Top 10 Famous Golf Courses
Golf is a game played worldwide and since RunRex ships golf clubs to many golf resorts around the world we have sampled some of the best golf courses. There are also the famous golf courses that are famed for their history or sheer beauty. Here are the top ten most famous golf courses.
St. Andrews Old Course, Scotland
This course is probably the most famous of all time. 29 Open Championships have taken place in this course, which is no minimal achievement. The Old Course also has a rich history, having come into operation in the 15th century. The course’s history brands it the birthplace of golf and teeing off on the course feels like a pilgrimage. Despite its mileage, the Old Course still maintains its beauty due to its rolling greens and resounding sand traps.
Augusta National Golf Club
Home to the Masters’ tournament, this course in Augusta, Georgia also has a rich history and a vast landscape. The course has been reworked many times over, and it is this pursuit of excellence that makes it look like golf paradise. Its mark on the golfing calendar since 1934 also adds to its praise. Apart from its beauty, the course is also famed for its toughness, being home to the “Amen Corner” which is three of the toughest holes in golf.
Royal County Down
The view from this course is breathtaking. Located in Northern Ireland, the Royal County Down sits just on the shores of the Irish Sea overlooking the Morne Mountains. The course has some major golfing competitions on its portfolio such as the Curtis Cup, Palmer Cup, and the local Irish Open. Don’t let its beauty fool you, as the sea breeze and tussock covered bunkers are unforgiving to any golfer bold enough to take on the club’s courses.
Cape Kidnappers
The name of this course should give you a hint of its nature. Cape Kidnappers in New Zealand winds on top of steep ridges overlooking the ocean. The lack of water hazards and trees is just a small relief for the visionary architectural toughness of this course. The tilted greens and steep ravines only make the game more enjoyable. The 15th hole is strategically located near the edge of a ridge overlooking the ocean and requires you to master your skill and control.
Pine Valley Golf Club
Although this club does not have any major tournaments to its name, the Pine Valley Golf Club in New Jersey is one of the finest golf courses due to its strategic design. Its privacy and location further heighten the course’s appeal. The open sandy slopes make the course look like an oasis in the desert.
Muirfield
This course also carries a piece of golfing history as it hosts the oldest golfing society. Located in Scotland, Muirfield has also hosted major golfing events having held the Open Championships for 16 times. The clockwise and counter-clockwise front and back-nine plays make the course a demanding venue.
Pebble Beach Golf Links
Located in California, this golf course has beautiful scenery on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. The bunkers are located strategically on the edge of a ridge, and one wrong swing will send your ball into the Pacific hazard. Pebble Beach is one of the Tour stops, and it has also hosted major events such as the U.S. Opens. The shore lining holes will give you an adrenaline rush as you clench in anticipation. Pebble Beach is also open to the public, although the charges are quite high.
Royal Melbourne Golf Club
Located in Melbourne Australia, the East 18-hole course of this club scoops the award for the best golf course in Australia. The course is a regular venue for Australian amateur tournaments. The course also ranks high due to its antique merit, being the oldest golf club in Australia. The large bunkers lining the stellar greens give the course an aesthetic appeal and offer an excellent challenge to golfers.
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
Being the first club to admit female members in the United States, this golf course has history on its side. Further, its clubhouse also earns it praise since it was the first in the U.S. and its classic architecture still looks magnificent to this day. The course has also hosted four U.S. Opens. Although the course is among the oldest in the United States, its initial design was so incredible that it has not seen much change in decades. The rolling terrain and fast winds from the Atlantic Ocean team up to offer a good test to any golfer’s ability.
Cypress Point Club
Another public course in California, Cypress Point Club shows its magnificence through the incredible reworking of a rugged terrain. The course lines the shores of the Pacific Ocean which also acts as an ideal water hazard. The course is short, mainly due to the rough terrain, but it also presents endless challenges.