Golf Digest Volvo Top 100 Ranked Golf Courses in Ireland 2016

December 4, 2015 Brian Keogh

Royal County Down

The selections will infuriate many but it's that time of the year again and the “Golf Digest Volvo Top 100 Ranked Golf Courses in Ireland" for 2016 is out. It will not leave you indifferent.

There is little change at the upper end of the scale with Royal County Down, Portmarnock, Royal Portrush and Lahinch occupying the top four places and the rest of the big guns remaining unchanged or moving no more than a place or two.

No doubt Co Louth will feel they deserve a place in the Top 10 and it would certainly be among my favourites. But with some many great courses to choose from, numbering the best ones from 1 to 100 is a thankless task, no doubt. Thankfully, I have nothing to do with the process and like every other reader, I wonder why this favourite or that hasn't been given a mention or why others appear to rise higher with each passing year.

Suffice to say that it's a good thing that clubs like historic North West in Co Donegal is included this year and that St Margaret's in Co Dublin is making a comeback.

With so many clubs working hard to improve their facilities, I'd predict major changes in the rankings over the coming years. At least, I'd like to see them.

Whatever you may think about the merit of some of the placings, debate is healthy.

For what it's worth, here's Golf Digest Ireland's take on their list and how it was compiled:

Golf Digest Ireland have developed and refined the rankings process in recent years to be a very detailed and forensic undertaking.

The thorough nature of the rankings process can be gleaned from the fact that at the beginning of each year Golf Digest Ireland write to every Irish golf club across the island of Ireland, with an 18-hole course and ask if any upgrade work has been undertaken over the previous 12 months or if they felt their previous position in the previous Golf Digest Volvo rankings was not justified.
Golf Digest Ireland then collates all of the replies into a list, combined with the “Golf Digest Volvo Top 100 Ranked Golf Courses in Ireland” from the previous year.

Also included are the leading 30 Irish golf clubs, which did not make the previous year’s rankings so that they can be scheduled for detailed consideration and review.

Pádraig O’hUiginn, the former Secretary-General of the Department of An Taoiseach from 1982-1993, Chairman of Fáilte Ireland and the man who played an important part in securing the 2006 Ryder Cup for Ireland has continued in the role as Chairman of the Senior Panel for the “2016 Golf Digest Volvo Top 10 Ranked Golf Courses in Ireland”.

Voting Senior Panelists 2016

Linton Walsh. Editor of Golf Digest Ireland,
Christy O’Connor Jnr. Irish golfing legend, Ryder Cup player and golf course designer,
John Kelly. St. Margaret’s GC PGA Professional and Director of Golf,
Phil Collins. Galgorm Castle GC, PGA Professional,
Alan McDonnell., Head Greenkeeper at Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort,
Mark Magowan. PGA Professional and former professional tour caddie,
David O’Donovan. Secretary Manager, County Sligo Golf Club,
Veronica MacGreevy. Irish amateur golfer and member of Royal County Down Golf Club,
Lynn McCool. Former Ladies European Tour player, PGA professional at Lough Erne Resort.
Kyra Donworth. Golf Tour Operator and international amateur golfer,
Sean Coyne. Irish amateur International and Director at Killarney Golf & Fishing Club
Rory Fitzgerald. Irish amateur golfer and Golf Digest Readers Panel Representative.

This year over 2,427 golfers applied to the Golf Digest Readers’ Panel and Golf Digest Ireland selected 80 GUI and ILGU registered golfers of all handicaps and from across the island of Ireland to join the Golf Digest Ireland Readers Panel and submit their findings.

The selected 80 Readers Panel participants attended a 2016 Golf Digest Ireland Readers Panel briefing earlier this year in March where they were trained in the process ahead. The 2016 Readers Panel then went on to visit, play and assess multiple Irish golf courses.

The Readers Panel generated over 1,496 reports and Readers Panel ranking scores on Irish golf clubs across the country, which accounted for 25% per cent of the final vote.

The 2016 Readers Panel findings, reports and scores were analysed and discussed in detail providing valuable insight from the first-hand experience of Irish male and female golfers from all over the country.

Golf Digest Ireland would like to extend our thanks and gratitude to everyone who took part in the “Golf Digest Volvo Top 100 Ranked Golf Courses in Ireland 2016” rankings from the Senior Panel to the Readers Panel and to all the Irish golf courses, who extended their hospitality
to Golf Digest Ireland to visit and play their golf courses.

