Top 100 Courses 2017 - Golf Digest Ireland

Kevinmarkham

The rankings are out for 2017.

Here you go. Top 100 Ranking.

There will be another ranking coming our way in the next couple of months... the comparisons will be fascinating!

dan_ep82

I've played 8 from that list, hope to add to it.

fred funk }{

We really have a lot of incredible courses for such a small country.

FixdePitchmark

Played 45 of them.

Will try get that up to 60 this year.

htp

some strange movements in the list.

FixdePitchmark

Don't get Portmarnock at the top all the time.

Putt it there

Ceann Sibéal (Dingle) should be much higher .

neckedit

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Don't get Portmarnock at the top all the time.

It's a great course..... but one man's meade etc

thewobbler

I've played 40 of them now.

My own golf journey, which has gone from an initial love of championship parklands to adulation of dune-heavy links, right through to a full appreciation for classic parklands,has seen me derive a simple 2 part calculation for favourite courses. Marks out of 10 for memorability and marks out of 10 for playability. I've come to the conclusion that everything else we talk about ultimately gets factored into those two weightings.

By my (peculiar) calculations, the two best courses I've played so far (by a clear head) are Murvagh and Druids Glen. Courses I'd happily play every day forever.

Played RCD again lately (6th time) and I'm growing less enamoured with the place. It's simply too cruel in places, and the last 6 holes would honestly be marked down anywhere else but on its exalted land. It's a treat to play but that's not in my mind enough for its perennial top position.

luvthegame

thewobbler wrote: »

,has seen me derive a simple 2 part calculation for favourite courses. Marks out of 10 for memorability and marks out of 10 for playability.

Its a well worn path here in terms of discussing rankings etc but the bottom line is how do they do it.? I have been a readers panel assessor for golf digest. Here was the rating scheme when I did it

Each course you played marked out of 70;
Shotmaking 20pts
Scenery 10
Design Variety 10
Memorability 10
Playability 10
Conditions 10

We were given very good guidelines on how to interpret each category from AllyMcIntosh. You sent in your review with your ratings and explanations for each category. In reality though the readers panel has a very small percentage of the overall vote. It doesn't really influence the list much IMO.

You cannot create a ranking list without some structure. A course architect, professional, low handicap and high handicap are not going to see a course in the same way. Its never ideal but I think they do a relatively good job. However a list of 100 is too big. A top 30 - 40 would suffice and then just put the others in categories IMO.

Golf is supposed to be FUN. So you play the courses you think are memorable. Not everyone has to agree on everything.

slave1

Can't understand Shannon's position, Farnham has gone downhill considerably too with boggy conditions worsening.
I'm a reviewer and have played 60 of them, absolutely love it, virtually all my time of work now is course reviews (outside family holidays abroad).
My favourite course last year was Ardglass, blew me away (almost quite literally!)

Kevinmarkham

For anyone interested, I've just updated the blog. The magazine's final list and the list I was provided with (to their online ranking) were slightly different...

... but it's a big difference: Portmarnock drops to number 3, while Royal Portrush rises to number 2. The North now gets bragging rights to the top two courses!

Rum Ham!

I've only played 11, some really great course in this country. Would like to get to a few more this year.

billy3sheets

I reckon I've played between 30 and 34 but some were a long time ago, maybe 25 plus years!
Biggest surprises for me were:
Laytown Bettystown - played an open there last year and would not rate it highly at all
Arklow - ok but not a Top 100 course
Roganstown - think it's a Top 100 course

It's an incredible list though. Roughly 25% of the courses on the island is think.

Lots of decent courses around the Waterford-Tipperary-Kilkenny region as well as Dublin area which I've played are nowhere near the list.

HighLine

Probably biased with it being my home course but was surprised not to see Wicklow GC on there. It was in stunning condition last year and the greens are very hard to beat.
Elsewhere I would have Druids Glen higher than 30. Macreddin a lot higher than 94 and Carton House - Montgomerie a LOT lower than 36... maybe 70+.

fred funk }{

HighLine wrote: »

Probably biased with it being my home course but was surprised not to see Wicklow GC on there. It was in stunning condition last year and the greens are very hard to beat.
Elsewhere I would have Druids Glen higher than 30. Macreddin a lot higher than 94 and Carton House - Montgomerie a LOT lower than 36... maybe 70+.

It's all about who spends the most on advertising (so I'm told).

mafc

fred funk }{ wrote: »

It's all about who spends the most on advertising (so I'm told).

Heard this too from a very reliable source, so I look at that list and take it with a grain of salt.

golfer555

So in that sense the Farnham Estate must be paying a bucket load to be so high up.

FixdePitchmark

mafc wrote: »

Heard this too from a very reliable source, so I look at that list and take it with a grain of salt.

But even if a factor - not too many arguments within the tolerance of debate in top 25 there.

Only one that seems out of place there is K club ? , but haven't played it.

Golfgraffix

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

But even if a factor - not too many arguments within the tolerance of debate in top 25 there.

Only one that seems out of place there is K club ? , but haven't played it.

To be fair, the Palmer Course is very good as parkland courses go.

Delighted to see my home course move up two to 23.

J

billy3sheets

Ahem.
Where's Adare Manor?
I know it's in Co Limerick but seems to have gone from 9th in 2016 ranking to nowhere this year.

morrga

billy3sheets wrote: »

Ahem.
Where's Adare Manor?
I know it's in Co Limerick but seems to have gone from 9th in 2016 ranking to nowhere this year.

