Shifts in the 2025-26 Top 100 Golf Courses Ranking

News Summary

The newly released 2025-26 Top 100 Golf Courses ranking has revealed significant movements and new entries, showcasing the blend of classic and modern designs in the golfing world. With a comprehensive evaluation process involving 126 expert panelists, courses are rated based on various criteria. Notable changes include the rise of Old Town Club and the enduring popularity of the Old Course at St. Andrews, along with the introduction of new entrants. This year’s list reflects a captivating mix of historical significance and contemporary trends in golf course design.

Exciting Shifts in the 2025-26 Top 100 Golf Courses Ranking

For all golf enthusiasts out there, it’s that highly anticipated time again! The freshly released Top 100 Golf Courses in the World for 2025-26 list offers a delightful blend of old favorites and intriguing newcomers that truly highlight the beauty and complexity of the game.

The Ranking Process Unveiled

This prestigious ranking isn’t just pulled out of a hat. It’s crafted by an international panel of 126 seasoned expert raters. What makes it even more fascinating is the selection process, which resembles a democratic exercise. No single opinion stands above the rest, resulting in a unique tapestry of golf course evaluations that genuinely reflects a collective taste.

Panelists lean heavily on various aspects while scoring courses, including enjoyability from well-thought-out design, challenge level, and, of course, those stunning scenic surroundings. As a result, the 2025-26 rankings display a real mix of preferences and styles, making it more exciting for golf lovers everywhere.

How Rankings Are Determined

Now, let’s delve into the nitty-gritty! The methodology employed to arrive at this esteemed list is impressively comprehensive. With a staggering 88,000 evaluations collected over a decade, each course is meticulously scored on a scale from 1 to 10, across six important categories: Shot Options, Challenge, Layout Variety, Aesthetics, Conditioning, and Character.

What’s even more fascinating is how the rankings allow for dynamic shifts. Outlier scores are weeded out to ensure that the evaluations are fair and reflective of the general sentiment. Newer assessments carry more weight, which means that courses can rise or fall dramatically based on fresh opinions.

Some Notable Moves and New Entrants