 13 through 16 fall away in favor of the adjacent East course, which is also among the continent’s top-rated challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kingston Heath<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Although Alister MacKenzie often gets credit for this course design, Des Soutar’s the real man behind the magic. This Australian golf professional designed the course way back in 1925.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MacKenzie only made a few minimal alterations to the bunkers. These long, sinewy sand traps are strategically placed to make the most of the windswept terrain. As such, they’ve wreaked havoc with even the most perfect rounds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kingston Heath’s hosted both the Australian Open and the Australian Matchplay Championship and gives Melbourne GC a run for its money in some respects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Amazing Courses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Golf’s spread to every corner of the Earth since it’s inception. As a result, there are several other interesting courses scattered across the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are some of the best ones:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Africa<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Located alongside the world-famous Kruger National Park, Leopard Creek offers the chance to enjoy a mini safari during your round of golf. Local denizens, like elephants, giraffes, and crocodiles are often spotted across the river.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Golfing icon Gary Player designed this course with a polished American-style layout featuring manmade ponds, streams,  and islands.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alternatively, you can go for the real deal at Skukuza golf course located inside the Kruger National Park, where the animals have free reign. You need an armed guide to limit your risk when you take on this South African golf course. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dubai<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Like everything in Dubai, Yas Links offers next-level design with no expense spared. American Kyle Phillips is the man behind the links-design of this course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yas Links is part of a huge entertainment complex that also features a Formula 1 racetrack and a Ferrari-themed amusement park. The course stretches out along a vast waterway leading to the Persian sea offering an invigorating and unusual challenge for most golfers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Zealand<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Like Royal County Down, Tara Iti makes excellent use of the lie of the land to create a challenging course with a wonderful natural flow. In fact, American designer Tom Doak took inspiration from several courses when designing this New Zealand contest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He took over two years sculpting the sandy soil into testing features reminiscent of Royal Dornoch, Cypress Point, and Royal St. George’s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Canada<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Canada’s Cabot Links in Nova Scotia looks and plays like a links course, although it’s not classified as one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Designer Rod Whitman carved this course out of a coastal coal mine staging area. Today it boasts generous, gentle greens, tame dunes, and an overall understated layout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The par-4 11th features a unique dogleg around the tidal yacht basin, posing a formidable, albeit unique challenge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Korea<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jack Nicklaus designed his namesake golf course in Incheon City in the shadow of the city skyscrapers. The course features a startling contrast to its surroundings with rolling greens, pines, and several water challenges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The artificial rocks edging these lakes create a coastal atmosphere, despite the inland location of the course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This golf course hosted the first Presidents Cup contest in Asia in 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

France<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Morfontaine Golf Course is one of the top challenges available in France. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tom Simpson designed this timeless course just north of Paris. You can tell by its design which mimics London\u2019s heathland courses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The windswept Scotch pines and clumps of heather are where the similarity ends though. This course is tighter than both Sunningdale and St. George\u2019s with a dense forest as an added test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More of the Best<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Are you ready to get out there and tackle the world\u2019s best public golf courses? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep browsing our blog for the best tips and information on where to go and how to enjoy a wide range of activities all over the world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Since the first Roman swung a stick at a stuffed ball way back in 44BC, the sport of golf’s grown in leaps and bounds. Today, the golfing industry’s worth a staggering $3.66 billion and is one of the fastest-growing recreational activities on Earth. In recent times, the sport’s received even more of a boost due to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8182"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8182"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8182\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8184,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8182\/revisions\/8184"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}