Golf Monthly Top 100 GB&I

The Golf Monthly Great Britain & Ireland Top 100 is one of the longest established ranking lists after being founded in 2004 and, in a change to the norm, in recent years has been compiled by a panel of readers. It is published every two years with the latest version released in April 2025.

The magazine elect not to include some private/exclusive golf clubs which do not allow or, at best, do not actively offer visitor green-fees without a member introduction. This meant no place for Loch Lomond, Skibo Castle, Ardfin, Wentworth (West), Renaissance, JCB and Queenwood (all of which do feature in comparable lists to some degree from Golf World Magazine, National Club Golfer and the Top 100 website).

There is a massive 12 golf courses included in the Golf Monthly ranking which do not feature in any of the other three publications. Part of this is due to the 7 exclusive venues mentioned above not being eligible. However, Golf Monthly's criteria does differ a little more than the three other lists taking into account more things away from the actual course. This is not necessarily a bad thing but it does make the list appear more out of kilter with its counterparts.

All three layouts at Woburn (Dukes, Marquess & Duchess) can only be found in the Golf Monthly list.

Druids Glen and Mount Juliet are also included but are not in the other three publications. Murcar, Blairgowrie (Rosemount), Tandridge, Saunton (West), St. Andrews Castle, Dundonald and Royal North Devon are seven others that just squeak in here but cannot be seen elsewhere.

On the other hand, the omissions (courses which appear in Golf World, National Club Golfer and Top 100 but not here in the Golf Monthly list) are Pennard, Brora, The Addington and Machrihanish Dunes.

On a personal level it is my least favourite list as it ventures further away from criteria I personally judge a golf course on.

Golf Monthly also produce a 101 to 200 list but frustratingly they do not publish this in any sort of order (except alphabetical) so it is difficult to know which venues came close to making the top 100. The only course of some note that does not make the 'next 100' is Royal Worlington & Newmarket.

View their list here.

Golf Empire founder, Ed Battye, has played the majority of courses on the list (98 out of 100) and below you can find links to his golf course reviews with his own personal thoughts.

You can also check out our combined Great Britain & Ireland Top 100 Golf Courses from the four main rankings.