2016 GOLF DIGEST VOLVO TOP 100 RANKED GOLF COURSES IN IRELAND

2016 Rank. (Last year)

(1) Royal County Down
(2) Portmarnock Golf Club (Old)
(3) Royal Portrush Golf Club
(4) Lahinch Golf Club
(5) Waterville Golf Links
(6) Ballybunion Golf Club (The Old Course)
(7) Tralee Golf Club
(8) The European Club
(9) Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort
(11) County Sligo Golf Club
(12) Ballyliffin Golf Club (Glashedy)
(10) County Louth Golf Club (Baltray)
(13) The Island Golf Club
(14) Old Head Golf Links
(15) Enniscrone Golf Club
(18) Portstewart Golf Club (Strand Course)
(16) Belmullet Golf Club (Carne Golf Links)
((17) Ballyliffin Golf Club (Old Links)
(19) Mount Juliet Golf Club
(21) The K Club (Palmer Course)
(20) Donegal Golf Club (Murvagh Links)
(23) Portsalon Golf Club
(22) Killeen Castle Golf Club
(28) Trump International Golf Links, Doonbeg
(26) Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links
(25) Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Resort (Sandy Hills)
(31) Lough Erne Resort, Faldo Course
(24) Dooks Golf Club
(27) The Royal Dublin Golf Club
(30) Fota Island Hotel & Golf Resort (Deerpark)
(29) Carlow Golf Club
(33) Narin And Portnoo Golf Club
(34) Druids Glen Hotel & Golf Resort
(32) Carton House Hotel & Golf Resort (Montgomerie Course)
(37) Concra Wood Golf Club
(36) Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Resort (Old Tom Morris Course)
(40) Killarney Golf & Fishing Club (Killeen Course)
(39) Slieve Russell Hotel & Country Club
(35) Cork Golf Club
(38) Connemara Golf Links
(41) Castlerock Golf Club
(42) Headfort Golf Club (New)
(43) Palmerstown Stud
(45) Carton House Hotel & Golf Resort (O’Meara Course)
(47) Malone Golf Club
(46) Seapoint Golf Club
(49) The K Club (Smurfit Course)
(50) Belvoir Park Golf Club
(53) Dun Laoghaire Golf Club
(48) Royal Portrush Golf Club (Valley Course)
(55) Tramore Golf Club
(51) Bunclody Golf Club
(44) The Heritage Golf Club
(56) Ballybunion Golf Club (Cashen Course)
(52) Portumna Golf Club
(54) Luttrellstown Castle Golf Club
(59) Arklow Golf Links
(57) Hermitage Golf Club
(60) Royal Belfast Golf Club
(61) Clandeboye Golf Club
(58) Powerscourt Golf Club (West Course)
(63) Dromoland Castle Golf Club
(62) Castletroy Golf Club (New)
(65) Mount Wolseley Hotel & Golf Resort
(70) Strandhill Golf Club
(66) Powerscourt Golf Club (East Course)
(67) Tullamore Golfm Club
(72) Galgorm Castle Golf Club
(79) Galway Bay Golf Resort
(64) Farnham Estate Hotel & Golf Resort
(68) Westport Golf Club
(69) Rosslare Golf Club
(71) Esker Hills Golf Club
(73) Glasson Country House Hotel & Golf Club
(75) Dingle Golf Links (Ceann Sibheal)
(78) Shannon Golf Club
(81) Ballinrobe Golf Club
(74) Druids Glen Hotel & Golf Resort (Druids Heath)
(77) Castlemartyr Hotel & Golf Resort
(83) Knightsbrook Hotel & Golf Resort
(84) Tulfarris Hotel & Golf Resort
(80) Laytown & Bettystown Golf Club
(82) Mullingar Golf Club
(85) Dundalk Golf Club
(86) Grange Golf Club
(88) Castle Golf Club
(90) St. Anne’s Golf Links
(87) Galway Golf Club
(89) Ardglass Golf Links
(91) Blainroe Golf Club
(New) St. Margaret’s Golf Club
(94) New Forest Golf Club
(95) Killarney Golf & Fishing Club (Mahony’s Point)
(96) Woodenbridge Golf Club
(92) Headfort (Old Course)
(93) Balbriggan Golf Club
(97) Moyola Park Golf Club
(New) Moyvalley Hotel & Golf Resort
(New) North West Golf Club
(100) Macreddin Golf Club

2016 GOLF DIGEST VOLVO TOP 30 PARKLAND GOLF COURSES IN IRELAND

(1) Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort
(2) Old Head Golf Links
(3) Mount Juliet Golf Club
(4) The K Club (Palmer Course)
(5) Killeen Castle Golf Club
(8) Lough Erne Resort – Faldo Course
(7) Fota Island Hotel & Golf Resort (Deerpark)
(6) Carlow Golf Club
(10) Druids Glen Hotel & Golf Resort
(9) Carton House (Montgomerie Course)
(12) Concra Wood Golf Club
(14) Killarney Golf & Fishing Club (Killeen Course)
(13) Slieve Russell Hotel & Country Club
(11) Cork Golf Club
(15) Headfort Golf Club (New)
(16) Palmerstown Stud
(18) Carton House (O’Meara Course)
(19) Malone Golf Club
(20) The K Club (Smurfit Course)
(21) Belvoir Park Golf Club
(24) Dun Laoghaire Golf Club
(26) Tramore Golf Club
(22) Bunclody Golf Club
(17) The Heritage Golf Club
(23) Portumna Golf Club
(25) Luttrellstown Castle Golf Club
(27) Hermitage Golf Club
(29) Royal Belfast Golf Club
(30) Clandeboye Golf Club
(28) Powerscourt Golf Club (West Course)

2016 GOLF DIGEST VOLVO HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Gowran Park Golf Club
CastleKnock Golf Club
Dunfanaghy Golf Club
Athlone Golf Club
Dundrum House Golf Club
Kilkeel Golf Club
Hilton Templepatrick Golf Club
Roe Park Resort
Naas Golf Club
Newlands Golf Club
Lee Valley Golf Club
Ring of Kerry Golf Club
Limerick Golf Club
Roganstown Golf & Country Club
Royal Curragh Golf Club
Kirkstown Castle Golf Club
Corballis Golf Club
Skellig Bay Golf Club
Bantry Bay Golf Club
Royal Tara Golf Club
Glen Of the Downs Golf Club
Dunmurry Springs Golf Club
Lucan Golf Club
Birr Golf Club

Irish Golf Desk