Not considered for inclusion this year because it is closed for renovation. If the links fascination is toned down a bit, it will go close to number 1 when it's Augusta styled course reopens later this year.

billy3sheets

morrga wrote: »

Not considered for inclusion this year because it is closed for renovation. If the links fascination is toned down a bit, it will go close to number 1 when it's Augusta styled course reopens later this year.

Ah okay. I thought I heard that but nothing on the website.

Golfgraffix

morrga wrote: »

Not considered for inclusion this year because it is closed for renovation. If the links fascination is toned down a bit, it will go close to number 1 when it's Augusta styled course reopens later this year.

From what I have seen of the renovations it will be the number one park land, stunning changes.

J

slave1

Golfgraffix wrote: »

From what I have seen of the renovations it will be the number one park land, stunning changes.

J

It already was, and has been for many years, think it's all about getting the RC

plumber77

slave1 wrote: »

It already was, and has been for many years, think it's all about getting the RC

I doubt it will be as accessible to the club golfer once it's finished though.

Linton Walsh

To Note: The Golf Digest Ireland Top 100 Ranking Panel meeting took place last October in County Sligo. The Golf Digest Ireland Top 100 rankings were finalised at this meeting and this list has NOT been changed in any way since. The Golf Digest Ireland Top 100 Rankings published by Kevin Markham last Friday was incorrect. The note posted yesterday by Kevin Markham, stating that the list had been updated following a late rankings change by the magazine is completely untrue, disappointing and unacceptable. Kevin Markham has today stated that this was his error. To view the correct Golf Digest Ireland Top 100 Irish Golf Course Rankings visit golfdigestTop100.ie.

HighLine

You registered just to slate another long term poster? Hmmm.

Perhaps you could enlighten us as to how you come up with your top 100 list?

Linton Walsh

Check out the panel - How many people on it would put their name to it if it had anything to do with advertising?

Ally McIntosh

HighLine wrote: »

You registered just to slate another long term poster? Hmmm.

Perhaps you could enlighten us as to how you come up with your top 100 list?

Linton is just ensuring the right information is out there. I think that's fair.

Having sat on the panel for 5 years up until the 2015 rankings, I know that they had nothing to do with advertising and were completely independent so it always amused me when that one was consistently trotted out.

I do think 5 years was enough for me though. I'd run my course in regards to constructive input and it was starting to feel like a repeat process. A biennial Top-50 might be more meaningful (or at least having a second fifty that were not numbered).

Not sure who made up the panel this year. I'd like to know the caliber of the decision makers.

Linton Walsh

Telling the truth and presenting the facts shouldn't be confused with slating anybody.

In terms of the process, each year Golf Digest Ireland writes to all Irish Golf Clubs and asks if they they have completed any upgrade work or if they would like a member of the panel to visit their golf club.

The replies are added to last years Golf Digest Ireland Top 100 ranked golf courses and the top 30/40 golf courses, who did not make it into last years rankings. This list of circa 140 golf clubs then becomes the list of golf courses to be accessed during the upcoming year.

We have two panels, one made up of industry professionals from different sectors within the Irish Golf Industry: green keepers, general managers, PGA pro's, elite amateur golfers, tour operators etc. This is our senior panel.

The second panel is made up of 70/80 readers. The selection of this panel is based on gender, handicap and geographical location. The aim is to get each course on the list accessed by golfers of different handicaps and gender, 4/5 times at different times throughout the year.

Each one will meet the General manager or club official to get an update on any upgrade work which has taken place. He or she will then play the course and submit their assessment to the magazine. These course assessments go on throughout the summer.

At the end of the golfing season, the Senior Panel meets up for two days of discussion and debate. We begin with the Top 10 golf courses from last year and discuss the possible courses that could possible make it into the Top 10. These are in the main, golf courses who were ranked 11 - 15 in last year list, but not always.

We then discuss the golf courses in the Top 10 that could possible slip out of the Top 10. Any letter received from any golf club in this bracket is read out, along with assessments and scores from our Readers Panel. Once we have discussed this, we then write down the list of 15 golf courses and we vote on them. The result of this vote gives us the golf clubs who will be in the Top 10 section (not in any position).

We then discuss which clubs could come out of the Top 5 and which clubs could go into the Top 5. These two sections (not final positions) are verbally agreed around the table. We then discuss and debate the Top 5. On this is completed, we do a secret vote around the table - add up the scores and this gives us the actual positions of the Top 5. We repeat this for the second section, places 6-10 and this gives us the positions 6-10. This process is repeated for position 11- 20 and then repeated again throughout the entire list.

Once the list is completed, we add in the readers scores which counts for 25% of the overall vote. At the end of the second day we review every club and their position on the list and if it is felt that a club's position is incorrect a vote is taken and it is either moved or it is not. Once this list has been reviewed it becomes the final rankings to be signed off by the magazine.

The whole process takes eight months to complete and involves circa. 100 Irish golfers.

The rankings is hugely important to the brand and also to Irish golf clubs. I know people who have lost their jobs because of their course ranking. There is a great responsibility on the magazine to produce fair and accurate rankings of golf courses in Ireland. We do this thorough the people we use - industry experts and ordinary golfers and with a transparent process. As a result the Golf Digest Ireland Top 100 rankings have become the industry standard for the best golf courses in Ireland.

Over the years the process and the people has evolved into what it is today. Nothing is perfect, but I don't know of a golf magazine in the Europe that goes to so much trouble to produce a rankings or includes so many ordinary golfers their assessments.