The Old Course at St Andrews has been named the world’s number one course by a unique poll of professional golf course architects from all over the globe.
Almost 250 architects voted in the Architects’ Choice Top 100 Golf Courses rankings ballot, carried out by Golf Course Architecture, the world’s leading source for information on golf design and development. The Old Course came top comfortably, followed in second by Alister MacKenzie’s Cypress Point Club in California, and in third by PineValley.
Euan Loudon, chief executive of St Andrews Links said: “We are thrilled to learn that the Old Course has been voted number one in the Architects’ Choice Top 100 Golf Courses poll. It is a wonderful achievement to be recognised in such a definitive and informed ranking. We are blessed with unparalleled history but do not rest on our laurels and are committed to improving and enhancing the golfer’s experience at the Links.
“Achieving the top spot in this poll is fitting testimony to the work of the greenkeeping team at the Links. When you see the calibre of the courses from around the world included in the Architects’ Choice Top 100 you can appreciate that a great deal of hard work goes into delivering the Old Course in top condition for the thousands of people who wish to play it every year. Recognition such as this is something of which St Andrews and everyone associated with the Links can be proud.”
Architects from 28 countries voted in the poll, and 14 countries are represented in the final Top 100 listing. Golf Course Architecture editor Adam Lawrence said: “We believe that golf architects, who have spent their lives studying the greatest courses and trying to live up to them, are uniquely well placed to identify those that are the best in the world. The Old Course has, throughout golf’s history, inspired the work of the best architects, and it continues to do so today. It’s fitting that it should be named the world’s best in our poll.”
The complete listing, and a comprehensive report on the Architects’ Choice poll, can be downloaded from the Golf Course Architecture website at www.golfcoursearchitecture.net, as can the latest issue of the magazine, which includes the rankings.