Golf Courses Elsewhere

The best golf courses are scattered around the world.  Golf courses outside the US offer a totally different golfing experience.  Here is a sneak peek of some of the classiest, most challenging and finest golf courses found around the world.

The St. Andrews (Old Course) in St. Andrews, Scotland is said to be the oldest golf course in the world dating back to the early 13th Century.  It is designed around natural hazards thus course management is essential.  St. Andres Old Course has evolved over six centuries but still remains a true test for today’s best golfers.

The Royal County Down in Newcastle, Northern Ireland has always been on the list of the top 10 golf courses in the world.  It was established in 1889 and is regarded as one of the oldest golf courses in Ireland.  It was designed by the famous Old Tom Morris, keeper of the links at the St. Andrews Old Course.  The Royal County Down has a magnificent landscape.  Town spires and steeples and the sea provide a stunning backdrop.  The mountain peak of Slieve Donard hovers over the horizon.  It is a challenging course with narrow fairways that run hard and fast.  There are also blind tee shots and some greens partially obscured.

The Ballybunion (Old Course) in County Kerry, Ireland is famous for its soaring sand dunes and cliff side holes running along the Atlantic Ocean.  The roughs are so perfect that it is hard to lose a ball but it is just as difficult to get the next shot to stay on the greens, many of which have precipitous banks of short grass falling away on both sides.  Stunning panorama envelops the golf course and is undeniably a tough course to maneuver.

The Royal Melbourne Composite Course in Australia is a regular in the world’s top ten golf courses.  It came into being in 1959 when the Royal Melbourne Golf Club was invited to host the World Cup.  It was decided to use 12 holes from its West Course and 6 holes from its East Course to form the new Composite Course.  Since then, the Composite Course has been the site of numerous international tournaments.  Natural features of the land dominate the course layout.  Wide fairways and large greens make the course appealing but every hole at this course is a challenge.

The Hirono Golf Club in Kobe, Japan is Japan’s highest ranked golf course established in 1932.  It is set on a backdrop of pine trees and huge ravines.  It is a stunning yet tough course.  It is well-known for its three extremely challenging finishing holes.