Top 100 Golf Courses in the U.S. and the World

The world’s best golfers endure perpetual scrutiny. But the world’s best courses? Not so much.

Sure, some enjoy bursts of publicity when hosting Tiger, Phil and Co., but most toil quietly, verdant masterpieces played — and critiqued — by a fortunate few. That is why our biannual ranking of the Top 100 Courses in the U.S. and the World is so meaningful. Whether you agree with the results or not, these are the most thorough and respected rankings in golf — and a banner celebration of the greatest courses on the planet.

Pine Valley remains the undisputed king of the rankings, topping both the U.S. and World lists, but this year 14 newcomers have made the breakthrough. One of them — Chambers Bay in Washington State — cracked our World Top 100 despite being newer than some of the balls in your bag.

The first-timers represent a staggering variety of imagination and destinations, spanning the globe from Portugal to the Monterey Peninsula. Congratulations to each, and welcome to the club.

Tags: Balls, Breakthrough, Celebration, Chambers Bay, First Timers, Globe, Golfers, Imagination, Masterpieces, Monterey Peninsula, Newcomers, Portugal, Publicity, Scrutiny, Staggering Variety, Tiger, Top 100 Golf Courses, Undisputed King, Washington State, Welcome To The Club