Planet Golf: Top 100 Courses Outside the U.S.
• Golf Digest: Top courses in 184 countries
Have clubs, will travel. You can anyway, now that you're armed with Planet Golf, our biennial look at places to play around the globe.
For the first time we've compiled a ranking of the top 100 courses outside the U.S., a list that encompasses 25 countries (Canada and Scotland are represented the most, with 13 courses apiece). In past years we also published rankings for 100 countries. This year we expanded our coverage to include practically every place where golf is played, 184 nations and territories in all. In short, this is the biggest survey of our planet's golf courses ever undertaken.
We made plenty of fascinating discoveries along the way. Like how great it must be to live on Christmas Island, which has only one golf course but a total population of just 396, most of whom don't play. Or Bermuda, which has nine courses packed into just 20 square miles. Some other findings:
• Approximate number of golf courses in the world: 31,857.
• Proportion of humans who are golfers: 0.94 percent.
• Countries with the most courses per capita (minimum 500,000 population): Scotland (9,379 people per course), New Zealand (10,374), Australia (11,063), Republic of Ireland (14,127), Northern Ireland (14,353), Canada (15,480), Wales (18,321), United States (18,514), Sweden (21,295), England (27,725).
• Countries with the highest density of courses (minimum 500,000 population): Singapore (one course every 10 square miles), England (27), Northern Ireland (40), Wales (50), Scotland (56), Japan (59), Netherlands (75), Mauritius (87), Republic of Ireland (95), Denmark (117).
• Most populous countries where we could find no evidence of golf: Ukraine (population 47,732,079), Sudan (39,148,162), Yemen (20,024,867), Mali (11,956,788), Belarus (10,310,520).
• Most northerly course: Sondie Arctic Desert G. Cse., Kangerlussuaq, Greenland.
• Most southerly: Ushuaia G.C., Argentina.
• Most easterly: Tonga G.C., Nukualofa, Tonga.
• Most westerly: Faleata C.C., Apia, Samoa.
• Ratio of courses in the U.S. to courses in the African continent: 20 to 1.
• Amount of earth's land mass devoted to golf courses: 0.014 percent.
Perhaps what we discovered most of all is that it really is a small world. Although not if you have to mow it.
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THE 100 BEST COURSES OUTSIDE THE U.S.
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1. St. Andrews (Old) St. Andrews, Scotland 2. Royal Melbourne G.C. (Composite) Black Rock, Australia 3. Royal Portrush G.C. (Dunluce) Portrush, N. Ireland 4. Royal County Down G.C. Newcastle, N. Ireland 5. Royal Dornoch G.C. (Championship) Dornoch, Scotland 6. Muirfield Gullane, Scotland 7. Ballybunion G.C. (Old) Ballybunion, Ireland 8. New South Wales G.C. Sydney, Australia 9. National G.C. Woodbridge, Canada 10. St. George's G. & C.C. Islington, Canada 11. Turnberry (Ailsa) Turnberry, Scotland 12. Carnoustie G.C. (Championship) Carnoustie, Scotland 13. Kingston Heath G.C. Melbourne, Australia 14. Hamilton G. & C.C. Ancaster, Canada 15. Royal Porthcawl G.C. Porthcawl, Wales 16. Royal St. George's G.C. Sandwich, England 17. Casa de Campo (Teeth of the Dog) La Romana, Dominican Republic 18. Sunningdale G.C. (Old) Sunningdale, England 19. Beacon Hall G.C. Aurora, Canada 20. Kingsbarns G. Links St. Andrews, Scotland 21. Loch Lomond G.C. Luss, Scotland 22. Highlands Links Cape Breton, Canada 23. Swinley Forest G.C. Ascot, England 24. Hirono G.C. Hyogo, Japan 25. Leopard Creek G. Estate & C.C. Malelane, South Africa 26. Royal Birkdale G.C. Southport, England 27. Lahinch G.C. (Old) Lahinch, Ireland 28. Golf de Morfontaine Morfontaine, France 29. Gary Player C.C. Sun City, S. Africa 30. Portmarnock G.C. (Old) Portmarnock, Ireland 31. Royal Westmoreland G. & C.C. St. James, Barbados 32. Royal Adelaide G.C. Adelaide, Australia 33. Le Golf National (L'Albatros) Guyancourt, France 34. Royal Troon G.C. (Old) Troon, Scotland 35. The National G.C. (Moonah) Cape Schanck, Australia 36. Royal Lytham and St. Annes G.C. Lytham St. Annes, England 37. Cruden Bay G.C. Cruden Bay, Scotland 38. San Lorenzo G.C. Almancil, Algarve, Portugal 39. Macrihanish G.C. Campbeltown, Scotland 40. Tokyo G.C. Saitama, Japan 41. Woodhall Spa G.C. (Hotchkin) Woodhall Spa, England 42. Ganton G.C. Ganton, England 43. Les Bordes Beaugency, France 44. Kasumigaseki C.C. (East) Saitama, Japan 45. Mid Ocean Club Tucker's Town, Bermuda 46. Redtail G. Cse. Port Stanley, Canada 47. Cape Kidnappers G.C. Hawke's Bay, New Zealand 48. Domaine Imperial G.C. Gland, Switzerland 49. Barnbougle Dunes G. Links Bridport, Tasmania, Australia 50. Taman Dayu G.C. Pasuruan, Indonesia 51. Spring City G. & Lake Resort (Lake) Kunming, China 52. Spring City G. & Lake Resort (Mountain) Kunming, China 53. Playa Dorada G. Cse. Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic 54. Wairakei International G. Cse. Taupo, New Zealand 55. Santa Elena G.C. (RTJ2) Cabuyao, Laguna, Philippines 56. Capilano G.C. West Vancouver, Canada 57. Russley G.C. Christchurch, New Zealand 58. Puerto Azul G.C. Ternate, Cavite, Philippines 59. The Links at Fancourt George, South Africa 60. Paraparaumu Beach G.C. Paraparaumu Beach, New Zealand 61. The European Club Brittas Bay, Ireland 62. Durban C.C. Durban, South Africa 63. Cabo del Sol G.C. (Ocean) Los Cabos, Mexico 64. G.C. de Barbaroux Brignoles, France 65. Western Gailes G.C. Irvine, Scotland 66. Metropolitan G.C. Melbourne, Australia 67. Royal St. David's G.C. Harlech, Wales 68. The Lakes G.C. Sydney, Australia 69. Saujana G. & C.C. (Bunga Raya) Selangor, Malaysia 70. The Mines Resort & G.C. Selangor, Malaysia 71. Royal Montreal G.C. (Blue) Ile Bizard, Canada 72. Pinx G.D. Jeju Island, South Korea 73. Royal Liverpool G.C. Hoylake, England 74. Greywolf G.C. Panorama, Canada 75. Valderrama G.C. Sotogrande, Spain 76. The Gulf Harbour C.C. Whangaparaoa, New Zealand 77. Banff Springs G.C. (Stanley Thompson) Banff, Canada 78. Angus Glen G.C. (South) Markham, Canada 79. Lynx at Kingswood Park Fredericton, Canada 80. Aberdovey G.C. Aberdovey, Wales 81. Fox Harb'r G. Resort & Spa Wallace, Canada 82. Buenos Aires G.C. Bella Vista, Buenos Aires, Argentina 83. Shenzhen G.C. Shenzhen, China 84. Vilamoura G.C. (Old) Vilamoura, Portugal 85. Luisita G.C. Tarlac, Philippines 86. North Berwick G.C. North Berwick, Scotland 87. Kawana Hotel G.C. (Fiji) Shizuoka, Japan 88. Yalong Bay G.C. Hainan Island, China 89. Emirates G.C. (Majlis) Dubai, United Arab Emirates 90. Rye G.C. Rye, England 91. Sotogrande G.C. Sotogrande, Spain 92. Waterville G. Links Waterville, Ireland 93. Kauri Cliffs G.C. & Lodge Northland, New Zealand 94. Olivos G.C. Buenos Aires, Argentina 95. Wentworth G.C. (West) Virginia Water, England 96. Mission Hills G.C. (World Cup) Shenzhen, China 97. Jockey Club (Colorada) San Isidro, Buenos Aires, Argentina 98. St. Andrews (New) St. Andrews, Scotland 99. Golf de Fontainebleau Fontainebleau, France 100. Arabella Estate & G.C. Kleinmond, South Africa |
http://sports.espn.go.com/travel/gallery/gallery?id=3189100Text provided by Golf Digest.
