Top 100 Golf Courses in Scotland

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TOP 100 SCOTLAND 2015 HOW WE PRODUCED THE LIST As with last month’s Top 100 Courses in England, we must quickly get to the matter in hand. Much of this page has the same content as for the English Top 100, so I’m afraid it will be tedious for those who read it last month. This time, we focus even more strongly on courses not in the GB&I Top 100; to those 28 courses, usually those receiving all the attention, we devote just two pages. It is also a real pleasure to add three panellists for this ranking: Alan McPherson, who has played 661 of the 692 courses (of all types!) he has tracked down in Scotland (read more on p14); Neal Stewart, who has played 548 of those more widely recognised; and Dougie Donnelly, a broadcaster on golf, football and snooker among other sports and who is a ‘weel-kent’ face as we’d say north of the border. Terrific to have them on board, and this is how they helped devise the list. WHO DECIDED THE POSITIONS? Our panel of readers, who are efectively ‘Mystery Shoppers’. They visit the courses unannounced, pay the green fee and make their judgements. The list (and the Next 100) is an amalgamation of their opinions. DO YOU ‘MARK’ EACH COURSE? No. This is done by other rankings inside and outside golf, but at this time the panel purely rank the course using a ‘mental’ aggregate of the various factors*. A numerical breakdown might well add ballast but it’s not something I personally yearn for, at least not until every panellist has played every course and we can thus produce a valid statistical breakdown. At the moment, producing one would in my opinion be no more useful than the ‘mental’ ranking. Watch this space – although I am more keen on getting a large panel who’ve played every single course. That would, in my view, further improve our Top 100 lists. WHAT ARE THE FACTORS* IN ASSESSING? This seems obvious to me, but people do ask; we ask panellists to consider strategic merit, presentation, memorable holes, playability, consistency of test and visual appeal. But not anything of the course. DO TOUR PROS OR ARCHITECTS FEATURE? Many others use ‘celebrity’ panellists, and GW has done in the past – but I just don’t see how even the most famous Tour player or the most feted architect can add credible assistance to the ranking given they may well have played less than half of the contenders (Dougie is a celebrity, but a very ‘well golfed’ one!). The only reason the panel and I have any justification for contributing to a list of the ‘best’ courses in Scotland is because, by virtue of having played all or the vast majority of the contenders, they have the ability to compare. If you wanted a ranking of the top 100 football grounds in England, would you ask Rickie Lambert (moderately talented, played in all four leagues) or Eden Hazard (superstar, played in only the Premiership)? Or in Scotland, Celtic icon Henrik Larsson or Inverness’ Barry Wilson? DO READERS MAKE GOOD PANELLISTS? I believe they do. In addition to their ability to compare, I also love the fact they have paid their green fees, which removes any possible inhibitions and means they can relate to our readers – and hopefully vice versa, as they are readers themselves. Our Top 100s are lists for golfers who like to go on golf trips to the best courses, created by golfers who like to go on golf trips to the best courses. Our aim is for you to feel confident that what we suggest in our Top 100s will be the reality when you arrive. It’s not to say we aren’t interested in the views of famous names. In this guide alone we hear from Sandy Lyle, Colin Montgomerie and Andrew Cotter to name a few, plus feted architect Kyle Phillips. CAN I JOIN THE PANEL? Yes! The only proviso is you have a wealth of experience of what are regarded as the finest courses in GB&I. There are no freebies or expenses, this is a labour of love – but all panellists seem to enjoy being involved. Chris Bertram Top 100 Editor THE PANEL Mike Bailey Club: Formby Hcp: 12 Brendan Blair Club: Bristol & Clifton Hcp: 12 John Chapman Club: Royal Cromer Hcp: 5 Dale Concannon Club: Press Golfing Society Hcp: 7 Dougie Donnelly Clubs: St Andrews New, Glenearn, Gleneagles. Hcp: 12 Nick Dungay Club: Singing Hills Hcp: 11 Stuart Edgington Club: Ladbrook Park Hcp: 12 Alan Ferguson Clubs: St Andrews New, Glenbervie Hcp: 4 Ian Johnston Club: The Oxfordshire Hcp: 7 Richard Lillesmart Club: Thorpeness Hcp: 12 Ian MacDonald Club: Ramside Hcp: 11 Alan McPherson Club: The Glen Hcp: 10 Peter Rudd Clubs: Woodbridge, Thorpeness & Woodhall Spa Hcp: 7 Ben Sargent Club: The Wisley Hcp: Pro Mark Squire Club: Scarcroft Hcp: 8 Neal Stewart Club: Haggs Castle Hcp: 8 Andrew Stracey Clubs: R&A, Loch Lomond, Royal Worlington, Denham Hcp: 0.6 Mike Stuckey Clubs: Lochinvar, Houston, Texas Hcp: 15 Gary Vaulks Club: Royal Liverpool Hcp: 8 The Queen’s course at Gleneagles.
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Page 5 and 6: 94 Glenbervie NEW ENTRY EXclUsIVE L
Page 7 and 8: 93 Craigielaw (▼ 4) Aberlady, Eas
Page 9 and 10: 83 Rowallan Castle (▼ 4) Kilmaurs
Page 11 and 12: 73 Fairmont St A. Torrance (▼ 8)
Page 13 and 14: THE sEMInal HolE THE 12TH AT ROYAL
Page 15 and 16: 61 St Andrews Jubilee (▼ 12) St A
Page 17 and 18: LEGENDS HAVE PLAYED HERE. NOW IT’
Page 19 and 20: 43 Brora Sutherland ( ) Brora, Suth
Page 21 and 22: Links with History A unique opportu
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Page 25 and 26: 2019? many will be realised? In Sep
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Top 100 Golf Courses in Scotland

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